Selections from Pigs' Meat

Spence's token advertising Pigs' Meat

Pigs' Meat was published in 72 parts for a penny each by Thomas Spence between 1793 — 4. It contained a selection of extracts from radical writings of very varied sources. The extracts given here were republished as part of the Whole End of Oppression in 1801. Rights of Swine, the song Rights of Man, Harrington's aphorisms, and Harrington on utopias come from Pigs' Meat Part 2 Vol 1. Only the song Rights of Man is by Spence himself; the Letter from Ralph Hodge is sometimes attributed to Thomas Spence, but from style and contents seems as likely to be by the anonymous author of More Reasons for a Reform in Parliament, published in 1793, which includes The Answer of John Bull to his Brother Thomas, a reply to the clerical author William Jones' series of letters between John and Thomas Bull. Finally, Les Ruines was a very influential work among radicals of the period, and was also translated by Thomas Jefferson.