Horae lyricae; poems, chiefly of the lyric kind; in three books

by Isaac Watts

Elizabeth, NJ: Shepard Kollock, 1793

xxii, [1], 24-219, [1] p. | 18mo | A-M^12/6 N^2 | 137 x 82 mm

First published in 1706, this is one of at least three dozen editions published in the 18th century, and the first printed in New Jersey. The present is an early Elizabeth production. Shepard Kollock, whose imprints first appear in 1785, was the town's first printer. (Is it grandiose to call him the prototypographer of Elizabeth, NJ?) ¶ The author here sets out to provide his readers with pious verse. “It has been a long complaint of the virtuous and refined world,” the preface begins, “that Poesy, whose original is divine, should be enslaved to vice and profaneness; that an art inspired from Heaven should have so far lost the memory of its birth-place as to be engaged in the interests of hell.” Such verses were good enough for Captain Ahab and his crew. To be sure, Captain Bildad's sister Charity gave a copy of Watts to every sailor in Ahab's crew, Bildad having informed them that "no profane songs would be allowed on board the Pequod." Melville here likely refers to Watts's Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, which went through more editions, though the content of that title and this is certainly similar.

PROVENANCE: Early ownership signatures of Henrietta Bogart, twice on the title page and at least once within the text. Our owner was almost certainly a young Henrietta Bogart Brinckerhoff (1797-1882) who is today buried in the village of Menands, NY. Mrs. Brinckerhoff spent her life in service of others, caring for an ailing sister, pursuing charities, and serving as head of the Cooperstown Female Seminary. While such seminaries promoted traditional gender roles, they were nonetheless among the vanguard of those seeking to expand educational opportunities for women in the United States. ¶ Additional ownership signature of William Ross on title page. Occasional textual emendations by an early reader, betraying access to a different edition of Watt’s poems. A couple of faint penciled marginalia, plus many marginal markings in pencil.

CONDITION: Contemporary full leather; gilt rules and gilt-stamped red leather title label on spine. ¶ Margins closely trimmed; a few words lost at the bottoms of p. 150 and 154; small dark stain on leaves G2-7. Leather rubbed, more so at the extremities, and worn thin at the joints; a little chipping at the spine ends. ¶ A robust copy in a contemporary trade binding.

REFERENCES: ESTC W12781 ¶ S.V. Talcott, Genealogical Notes of New York and New England Families (Heritage Books, 2001; orig. 1883), v. 1, p. [417]; New York History 41 (1960), p. 58; Herman Melville, Moby Dick, ch. 22

Item #85