Watts, I. Horae Lyricae: Poems, chiefly of the Lyric Kind: in three books. Sacred I. To Devotion and Piety. II. To Virtue, Honor, and Friendship. III. To the Memory of the Dead. Vergennes, [Vermont]: Published by Jepthah Shedd and Co.; Wright & Sibley, Printers, 1813. [11539]
Full brown leather, worn brown leather spine title label, binding has good joints but is quite worn with cut marks front and back, a little worming at bottom of the back joint, 6 3/4 x 4 inches. Ffep signed "Eld. Samuel Hovey." Number ten in red marker, circled, on the same. Round blind stamp to verso of the tp, "J. R. Sprague, Notary Public, East Brookfield, VT". 216 pages, counted and complete; 4 leaves with chips and minor loss of text; 1 leaf (pp. 145-146) torn and lacking about a third of the leaf. Many torn edges, stains, insect damage in a few margins (see title page photo). Poor. Hardcover.
An unusual Vermont imprint. Shaw & Shoemaker 30487.
Preface date is May 14, 1709.
The interesting 21-page preface by Watts gives his thoughts and reasons for writing sacred poetry. It also mentions his work on the Imitation of the Psalms of David, a book that would not be published until 1719, and for which he became famous in the English-speaking Christian world.
Isaac Watts (1674-1748); English Independent minister, author, and hymnwriter.
