Magnalia Christi Americana: or, the Ecclesiastical History of New-England, from its first Planting in the year 1620, unto the year of our Lord, 1698. In Seven Books

Hartford: Published by Silas Andrus. [Roberts & Burr Printers (vol 1); Printed by S. Converse-New Haven], 1820. First American edition from the London edition of 1702. 579; 595 pp. 2 vols. 8vo. Contemporary tree calf, red laether title labels, some staining to first several leaves of volume one at inner margin. First American edition from the London edition of 1702. 579; 595 pp. 2 vols. 8vo. An indispensible source for the history of New England, both for its biographies and its history of civil, religious, and military affairs. The work is divided into seven books: antiquities, being the settlement of New England; biographies of Governours and magistrates; biographies of sixty famous divines; an account of the University of Cambridge in New England, and “lives of some eminent persons educated in it;” “Acts and Monuments of the Faith;” “Record of many illustrious, wonderful Providences, both of mercies and judgments on divers persons in New-England;” and “The Wars of the Lord. Being an History of the manifold Afflictions and Disturbances of the Churches in New England...to which is subjoined, an Appendix of Remarkable Occurrences which New-England had in the wars with the Indian salvages (sic), from the year 1688, to the year 1698.” This is one of the first collections of American biographies. In addition to the biographies Mather included many of the “wonders” gathered by Increase Mather and others, including the depossession of the Goodwin children, the stories of ghosts and strange premonitions and the captivity of Hannah Duston. Howes M391; Grolier "American" 6; Sabin 46393. (quoting Southey in the "Quarterly Review" as saying "One of the most singular books in this or any other language. Its puns and its poems, its sermons and its anagrams render it unique in its kind.") For the 1702 edition: Church 806; Holmes "Cotton Mather" 213-A; cfChurch IV 806. cfStreeter II 658 (Inventory #: 345857)