Roger Wolcott, 1725

WOLCOTT, Roger (1679-1767). Poetical Meditations being the Improvement of some Vacant Hours. New London: T. Green, 1725.

First edition of "the first volume of verse printed in Connecticut" (Church). The author was a weaver, lawyer, and politician who would later serve as Colonial governor of Connecticut. His work's publication was funded by the clothmaker John Dewey, whose ads are included at the end. Much of the book is taken up by a long poem on the life of Puritan leader John Winthrop, which includes verse descriptions of the landscape and an account of the Pequot War. As to its poetic quality, Moses Coit Tyler wrote in his History of American Literature, in reference to the subtitle: "for ourselves, we could have been content, had his hours remained vacant." Evans 2722; Church 898; Sabin 104986

Octavo (146 x 94mm). (First and last gatherings remargined at gutter, first two leaves chipped and silked, with about 10 other leaves repaired in a similar fashion, a few with loss of text, one leaf heavily repaired with losses; toned). Contemporary calf ruled in blind (rebacked, retaining portions of original pastedowns). Custom chemise and slipcase. Provenance: Huldah Dresser Jackson (1761-1820, Connecticut woman; inscription) – Abel Jackson (1782-1859, Huldah's son; inscription) – Mary Jackson Metcalf (1804-1881, Huldah's daughter; inscriptions) – faded institutional blindstamp.