"Likewise the heavens he down-bow'd
and he descended: also there
Was at his feet a gloomy cloud
and he on cherubs rode apace.
Yea on the wings of wind he flew
he darkness made his secret place
His covert round about him drew."
Though the grotesque wording and droll errors of these old psalm-books can,
after the lapse of centuries, be pointed out and must be smiled at, there
is after all something so pathetic in the thought of those good, scholarly
old New England saints, hampered by poverty, in dread of attack of Indians,
burdened with hard work, harassed by "eighty-two pestilent heresies," still
laboring faithfully and diligently in their strange new home at their
unsuited work,--something so pathetic, so grand, so truly Christian, that
when I point out any of the absurdities or failures in their work, I dread
lest the shades of Cotton, of Sewall, of Mather, of Eliot, brand me as of
old, "in capitall letters," as "AN OPEN AND OBSTINATE CONTEMNER OF GOD'S
HOLY ORDINANCES," or worse still, with that mysterious, that dread name, "A
WANTON GOSPELLER."
The second edition of the "New England Psalm-Book" was published in 1647;
the one copy known to exist has sold for four hundred and thirty-five
dollars. The third edition was the one revised by President Dunster and
Mr. Lyon, and was printed in 1650. In 1691 the unfortunate book was again
"pollished" by a committee of ministers, who thus altered the last two
stanzas of the Song of Deborah and Barak:--
28. Out of a window Sisera
His mother look'd and said
The lattess through in coming why
So long's chariot staid?
His chariot-wheels why tarry they?
Her ladies wise reply'd
29. Yea to herself the answer made,
30. Have they not speed? she cry'd.
31. The prey to each a maid or twain
Divided have not they?
To Sisera have they not shar'd
A divers-colour'd prey?
Of divers-colour'd needle-work
Wrought curious on each side
Of various colours meet for necks
Of those who spoils divide?
Rev. Elias Nason wittily says of "The Bay Psalm-Book," "Welde, Eliot, and
Mather mounted the restive steed Pegasus, Hebrew psalter in hand, and
trotted in warm haste over the rough roads of Shemitic roots and metrical
psalmody. Other divines rode behind, and after cutting and slashing,
mending and patching, twisting and turning, finally produced what must ever
remain the most unique specimen of poetical tinkering in our literature."
Other editions quickly followed these "pollishings" until, in 1709, sixteen
had been printed. Mr. Hood stated that at least seventy editions in all
were brought out. Some of these were printed in England and Scotland, in
exceedingly fine and illegible print, and were intended to be bound up with
the Bible; and occasionally duodecimo Bibles were sent from Scotland to
New England with "The Bay Psalm-Book" bound at the back part of the book.
Strange as it may seem, the poor, halting New England version was used in
some of the English dissenting congregations and Scotch kirks, instead of
the smoother verses composed in England for the English churches.
The Reverend Thomas Prince, after two years of careful work thereon,
published in 1758 a revised edition of the much-published book, and it was
adopted by his church, the Old South, of Boston, the week previous to his
death. It was used by his congregation until 1786. He clung closely to the
form of the old editions, changing only an occasional word. In his preface
Dr. Prince says that "The Bay Psalm-Book" "had the honor of being the
first book printed in North America, and as far as I can find, in this
New World." We have fuller means of information now-a-days than had the
reverend reviser, and we know that as early as 1535 a book called "The
Book of St. John Climacus or The Spiritual Ladder" had been printed in the
Spanish tongue, in Mexico; and no less than one hundred and sixteen other
Spanish works in the sixteenth century, as the "Bibliografia Mexicana"
testifies.
If the printing of all these various editions was poor, and the diction
worse, the binding certainly was good and could be copied in modern times
to much advantage. No flimsy cloth or pasteboard covers, no weak paper
backs, no ill-pasted leaves, no sham-work of any kind was given; securely
sewed, firmly glued, with covers of good strong leather, parchment, kid, or
calfskin, these psalm-books endured constant _daily_ (not weekly) use
for years, for decades, for a century, and are still whole and firm.
They were carried about in pockets, in saddle-bags, and were opened, and
handled, and conned, as often as were the Puritan Bibles, and they bore the
usage well. They were distinctively characteristic of the unornamental,
sternly pious, eminently honest, and sturdily useful race that produced
them.
Judge Sewall makes frequent mention in his famous diary of "the New Psalm
Book." He bought one "bound neatly in Kids Leather" for "3 shillings &
sixpence" and gave it to a widow whom he was wooing. Rather a serious
lover's gift, but characteristic of the giver, and not so gloomy as
"Dr. Mathers Vials of Wrath," "Dr. Sibbs Bowels," "Dr. Preston's Church
Carriage," and "Dr. Williard's Fountains opened," all of which he likewise
presented to her.
The Judge frequently gave a copy as a bridal gift, after singing from it
"Myrrh aloes," to the gloomy tune of Windsor, at the wedding.
8. Myrrh Aloes and Cussias _smell_
all of thy garments _had_
Out of the yvory pallaces
whereby they made thee glad:
9. Amongst thine honourable maids
kings daughters present were
The Queen is set at thy right hand
in fine gold of Ophir.
But his most frequent mention of the "new psalm-book" is in his "Humbell
acknowledgement" made to God of the "great comfort and merciful kindness
received through singing of His Psalmes;" and the pages of the diary bear
ample testimony that whatever the book may appear to us now, it was to the
early colonists the very Word of God.
As years passed on, however, and singing-schools multiplied, it became much
desired, and even imperative that there should be a better style and manner
of singing, and open dissatisfaction arose with "The Bay Psalm-Book;" the
younger members of the congregations wished to adopt the new and smoother
versions of Tate and Brady, and of Watts. Petitions were frequently made in
the churches to abolish the century-used book. Here is an opening sentence
of one church-letter which is still in existence; it was presented to the
ministers and elders of the Roxbury church September 11th, 1737, and was
signed by many of the church members:--
"The New England Version of Psalms however useful it may formerly have
been, has now become through the natural variableness of Language, not only
very uncouth but in many Places unintelligible; whereby the mind instead
of being Raised and spirited in Singing The Praises of Almighty God and
thereby being prepared to Attend to other Parts of Divine Service is Damped
and made Spiritless in the Performance of the Duty at least such is the
Tendency of the use of that Version," etc., etc.
Great controversy arose over the abolition of the accustomed book, and
church-quarrels were rife; but the end of the century saw the dearly loved
old version consigned to desuetude, uever again to be opened, alas! but by
critical or inquisitive readers.
There is owned by the American Antiquarian Society, and kept carefully
locked in the iron safe in the building of that Society in Worcester, a
copy of the first edition of "The Bay Psalm Book." It is a quarto (not
octavo, as Thomas described it in his "History of Printing") and is in very
good condition, save that the titlepage is missing. It is in the original
light-colored, time-stained parchment binding, and contains the autograph
of Stephen Sewall. It also bears on the inside of the front cover the
book-plate of Isaiah Thomas, and at the back, in the veteran printer's
clear and beautiful handwriting, this statement: "After advertising for
another copy of this book and making enquiry in many places in New England
&c. I was not able to obtain or even hear of another. This copy is
therefore invaluable and must be preserved with the greatest care. Isaiah
Thomas, Sep. 20. 1820." His "History of Printing," was published in 1810,
and the Society had acquired through the gift of "the rev. mr. Bentley" the
copy which Thomas mentioned in his book.
It is strange that Thomas should have been ignorant of the existence of
other copies of the first edition of "The Bay Psalm-Book," for there were
at that time six copies belonging to the Prince Library in the possession
of the Old South Church of Boston. One would fancy that the Prince Library
would have been one of his first objective points of search, save that a
dense cloud of indifference had overshadowed that collection for so long
a time. Five of those copies remained in the custody of the deacons and
pastor of the Old South Church until 1860, and they were at one time all
deposited in the Public Library of the City of Boston. Two still remain in
that suitable place of deposit; they are almost complete in paging, but are
in modern bindings. The other three copies were surrendered by Lieut-Gov.
Samuel Armstrong (who, as one of the deacons of the Old South Church,
had joint custody of the Prince Library), severally, to Mr. Edward
Crowninshield of Boston, Dr. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff of Boston, and Mr.
George Livermore of Cambridge. Governor Armstrong surrendered these three
books in consideration of certain modern books being given to the Prince
Library, and of the modern bindings bestowed on the two other copies; which
seems to us hardly a brilliant or judicious exchange.
In Dr. Shurtleff "The Bay Psalm-Book" found a congenial and loving owner;
and under his careful superintendence an exact reprint was published in
1862 in the Riverside Press at Cambridge. He wrote for it a preface. It was
published by subscription; one copy on India paper, fifteen on thick paper,
and fifty on common paper. Copies on the last named paper have sold readily
for thirty dollars each. All the typographical errors of the original were
carefully reproduced in this reprint.
At Dr. Shurtleffs death, his "Bay Psalm-Book" was catalogued with the rest
of his library, which was to be sold on Dec. 2, 1875; but an injunction was
obtained by the deacons of the Old South Church, to prevent the sale of the
old psalm-book. They were rather late in the day however, to try to obtain
again the too easily parted with book, and the ownership of it was adjudged
to the estate. The book was sold Oct. 12, 1876, at the Library salesroom,
Beacon Street, Boston, for one thousand and fifty dollars. It is now in the
library of Mrs. John Carter Brown, of Providence, Rhode Island. Special
interest attaches to this copy, because it was "Richard Mather, His Book"
as several autographs in it testify; and the author's own copy is always of
extra value. Cotton Mather, a grandson of Richard, was the close friend of
the Reverend Thomas Prince, who founded the Prince Library, and who left it
by will to the Old South Church in 1758. Mr. Prince's book-plate is on the
reverse of the titlepage of this copy of "The Bay Psalm-Book," and is in
itself a rarity. It reads thus:--
"This Book belongs to
The New England Library
Begun to be collected by Thomas Prince
upon his ent'ring Harvard-College July 6
1703, and was given by said Prince, to
remain therein forever."
There was a sixth copy of "The Bay Psalm-Book" in the Prince Library in
1830 when Dr. Wisner wrote his four sermons on the Old South Church of
Boston,--a copy annotated by Dr. Prince and used by him while he was
engaged on his revision. It has disappeared, together with many other
important books and manuscripts belonging to the same library. The
vicissitudes through which this most valuable collection has passed--lying
neglected for years on shelves, in boxes, and in barrels in the
steeple-room of the Old South Church, depleted to use for lighting fires,
injured by British soldiery, but injured still more by the neglect and
indifference of its custodians--are too painful to contemplate or relate.
They contribute to the scholarly standing and honor of neither pastors nor
congregations during those years. It is enough to state, however, that it
is to the noble and ill-requited forethought of Dr. Prince that we owe all
but three of the copies of the Bay Psalm-Book which are now known to be in
existence.
There is also a perfect copy of the first edition of the old book in the
Lenox Library in New York, and the manner in which it was acquired (and
also some further accounts of two of our old friends of the Prince Library,
the acquisitions of Messrs. Crowninshield and Liverraore) is told so
entertainingly by Henry Stevens, of Vermont, in his charming book,
"Recollections of Mr. James Lenox" that it is best to quote his account in
full:--
"For nearly ten years Mr. Lenox had entertained a longing de
to possess a perfect copy of 'The Bay Psalm Book.' He gave me to
understand that if an opportunity occurred of securing a copy for him I
might go as far as one hundred guineas. Accordingly from 1847 till his
death, six years later, my good friend William Pickering and I put our
heads and book-hunting forces together to run down this rarity. The
only copy we knew of on this side the Atlantic was a spotless one in
the Bodleian Library, which had lain there unrecognized for ages, and
even in the printed catalogue of 1843 its title was recorded without
distinction among the common herd of Psalms in verse. I had handled it
several times with great reverence, and noted its many peculiar points,
but, as agreed with Mr. Pickering, without making any sign or imparting
any information to our good and obliging friend Dr. Bandinel, Bodley's
Librarian. We thought that when we had secured a copy for oursel
it would be time enough to acquaint the learned Doctor that he was
entertaining unawares this angel of the New World.
"Under these circumstances, therefore, only an experienced collector
can judge of my surprise and inward satisfaction, when on the 12
January, 1855, at Sotheby's, at one of the sales of Pickering's stock,
after untying parcel after parcel to see what I might chance to see,
and keeping ahead of the auctioneer, Mr. Wilkinson, on resolving to
prospect in one parcel more before he overtook me, my eye rested
an instant only on the long-lost Benjamin, clean and unspotted. I
instantly closed the parcel (which was described in the Catalogue as
Lot '531 Psalmes, other editions, 1630 to 1675 black letter, a parcel')
and tightened the string just as Alfred came to lay it on the table. A
cool-blooded coolness seized me, and advancing to the table behind Mr.
Lilly I quietly bid, in a perfectly natural tone, 'Sixpence,' and so
the bids went on increasing by sixpence until half a crown was reached,
and Mr. Lilly had loosened the string. Taking up this very volume he
turned to me and remarked that 'This looks a rare edition, Mr. Stevens,
don't you think so? I do not remember having seen it before,' and
raised the bid to five shillings. I replied that I had little doubt of
its rarity though comparatively a late edition of the Psalms,
at the same time gave Mr. Wilkinson a six-penny nod. Thenceforth a
'spirited competition' arose between Mr. Lilly and myself, until
finally the lot was knocked down to 'Stevens' for nineteen shillings. I
then called out with perhaps more energy than discretion, 'Delivered!'
On pocketing this volume, leaving the other seven to take the usual
course, Mr. Lilly and others inquired with some curiosity, 'What rarity
have you got now?' 'Oh, nothing,' said I, 'but the first English book
printed in America.' There was a pause in the sale, while all had a
good look at the little stranger. Some said jocularly, 'There has
evidently been a mistake; put up the lot again.' Mr. Stevens, with the
book again safely in his pocket, said, 'Nay, if Mr. Pickering, whose
cost mark of [3s] did not recognize the prize he had won, certainly the
cataloguer might be excused for throwing it away into the hands of the
right person to rescue, appreciate, and preserve it. I am now fully
rewarded for my long and silent hunt of seven years.'
"On reaching Morley's I eagerly collated the volume, and at first found
it right witli all the _usual_ signatures correct. The leaves were
not paged or folioed. But on further collation I missed sundry of the
Psalms, enough to fill four leaves. The puzzle was finally solved when
it was discovered that the inexperienced printer had marked the sheet
with the signature w after v, which is very unusual.
"This was a very disheartening disappointment, but I held my tongue,
and knowing that my old friend and correspondent, George Liverm
of Cambridge, N. E., possessed an imperfect copy, which he and Mr.
Crowninshield, after the noble example of the 'Lincoln Nosegay,' had
won from the Committee of the 'Old South' together with another and
perfect copy, I proposed an advantageous exchange and obtained
four missing leaves. Mr. Crowninshield strongly advised Mr. Livermore
against parting with his four leaves, because, as he said, 'They would
enable Stevens to complete his copy and to place it in the library of
Mr. Lenox, who would then crow over us because he also had a perfect
copy of "The Bay-Psalm Book."'
"Having thus completed my copy and had it bound by Francis Bedford in
his best style, I sent it to Mr. Lenox for £80. Five years later I
bought the Crowninshield Library in Boston for $10,000, mainly to
obtain his perfect copy of 'The Bay Psalm Book,' and brought the whole
library to London. This second copy, after being held several months,
was at the suggestion of Mr. Thomas Watts, offered to the British
Museum for £150. The Keeper of the Printed Books, however, never had
the courage to send it before the Trustees for approval and payment; so
after waiting five or six years longer the volume was withdrawn, bound
by Bedford, taken to America in 1868, and sold to Mr. George Brinley
for 150 guineas. At the Brinley sale, in March, 1878, it was bought by
Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt for $1200, or more than three times the cost
of my first copy to Mr. Lenox."
We hear the expression of a book being "worth its weight in gold." "The Bay
Psalm-Book," in the Library of the American Antiquarian Society, weighs
nine ounces, hence Mr. Vanderbilt paid at least seven times its weight in
gold for his precious book. Lowndes's "Bibliographers' Manual" says, "This
volume, which is extremely rare and would at an auction in America produce
from four to six thousand dollars, is familiarly termed 'The Bay Psalm
Book.'" This must have been intended to be printed four to six hundred
dollars, and is about as correct as the remainder of the description in
that manual.
The copy which is spoken of by Mr. Stevens as being in the Bodleian Library
at Oxford was once the property of Bishop Tanner, the famous antiquary.
Thus it is seen that there are seven copies at least of the first edition
of "The Bay Psalm-Book" now in existence in America, instead of "five or
at the most six," as a recent writer in "The Magazine of American History"
states.
And of all the manifold later editions of the New England Psalm-Book
comparatively few copies now remain. Occasionally one is discovered in an
old church library or seen in the collection of an antiquary. It is usually
found to bear on its titlepage the name of its early owner, and often,
also, in a different handwriting, the simple record and date of his death.
Tender little memorial postils are frequently written on the margins of
the pages: "Sung this the day Betty was baptized"--"This Psalm was sung at
Mothers Funeral" "Gods Grace help me to heed this word." Sometimes we see
on the blank pages, in a fine, cramped handwriting, the record of the
births and deaths of an entire family. More frequently still we find the
familiar and hackneyed verses of ancient titlepage lore, such as are
usually seen on the blank leaves of old Bibles. This script was written in
a "Bay Psalm-Book" of the sixteenth edition, and with the characteristic
indifference of our New England forefathers for tiresome repetition, or
possibly with their disdain of novelty, was seen on each and every blank
page of the book:--
"Israel Balch, His Book,
God give him Grace theirin to look
And when the Bell for him doth toal
May God have mearcy on his Sole."
What the diction lacked in variety is quite made up, however, in the
spelling, which was painstakingly different on each page.
Another Psalm-Book bore, inscribed in an elegant, minute handwriting, these
lines, which were probably intended for verse, since the first word of each
line commenced with a capital letter:--
"Abednego Prime His Book
When he withein these pages looks
May he find Grace to sing therein
Seventeen hundred and forty-seven."
This is certainly pretty bad poetry,--bad enough to be worthy a place in
"The Bay Psalm Book,"--but is also a most noble, laudable, and necessary
aspiration; for power of Grace was plainly needed to enable Abednego or any
one else to sing from those pages; and our pious New England forefathers
must have been under special covenant of grace when they persevered against
such obstacles and under such overwhelming disadvantages in having singing
in their meetings.