New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-20
SIX RARE BOOKS.
II Series of FacsimiIes Of Interest
to Collectors.

We have received from Dodd, Mead & Co. fac
smile reproductions of six old works that may
rightly be termed rare both in point of his
torical interest and OF the number OF copies or
the originals now known TO be extant Each OF
the volumes contains an Introductory note IN
which the story of the work reprinted is told
and the history of the surviving copies of the
original traced. In some cases but one copy
is now known "A Journal of the House of
Representatives for His Majestie's Province of
New York in America" for example, had an
edition OF probably not more than thirty copies,
nineteen for the Representatives in the General
Assembly, ten for the Councillors in the upper
house, and for the Governor of NeW-Hork-
OF these thirty copies but one is known to sur
vive and until this discovered by Miss
Hasse in 1902. in the Public Record Office. Lon
don it was thought all had persisted.
The same statement applies to "A Narrative
of Attempt Made by the French of Canada
upon the Mohaque's Country or, as it is COM
monty called. "Bayard's Journal" the only
known copy of which was likewise found by
Miss Hasse at the London Public Record Office.
Two editions of another of these reprints, "A
Briefe and True Relation of the Discouerie of
the North Part of Virginia (Breretons Rela-
tom. were published in London in 1902, and OF
the first edition, which is the reproduced.
only three copies are known to be in existence.
Not more than seven copies of "A Briefe and
True Report of the New Found Land of Vir-
ginia" (Thomas HariOt London. 1888. have
been traced The first edition of Millions "Comus''
Q63O. the first published book of the poet,
is another great rarity included among the
reprints, while there extant only ten copies
Of the famous bay Psalm Book and six Of
these imperfect
In issuing these facsimiles the publishers
der service to bibliophiles and to students of
history and literature OF especial value to the
historian the legislative journal and
Hariot's and Brereton's records. Bayard's jour
nal. narrating the exploits of expedition
hurried from New-York in 1893 To assist the
provincial volunteers in repeng attack by
the Canadian French upon the Northern frontier
towns. Is of service the student OF the his
tory of printing in America rather than to the
historian of events, Its discovery proves that
Keiths Truth Advance was not. as had been
generally thought the first book printed in New
York This journal is also valuable provld-
ing another example OF the style OF William
Bradford. King Williams printer. whose career
marked by vicissitudss Bradford was also
the printer Of the journal OF the House of
Representatives" which may be said 10 repre-
sent his work at its best.
OF great interest is the reprint Of the famous
Bay Psalm Book" called because it was
adopted by nearly every congregation in the
colony OF Massachusetts Bay. 1t has a curious
history. The Puritan settlers. who came TO
America in 1929 and 1880. brought with them
Sternhold and Hopkns's Psalms. but this YER
sion was dsliked by many, who were anxious
to secure a translation more exactly expressing
the meaning of the original Hebrew. About the
year 1886 II determined to write and pub
lish a translation. and the several divines
OF the community undertook to divide the labor
The greater part OF the work however seems
have fallen Richard Mather, pastor OF the
church in Dorchester. and to Thomas Weld and
John Eliot, associate ministers OF the church in
Roxbury. Their translation published In
1910 at the printing house established in Cam
bridge the year before. and the Psalter
North America, exclusive OF Mexico It's phrase
ology appears quaint and stilted to-day and It's
poetry Will not bear close inspection but II
met the requirements of the Jealous Puritans,
and was even imported into England and Scot
land. running through twenty editions in the
in ew-England. giving way. finally, to the yer
sions Of Tate and Brady and OF Isaac Watts
The style OF the Bay Psalter may be indicated
by brief quotation:
o. blessed man, that in tn advice
OF wicked doeth not walk:
nor stand IN sinneTs' way. sit
N chayre OF sCornfull folk.
But In the law Of Jehovah,
is his longing delight:
ana In his law doth mediate.
by day and exc by night