MERRY-MOUNT; A ROMANCE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS COLONY

2 volumes in one. First Edition, a copy with pleasing provenance coming from the collection of the Peabody-Shattuck family of Boston, two important Massachusetts families. Both presentation inscription and ownership signification are present. 8vo, in publisher's original brown textured cloth, lettered in gilt on the spine and elaborately decorated in blind on the upper and lower covers. [1]-8, [1]-222; [1]-4, [1]-252 [4 ads] pp. An excellent copy, very fine and clean with little evidence of use or age, minimal mellowing to the gilt. A rare survival in this condition.<br>

Edizione: a fascinating historical novel about the early colony of massachusetts. the settlement at mount wollaston (now quincy), massachustts, was founded in 1625 by captain wollaston and thomas morton, a british adventurer and anglican. when the captain withdrew to virginia with his indentured white servants, morton took possession of the site, which was renamed ma-re-mount. there, according to bradford, the anglican settlers established a ?schoole of athisme,? whose members revived ?the beastly practices of the madd bachanalians.? the frolicking of the colonists about a maypole and their trading of weapons to the indians caused myles standish to be sent to seize morton, who was transferred to england under arrest (1628). although the colony was dispersed, several ?revelers? lingered on. morton's new english canaan (1637) presents his version of events, while bradford and john winthrop represent the puritan and separatist views in their histories. hawthorne's ?the maypole of merrymount? (1837) is an allegorical tale, and other literary treatments include motley's romance merry-mount (1849) offered here.<br> copies in such fine condition and with excellent massachusetts provenance as here are rarely encountered.