“OH FOR THE SACRED ENERGY WHICH STRUCK THE HARP OF JESSE’S SON!”

MORE, Hannah. Sacred Dramas; the Search after Happiness; and Other Poems. London: Jones & Company, 1827. 24mo (2 by 4 inches), contemporary full straight-grain black morocco gilt, green morocco spine labels, all edges gilt. $1500.

Later edition of Hannah More’s poetic, pedagogical retellings of Old Testament tales, handsomely bound, with a lovely fore-edge painting.

Samuel Johnson once called Hannah More "the most 'powerful versificatrix in the English language" (DNB). These poetic retellings of familiar Old Testament stories—among them "Moses in the Bulrushes," "David and Goliath" and "Daniel"—also, when read with modern eyes, say much "about the cultural and political issues with which More and other iconoclastic female thinkers of the period were engaged" (Marjean Purinton). With engraved frontispiece portrait and additional engraved title page. This copy bears a fore-edge painting depicting a view of Ipswich from Bishop's Hill. First published 1782. Prize gift inscription dated 1831.

Scattered light foxing. Front endpaper detached. An about-fine copy, handsomely bound.