This is the 1640 the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre. The decision to print a book of psalms metered for singing may seem an odd choice as the first book to be printed by the settlers of massachusetts bay, but this modest book served the larger purpose of the colonyto live within the reformed church. In 1640, the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre was. Printed in cambridge, massachusetts, on a press set up by stephen day, it included a dissertation on the lawfulness and. The introduction contains a list of the 10 copies of the first edition of the bay psalm book known to be extant, with their present locations. If one of the old southbpl copies is sold, it will be the first time since 1947 that a first edition has come to auction, and would be the first time a copy. Chapter 2 examines a selection of these, ranging from the plain style of george wither, whose bid to supplant sternhold and hopkins ran afoul of the stationers monopoly, and the even more prosaic bay psalm book 1640, whose principal concern was wordforword faithfulness to the hebrew text, to the more literary work of george sandys, who wrote for private devotion rather than. The psalms in metre, faithfully translated for the use, edification, and comfort of. Rarest american book at auction fine books and collections. It was prepared by puritan leaders of the massachusetts bay colony. It is reproduced here by courtesy of the john carter brown library at brown university. Originally, the colonys residents looked to a committee of.
When the book was reprinted in 1698, tunes were added for the first time. Historians believe an almanac may have come off the press before the bay psalm book. The founders of the massachusetts bay colony came to the new world seeking religious freedom, and their first publication was a hymnal. It was the first book printed in british north america. The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. Bay psalm book was not only the first book printed in america, and the first book written in america. The biblical poems, or psalms, were translated from hebrew into english metered poetry. The vvhole booke of psalmes, faithfully translated into english metre the bay psalm book, published in cambridge by stephen daye, 1640. Historic american hymnal bay psalm book from 1640 may fetch. In 1640, the bay psalm book was more than a religious text.
The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung have survived for instance, old 100th. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english. Bay psalm book, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, familiarly called the bay psalm book, was the first book. Last week, bostons old south church voted 274 to sell one of its two remaining copies of the 1640 bay psalm book one of the most historic volumes in american religious history. Title from the bay psalm book, a facsim, reprint of the first ed. Its a book that was not created to be fancy or splendid or valuable in any way other than the significance of its content, says derick dreher, the director of philadelphias rosenbach library, one of the few institutions to hold a bay psalm book. The book was used by nearly all the congregations in the colony of massachusetts bay hence the name of the bay psalm book. The first edition of the bay psalm book to include music was the ninth edition, of 1698, which included tunes from john playfords a breefe introduction to the skill of musick london, 1654. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america is. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung. The library of congress bay psalm book was the last copy remaining in private hands, and it was given to the.
As an electroniconly publication offered as a downloadable pdf, the digital bay psalm book takes advantage of digital technology to offer meticulously rendered photographs of the 7. People could then easily memorize them, and sing the words to what became familiar tunes of the times. With it, new england declared its independence from the church of england. The bay psalm book, formally titled the whole book of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, was the first book printed on. The first edition of the resulting bay psalm book was printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in 1640, and sothebys will auction one of. Neither cottons essay nor the poems have been attended to by modern critics. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book reformed theology at a. The enigma of the bay psalm book will provide an historical overview prior to the presentation of the actual text with its subsequent notes on the reproduction of the original material. More than simple psalmsinging in english by robin a.
An april 20 file photo provided by sothebys and taken in new york shows what the auction house describes as the worlds most valuable book, the bay psalm book, which is the first book. Historic american hymnal bay psalm book from 1640 may. Supervised by richard mather, thomas weld and john eliot. The 1700 copies of the first edition provided puritans with a plain and familiar translation designed to represent more faithfully the hebrew psalms than did the version used by the. The reverend jesse glover imported the first printing press to the massachusetts bay colony in 1638, some 18 years after the first english settlers landed at plymouth rock. The bay psalm book, printed in cambridge, massachusetts, by stephen daye in 1640, was the first book printed by the newly established cambridge press. The bay psalm book, as it has come to be known, consists of a. A tiny hymnal from 1640 believed to be the first book ever printed in what is now the united states is set. The puritan divines of the massachusetts bay colony set out to produce a translation from the hebrew that was reflective of their unique brand of calvinism and more literal than the most popular psalter. Isaiah thomass history of printing in the united states worcester, 1810 includes a catalogue of books printed by stephen day, and it is clear from thomass description of the bay psalm book that this copy was then still owned by william bentley. The bay psalm book of 1640 was the first book printed in america. W4r from the harvard copy of the bay psalm book, showing a contemporary emendation to psalm 87, verse 6. A committee of thirty learned elders, including john cotton, richard mather, and john eliot, set about the task of creating a new translation of the 150 hebrew psalms into english and casting the text into verse for singing.
The bay psalm book was the first book to be printed in north america, twenty years after the arrival of the pilgrims in massachusetts. The communal singing of the psalms from the bay psalm book served to instill a strong sense of unity among puritans of the day. As such, puritans developed the practice of lining out the psalmhaving a deacon or clerk read each line of text before it was sung. With the reports today wbur, boston globe that the leadership of bostons old south church is considering the sale of one of its two copies of the 1640 bay psalm book, i thought it was worth taking a look at the eleven known copies. The whole book of psalms faithfully translated in english metre, more commonly known as the bay psalm book, was first printed in 1640 by a group of massachusetts ministers who were dissatisfied with the psalm book currently in use. It was probably preceded by a small singlesheet production known as the oath of a freeman, of which no copy is extant. This book, with which the pilgrims literally sang their praises to god, presents a translation of the psalms from hebrew, transposed into metrical rhyme for congregational singing. Aug 17, 2016 the founders of the massachusetts bay colony came to the new world seeking religious freedom, and their first publication was a hymnal. Dec 11, 2012 last week, bostons old south church voted 274 to sell one of its two remaining copies of the 1640 bay psalm bookone of the most historic volumes in american religious history. What is the bay psalm book but did you know that the bay psalm book was first printed in the colonies in 1640 and in reissues remained in use for over 100 years.
Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book reformed theology at. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. The puritan divines of the massachusetts bay colony set out to produce a translation from the hebrew that was reflective of their unique brand of calvinism and more. This book, with which the pilgrims literally sang their praises to god, presents a translation of the psalms from hebrew, transposed. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre. Case study 10 the bay psalm book, 1640 1,700 copies were printed of the first book printed in british north americai.
Bay psalm book in metre 1640 logos bible software forums. The preface is possibly by mather, but could be by john cotton. A london printer, stephen daye, came with the press and established a printing office in cambridge. Courtesy, houghton library, harvard university vault stc 2738 3. The translation of the biblical psalms, the bay psalm book, is seen at sothebys in new york. The bay psalm book, printed just twenty years after the pilgrims arrival. The vvhole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into. Zoltan haraszti, the enigma of the bay psalm book, 1956, p. What you need to know about the bay psalm book christianity. This first edition of the bay psalm book contained text but no tunes.
The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. The bay book of psalms, printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in. The 1640 edition of the bay psalm book is the earliest surviving product of the dayes press, and was immediately adopted by nearly every congregation in massachusetts bay hence the volumes familiar name. Heath anthology of american literaturethe bay psalm book.
In a few cases we will also provide a version that retains the 1640 spelling to give a flavor of how they looked in the original. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance, sale. Bay psalm book the whole booke of psalmes first edition. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book the singing of psalms, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody.
Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance. The bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america. Nov 25, 20 in 1640 he printed some 1,700 copies of the 300page whole book of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre, commonly known as the bay psalm book. The book was printed by puritan settlers in cambridge, mass. The psalm book, written and printed by the puritans of massachusetts bay colony in 1640, was designed to allow a whole congregation to sing psalms together in church and at home. Today, only eleven copies are still in existence and fetch as much as fourteen million dollars at auction, making it also the most expensive book in the world. Translated by richard mather, john eliot, and thomas weld, among others. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new. Not only is the text in the public domain, the book can be viewed in pdf form. Jun 11, 2018 but did you know that the bay psalm book was first printed in the colonies in 1640 and in reissues remained in use for over 100 years. But the chief of rare books and special collections at the library of congress, mark dimunation, has said the almanac was more of a pamphlet or a broadsheet than a book.
Most of our transcriptions of the bay psalm book will use modernized american english, since our main purpose is the pragmatic one of wanting to encourage and aid the actual singing of the psalms. The first book printed in british north america, commonly known as the bay psalm book. It will go on display in libraries across the united states. The book is in its original binding, with the title page signed by mather. Psalm 23 and the bay psalm book the music that shaped. The copy of the bay psalm book used to create the pdf additional files and the flipping book the read online button is one of 11 copies of the first edition known to exist and one of only four perfect copies. Digital bay psalm book university of alabama press.
Psalm 98 bay psalm book, 1640, by thomas ravenscroft ca. The edition of this facsimile reprint of the bay psalm book is limited to copies, of which 25 copies are on japan paper and 975 on plain paper. Book believed to be first one printed in the us sells for. The bay psalm book, as it is known, is essentially sacred text to be sung during the liturgy. The bay psalm book was the collaborative project of over twelve leading puritan divines and the first publishing venture of the massachusetts colony.
Dec 03, 2012 the bay psalm books publication in 1640 came at a time when few could read and write words, never mind musical notation, and there were few copies of the book created to share in churches. Bay psalm book article about bay psalm book by the free. Sign up to receive the book in your inbox daily at s. But both these psalters were increasingly deemed unsatisfactory for englishspeaking colonial life, so the attempt was made to create a new american psalter, the socalled bay psalm book published in cambridge, mass. The new paraphrase was so influential that it was first reprinted in 1647 in england. Originally, the colonys residents looked to a committee of thirty men led by john eliot, thomas welde, and richard mather to translate all 150 psalms from hebrew into english. The bay psalm book 1640 and the new england primer 1683. The bay psalm book, formally titled the whole book of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, was the first book printed on angloamerican soil.
Its a translation of the old testament book of psalms, valuable for its rarity and because it was printed in 1640, the first englishlanguage book printed in america. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first book length publication in. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. In this format, users are able to zoom in to examine each individual page. This little book of 1640 was precursor to lexington and concord, and, ultimately, to american political independence. Jan 29, 2017 the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first book length publication in the north american colonies.
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