The English Parnassus: Being a New Selection of Didactic, Descriptive, Pathetic, Plaintive, and Pastoral Poetry, Extracted from the Works of the Latest and Most Celebrated Poets..

London: Printed for G. Kearsley, 1789 First edition of a poetry collection for children that features the works of several significant female poets, including a dozen by sisters Harriet (b. 1744) and Maria Falconar (b. 1771), abolitionist and religious writer Hannah More (1745-1833), whose poem is about slavery, Ann Yearsley (1753-1806), and Elizabeth Carter (1707-1806). The present work also features poetry by Pope, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Robert Burns (an early anthologizing), Milton, Cowper, and Fitzgerald among others. Contemporary tree calf tooled in gilt, gilt spine with red morocco spine label. Marbled endpapers. Twelvemo. Binding extremities lightly worn, a few small chips to spine label with loss of three letters. Corners a bit rubbed. Front hinge starting to crack, but sound. Lacks marbled front flyleaf. Very minor foxing, the occasional small smudge. Contemporary ink inscription on front flyleaf. A very good copy. John Adams (1750?-1814) was a schoolmaster and educational writer. He was educated at Aberdeen University. He obtained a preaching license, traveled to London, became the minister of a Scottish church at Hatton Garden, and opened a successful academy in Putney. He published a great number of educational works that were reprinted in many editions. Specifically written for use in schools, Adams' works provided teachers and their students with concise and useful introductions to a number of subjects, such as: reading, ancient and modern history, and Latin composition. He also published an abridged version of Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1789). English Parnassus contains poems about a variety of themes: wisdom, wishes, the Christian God, ghosts, domestic happiness, the preference of country life to that of a town, and more.