The Devotional Harmonist: A Collection of Sacred Music, Comprising a Large Variety of New and Original Tunes, Sentences, Anthems, Etc. in addition to many of the most Popular Tunes in Common use...

New York: George Lane and Levi Scott, 1849. Hardcover. Wide 16mo. Quarter calf with gilt rules and tan printed paper over boards. 424pp. Extensive music notation. Good plus. Boards lightly edgeworn and as usual age toned and rubbed; internally tight, with light to moderate foxing throughout; front flyleaf an expert contemporary replacement. Attractive, quite handleable first edition of this thick hymnal that (to continue subtitle) "Present[s] a Great Number of Metres Than Any Book Heretofore Published" and "To Which Is Prefixed a Progressive System of Elementary Instruction for Schools and Private Tuition." Of greatest interest, perhaps, is page 373, the very first appearance in English of "Silent Night!" -- with an early translation by J.F. Warner, not the better known lyrics by Episcopal priest John Freeman Young first published in 1859. Also of interest is a 7 3/4" X 1½" blue slip tipped to top of page 33 (the first page of the actual hymnal following the instructional material) -- one full line of music notation penned in brown ink and titled "Mercy Seat." Rear flyleaf bears some lightly pencilled notes from an early owner. Nice copy of this very scarce hymnal of special significance.