Morton, Thomas | The most entertaining contemporary book on New England

Morton, Thomas

New English Canaan or New Canaan. Containing an Abstract of New England, composed in Three Bookes. Amsterdam: By Iacob Frederick Stam [but probably London], 1637

4to (176 x 130 mm). Woodcut vignette on title-page, decorative woodcut initials, typographic headpieces; upper portion of title-page restored, a little browned, washed. Crushed brown morocco gilt by Rivière, covers panelled with a French fillet, spine gilt in compartments, plain endpapers, gilt edges. Half brown morocco slipcase, red morocco labels, chemise.

First edition of "One of the classic accounts of the early settlement of New England, looked to increasingly by modern historians and anthropologists for its unbiased and detailed accounts of Indian life in early New England, descriptions of flora and fauna, and internecine struggles among the colonists" (Celebration). The full title of Morton's work provides a good synopsis of its content: "The first booke setting forth the originall of the natives, their manners and customes, together with their tractable nature and love towards the English. The second booke setting forth the naturall indowments of the countrie, and what staple commodities it yeeldeth. The third booke setting forth what people are planted there, their prosperity, what remarkable accidents have happened since the first planting of it, together with their tenents, and practise of their church."

The summary of the third part, however, fails to convey Morton's amusing and satiric description of the Plymouth Colony, with which he was often at odds. Morton made three trips to New England from the 1620s to 1640s, founding the iconoclastic settlement of Ma-re Mount (frequently called Merrymount). He freely associated and traded with Native Americans, which led to his being charged with "heathenism." New English Canaan, a mock-epic narrative—Miles Standish is referred to as "Captaine Shrimp"—that sought to expose the Puritans' wide departure from the established practices of the Church of England, eventually led to Morton's arrest by Massachusetts Bay Puritans for publishing "a book against us." "A book of the greatest importance, perhaps the best single account of early New England" (Celebration).

REFERENCE

Celebration of My Country 6; Church 437; ESTC S110060; European Americana 637/69; Sabin 51028; Streeter sale 2:616; Vail, Old Frontier 90