(Harvard College)

First edition of one of the earliest official publications of Harvard College, with distinquished provenance. First state of p. 24, second state of p. 72. These poems were written to celebrate the accession of George III, to whom the work is dedicated. Although dated 1761 on the title-page, the publication was not authorized by Harvard College until 5 January 1762. The volume was advertised in the Boston Gazette, 30 August 1762 as "this day published," noting that "This piece has been a considerable while printed: and a number of copies having been sent to England for the King and royal family, it was tho't proper to postpone the publishing of it here, till such time as it might be supposed the copies aforesaid had been presented."

The first owner of this volume, Stephen Sewall, was a 1761 graduate of Harvard, who was hired by his alma mater as a professor of Hebrew. It is likely that he played a role in the composition and editing of Pietas et gratulatio. From Sewall, the book was sold to its equally distinguished second owner, Timothy Alden. Alden was also a graduate of Harvard, where he studied oriental languages under Sewall. He was ordained a Congregational cleryman and later was the founding president of Allegheny College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania.