Meditations and Contemplations

Description:

James Hervey’s Meditations and Contemplations was a collection of “letters to a lady” that contained the following chapters—“Meditations Among the Tombs,” “Reflections on a Flower Garden,” “A Descant Upon Creation,” “Contemplations on the Night,” “Contemplations on the Starry Heavens,” and “A Winter Place.” Even as a member of the clergy, Hervey’s work was romantically poetic, with a focus on the beauty of nature.

The Copp Collection contains about 150 books of early American imprint and shows a wide range of reading matter typical of a New England Puritan family living in a port town. Literacy was expected of many New Englanders, as Puritan doctrine required everyone to read the Bible. The abundance of multiple Bibles, psalms, hymnodies, sermons, and morality tales reflects the Copp’s religious beliefs. Other highlights of the library include the works of Shakespeare, almanacs, historical and political texts, and travel narratives.

The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.

Author: Hervey, James

Location: Currently not on view

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life, Cultures & Communities, Copp Collection

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Gift of John Brenton Copp

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: DL.006868.015Catalog Number: 006868.015Accession Number: 28810

Object Name: book

Physical Description: paper (overall material)Measurements: overall: 1 1/4 in x 4 1/4 in x 7 1/8 in; 3.175 cm x 10.795 cm x 18.0975 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a1-25a9-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_319552

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