Beschreibung:

AMERICAN MUSIC] WALTER, THOMAS. The grounds and rules of musick explained: or, An introduction to the art of singing by note. Fitted to the meanest capacities. Boston: Thomas Mecom, [1760]. Period brown sheep. 4 1/4 x 6 7/8 inches (10 x 18 cm); [2-title], iv, 25, [1] pp., with plates 1-17, 19 (of 20 or 24), followed by approximately 12 leaves of music in manuscript (plus additional music on the blank versos of some of the plates), as well as unrelated financial notes at the rear. Binding very worn with rear cover and some added terminal leaves detached, title torn and stained, sold as is. This copy has the names of several early owners, including Ebenezer Clough (dated 1772, so likely not the Boston builder whose house still stands, though some of the financial notes at the end pertain to the making of brick so perhaps of that family). Walter, married to Increase Mather's daughter Sarah, died a few years after the first publication of this work in 1721. It became very popular, and was used in the New England singing schools and choirs. A high proportion of copies of all the editions are incomplete because of heavy use. This is the variant issue (undated) of the fifth edition; some copies contain 20 engraved leaves, some (a later issue) 24 leaves of music. In Matt B. Jones's bibliographical article on the work (American Antiquarian Society, 1933) he notes that many of the copies of both issues are incomplete, though he does not mention copies with extensive manuscript additions such as this, which includes such melodies as the American Challenge. The leaves at the end of this copy were used in the 1780s for recording commercial transactions. Evans 8760. C