An Early American Ciphering Book: Mathematics, a Poem, and Nine Folk Ballads and Songs in Manuscript

Folio. Bound in the original thick plain paper wrapper. The wrapper is stained with short tears on the edges, two or three leaves from the front have been removed, modest overall foxing, good. A curious ciphering book, the first half of which consists of various questions, rules, examples, tables, etc., relating to general mathematics and weights and measures (pp. [1-43]); and a second half which consists of a poem by Seba Smith: "Youth and Old Age, an Allegory", and nine English and American folk ballads (pp. [44-70]). Six of the songs were widely circulated at the time and have since been collected by the American Antiquarian Society as part of its Isaiah Thomas Broadside Ballads Project. These include: "A Dialogue between Death and a Lady," "The Mournful Tragedy of Rosanna," "Jemmy and Nancy," "The Indian Philosopher," "The Orphan Boy," and "Exile of Erin." There is also a long, eclectic version of the English ballad, "The seaman of Dover" which is titled in the ciphering book as "The seaman of Dover or Harry and Ruth." This version varies considerably from the known printed versions collected at *Broadside Ballads Online from the Bodleian Libraries*. Also included are two other obscure songs: "The Poor Man" and "Dull Cares", both of which are little known even in oral tradition. There are notable variations between the manuscript texts of several ballads recorded here and the various known printed versions. The book has the contemporary ownership signature of Mary Avery written three times in ink on the back wrap, and once on a text page in pencil along the gutter. It is signed again on the back wrap by both Avery and Stanton Hewitt, Jr. They lived in North Stonington, Connecticut and were married in 1820. A unique ciphering book that documents both how basic mathematics was taught, and how poplar ballads and songs were circulated, during the early 19th Century. A detailed list of all 10 lyrics, in the order in which they are written in the ciphering book, is available.…