Meditations and Contemplations. In Two Volumes. Containing Meditations Among the Tombs; Reflections on a Flower-Garden; A Descant Upon Creation; Contemplations on the Night and Starry Heavens; A Winter-Piece.

Hervey, James, Rector of Weston-Favel.

Published by for A.Law, W.Miller, and T.Martin,, London:, 1794

About this Item

Collation: A-P6; ?2,A-O6. Pagination: xxiv, 25-178; [2] viii, 9-168p. Contemporary calf, rebacked. Gilt lettering on spine. Some minor browning. Illustrations: 2 engraved frontispieces. Hervey (1714-1758). "While in Devonshire he planned and probably began his ?Meditations among the Tombs.? An excursion to Kilkhampton from Bideford is said to have been the occasion of his laying the scene of the ?Meditations? among the tombs of that place.Hervey's writings were for a long time exceedingly popular. His first work was entitled ?Meditations and Contemplations.? The first volume, containing ?Meditations among the Tombs,? ?Reflections on a Flower Garden,? and ?A Descant upon Creation,? was published in February 1745-6, and the second, containing ?Contemplations on the Night,? ?Contemplations on the Starry Heavens,? and a ?Winter Piece,? appeared in 1747. These volumes are filled with truisms expressed in the most inflated language, but were admired by educated persons, and even superseded to a great extent such a powerful work as Law's ?Serious Call.? The explanation may in part be found in Hervey's sympathy with the principles of the evangelical revival, and partly in a true appreciation of the beauties of nature, very rare in his time. If he had condescended to write plain English many of his descriptions would have been pleasing. " [-DNB].ESTC lists only one copy of this edition. Citations: ESTC N67119 [Only 1 copy listed.] Lowndes 1056.

Seller Inventory # 20010

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Meditations and Contemplations. In Two Volumes. Containing Meditations Among the Tombs; Reflections on a Flower-Garden; A Descant Upon Creation; Contemplations on the Night and Starry Heavens; A Winter-Piece.
• Publisher: for A.Law, W.Miller, and T.Martin,, London:
• Publication Date: 1794
• Binding: Hardcover