London: Printed for Thomas Parkhurst, 1702. First edition. From the library of Americana collector Amor L. Hollingsworth, and with his morocco book-plate on front paste-down. Folio. (xxx), 38, (2), 75, (1), (2), 238, (2), 125-222, 100, (2), 88, 118, (4, errata, in facsimile), (4, ads, Church's first variant) pp.; blanks at front and rear renewed. Printed in double columns. Illustrated with an engraved double-page map of New England, and with a mezzotint portrait of Mather inserted at front. Full 19th century tree-calf, decorated in gilt, red and green morocco spine labels, front and rear boards detached, spine very dry and chipping, extremities dry and rubbed; all edges gilt; gilt dentelles; marbled endpapers; light spotting and intermittent soiling to title-page and text; errata at rear supplied in facsimile (this was printed after publication, and is not always found). Church 806; Grolier, 100 American 6; Howes M-391; Sabin 46392; Schwartz & Ehrenberg, pp.133-134 (map); Streeter 658; ESTC T79039

First edition of Cotton Mather's important history of New England, "the most famous American book of colonial times and the indispensable source for colonial social history" (Streeter). The seven books within give accounts of the settlement and religious development of New England, and include an account of the lives of its governors and magistrates, biographies of sixty famous divines, the founding and history of Harvard College, a history of the Congregational Church of New England, and an account of the "Wars of the Lord", regarding dissident religious sects. Also included is Mather's description of the Salem Witch Trials and the escape of Hannah Duston, one the most well-known captivity narratives.