360
●
(LITERATURE AND POETRY.) WHEATLEY, PHILLIS.
To Mr. and Mrs
******* on the Death of Their Infant Son, by Phillis Wheatley.
Printed on page
288 of The Boston Magazine for September, 1784. Inserted engraved plate at page 478 of
“The Descent of the Air Balloon.” Small 4to, original wrappers; worn, paper toned, water
stain running through top and bottom right margin edges; stitching loose.
SOLD WITH ALL
FAULTS
.
Boston: Greenleaf and Freemen, 1784
[2,000/3,000]
A RARE PRINTING OF A PHILLIS WHEATLEY POEM
,
PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR OF HER
DEATH
.
A note accompanying it states that states that if there is sufficient interest, a volume of
her verse might be printed. Phillis. Wheatley was the young Senegalese slave of John Wheatley
and his family. Educated by the Wheatley children, Phillis was a remarkable student, who
learned to read and write not only English, but Latin and Greek as well. She was a voracious
reader and began to write poetry at a young age. Mr. Wheatley submitted several of her works
to the local press and even caused some to be printed in broadside form. The local publishers,
still dubious about this genius slave girl would not print a volume of her work, and she was
even submitted to a “trial” of sorts in which notables such as John Hancock were called to
question her to verify her work. (see Henry Louis Gates’ “Trials of Phillis Wheatley.” 2003)
Finally Mr. Wheatley brought her to England, where a volume of her work was published in
1773 under the sponsorship of the Duchess of Huntingdon, who even arranged a “book sign-
ing.” This issue of the Boston Magazine also prints an account of a hot air balloon as well as a
“Report of a Committee of Congress,” containing “a plan for a Military Establishment for the
United States in a time of Peace.” Other business of the young nation is included on page 498
where it is reported that Congress resolved to accept Vermont as a “Free, sovereign and inde-
pendent state.”
360
