1811 The Hermit, or an Account of Francis Adam Joseph Phyle

Description: The Hermit, or an Account of Francis Adam Joseph Phyle, A Native of Switzerland, Who Lived without the use of fire for upwards of twenty-two years, in a small cave, in the midst of a wood, near Mount-Holly, in Burlington county, New Jersey; and was found dead therein, in the year 1780. In a Series of Letters, from Baltus Hiltzhimer to Melchior Miller Interspersed with some Observations of the Author, and Sentiments of celebrated men. Published by John Atkinson, New Jersey, Printed by John Bioren, Philadelphia, 1811, 98 pp, 6.25 x 4.5”, 12mo. In as-is condition. Binding in poor condition. Front board replaced at some point. Roughly sewn onto original leather spine. Previous owner’s signature on front fly leaf dated 1811. Text block toned, soiled, chipped fore edge. Missing pages 13-14. Binding remains intact. Please see photos. Scarce! First edition of the first separately printed account of the Mount Holly Hermit. The hermit was real, and lived in a crude cave-like dwelling in Joseph Burr's woods. He was a local curiosity, and there are very brief accounts of him in a few eighteenth-century diaries, in Smith's 1765 history of New Jersey, and in the New-Jersey Gazette. Atkinson took the facts and added his own embellishments, as was a common practice in the cheap, sensational literature of the period, so it is difficult today to determine where fact ends and fiction begins. The book is rare, and the few copies that have been on the market in the last forty years have all been imperfect. RAREA1811DJKZ

Price: 300 USD

Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-10-26T17:59:13.000Z

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