Neal, Daniel:

$3,500 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

THE HISTORY OF NEW-ENGLAND CONTAINING AN IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT OF THE CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS OF THE COUNTRY TO...1700. TO WHICH IS ADDED THE PRESENT STATE OF NEW-ENGLAND. WITH A NEW AND ... First edition of Neal's important early history of New England. Daniel Neal (1678-1743) was a dissenting minister in England and historian. Harvard recognized Neal for his History of New-England by awarding him an honorary M.A. degree. Larned has high praise for this book, writing that it was "superior to anything of the kind that preceded it. [Neal] depended to a large extent on Mather's Magnalia, but his attitude is that of one who wishes to be impartial. This is shown in his condemnation of the Puritans for their treatment of the Quakers, and in his criticism of their attitude toward witchcraft. Though he deals chiefly with political, military, and religious questions, he has an interesting chapter, largely condensed from Josselyn, describing the state of New England; and he has paid some attention to legislative history....His style is often sprightly and he displays a sense of humor. For some aspects of the revolution of 1688-9 his work is still useful." Neal's contemporary, the Reverend Thomas Prince, whose own Chronological History of New-England appeared in 1736, likewise praised Neal's History for its "Spirit Style and Method," noting that "tho' he has fallen into many Mistakes of Facts which are commonly known among us...yet considering the Materials this worthy writer was

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