First edition of this uncommon contemporary account of Sampson’s petition for pay, denied to them while fighting under the name Robert Shurtliff in the American Revolutionary War. Born to a family of farmers in Plympton, Masachussetts, Deborah Sampson (1760–1827) was 5 feet 7 inches, described by contemporaries as “muscular . . . quick and strong: gestures naturally mild, animating and graceful, speech deliberate with firm articulation” (Young, pp. 43–5). In 1782, they enlisted in the Massachusetts militia under the name Timothy Thayer; soon exposed as a woman, they left, only to try again a few months later, this time under the name of Robert Shurtliff. Sampson served in the American forces for a year and a half, tending to their own wounds and bathing at sunrise in order to avoid detection. Their sex was eventually discovered by a physician, but only revealed publicly after the end of the war, when they were honourably discharged. In January 1792, Sampson petitioned the Massachusetts State Legislature for pay that the army had withheld because of their gender. “The whole history of the American Revolution . . . furnishes no other similar example of female heroism, fidelity, and courage” (House Report). Sampson became one of the first women to go on a national lecture tour to discuss their war experiences and was made the Massachusetts State Heroine in 1983. On pages 142–3 of this issue, the editor published a brief account of Sampson’s story only a month after the petition had been presented, when a final decision had yet to be made. It describes Sampson as “an extraordinary woman” who “did her duty without a stain on her virtue or honour”, stating that “there is no room to doubt a compensation will be granted, adequate to her services, and honourable to the government”. Sampson was awarded £34, becoming the only woman to receive a federal pension for military services during the Revolutionary War. The petition was eventually approved by Governor John Hancock, with supporting testimonials of Sampson’s character and bravery given by Hancock himself, the founding father Paul Revere, and others. There were only a few other contemporary accounts of Sampson, including Herman Mann’s biography The Female Review: or, Memoirs of an American Young Lady (1797, see Sabin 44314) and several addresses printed after speeches. The complete monthly issue, extracted, pp. 81–152. Small quarto (205 × 125 mm), rebound with new wrappers. Small spot to outer margin of a few leaves, small repair to outer edge of second leaf, otherwise clean. A very good copy. ¶ Alfred F. Young, Masquerade: the Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier , 2005. Following recent biographical practice, we use the pronouns they/theirs for Sampson, as we are discussing both identities together. £1,850 [161459] 128 SAPPHO – DACIER, Anne (trans.) Les Poë sies D’Anacreon et de Sapho. Lyon: Horace Molin, 1681 the first translation by a woman First edition of the first translation of Sappho by a woman, paired with her version of Anacreon. Prior to Dacier, Louise Labé in France and Gaspara Stampa in Italy had published poetic imitations of Sappho, but Dacier was the first woman to translate the poems themselves into any modern language.
This superb copy bears the ownership inscription of Lady Gwendolen St Levan [St Aubyn], the author’s sister-in-law, bridesmaid, and lover, at her family seat at St Michael’s Mount. Lady Gwendolen Catherine St Aubyn (1896–1995) was a writer and patron of the Red Cross. Her short-lived affair with the author in the 1930s inspired the protagonist, Shirin le Breton, in Sackville-West’s The Dark Island (1934). St Aubyn was a bridesmaid at Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson’s wedding and became intimate with the author in 1933 when she went to convalesce at their home at Sissinghurst following a car accident in America. Lady Gwendolen became a long-term companion of Sackville-West’s, and was the dedicatee of The Dark Island and The Eagle and the Dove (1943). Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket. Spine cocked, extremities a little bumped, very slight foxing to edges and endpapers, a very good copy indeed with contents fresh, in the dust jacket, lightly marked, spine panel browned, extremities chipped and nicked, but overall an attractive example. ¶ Cross & Ravenscroft- Hulme A34. £6,500 [160012] 127 SAMPSON, Deborah – YOUNG, William (ed.) “Domestic Intelligence”. In: The Universal Asylum, and Columbian Magazine, February, 1792. Philadelphia: printed for the Proprietors, by William Young, 1792 an unrivalled example of “heroism, fidelity, and courage”
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126 SACKVILLE-WEST, Vita. Solitude. London: The Hogarth Press, 1938 “i dedicate this verse . . . to you, who opened first my shuttered eyes” First edition, first impression, the dedication copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “With love from V”.
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“By choosing to translate Anacreon and Sappho into French, instead of presenting them with a Latin translation, as her father did, Anne Le Fèvre was seeking to introduce these two authors to a larger audience: ‘By translating Anacreon into our language, I wanted to give ladies the pleasure of reading the most urbane and gallant Greek poet that we have’. One can suppose that was also the case of Sappho, since Anne so closely associated the two poets, as her father had before her” (Fabre-Serris, p. 86). The preface to Sappho is a fine example of Dacier’s erudite work, including an extensive biographical note aimed to “defend the moral reputation of Sappho, but without being explicit about the misconduct of which the poetess was accused . . . [Sappho] surpassed in her knowledge, not only all women . . . but was far superior to the most excellent male poets’” (ibid.). Duodecimo (156 × 91 mm). Contemporary mottled calf, spine with raised bands, lettering, and floral decoration in gilt on compartments, covers ruled in blind, marbled endpapers, edges red, blue silk bookmarker loosely inserted. Engraved frontispiece by Pierre Giffart, printer’s device to title page, woodcut floriated initials, elaborate woodcut head- and tailpieces.Near-contemporary manuscript annotations to final blank, being a register of “Odes d’Anacréon imitées”, inscribed at the bottom of the page “par moi N.P.B.”, pressed flower loosely inserted. Extremities rubbed, some craquelure to covers, joints and spine ends professionally refurbished, gilt retouched, margin of frontispiece a bit short, occasional faint foxing or marks to margins, otherwise internally clean. A very good copy, presenting well. ¶ Jaqueline Fabre-Serris, “Anne Dacier (1681), Renée Vivien (1903). Or What Does it Mean for a Woman to Translate Sappho?”, in Women Classical Scholars , 2016. £2,000 [162169]
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
LOUDER THAN WORDS
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