Importance: David Tappan (1752-1803) was an American theologian. He occupied the Hollis Chair at Harvard Divinity School until his death in 1803. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1796. He graduated from Harvard University in 1771. He was also a strong supporter of the American Revolution and later the French Revolution.
Levi Frisbie was born on 11 April 1748 in Branford, Connecticut. [He] was a very intelligent and unreligious charity scholar. He came to Wheelock with substantial schooling already, and after a few months at Moor’s, Wheelock sent him on to Yale. There, Frisbie excelled academically. However, he never wanted to be a missionary. He arrived at Moor’s sometime during April of 1767, and by May 5, he was already writing Wheelock asking to be released from missionary obligations. While at Yale, this trend continued: Levi went so far as to confess to Wheelock that he was not even a church member. Although he was not passionate about Scripture, he was quite the classicist. Under the name Philo Musae, he would write Wheelock long chains of heroic couplets styled on epic about the Indian mission. In 1769, Levi went on his first mission (a short stint to the Oneidas). Shortly thereafter, Wheelock pulled Levi out of Yale to help make up Dartmouth’s first class. Levi graduated in 1771, and was ordained with David McClure in May 1772. He and McClure set out on a mission on June 19, 1772, but Levi fell ill immediately and stayed at Fort Pitt. It is unclear whether he rejoined McClure on the mission. The two men returned to Hanover on October 2, 1773. Levi stayed involved with Wheelock and the Indian mission for a few years, but by 1776, he had assumed the pulpit at Ipswich, where he remained for the rest of his life [until his death on February 25, 1806.] Levi’s poetry appears at the end of Wheelock’s 1771 Narrative, as well as in McClure & Parish’s biography of Wheelock.
Sources: *Wikipedia. *Frisbie, Levi. Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College.
Binding: Large Octavo Pamphlet (8.625” x 5.8125” x .375”). 7 oz. 19th c. blind and gilt tooled half fine black calf leather over marbled covered boards binding with t.e.g. Spine with gilt tooled title in capitals TAPPAN ON DEATH OF MOSES PARSONS-NEWBURY P’T, 1784. Boards with blind tooled fillets. 19th c. marbled endpapers with an original fly-leaf at rear. Slightly worn.
Provenance: Recto of the final fly-leaf has some pencilled writing. Very difficult to read.
Collation & Notes: A4 ([A1r] H.T. & [A2r] G.T.P.), B4, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, H4, I3 (ends I3r). [35] ff. 50, 19, [1] p. (70 pages).
Complete, with an original half title & title page. Vertical chain lines. 19th c. wove paper fly-leaves. WorldCat & OCLC records 20 copies. Evans 18487 & 18803.
Condition: Leaves (8.3125” x 4.875”). Final fly-leaf & H.T. detached. H.T. cut 2”. E3 head slight tear & paper loss. Some tail & for-edges uncut.
