[Hammond, Henry].

The Whole Duty of Man, Laid Down In A Plain and Familiar Way for The Use of ALL, but especially The Meanest Reader. [Before the Preface we find here printed “Letter to the Bookseller” by Henry Hammond, dated March 7, 1657”]. Divided into XVII Chapters ; One whereof being read every Lord’s Day, the whole may be read over thrice in the Year. Necessary for ALL Families. With Private Devotions for several Occasions.

Dublin, Printed for William Watson, No.7, Capel-Street, 1809. Small Octavo (11.3 cm wide x 18.3 cm high). XXII, [1], 452 pages plus a Book-Catalogue over 4 pages “Books Sold By William Watson, No.7, Capel-Street”. Hardcover / Stunning full leather with gilt lettering and ornament on spine. Armorial binding with supralibros on front and rear boards “Association for Promoting the Christian Religion Incorporated”. The beautiful binding in protective Mylar. Excellent condition with only minor signs of wear. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle). This is a prize-binding, awarded to “Mary Townsend Meade” at Christ Church Cork, 19th if October, 1814 by The Reverend Richard Lee.

The Whole Duty of Man is an English ‘Protestant’ devotional work, first published anonymously in 1658, with an introduction by Henry Hammond (1605–1660). Quasi-Arminian in message, it was both popular and influential for two centuries within the Anglican tradition that it helped to define.

The title quotes Ecclesiastes 12:13, in the King James Version of the Bible: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. The consensus view of modern scholars attributes the book to the English Royalist churchman Richard Allestree. At the time of publication (towards the end of the Interregnum) the high-church tradition which it represents was a politically dangerous position. The authorship remained well concealed, and it has been noted that the work has been attributed to at least 27 people, beginning with Hammond himself.

Half a dozen other works appeared as by “the author of The Whole Duty of Man”. A folio collection was published in 1684, edited by John Fell. Fell asserted that all the attributed works were from a single author.

One of the proposed candidates as author is Dorothy, Lady Pakington, under whose roof Hammond lived. In discussing her, Mary Hays noted as other such candidates Accepted Frewen, William Fulman, Richard Sterne, and Abraham Woodhead. Others mentioned in the Dictionary of National Biography article on Pakington by William Dunn Macray are Fell, Humphrey Henchman, William Chappell, and Obadiah Walker.

A work with a similar title from 1673, The Whole Duty of Man According to the Law of Nature, is an English translation of a Latin work on natural law by Samuel Pufendorf, and is unrelated. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: 18th / 19th Century Country House Library of Richard Meade – Ballymartle · Catalogue No.7 – Religion · Dublin Printing History · Meade Library Ballymartle · Religion · Religion – Rare
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 32382AB

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