The Oriental Moralist,: or the Beauties of the Arabian Nights Entertainments. Translated from the Original, and Accompanied with Suitable Reflections Adapted to Each Story. By the Reverend Mr. Cooper

Dover, [NH]: Printed by Samuel Bragg, Jr. for Wm. T. Clap, Boston, 1797. First American edition. 12mo. [xiv], 232, [1, blank], [1, bookseller's advertisement] pp. [A]6 B-U6 W6(—W6, blank). Contemporary sheep, red morocco spine label; covers rubbed, title-page stained and damaged with old crude thread stitch repair, textblock toned, worn and frayed throughout, occasional tears and areas of loss, portion of text from N6 torn away, still a sturdy, serviceable copy The FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of the first English translation of the Arabian Nights for young readers, a bowdlerized version of nineteen tales that includes Aladdin and Sinbad the Sailor. The hack writer and printer Richard Johnson (ca.1733-1793) translated and cleaned up these tales from an unnamed French edition, presumably Galland's. In his preface (signed “J. Cooper”), Johnson notes that he has "carefully expunged everything that could give least offence to the most delicate reader.” An additional guarantee of decency is Johnson's ecclesiastical pseudonym ("the Reverend Mr. Cooper”). Johnson’s adaptation was first published in an illustrated edition by Elizabeth Newbery in London, ca.1790. Both the London edition and this first American edition are rare on the market and uncommon in institutional holdings.PROVENANCE: early ink signature of Levi Palmer to front pastedown.REFERENCE: Evans 31743; ESTC W6753 (7 copies); Osborne, p. 583 (for first London edition)