Charles Prentiss, 1797

The American Bee; a Collection of Entertaining Histories, selected from Different Authors, and Calculated for Amusement and Instruction. Leominster, MA: Charles Prentiss, 1797.

A rare anthology of tales of the Federal Gothic, possibly the first collection of American short stories. Although published without authorial attribution, at least several of these tales are likely by the printer, Charles Prentiss, a recent graduate of Harvard and scion of an important New England family. Many were previously published in magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. They tell a variety of gothic, orientalist, and classicizing stories that together reflect essential American interests and values of the period. The last copy recorded at auction by RBH was in 1904. Evans 32707; Sabin 1064.

12mo (172 x 102mm). 249 pp. (some stains and spots). Contemporary tree calf, morocco title label on spine (portion of label lacking, rubbed). Provenance: "Mr Ben."