DANCING EXPLODED. A SERMON, SHEWING THE UNLAWFULNESS, SINFULNESS, AND BAD CONSEQUENCES OF BALLS, ASSEMBLIES, AND DANCES IN GENERAL. DELIVERED IN CHARLESTOWN, SOUTH - CAROLINA, MARCH 22, 1778.
Charlestown, South-Carolina: Printed by David Bruce, 1778. 32pp. Trimmed closely at the bottom margin, occasionally shaving a catchword. Disbound with some inner blank margin wear at the title leaf. Good+.
An early, scarce South Carolina imprint, with a stern Revolutionary War theme. Hart's Preface [dated 15 April 1778 from Charleston] explains that he first delivered this sermon "upwards of nineteen years ago," Until now, he had resisted "earnest solicitations that it might be printed." His Sermon "would have still slept in oblivion, had not the practice inveighed against been revived, and attended to, in a frantick manner, at a time when every thing in Providence is calling us to different exercises."
Hart refers, of course, to "the alarm of war," with all "the sufferings of our brethren in the Northern states," plus the horrific Charleston fire of January 1778. Indeed, "the fire was scarce extinguished in Charlestown, before we had Balls, Assemblies and Dances in every quarter."
Evans 15848. I Turnbull 220. ESTC W30694 [5]. Not at AAS. Item #40131
Price: $6,500.00