View source for New System, or, an Analysis of Ancient Mythology

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''A New System, or, An Analysis of Ancient Mythology: Wherein an Attempt is Made to Divest Tradition of Fable and to Reduce the Truth to its Original Purity''}}
===by Jacob Bryant===
{{BookPageInfoBox
|imagename=BryantNewSystem1775.jpg
|link=https://catalog.libraries.wm.edu:443/01COWM_WM:01COWM_WM_ALMA:01COWM_WM_ALMA21561281080003196
|shorttitle=A New System, or, An Analysis of Ancient Mythology 
|vol=volume two
|author=[[:Category:Jacob Bryant|Jacob Bryant]]
|edition=Second
|lang=[[:Category:English|English]]
|publoc=[[:Category:London|London]]
|publisher=Printed for T. Payne, P. Elmsly, B. White, and J. Walter
|year=1775-1776
|set=3
|desc=[[:Category:Quartos|4to]] (30 cm.)
|shelf=A-4
}}[[File:BryantNewSystemOrAnalysisOfAncientMythology1775plateII.jpg |left|thumb|250px|<center>Temple of Mithras and Temple in the rock, plate II, volume one.</center>]][[wikipedia:Jacob Bryant|Jacob Bryant]] (1715 &ndash; 1804) was born in England, where he was a respected scholar and mythographer.<ref>S. Foster Damon, ''A Blake Dictionary: The Ideas and Symbols of William Blake'' (Providence: Brown University Press, 1965), 61.</ref> In his first book, ''Observations and Enquiries Relating to Various Parts of Ancient History'' (1767), Bryant attacked selected opinions in the works of such celebrated antiquarian scholars as Theodore Beza (1519 &ndash; 1605), Hugo Grotius (1583 &ndash; 1645), Samuel Bochart (1599 &ndash; 1667), and Richard Bentley (1662 &ndash; 1742). His work was favorably received. Suitably encouraged, he next published the book for which he is most often remembered, ''A New System, or, An Analysis of Ancient Mythology''. Bryant believed all mythology came from the Hebrew Scripture. He used ''A New System'' to link mythology to the Book of Genesis,<ref>John Charles Whale and Stephen Copley, ''Beyond Romanticism: New Approaches to Texts and Contexts, 1780-1832'' (Routledge, 1992), 92.</ref> and explained how contemporary society arose from ancient civilizations. "It is my purpose in the ensuing work to give an account of the first ages; and of the great events, which happened in the infancy of the world. In consequence, I shall lay before the reader, what Gentile writers have said upon this subject, collaterally with the accounts given by Moses, as long as I find him engaged in the generally history of mankind." <ref>Jacob Bryant, ''A New System, or An Analysis of Ancient Mythology'' (London: Printed for T. Payne, P. Elmsly, B. White, and J. Walter, 1775), 1:v.</ref>

''A New System'', according to its subtitle, was "an attempt … to divest tradition of fable, and to reduce the truth to its original purity;" the actual result was simply a fantastic hodgepodge of spurious etymology (in the manner of Bochart) and riotous imagination.<ref>Dennis R. Dean, "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3795 Bryant, Jacob (bap. 1717, d. 1804)]" in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed October 27, 2013.</ref> The work opened conversation between world scholars, as several writers publicly opposed Bryant’s ideas and encouraged him to respond through further writing.<ref>Ibid.</ref>

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
George Wythe definitely owned this title. A copy of the 1775-1776 edition at the Library of Congress has "a number of manuscript notes and corrections" made by Wythe.<ref>E. Millicent Sowerby, ''Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson'', (Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, 1952-1959), 1:21-22 [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015033648091;view=1up;seq=52 [no.43]].</ref> [[Thomas Jefferson]] listed the title in his [[Jefferson Inventory|inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as "Bryant’s Mythology. 3.v. 4to." He sold it to the Library of Congress in 1815. All four of the [[George Wythe Collection|Wythe Collection]] sources (Goodwin's pamphlet<ref>Mary R. M. Goodwin, ''[https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports\RR0216.xml The George Wythe House: Its Furniture and Furnishings]'' (Williamsburg, Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library, 1958), li.</ref> Dean's Bibliography<ref>[[Dean Bibliography|Memorandum from Barbara C. Dean]], Colonial Williamsburg Found., to Mrs. Stiverson, Colonial Williamsburg Found. (June 16, 1975), 2 (on file at Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary).</ref>, Brown's Bibliography<ref>Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433.</ref> and [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s. v. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe "Member: George Wythe"], accessed on June 28, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing) list the 1775-1776 edition of Bryant's ''Mythology.'' The Wolf Law Library purchased a copy of the same edition.

[[File:BryantNewSystemOrAnalysisOfAncientMythology1775plateVII.jpg |left|thumb|250px|<center>"Juno Samia Selenitis," plate VII, volume two.</center>]]

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Bound in contemporary calf with gilt panelled backstrips and red and green labels. 

Images of the library's copy of this book are [https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolflawlibrary/sets/72157635360766397 available on Flickr.] View the record for this book in [https://catalog.libraries.wm.edu:443/01COWM_WM:01COWM_WM_ALMA:01COWM_WM_ALMA21561281080003196 William &amp; Mary's online catalog.]

===Full text===
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
*[http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/BryantNewSystem1775Vol1.pdf Volume I] (25MB PDF)
*[http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/BryantNewSystem1775Vol2.pdf Volume II] (27MB PDF)
*[http://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/BryantNewSystem1776Vol3.pdf Volume III] (29MB PDF)
</div>

==See also==
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
*[[George Wythe Room]]
*[[Jefferson Inventory]]
*[[Wythe's Library]]
</div>

==References==
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
<references/>
</div>

==External Links==

*Read volume one of this book at the [https://archive.org/details/newsystemoranaly01brya Internet Archive.]
*Read volume two of this book at the [https://archive.org/details/newsystemoranaly02brya Internet Archive.]
*Read volume three of this book at the [https://archive.org/details/newsystemoranaly03brya Internet Archive.]

__NOTOC__
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Jacob Bryant]]
[[Category:Jefferson's Books]]
[[Category:Known Surviving Wythe Volumes]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]

[[Category:English]]
[[Category:London]]
[[Category:Quartos]]