Origins and English Predecessors of the New England Primer.

The early history of the New England Primer is one of the most complex of bibliographic problems. The creator of the NEP is traditionally held to be London bookseller Benjamin Harris. but no edition earlier than 1727 has survived. Viewing it in context with its English contemporaries and predecessors, it is now possible to add a little about its origins and identify the source of the famous rhymed alphabet and also the probable author of the dialogue between Christ, Youth, and the Devil.