Sales catalogue: Christies

Date:
31st March 1909
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/4/25
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue: Christies. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Beaume de Vie in this world ...I am busy at present assisting with a Collection of Scotch Songs set to Music by an Engraver in this town. It is to contain all the Scotch Songs, those that have been already set to music and those that have not, that can be found... By the way, I hear I am a girl out of pocket and by careless murder- ing mischance too, which has provoked me and vexed me a good deal. I beg you will write me immediately on receipt of this, and let me know the news of Armour’s family, if the world begin to talk of Jean’s appearance any way... ,” etc, 43 Buchan (David Steuart Erskine, Earl of) A.L.S., 10 pp. 4to, Dryburgh Abbey, April 12th, 1802, to Lady Elcho, with copious extracts from Geddes’s translations into the Scottish dialect, AND RESPECTING HIS INFLUENCE ON Ropert Burns ‘“T have been accused of encouraging Burns to write in the uncouth vulgar dialect of Scotland, but the fact is quite contrary as in my letter of advice which was lost either by himself or his executors, I dissuaded him from the use of it except in his Pastoral Pieces where the scene was placed in Scotland. His Vision, his Mary in Heaven and his Address to the Shade of Thomson, were all the fruits of my advice, and had he lived my advice, were his life correct, would have finally prevailed. I believe the address of the learned Dr. John Geddes to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland had some tendency to confirm poor Burns in that ill judged fancy of writing in what I used to call coal-Johnny language for which it is even hardly possible to construct’a Glossary, were it decent or Properigs.. 4, welt. 44 Buchan (Earl of) A.L., 3 pp. 8vo, Aug. 17th, 1802, respecting a portrait of Mary Daeen of Scots, with drawing—Mar (Earl of) A.L.S., 2 pp. 4to, Edin., Aug. 12th, 1802, to the Earl of Buchan, on the same subject (2) ‘‘Lord B, never saw the box and portrait in question. When the noble house of Alloa was lately burnt to the ground with almost all the valuable heirlooms of the family and among them a fine portrait -on copper of Mary*Q of Scots he then recalled to memory the Portrait now mentioned. ... Miniature Portraits of that age if in oil pro- -bably not genuine. If genuine end given by the aeey to the Regent Mar very interesting ... ,” etc. “The Party was large and ‘hes drank hard, As the D. of H. rose ‘to take leave he laid hold of Lord Erskine’s snuff box with Mary’, Picture on the lid and putting it into his pocket said, you have often promised to pass a week with me at Hamilton and have never kept your word. Now I shall keep this as a Bie till you come to Lai Ib .c a, eee