Author | Robert Burns |
---|---|
Original title | Poems, Chiefly Scottish |
Cover artist | John Beugo after Alexander Nasmyth |
Language | Scots & English |
Genre | Poetry and Lyrics |
Publisher | T. Cadell of London; William Creech of Edinburgh |
Publication date | 1793 |
Publication place | Great Britain |
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Second Edinburgh Edition) was issued during the poet's lifetime In Two Volumes. The Second Edition Considerably Enlarged. It is a collection of poetry and songs by the poet Robert Burns, printed for T. Cadell, London, and W. Creech, Edinburgh. M,DCC,XCIII [1] The date of publication for this edition was 16 February 1793 as advertised in the Edinburgh Courant. [2] The successful demand for the 1787 Edinburgh Edition seems to have encouraged Creech to publish this new edition as the 1787 volume had been sold out since around 1791. [2]
Burns's first edition of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect had been printed in Kilmarnock in 1786 and unofficial editions were published in Belfast [3] and Dublin [4] making the 1787 London Edition the fifth collected edition of his poems followed by others in 1788 in Philadelphia and New York. [5]
Around 3,250 copies of the first Edinburgh Edition were printed and only 612 copies of the 1786 Kilmarnock Edition of which 86 [6] are known to survive, but no clear record exists of the numbers of the London Edition and Edinburgh Edition that are extant.
The 1787 London and Edinburgh editions contained an extra seventeen poems and five new songs. In addition most of the poems present in the 1786 Kilmarnock Edition are reprinted such as "Halloween", "The Twa Dogs", "The Cotter's Saturday Night", "To a Mouse", etc. New poems included Death and Doctor Hornbook, The Brigs of Ayr, The Holy Fair, John Barleycorn, Address to the Unco Guid, or the Rigidly Righteous [7] and significantly To a Haggis [8] (often given elsewhere as Address to a Haggis). Of the seven new songs Green grow the Rashes. A Fragment is an example of Burns's gift for re-working traditional folk-verse. [7]
The 1787 Edinburgh Edition was nearly twice the length of the Kilmarnock Edition of 1786 and it was printed in octavo format, measuring 22.3 x 14.6 cm, untrimmed, had 372 pages, a 38-page subscribers list and the expanded 24-page glossary or 'dictionary' of Scots words for those unfamiliar with the language. [9] It was published in French gray paper 'printers' boards [10] with most copies subsequently being cut and ornately bound once purchased so that uncut copies in the original printer's boards with a cream paper spine and label are exceedingly rare. It is not clear whether or not the 500 or so Edinburgh Edition copies sold in London had a new title page inserted bearing the names of Strahan and Cadell as well as Creech.
Since 1786 Robert Burns had written many new sings and poems and despite five years having passed since his appearance on the Scottish literary scene, William Creech surmised that a public appetite still existed for his work and an expanded edition would likely be profitable. Accordingly, in March or April 1792 Creech wrote to Burns, in the knowledge of course that he already held the copyright for all the poems in the 1787 Edinburgh Edition. He appears to have asked the poet for a price regarding new works and what material he had available, [2] and in due course Burns wrote back, saying:
"I suppose, at a gross guess that I could add of new materials to your two volumes, about fifty pages. I would also correct and retrench a good deal. These said fifty pages you know are as much mine as the thumb-stall I have just now drawn on my finger which I unfortunately gashed in mending my pen. A few Books which I very much want, are all the recompence I crave, together with as many copies of the new edition of my own works as Friendship or Gratitude shall prompt me to present (italics)." [2]
The 1793 two volume Edinburgh Edition was published, much enlarged and for the first time containing the poem Tam o' Shanter. [11] The poem had already appeared in The Edinburgh Herald, 18 March 1791; the Edinburgh Magazine, March 1791 and in the second volume of Francis Grose's Antiquities of Scotland of 1791 for which it was originally written. [8] The volumes were again dedicated to the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Caledonian Hunt with the same date of April 4, 1787. [12]
Burns was involved in ... correcting and retrenching to some small extent as the National Library of Scotland copy has corrections in his own hand. [2] Alexander Fraser Tytler is credited with correcting the 1793 Edinburgh Edition proof. He was a great admirer of Burns's works and was the eldest son of William Tytler of Woodhouselee. [13]
The sequence of the contents in Volume I has the frontispiece portrait, the title page, the contents, the dedication, followed by the poems and songs and finally the extensive glossary. Volume II had no portrait or contents pages. Unlike the London Edition no subscribers list was published in either volume. Although published as two volumes, to save money on binding some purchasers had the volumes were bound up together.
The sequence of the poems follows that of the 1787 Edinburgh Edition until The Cotter's Saturday Night, which was moved to head Volume II and then the same 1787 sequence until Man was made to Mourn. A Elegy. which was moved to second place in Volume II. The sequence is again kept until a series of original works are inserted, starting with Written in Friar's Carse Hermitage after Song, No churchman am I for to rail and to write. until Address to the shade of Thomson is reached and finally after A Bard's Epitaph original works run until the glossary is reached. It is not clear why the sequence was changed as Volume I was issued 237 pages long as compared with Volume II at 283 pages long.
The 1793 Edinburgh Edition volumes were both printed in 12mo or duodecimo, with twelve leaves per sheet format, measuring 20.4 x 12.7 cm, untrimmed, had 522 pages total with 237 pages in Volume I and 283 pages in volume II; a 27-page glossary or 'dictionary' of Scots words was appended for those unfamiliar with the language. [9] For reasons unknown a few words from the original 1786 glossary were omitted from the expanded versions, such as Taet meaning a small quantity. Burns did not expand the 1787 glossary to cover the 1793 or 1794 editions. [14] The two volumes together were 150 pages or nearly 40% longer than the 1787 Edinburgh Edition. The Kilmarnock Editiom and the 1787 Edinburgh Editions had been printed in octavo.
It was published in 'printers' boards [10] with most copies subsequently being cut and more or less ornately bound as two volumes. The signatures run from A-K12 in Volume I and the first six leaves of each sheet are signed. In Volume II the signatures run from A-L12 and M10. The fleurons are all simple double, diamond or broken rule lines.
No 'chain and line' was used, only wove and the volumes therefore do not carry a watermark and the portrait of Burns on the frontispiece is also on wove paper.
Burns had added a number of annotations to clarify or enhance the understanding of his works that were included here, such as with Halloween and his notes on the 'Cove of Colean' (Culzean) as the Elfhame or home of the fairies.
Six of the original holograph manuscript versions of the poems published in the Kilmarnock, Edinburgh, London and later editions are in the possession of the Irvine Burns Club in North Ayrshire, who also possess a copy of the 1786 Kilmarnock Edition and the 1787 Edinburgh Edition.
In Volume II material not previously published in a collection of the poet's works were printed. A number had been in print elsewhere as noted for Tam O'Shanter. Other works that were previously published are Written in Friar's Carse Hermitage in The Weekly Miscellany, Glasgow, 30 November 1791; Ode to the memory of Mrs Oswald of Auchencruive in Stuart's Star, London, 7 May 1789 and elsewhere; Elegy on Capt. Matthew Henderson in The Edinburgh Magazine XII, August 1790; Lament for James Earl of Glencairn in The Gazeteer and New Daily Advertiser, London, 30 September 1790; On Capt. Grose's Peregrinations in The Edinburgh Evening Courant, 11 August 1789 and elsewhere; Song in Stuart's Star, London, 18 April 1789; Humble Petition of Bruar Water in The Edinburgh Magazine, X, November 1789; Written at the Inn at Taymouth in The Edinburgh Courant, 6 September 1787; The Whistle published in a pamphlet in 1791. [15]
Burns had discussed changes to "On seeing a seeing a fellow wound a hare with a shot" with his friend Alexander Cunningham and from 1793 onwards he removed the penultimate stanza: [16]
"Perhaps a mother's anguish adds its woe, |
T. Cadell, London, and W. Creech, Edinburgh were the publishers of the 1793 and 1794 Edinburgh Editions. Two weeks after the 1793 volumes were advertised for sale Burns wrote to William Creech:
"I understand that my Book is published. I beg that you will, as soon as possible (italics), send me twenty copies of it. As I mean to present them among a few Great Folks whom I respect, & a few Little Folks whom I love, these twenty will not interfere with your sale. If you have not twenty ready, send me any number you can. It will confer a particular obligation to let me have them by first Carrier." [2]
Egerer comments:
"These letters show what sort of relationship existed between Burns and Creech at this period. The parsimonius publisher had been very slow about giving Burns any money for the first edition, and had not offered him anything for second: but in answer to Creech's query about how much he might want, Burns asked only for a few books and a few copies of the new edition. And when the edition has finally been published, Creech does not even inform Burns of it, Burns writes that he understands (italics) his book is published, and begs (italics) the publisher for some more copies!" [17]
William Creech had commissioned Alexander Nasmyth to paint Burns' portrait from which John Beugo engraved the copper plate required for the printing process. Nasmyth was a landscape painter and was reluctant to take on the work, however he met with Burns and they became friends resulting in Nasmyth producing a portrait. He never fully completed this however due to his concern over spoiling what he had already achieved. John Beugo the engraver arranged several sittings with Burns and produced a better likeness as confirmed by Gilbert Burns. Nasmyth refused payment from Creech and gave the painting to Jean Armour. [18]
Burns and his family became firm friends in Dumfries with Thomas White and he presented Thomas with a copy of his 1793 Edinburgh Edition, writing in the volume "Mr. White will accept of this book as a mark of the most sincere Friendship, from a man who has ever had too much respect for his friends, & too much contempt for his enemies, to flatter either the one or the other - The Author." [19] He sent a copy to 'Dear Bought Bess' at Mossgiel Farm, inscribed on the fly-leaf 'her father's gift - THE AUTHOR'. In a copy sent to John McMurdo he remarked in a note that "However inferiour now, or afterwards, I may rank as a Poet; one honest virtue, to which few Poets can pretend, I trust I shall ever claim as mine: - to no man, whatever his station in life, or his power to serve me, have 1 ever paid a compliment at the expence of TRUTH." [20]
He also sent copies to Thomas Sloan, Nancy McLehose, Patrick Miller, Mrs Graham of Fintry, Robert Riddell, David Blair, Maria Riddell, John Francis Erskine, John Cunningam, 15th Earl of Glencairn and his sister Lady Elizabeth. [21] David Blair, the Birmingham Gunsmith, in 1788 had presented Burns with a splendid pair of pistols. In 1793 Burns sent Blair a copy of the Second Edinburgh Edition of his poems. [22]
( ) – The missing name from the poem or song.
Burns as illustrated above used a variety of methods to keep the names of individuals hidden to some extent, such as with a series of asterisks denoting missing letters, sometimes with an asterisk per letter. A solid line giving no clue at all to the number of letters or initials, as understandably with the Mrs Oswald of Auchencruive poem.
A reprint, issued in boards, was issued in 1794 with many of the same additional errors as the 1793 volumes. [23] The 1793 and 1794 differ in appearance in some respects, such as the positioning of text and on page XI of the 1793 volume I the details of an error rout for tour is given, absent from the 1794 edition. In the 1794 edition the Song (Anna, thy charms my bosom fire,) has been left out from the contents list for Volume II, page 226.
The title page of the 1793 edition has the information In Two Volumes. The Second Edition Considerably Enlarged whilst the 1794 edition title has In Two Volumes. A New Edition, Considerably Enlarged. The weight of paper was different with the thickness of paper greater in the 1793 edition. The half-title in the 1793 reads POEMS, chiefly Scottish whilst in the 1794 edition the half-title reads POEMS chiefly in the Scottish Dialect.
On 3 August 1795 Burns presented Jean Lorimer with a copy of the last edition of his works published during his lifetime: "inscription, written on the blank leaf of a copy of the last edition of my poems, presented to the lady whom, in so many fictitious reveries of passion, but with the most ardent sentiments of real friendship, I have so often sung under the name of 'Chloris.'" The poem then followed : "Tis friendship's pledge, my young fair friend." [24]
Lt-Col. Cunningham, son of Alan Cunningham, Burns's biographer, pointed out that the last four lines of the final verse of 'Earnest Cry and Prayer' differ in the 1794 Edinburgh Edition from all previous editions. [25] The alteration did not prove popular with the public and has not appeared since. [26]
Amongst later 18th century editions of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect are those published in Belfast (1793), Edinburgh (1797 & 1798), Philadelphia (1798) and New York (1799), often without the author's knowledge or with the permission of William Creech, the copyright holder, as it was not a legal requirement at the time. [27] A Dublin edition was not printed. The Belfast edition by William Magee, who had published the 1787 Edinburgh Edition, was an oddity with Volume I having the glossary and Volume II the new material as he appears to have received Burns's 1793 edition after he had already type set his intended one volume publication. Volume II had to be expanded with other of the poet's works. [28]
In the 19th century Thomas Stewart's 1802 edition is notorious for having included a section with twenty-five letters written by Sylvander Robert Burns to Clarinda Agnes Maclehose without the permission of Agnes Maclehose, the copyright holder.
The copyright for the 1787 Edinburgh Edition expired in 1801.
The Scots Musical Museum was an influential collection of traditional folk music of Scotland published from 1787 to 1803. While it was not the first collection of Scottish folk songs and music, the six volumes with 100 songs in each collected many pieces, introduced new songs, and brought many of them into the classical music repertoire.
William Creech FRSE was a Scottish publisher, printer, bookseller and politician. For 40 years Creech was the chief publisher in Edinburgh. He published the first Edinburgh edition of Robert Burns' poems, and Sir John Sinclair's influential "Statistical Accounts of Scotland". In publishing Creech often went under the pseudonym of Theophrastus.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, commonly known as the Kilmarnock Edition, is a collection of poetry by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, first printed and issued by John Wilson of Kilmarnock on 31 July 1786. It was the first published edition of Burns' work. In mid-April 1786, Burns sent out printed Proposals for what was then titled Scotch Poems asking for people to sign up as subscribers, printing began on June 13, and the first copies were ready for distribution by July 31. 612 copies were printed. The book cost three shillings, in a temporary paper binding that most purchasers soon had replaced. There is no formal dedication at the start of the book, but Burns includes a dedication poem to Gavin Hamilton at pp. 185-191, and "The Cotter's Saturday Night" is "inscribed to R.A. Esq.," i.e. Robert Aitken.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Robert Burns, also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect is commonly known as the first Edinburgh Edition and the partial second setting has become known as the Stinking Edition. It is a collection of poetry and songs by Robert Burns, first "Printed for the Author" by William Smellie in Edinburgh and published or "Sold by William Creech" of Edinburgh on the 17 April, an announcement being made in the Edinburgh Advertiser on that date, although the date 21 April 1786 is given by a few authors. The Kilmarnock Edition made Robert Burns Caledonia's Bard whilst the 'Edinburgh Edition' elevated him into a position amongst the world's greatest poets.
Poems is a collection of poetry and songs by David Sillar, a close friend of the poet Robert Burns who had been encouraged to go into print by the success of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. Poems was printed by John Wilson of Kilmarnock in 1789. Sillar's interest in poetry predated his friendship with Burns, but was one of several reasons for it.
Alexander Tait, Sawney Tait or Saunders Tait was a tailor, a published poet and also a contemporary of Robert Burns who he knew well. Tait was also well acquainted with the published poet and close friend of Burns, David Sillar. Sawney spent much of his life in Tarbolton where he was an active member of the community. His poems were exhibited in the 1896 Burn Exhibition, a copy being loaned by the Mitchell Library. Alexander was generally known locally as 'Whip-the-cat' an old expression that referred to itinerant tailors, etc. who went from door to door to do work for others.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect is commonly known as the Third or London Edition and sometimes the Stinking Edition. It is a collection of poetry and songs by Robert Burns, printed for A. Strahan; T. Cadell in the Strand; and W. Creech, Edinburgh. MDCCLXXXVII The date of publication for the London Edition was in November 1787, however Strahan and Cadell had previously advertised for sale the 'Second' or 'Edinburgh Edition' using the 500 or so copies that William Creech still had that were unsold. The successful selling of these made a truly new 'London Edition' a commercially viable enterprise.
The Glenriddell Manuscripts is an extensive collection written in holograph by Robert Burns and an amanuensis of his letters, poems and a few songs in two volumes produced for his then friend Captain Robert Riddell, Laird of what is now Friars Carse in the Nith Valley, Dumfries and Galloway. The two volumes of the manuscript were handsomely bound in calf leather. The first volume of poems and songs was completed by April 1791 and was presented to Robert Riddell, however their friendship ceased due to the unfortunate 'The Rape of the Sabine Women' incident and Robert Riddell died shortly after before any reconciliation could take place. The first volume is partly in Burns's hand with one main amanuensis contributing much of the text in a far neater hand than the author himself and a possible third person contributing to the text. The second volume is entirely in Burns's hand.
Duncan McNaught LL.D., J.P., was born in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire in 1845. He was the parochial school teacher at Kilmaurs in East Ayrshire from 1867 and served at the school for over fifty years, having served as assistant from 1865. He founded the Kilmarnock Conservative Association, jointly founded the Robert Burns World Federation, acted as the editor of the "Burns Chronicle" and was the president of what became the Robert Burns World Federation.
Robert Burns's Commonplace Book 1783–1785 is the first of three commonplace books that were produced by the poet. The contents cover drafts of songs and poems, observations, ideas, epitaphs, etc.
'Robert Burns's Interleaved Scots Musical Museum' or the 'Interleaved Glenriddell Manuscript' is a set of four octavo volumes of James Johnson's The Scots Musical Museum in which Robert Burns provided additional material to the original publication on interleaved sheets and which he eventually gifted to Captain Robert Riddell (1755–94) of Friars Carse, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
'The Holy Tulzie', 'The Twa Herds' or 'An Unco Mournfu' Tale was a poem written in 1784 by Robert Burns whilst living at Mossgiel, Mauchline, about a strong disagreement, not on doctrine, but on the parish boundaries, between two 'Auld Licht' ministers, John Russel and Alexander Moodie It was followed by "The Holy Fair", "The Ordination", "The Kirk's Alarm", "Holy Willie's Prayer", etc.
John Ballantine (1743–1812), was a Scottish merchant and banker and one of the greatest friends, admirers and closest confidants of Robert Burns. Significantly Ballantine gave the poet advice on the selection of poems for his First Kilmarnock Edition as well as being asked for his opinion on the bard's poems.
James M'Kie or James McKie (1816–1891) was an apprentice of Hugh Crawford, John Wilson's successor at the Kilmarnock Cross printing business. In 1867, M'Kie published the first facsimile edition of the 1786 "Kilmarnock Edition" or Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect as well as various bibliographies, reprints, special editions, limited editions, etc. of Robert Burns' and other works for the Scottish, British, British Empire or North American markets. He became an avid collector of Burnsiana and put together the largest collection of published in the world at the time, that was eventually purchased by the local Kilmarnock Corporation and housed in the Kay Park Burns Museum.
The Geddes Burns is a copy of Robert Burns's 1787 Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect with twenty-seven extra pages with twelve poems and songs in Burns's handwriting bound in, and a letter to Catholic Bishop John Geddes from the poet, written at Ellisland Farm.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was the second "pirated" issue of Robert Burns's work, being published in Ireland at Belfast without permission from or payment to the author or publisher. It is a so-called Stinking Edition, carrying the error Stinking for the Scots word Skinking (watery) in the poem "To a Haggis" because the type setters copied from a 1787 Stinking Edition of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. It has been shown to be from the same print setting as the Belfast Edition but with a different title page.
Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was a 'pirated' edition of Robert Burns's work, being published in Ireland without permission from or payment to the author or publisher. It is a so-called 'Stinking Edition', carrying the error 'Stinking' for the Scots word 'Skinking' (watery) in the poem "To a Haggis" because the type setters copied from a 1787 'Stinking Edition' of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect .