The contents are as follows.

(i) Two letters of George Richardson to Archbald Shiells, Inveresk, written from Rome, 1761-1762. Richardson, who complains of the harshness of Mr Adam, his master, is evidently the apprentice George who was with James Adam in Italy during those years, and may be the architect, author of the ‘New Vitruvius Britannicus’ (London, 1802-1808) - see John Swarbrick, ‘Robert Adam and his brothers’ (London, [1916]), pages 94, 142. Shiells was a patron of Richardson. The letters are followed by a draft advertisement of the sale of his house at Inveresk. (Folio 1.)

(ii) Letters, 1827-1835, of Sir David Wilkie (some in the hands of amanuenses; one containing thumb-nail sketches by Wilkie of four pictures by Van Dyck) to Andrew Wilson. The letters, which deal with the purchase of old masters for Sir Robert Peel, the Earl of Hopetoun, and institutions in London and Edinburgh, and with the two correspondents' own work, have been printed, but with considerable omissions, by Allan Cunningham in his ‘Life of Sir David Wilkie’ (London, 1843). (Folio 6.)