Poems of Henry Mackenzie, author of ‘The man of feeling’, chiefly in his autograph.
Scope and Contents
The contents are as follows.
(i) ‘On the laying the Foundation of the High School of Edinburgh, 24th June, 1777’ (folio i);
(ii) ‘Winter Hymn’ with a note, 26 January 1829 (folio 2);
(iii) ‘Morning Hymn’, endorsed, ‘Written out 1825, composed chiefly in a dream at Canaan Lodge [Edinburgh] one beautiful morning in August, 1825’; two copies (folio 4);
(iv) ‘Ink loquitur’, endorsed, ‘(Impromptu) to Steuart of Allantoun, the translator of Sallust, who sent to borrow some ink of me, 1806’ (folio 6);
(v) "Verses for Lady Frances Beresford’s Album, 1823" (folio 7);
(vi) "On Strona’s black and jagged Brow", endorsed, ‘2 addl. Verses to ye Introdn. to Gray’s fatal Sisters. Those almost verbatim what I dreamd that I read to some person who wished to hear ye poem’ (folio 8);
(vii) ‘Fragments of a projected Poem called the Highlander’; ‘Scrolls for the Highlander, a Poem. N. A Copy, but without these Additions & Alterations, sent to Sir Wr. Scott Decr 1824’ (folio 9);
(viii) 'Verses by Miss Bruce’; ‘To Miss Bruce of Kinross, with a Remarkable Dream, in which she was the principal person’; "Sent with a copy of Bethune’s Heart display'd or Anatomy of the Human Mind to Miss Bruce of Kinross" (folio 17);
(ix) Copies of John Leyden’s sonnets, ‘Love’ and ‘Serenity of Childhood’ (folio 20);
(x) ‘Lines written by an Eton scholar on his Dames daughter with whom he had been in love’; ‘Friendship’; ‘Inscription on the tomb of Margaret Scott’ (folio 21);
(xi) Eight lines, containing,
“While Mem’ry true o’er every scene can cast
A sweet delusion which recalls the past” (folio 23);
(xii) Draft of a poem, beginning,
‘. .. beneath the crown
The offspring of some humble clown’ (folio 24).
Dates
- Creation: 1777-1829, undated.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
26 Leaves ; Folio.
Language of Materials
Undetermined
Arrangement
iv + 24 folios.
Custodial History
The papers were bought by the National Library of Scotland with the aid of the Reid Fund.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Bought, Sotheby’s Sale, 28 July 1930, lot 97.
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
- Description rules
- International Standard for Archival Description - General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository