Robert Burns James Cameron Ewing (3 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. Robert Burns's Commonplace Book 1783-1785; Reproduced in Facsimile from the Poet's Manuscript with Transcript and the Original Introduction and Notes of James Cameron Ewing and Davidson Cook. This edition introduced by David Daiches. Published by Centaur Press Limited, 1965. First edition thus. Issued as one of 'Centaur Classics General editor: J.M. Cohen. A near fine copy of this folio sized reproduction of Burns's commonplace book. Bound in navy blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With just minor wear. Soundly bound. With red paper endpapers and previous owner's sticker to first pastedown. With portrait frontispiece with tissue guard. Text is clean and bright throughout. Some light speckled spotting to edge of text block. Blue tinted to top edge. Language: English/Scots. xxix + (1) + 43pp + Plates of manuscript reproductions.  Dimensions: approximately 380mm high x 259mm wide x 13mm deep. Weight approximately 1260g (unpacked).

First edition hard back binding in publisher's original brick red cloth covers, gilt title and author lettering to the spine, gilt Robert Burns's coat of arms to the front cover - the holly bush and the motto 'better a wee bush than nae bield' (better a small bush than no shelter) are a reference to Ayrshire, the woodlark, a shepherd's crook and a thorn are references to Robert's love of pastoral themes, top edge gilt. Folio. 15½'' x 10½''. Hand written number 252 of 475 Limited Edition numbered copies of which 425 are for sale. Contains tissue-guarded monochrome frontispiece, (xiv)-2, 43 printed pages of text on superior quality paper, followed by 44 monochrome facsimile plates. In Fine condition, no dust wrapper as issued. Member of the P.B.F.A. SCOTLAND (Gaelic: Alba).

12mo, 3 pp. 28 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. He does not understand how they can have 'a record of a second edition [of Burns's poems] dated 1786, for the book was not published until April 1787'. He describes the two issues of the second edition ('a stinking or a skinking issue') and concludes that he will be glad to hear from them, should they 'meet with a 1786 second edition, or with a copy having the addenda incorporated in the list of subscribers, or one having "Roxburgh" spelled correctly'.