SCOTISH SONG in two volumes.

Two volumes, 12mo in sixes, pp. [ii], cxix, [i], 289; [ii], 262, [4] corrections; illustrated with wood-engraved vignettes (by Parker after Stothard) and woodcut music throughout; in contemporary calf, spines gilt (a bit rubbed, labels missing, but sound); marbled endpapers. First edition. A major collection of early Scottish poetry and music by Joseph Ritson. In this copy the title page to volume I is in the first state, reading 'Scotish Song' (later corrected to 'Songs'), and with the erroneous date of 'MDCCXIV' both are correct in volume II, and volume I's title was cancelled to effect the changes. Bronson also describes six leaves in the main text as cancels, but of those only L3 (in vol. I) and M4 (in vol. II) are definitely cancels in this copy, and the others a6 and k1 in vol. I, and E4, U2 (possibly) and Y2 in vol. II show no signs of being substitutes. Detailed comparison with other copies would show if there were any changes in the text, and whether this copy shows any early readings not seen by Bronson. Bronson I 23; Lowndes p. 2098. Provenance. Stamp on each title of the Heirlooms of John Brymer (who bought Ilsington House, Devon, in 1861); his collection seems to have been acquired by the bookseller James Stevens Cox, perhaps in the 1960s.…