Scottish poetry

Content Description Collection of loose-leaf manuscript verses by Jacobite poet and army officer William Hamilton of Bangour (1704-1754), together with related material. The collection appears to have emanated from a member of the Pringle family, who were related to Hamilton by marriage.The majority of the poems in this collection can be found either in the contemporary editions of Hamilton's poems, or in the later 1850 edition (see Bibliography). However, most of the present manuscript poems differ by...

Scope and Contents This poem appears to be unpublished. It is presumably an epitaph to his wife Catherine (or Kathleen) Hall who died in 1745. It is written in a very neat cursive hand, somewhat neater than the other poems.

Scope and Contents A manuscript poem entitled "Escap’t old age unblemish’t and Uncloy’d And what Heaven gave of youth with worth enjoy’d / Mrs Colquhoon". Similar to his published poem entitled "Epitaph on Mrs Colquhoun of Luss", however, only the first two and final four lines are the same or similar, otherwise the two poems differ significantly.

Scope and Contents Manuscript poem entitled: "Hamlet.”, written early in 1746 and inserted anonymously in the Scots Magazine for June of the same year. Published in Hamilton's Poems (1760) under the title "A Soliloquy. In Imitation of Hamlet.”
This transcription of the poem is annotated at the end: "This very incorrect but as it only existed in my Memory I send it you — Tell Vertue for itself begins to move / And servile Fear replies melts into filial Love”.

Scope and Contents Manuscript poem entitled: "Horace Ode 17 / To James Craig”. Published title (1850): "Horace, Book II., Ode XVII., Imitated. Inscribed to Mr James Craig". Note to the 1850 edition: "This Ode we print from the manuscript volume, it never having been before published."There are some small differences between the present manuscript and the published version. Here are a few examples: "Thy gents of his charge afraid", in this manuscript becomes "Thy genius for his charge...

Scope and Contents Manuscript poem entitled "Interview between two fair Warriours at the Edinburgh Assembly in Imitation of Glaucus and Diomede". This text was later published under the title: "Interview of Miss Dalrymple and Miss Suttie between the Pillars at the Edinburgh Assembly. In Imitation of Homer’s Iliad, Book VI." The 1850 published poem is approximately double the length. However, the blank page and docket title indicate that this version was considered complete at the time of writing.The...

Scope and Contents This manuscript poem entitled: "Minch Muir in Swift's Stile" appears to be unpublished and unrecorded.

First and last lines:

"I Climbd the painfull Steep where Minch muir Shrouds / His Hoary Temples in Surrounding Clouds / Foggs Rise Eternall from his Dampfed Springs / Blew plague pale ffamine Load their Sable wings"

...

"While Mercury o’erflows her Toothless Chops / All this is Paradice to Minch muir Tops".

Scope and Contents Manuscript title (on the reverse of manuscript): "Ode and Universal Catholicon”, unpublished and unrecorded.

First and last lines:

"Let no warmer wish escape / that may wear loves sacred shape / would thou be forever dear/ be not wity but sincere"

...

"Let thy dreams & waking thought / Be with his dear image fraught / Evenin sleep it is a sin / To let other objects in / The end".

Scope and Contents This poem is entitled did not appear in the 1745 edition. The 1760 published title was "Horace. Book IV. Ode I. Imitated.” There are a few corrections and amendments to the poem. These corrections were included in the posthumous 1760 edition. Several pages have annotations to the lower margins which did not appear in the printed version. They all appear to be quotes from Horace, e.g. "te per gramina martil campi”.

Scope and Contents Manuscript poem entitled "Ode to Contemplation". The poem was first published in 1747. The present manuscript is very similar to the published version and probably only pre-dates it by a short period. There are small changes, usually the addition or deletion of a word to adjust the metre, for example "And forms her bosoms beauteous rise”, becomes in the published version "Or forms her Bosom’s snowy Rise”. The oft mentioned "Maria” in the manuscript, becomes "Racelia” in the printed version. It...