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Manuscript title (on the reverse of manuscript): "Ode and Universal Catholicon”, unpublished and unrecorded.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

Scope and Contents

Manuscript poem entitled "Ode to Mrs(?) Rutherford". Published title (1850 edition): "To Mrs A. R.”

Scope and Contents

Manuscript poem entitled "On the Death of Mr Basil Hamilton". Basil Hamilton, Esq., of Baldoon, was an M.P. for the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. He died in November 1742, and the epitaph was written in December of the same year. Due to its controversial subject, only the first six lines were printed in Hamilton's Poems, 1760. It was not published in full until the 1850 edition.

Scope and Contents

This poem is recorded in the famous Jacobite manuscript collection "The Lyon in Mourning" (1746-75) under the title "Upon a young lady, who died on seeing her lover, Mr. Dawson, executed on 30th July 1746".

Scope and Contents

Manuscript poem entitled: "Sir James Suttie", written in 1736. The 1760 published title was "Epitaph on Sir James Sooty." Small differences in wording to the printed version.

Sir James Suttie of Balgone, in East Lothian, died 4th May, 1730.

Scope and Contents

This poem was first published in 1850. Note to the 1850 edition: "Here we have, in a classical parody, another memorial of the fair conquerors in the gay fists of last century. The poem is printed from the MS. volume, so far as we are aware, for the first time." In the 1850 published version, the poem has six lines at the beginning which are not in our version.

Scope and Contents

Manuscript poem, unrecorded and apparently unpublished.

First and last lines:

"Cupid! What sounds invade my Ear / Dotheythus treat my faithful Peer"

...

"That keep Wit Down & knowledge under / And seen in Heaven but for a Wonder".

Scope and Contents

12 stanza poem titled 'The Dorty Bairn' which relates to a girl called Lizzie Allan, and how difficult she is at the breakfast table. This poem was not included in Wingate's 1862 publication 'Poems and Songs'.