Letters of JOSEPH RITSON, Esq. to Mr. LAING, an eminent Bookseller at Edinburgh *. "DEAR SIR, Gray's Inn, Jan. 25, 1793. "I neither wish to depreciate your commodities, nor presume to give you advice. A copy of Bellenden, fair and perfect, and in good outward condition, may be worth three guineas, and perhaps I should not hesitate to give so much for it myself; although three guineas, you must allow, is a great deal of money, even in England: but an imperfect book (and the imperfection is not at all removed by a MS supplement) is, in my estimation, worth so very little, that I would not even thank you for the copy, yet desireable, on condition that I should be expected to keep it. If you get a guinea for it, you may reckon it well sold. The Douglas Virgil, 1553, I do not particularly wish for, if perfect; yours, of course, a little stained, and MS title,' Í rather consider as waste paper than a great bargain' at 14s. "The Library you allude to, if it answer your description, will doubtless be a glorious acquisition; and I shall be glad to know the articles of which it consists, and equally willing and ready to render you any service in my power: but you must be careful that the books are perfect; otherwise, you may depend upon it, unless you get them for an old song, they will never answer your purpose. "I wish you could hear of some careful person coming up, who would take the trouble of Mr. Tytler's MS. Shoals of Scotchmen are arriving here every day; the difficulty, I should imagine, would be to find one going back. Edinburgh, at the same time, is so very small a place, that you may be easily acquainted with the motions of every individual from your shopdoor. Formerly, I have been told, when a Scotchman intended a journey to the South, he used to ring the cryer's bell for a quarter of a year beforehand, in order to indemnify himself against the enormous expences of the Newcastle waggon by the packets and parcels he got the charge of from his neighbours; but at present, I suppose, the neighbours go too-not in the Newcastle waggon, I mean, but the mail-coach. Tempora mutantur! "I am sorry to hear of the indisposition of *****, who seemed a very intelligent and respectable man. It is, however, some consolation to you, on the approaching loss of a good friend, that you will get his library. I observe you do not answer my letters; so that I shall have very little to say to you for the future. "I am, sincerely yours, J. RITSON." From the Originals in the possession of Ralph Sherwood, Esq.; to whom they were communicated by Mr. David Laing, son of the Bookseller, a young man of promising talents. -To Mr. Sherwood's exquisite talents I am also obliged for the annexed Etching. "DEAR "DEAR SIR, Gray's Inn, Jan. 19, 1793. "A Scotchman in a passion must necessarily be a very ferocious and dangerous animal: it is, therefore, very well for me to have been at so great a distance when the fit came on; otherwise, perhaps, instead of an angry letter, I should have received your dirk in my wem. Egerton's advice, no doubt, was meant to be confined to English Booksellers, as he must be thoroughly sensible, if it were only from his dealings with you, of the immaculacy of his Scotish brethren. I did not mention the 3s. 6d. either with a view to have it deducted, or because I thought it unreasonable: I only wished it could have been avoided. Only 3s. You seem to forget that 3s. sterling is near 21. Scots, and that there has been a time when the mighty and puissant Monarch of all Scotland had not such a sum in his Treasury. The case is altered, I perceive, at present; but whom have you to thank for it? Bonny Scot, we all witness can That England hath made thee a Gentleman.' "Your narrative of the dying moments and last advice of poor Cumyng is really so ludicrous, and so lamentable, that one does not know whether to laugh or cry. I hope you will take care that a piece of eloquence so interesting and important to society do not perish with its author. Suppose you were to draw it up as a communication for the next volume of Transactions of the Antiquaries of Scotland,' under the title of 'Cumyng's Legacy, or a Dissertation upon --.' If you should happen to be at a loss from want of an acquaintance with the subject, Master Smellie will doubtless be ready to lend you any assistance in order to do honour to the memory of his departed Friend. Or, perhaps, as you have it in contemplation to favour the publick with some biographical anecdotes of the Author, which I dare say will be much more entertaining, and just as important, as Boswell's Life of Johnson, you might with great propriety enhance the value of the work by so curious an Appendix. I am, however, really sorry to lose so worthy and respectable an acquaintance, whom I hoped to render a valuable Correspondent. Apropòs, Are my ancient spurs, &c. deposited in the archives of the Society? I have no great expectation from his Library; though, I suppose, the heraldical books may make it an object. 66 "I delivered your message to Egerton; but you must not think that I make his shop as common a lounging-place as I did yours. I sometimes do not get there for a month together. Egertons sold their Bellenden to Mr. Chalmers for three guineas and a half; but they told me it was a very fine and entirely perfect copy,-circumstances, to be sure, which make a great difference in the value of such books. "I wish I could prevail upon you to publish a volume of Scotish Historical Tracts, something like that I got of you, contain* Mr. James Cumyng, Keeper of the Lyon Records, and Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries, Edinburgh.-He died only a few days before the date of this Letter. ing ing 'Monro's Account of the Isles, &c.' You might not indeed get much by it; but I think you could lose nothing, and the publication would be useful and respectable. I could supply a thing or two, either from my own collection, or from MSS. in the Museum; and would particularly recommend to you a translation of Sir Robert Gordon's Account of Scotland' from Bleau's Atlas, which has never appeared. Let me have your sentiments upon this project; and tell me also how or whether you go on with the Catalogue I had the honour of setting on foot. "I remain very sincerely yours, J. RITSON. "P. S. You complain, I see, that I have too much acidity in my composition; and, I think, you have too much Puritanism. St. Matthew, vii. 5." "CITIZEN, MY FRIEND, Gray's Inn, July 30, 1793. "I have so long neglected or deferred writing in return for your favour of the 15th of March (which has ever since its receipt, in very good company, I assure you, lain open for the purpose on my table) that I am almost ashamed at this distant period to take up my pen. However, as the saying is, 'Better late than never;' and therefore, first and foremost, I wish you joy of your new apartments, in which, I presume, you are by this time comfortably settled; and where, I am sorry to add, it will not be in my power to pay you a visit this season, as I some time ago intended. I return you the same thanks, nevertheless, for your promised hospitality and good cheer as if I had actually partaken of them, so that you both insure my gratitude and save your money. And so at last, it seems, Cumyng is in his After life's fitful fever he sleeps well; grave; Domestic strife, nor wants imperious,—nothing "Apropòs,-What became of his Sibbald's Works,' which you say you would endeavour to procure for me? In fact, my good friend, I find I am to place little confidence in a profession like yours; for, if you were not pledged to offer me the refusal of Bellendyne's History,' there is no faith in man! "I wish very much to know, too, what is become of my King Charles's Spurs, &c. which I sent to Master Cumyng for your Antiquarian Society; as I am apprehensive they have been knocked off with the rest of his old iron. Do be so good as give yourself the trouble to enquire into this matter; and tell me who is Jemmy's successor in the Secretaryship of the Society. "As to the Tracts I mentioned, I find the making of transcripts so much more fatiguing than it used to be, that I am afraid I must decline the task of preparation. I suppose, if you were to see me this summer, you would observe to some of our tripe friends, that I too am much fallen off' since you last saw me. In fine, as the great Rousseau says, 'I perceive myself approaching the eve of old age, and hastening on to death without having lived.' "Allons, “ Allons, mon ami.-My Scottish Songs' have been very much neglected; but I hope to get them ready for publication by Christmas. I shall press Stothard hard this week to decide the fate of Mr. Allan's design, and either you or he shall soon know what use we make of them. But it is a fact, that many Engravers will not undertake a drawing which they have to reduce. I spoke to Dilly about putting your name in the title. He says, if you subscribe for fifty copies, it may be done; otherwise, it will not be worth while to send any down. "I wonder much I have never heard a syllable from any quarter about the old volume of Tracts which Mr. Tytler was so obliging as to promise should be returned to the Library. Mr. Brown has possibly forgotten my wants; will you, therefore, be so good as enquire if it be yet come in? I wish a copy of the six first lines of Robin Hood, which, I understand, is the last tract near the Volume. This little extract will enable me to determine whether a copy will be necessary of the whole. "When you see Mr. Paton (to whose curious Library, Mr. Chalmers tells me, you have at length gained admittance) please to ask if he has received a parcel from me through the hands of his friend Robertson, viá Kirculdie, which I made up, I believe, so long ago as February. You see how easy it is to fill a sheet of paper with nothing at all. Yours, &c. J. RITSON." Gray's Inn, March 5, 1794. "I dare not call you Citizen; lest, when I re-visit your Metropolis, your scoundrel Judges should send me for fourteen years to Botany Bay; only I am in good hopes, before that event takes place, they will be all sent to the Devil. "MY FRIEND, "In a short time you will receive fifty copies of my 'Scotish Songs;'-twelve you take yourself; five you will present, with the Editor's compliments, to Mr. Fraser Tytler, Mr. Allan, Mr. Brown, Mr. Paton, and Mr. Campbell-that is, one to each; the rest you will sell on my account, if you can. The expence of advertising once or twice in the Edinburgh papers I must of course be debited with. You will scarcely believe that the publication of these two small and unfortunately unequal volumes stands me in 300l. I make up my mind, of course, to a considerable loss; which I begrudge the less as it is incurred for the honour of Scotland. I shall be glad to have all Lord Hailes's 4to pamphlets, beside those you sent me, or as many of them as you can procure. "I should think the greatest help for your intended Catalogue would be the copies or stock books of the different Booksellers. You might doubtless have the inspection of the Edinburgh Gazette at the Library; but, in fact, I should give myself little concern about books printed before the commencement of the Scots Magazine. Besides, Rome was not built in a day; nor is perfection to be looked for even in the labours of Laing. -- "The impression of my 'Caledonian Muse*,' which had The Selection of Poems under this title are alluded to in the Historical Essay prefixed to his Scotish Songs. engaged |