This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833 edition. Excerpt: ... of the inhabitants. As above stated, the town was once constituted a burgh of barony, with power to elect its own magistrates, but its charter having been lost, its rights have not been renewed. It is entitled to hold seven annual fairs. Burns resided during several years at Mossgiel, a small farm ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833 edition. Excerpt: ... of the inhabitants. As above stated, the town was once constituted a burgh of barony, with power to elect its own magistrates, but its charter having been lost, its rights have not been renewed. It is entitled to hold seven annual fairs. Burns resided during several years at Mossgiel, a small farm about half a mile to the north of Mauchline, on the left side of the road from thence to Kilmarnock. The steading may still be seen environed by a few trees, as well as the fields which the inspired peasant so often ploughed, and in traversing which he composed some of his best poems. He frequently visited Mauchline, attracted by the " clachan yill," or the clachan damsels. His chief resort was the public house kept by John Dow, which still stands; a thatched house of two flats, nearly opposite to the church-yard gate, and forming the righthand corner house of the opening of " the Cowgate." It was upon a pane in one of the back windows of this hous_e, that he wrote the ridiculous epitaph upon his host, in which he makes out the honest publican's creed to be a. mere comparative estimation of the value of his various liquors. The cottage of Poosie Nansie, or Mrs. Gibson, and therefore the scene of '_' the Jolly Beggars," stands more immediately opposite to the church-yard gate, with only the breadth of " the Cowgate" between its ga-' ble and that of John Dow's house. Manchline kirk, the scene of " the Holy Fair," was a huge place of worship, of the pure barn species so common in the landward parts of Scotland; The whole had precisely that dark, gousty, atmbilious look which one would expect from a perusal of the poem. There is now an elegant new church in the Gothic...
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Seller's Description:
Fair. 8vo. Both vols include cloth-backed fold maps to front. Vol 2 in poor condition as front board is detached but extant. Have had new endpapers to reinforce hinges at some point. Leather scuffed and bumped. Some foxing throughout, some grubby marks to prelims, otherwise content is clean and firm.