Lot 147

Garden [or Gardyne], Alexander

Rare Books, Maps and Manuscripts

Auction: 29 August 2012 at 12:00 BST

£2,125

Description

[A theatre of Scottish worthies], manuscript copy by Robert Mylne (1643?–1747), late 17th century, 8vo, 179pp., [bound with] a manuscript copy of "The history of the rebellion of the martyr King Charles the first begun by his most loyall subjects the Scots Covenanters and continued by the English.. by our Henrie Guthrie presbyterian minister", in a different hand, dated 1665, 282pp., 8vo, early eighteenth century calf with Boswell of Auchinleck blindstamp on covers, inscription of James Woodhall and Thomas Woodhall 1740 and "R.W. Talbot from Lady Boswell" on front endpaper, Lord Strathallan bookplate on front endpaper, joints split, a few spots and stains, spine and corners worn

Footnote

Provenance: Viscount Strathallan, Stobhall, Perthshire

Note: Robert Mylne (?1643?-1747) is generally described as a ‘writer’ of Edinburgh, but also as an engraver; he gained notoriety by his bitter and often scurrilous political squibs against the Whigs, but he also devoted much time and labour to copying manuscripts of antiquarian and historical interest.

Alexander Garden or Gardyne (c. 1585 - c. 1642), Scottish poet from Aberdeenshire. He is believed to have graduated from Marischal College before 1609 when a work of his was published calling him Mr., implying he had the degree of MA. This book was A Garden of Grave and Godlie Flowers: a collection of poems, elegies and prayers in praise of King James, other public figures and also friends. His The Theatre of the Scottish Kings (c. 1625, but started in 1612) and A Theatre of Scottish Worthies are a series of short poems about every Scottish king from Fergus I on, and about various warriors and knights. He also wrote The Lyf, Doings and Deathe of William Elphinstoun (1619).

Richard Wogan Talbot, 5th Baron of Malahide married Emily Harriet, daughter of Sir James Boswell, 2nd Bart., of Auchinleck and great granddaughter of James Boswell. When Emily died, however, Talbot inherited the Boswell home of Auchinleck in Ayrshire. When the house was sold, its contents were transferred to Malahide Castle in 1905 and 1914, from where Boswell's papers were purchased by the American collector Ralph H. Isham.