AMOURS, F J - The Original Chronicle of Andrew of Wyntoun. (5 Volumes) Printed on Parallel Pages from the Cottonian and Wemyss Mss: With the Variants of the Other Texts

Edinburgh / London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1902. Hardcover. ISBN: 0253209374. 5 matching still-stiff volumes in quarter leather with gilt bead separating leather from the green cloth boards. All are university library reference withdrawals little-used and very well preserved with crisp unmarked text in tight bindings. Front hinge of volume 6 is cracked but board still tight; spine stickers to each volume and ladies' college plate to each of the front pastedowns. Each volume has a folded facsimile from the original chronicle. Published for the Scottish Text Society. Missing volume 1, but very scarce. Publishing dates from 1902 - 1908 ; Vol. 2023-02-06; No printed edition of the Chronicle appeared until 1795, when it was edited from the Royal manuscript in the British Museum, with a valuable critical introduction, by David Macpherson. Nearly one-third of the original was, however, omitted, and this was restored by Laing in his edition published in 1872, in the "Historians of Scotland" series. Laing describes the eleven manuscripts of the Chronicle known to exist, and the Scottish Text Society has since printed a new edition from the Cottonian and Wemyss manuscripts, with the variants of the other texts. A considerable portion of the Chronicle, it must be noted, is the work of an unknown author, who sent it to Wyntoun, and it was incorporated by him into his own narrative. Both are written in the same easy-flowing, octosyllabic rhyming verse, and the work has therefore value from a poetical as well as from an historical standpoint. Andrew Lang credits Wyntoun with "a trace of the critical spirit, displayed in his wrestlings with feigned genealogies"; but AEneas Mackay does him more justice in pointing out that he understands the importance of chronology, and is, for the age in which he wrote, wonderfully accurate as to dates. His work has thus real value as the first attempt at scientific history writing in Scotland, and philologically it is not less important as having been written in the Scots vernacular, and not (like nearly all the works of contemporary men of learning) in a dead language. Regarded as a poet, Wyntoun can hardly take high rank, certainly not equal rank to his predecessor Barbour, the father of Scottish poetry. His narrative, in truth, though written in rhyme is mostly prosaic in style; but some of his descriptions are vivid, and touched with the true spirit of poetry. (from the Catholic Encyclopedia). Very Good with No dust jacket as issued .

See/Hide Conditions of Sale

Following conditions of sale apply:
Terms of Sale

Payment Methods Accepted

We accept major Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard and AmEx.

We accept payments through Paypal. Our account is registered at bbauld@ns.sympatico.ca . You may pay without a paypal account: click on "sign up" on the paypal page found on this site, and checkout; then, just fill in the credit information (no need to create an account).

Refunds
I make every effort to describe books accurately and fairly. If a book is unsatisfactory because of a failure in its description, I offer you a full refund, or discount, as you wish. If book has been fairly described, but you wish to return it within a reasonable time, you will be responsible for shipping both ways.

Shipping rates for books (USD)

Canada Domestic: 9.50 (2-7 days)
USA: 11.50 (6-10 days)

Europe and International rates are for books up to 1.25 kg. I do not usually ship books over 2 kg as they are prohibitively expensive.

Europe: 15.50 (14-24 days)
International: 18.00 (14-24 days)