Manuscript poetry journal.
JOHNSTONE, Lady Lucinda Hope and others. VOLUME OF MANUSCRIPT POETRY Hopetoun House & Ormiston Hall [1799-1801].
MANUSCRIPT IN INK. 48 leaves, most of which remain blank; some browning to endpapers, pages lightly toned with a little light foxing and minor soiling; pressed leaves and a silk bookmark dated 1845 between leaves; overall a handsome volume in sound binding. bound in full contemporary calf with gilt ruled and decorative borders to boards, five raised bands and gilt title on brown morocco label (read ‘MSS II’) to spine; a little rubbed with some edge-wear, some soiling to boards; joints sound with boards secure; signature of Lucy Johnstone, Housetoun House, to front pastedown;
The volume appears to be a commonplace book for at least two members of the Hopetoun family. The first contributor would seem to be Lucinda or Lucy Hope Johnstone, she died at the very end of 1799, with those dated 1800-01 in a perceptably different and possibly by Lucy’s surviving sister sister Lady Anne Hope Johnstone (1768-1818), wife of the 3rd Earl Hopetoun.
The poems or songs appear to be original, or rather we have not been able to locate them with any certainty. That called ‘Song on ye Marriage of ye Handsome Coll. Erskine’ is quite fine and was probably sung at Hopetoun:
‘And are ye Sure ye news is true
And are ye sur it’s she!!
The sigh sits heavy on my heart
The tear stands in my Ei!
And can ye tell me wha’s ye Lass
And can ye tell her name’
The contents of the voume are is follows:
1) Under the title ‘Moulin Baschkire’, an extract in French apparently copied from ‘Suite du Voyage en Perse’ by M. Gmelin, in ‘Histoire des Decouvertes Faites par Divers Savans Voyageurs dans Plusiers Contrees . .’, 1779-87, Vol 2, p.261; with hand-drawn illlustration to opposing page;
2) ‘Parting Letter of a Gentleman to a Lady’, 5 pages, dated ‘Hopetoun House, Sep 10th 1799’;
3) ‘Song on ye Marriage of ye Handsome Coll. Erskine’, 3 pages, dated Sept 1799;
4) ‘Ode’, 3 pages, dated “Ormiston Hall, March 20th ‘99” - ‘When Ln. Had[dingto]n was at Harrowgate’
5) ‘Hymn’, 2 pages, dated ‘Hopetoun House Nov. 18th [17]99’
6) 3 Riddles, 2 pages, dated 1800
7) ‘A Comfort to Mrs Donaldson’, 7 pages, dated “Ormiston Hall. Jan 20th 1801’;
8) Title, date and part of first line only, ‘From my Closet Window’, dated ‘H. House August 1801”
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