C) Letter from Francis Jeffrey to Thomas Carlyle regarding his essay on Robert Burns, 22 October 1828 - Early Married Life

A letter from Francis Jeffrey, editor of the 'Edinburgh Review', about the Burns essay. Written in Craigcrook on the 22nd October 1828. An excerpt: 'How can you be so absurd as to talk of my cancelling that excellent paper of yours on Burns, after it has given both of us so much trouble - or to imagine that I do not set a due value on it, because I was compelled to make it a little shorter, and induced to vary a few phrases that appeared to me to savour of affection - or at all events of mannerisms?' The National Library of Scotland is home to a large collection of materials relating to the historian and essayist, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881). This includes letters written by and to Carlyle, the journal of his wife, Jane Welsh Carlyle, and the manuscripts of Carlyle's 'Reminiscences'. For an author whose larger literary manuscripts are notoriously lacking, these are outstanding treasures in the national collection. After objecting to Carlyle's proof-correcting (largely, in this case, the replacing of editorial deletions), Jeffrey adds that 'I am afraid you are a greater admirer of yourself than becomes a philosopher, if you really think it material to stick to all these odd bits of diction, and to reject every little variation on your inspired text.'

Collection

Treasures: National Library of Scotland

Inventory Number

4502096

Title

C) Letter from Francis Jeffrey to Thomas Carlyle regarding his essay on Robert Burns, 22 October 1828 - Early Married Life

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 184 x 230mm