Kay's Edinburgh Portraits

EDITORIAL PREFACE

The great and continued interest felt in the celebrated but rather mis-named work, known as Kays Edinburgh Portraits, has suggested the desirableness of issuing a popular letterpress edition for reading simply. Hitherto it has only been within the reach of the really wealthy, notwithstanding the fact that the greater part of the book is such as to render it unusually attractive to readers in general. No Scotchman, wherever resident, if at all interested in the lives and actions of his fellow-countrymen, can turn over the leaves of the work in question, without feeling delighted with the charmingly written biographies contained therein. The title of the book, though, is somewhat misleading. It suggests too much of the idea of local biography, which certainly is a mistake, as the great majority of the best lives contained in the volumes are decidedly of general interest; and it is safe to say that, as Anecdotal Biographies, there is no work at all to be compared with the one in question, so far as regards the field of Scottish literature. Hitherto the idea before the public has rather been that the biographies are an appendage to the portraits, which, as regards priority of execution, is indeed the case; but as concerning merit, the reverse may be taken for the fact. The engraved portraits are exceedingly interesting, but what we may call the pen portraits are surpassingly so, and that to a much wider class. It is unfortunate that the publisher of the original work in 1842 did not give the chief writer of the biographies the acknowledgment that was his due, especially as the duties of biographer had been discharged with such exceptional ability and painstaking-devotion.

But at that time neither Paterson the author, nor Maidment the editor, had attained to the literary distinction which afterwards fell to their lot, as the result of their enthusiastic labours. This non-acknowledgment in the case of Paterson is another illustration of a literary genius not being fully appreciated by his contemporaries. The same remark holds true with regard to the artist Kay, as well as with the author Paterson.

The present issue is, of course, meant for the general reader—not for the collector. As will be apparent, it contains every biography of real moment to the class signified, forming a collection of what may well be described as the very best Anecdotal Biographies ever written of these our countrymen. In order to render the book thoroughly interesting from beginning to end, those sketches that were so very short as to give little more than a few dry facts regarding the life and death of individuals of little concern, are omitted. But the present issue contains everything really of value or interest to the general Scottish reader. That the biographies are much more interesting than the portraits there can be little doubt, the more especially as the latter are to a considerable extent what may be termed caricatures, whereas the former are true to the life. At the same time the issue of this edition may increase the interest in the engravings, and may result in some cases in a desire to possess or examine the large work.

With reference to the writer of the most of these sketches, less is known by the public than should be the case, considering all he has done. Mr. James Paterson was for over forty years a diligent writer on Scottish National Antiquities, Family History, and Biography. Unambitious of personal celebrity, he acquired his information by painstaking research and laborious investigation. The information so obtained he presented to the public in a variety of well-written and most useful publications, and he had, to an unusual extent, that rare and desirable faculty of writing on whatever subjects he took up in a peculiarly interesting and strongly descriptive style. Of his writings several occupy an exceptionally high place as works of authority, while all are held in esteem. Somewhere about twenty volumes—all relating to Scottish affairs—came from his pen, a few of which may be mentioned. In addition to the great majority of the biographies in Kay's Portraits, he wrote the History of the County of Ayr, a work involving an immense amount of original research, and particularly rich in the department of Family History. Also, The Life and Adventures of James the Fifth; The Origin of the Scots and the Scottish Language; The History of the Regality of Musselburgh; A Memoir of James Fillans, Scidptor; Wallace and his Times; The Contemporaries of Burns; The History and Genealogy of the Family of Wauchope-Merschell; and a considerable number of others.

It may be well to add that the responsible duties of general editor of the biographies contained in Kay's Portraits were discharged by the celebrated antiquary, James Maidment, Esq., Advocate, who has since become so distinguished in the field of Scottish poetical literature, as the Editor of Scottish Ballads and Songs, the Book of Scottish Pasquils 1548-1715, and other works. Paterson tells us that Mr. Maidment added to the MSS. submitted to him many curious notes of the highest import. In the present issue, these notes instead of being put at the foot of the page, and thus constantly and awkwardly breaking the continuity of the narratives, are inserted in the body of the work, in their respective and appropriate places—altogether a better arrangement for the reader.

Contents for Volume I

Contents for Volume II