[Rarebooks] FS: Bret Harte MANUSCRIPT Poem in Scottish Dialect

[Charles Agvent]

HARTE, Bret. AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT (AM). [London], n.d. [1902]. Two-page 
AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT on Harte's 109, Lancaster Gate, W. stationery 
(8-7/8" x 9-1/8"), not signed but completely in Harte's hand, consisting 
of 6 four-line stanzas on two integral pages. Titled "Scotch Lines to A. 
S. B./From an Unintelligent Foreigner," the poem is written in a 
humorous attempt in Scottish dialect and is Harte's reply to some 
jesting stanzas in the vernacular written by Harte's friend and frequent 
correspondent, British artist Alexander Stuart Boyd. A sampling: "We've 
heard na mon say 'gowd' for 'gold,'/And yet wi all our tongues 
up-curled,/We -- like the British drum-beat-rolled/Our 'Rs' round half 
the speaking worrrld./How like true Scots we didna care...." This poem 
was first published in HARPER'S MONTHLY in October 1902 and in book form 
in T. Edgar Pemberton's 1903 THE LIFE OF BRET HARTE where he states, 
"Once more, as many of his stories show, he took his tone from his 
surroundings, and Scotland has a prominent place in many of his 
writings. He was interested in all he saw there, and in a wonderfully 
short time achieved a mastery of the rather difficult Scottish dialect. 
This is nowhere better shown than in some burlesque rhymes he sent to 
his artist friend, Mr. Alexander Stuart Boyd.... Of this little 
achievement, written in sheer high spirits, Bret Harte was inclined to 
be proud." Pemberton goes on to say that he never told Harte about the 
similarities between a few lines in the poem and some dialogue from 
Charles Dickens' DAVID COPPERFIELD "(for Dickens-lover though he was, he 
had clearly forgotten the circumstance)." There are a few minor changes 
from the published version. Faint fold from mailing; some staining. 
Still Near Fine.

Alexander Stuart Boyd illustrated several books by Harte including A 
PROTEGEE Of JACK HAMLIN'S. (#020595)        $1,500

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/020595/bret-harte/autograph-manuscript-am

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