AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, to Lord Macartney.

Edité par No place 14 February, 1781

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Vendeur : Christopher Edwards ABA ILAB, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, Royaume-UniChristopher Edwards ABA ILAB

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Manuscript in ink, 4to (226 x 185mm), one page, with integral blank leaf, endorsed with name of recipient and author, and date; and 'Macpherson translator (or author) of Ossian'. A very good letter from James Macpherson (1736-96), author or editor of the Ossianic poems, in which he pays his respects and promotes the interests of one Mr Samuel Johnston, who has failed in trade but hopes to try 'a new channel to fortune, as a writer on the Establishment of Fort St George'. Samuel was the brother of Peter Johnston, MP for Kirkcudbright, whom Macpherson describes as 'one of our knot of friends, who are resolved to support the interests of your Lordship, in this kingdom' - Macpherson himself had recently been elected MP for Camelford, a seat he was to retain until his death in 1796. Macpherson's plea seems to have been successful: an entry in new DNB for the colonial judge Sir Alexander Johnston (1775-1849) states that Peter Johnston's brother Samuel 'obtained civil employment at Madras under Lord Macartney, and in 1781 settled at Madura'. It seems that Macpherson's statement that Samuel was 'married to a most amiable young Lady, a woman of the first quality' could be based on his wife being the Hon. Hester Napier, but the line of descent is not clear from the DNB entry (which acknowledges some confusion). It is mildly ironic that Macpherson should have sought to promote a man whose name was so close to that of his arch-enemy the lexicographer. In politics and diplomacy Lord Macartney (1737-1806) was a far more successful man than Macpherson, having risen from the Anglo-Irish gentry to become governor of Grenada, Tobago and the Grenadines in 1776 - but he was ejected by the French when they invaded Grenada in 1779. Returning home, he managed to gain the enormously profitable and influential post of Governor of Madras, and at the time this letter was written was a week away from sailing to take up his new position. No doubt he was inundated with similar requests from place-seekers, asking for assistance, jobs and other favours that the governorship would enable him to grant. It was not for another decade that Macartney was appointed to lead the memorable (but largely fruitless) embassy to China, which is better known than his sojourn in India because of Staunton's account (1797), and, perhaps, Gillray's caricature of his presentation to the Emperor.

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Détails bibliographiques

Titre
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, to Lord Macartney.
Auteur
MACPHERSON, James.
Éditeur
No place 14 February
Année de publication
1781
Catalogues du vendeur
History

Christopher Edwards ABA ILAB

Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, Royaume-Uni

Vendeur avec une évaluation de 5 étoiles

Vendeur AbeBooks depuis 6 janvier 2000

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Christopher Edwards ABA ILAB

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