The Gentle Shepherd - A Pastoral Comedy
Title: The Gentle Shepherd, a Pastoral Comedy
Author: Allan Ramsay
Publisher: Printed by A. Foulis and sold by D. Allan. & Edinburgh. Also by J. Murray . and C. Elliot. London
Date: 1788
Hardback - 3/4 leather bound - 1st Edition
Additional Product Information
The Gentle Shepherd is Scotland's first opera. All the music is based on popular Scottish fiddle music and folk tunes. It features ballads and traditional dance music and fuses Scottish fiddle-playing with the Italian baroque style.
The hero is the shepherd Patie (Patrick), son of Sir William Worthy, who left him in the care of Symon and Elspa when he was forced to flee the country. Patie has grown up as a poor, hardworking shepherd, unaware of his titled background, and is in love with Peggy, the virtuous and beautiful heroine of the play. She is thought to be Glaud's niece, but was left as a baby on Glaud's doorstep. She is in fact the daughter of Sir William's dead sister, saved from rapacious relatives by her nurse Mause, who is supposed to be a witch.
As well as frontis of the playright as an aquatint portrait there are 12 aquatint plates and 18 engraved pages of music at end. There as 'Glossary' for those unfamiliar with the Scottish dialect in which the play was written.
Condition Notes
This is an original binding - 3/4 morroco leather with marbled paper boards. However there is some significant fraying to the corners where the leather corner covers have been lost and along all the edges. There is also fading and tears to the marbled paper. There is also some cracking of the leather around the spine.
However the inside pages are in very good condition with just some light stains randomly throughout.
This volume would be greatly enhanced with a re-binding given its importance as a literary and artistic work.
Please check the images associated with this Book to gain a clear insight into the book's condition and if you require further details please send an email enquiry.
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Shipping Information
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