“The Chase, Field Sports, Rural Games, and Other Poems. By William Somerville. With a Life of the Author. Edinburgh: Printed by James Ballantyne and Co., for John Ballantyne and Co., Hanover Street, Edinburgh. 1812.”
The author of “The Chase” (1677-1742) was “a squire well-born, and six foot high.” He had a goodly estate in Warwickshire worth £1500 a year, but being of extravagant habits, he died in distressed circumstances. He was a friend of William Shenstone and Allan Ramsay.
“Tixall Poetry, With Notes and Illustrations, by Arthur Clifford, Esq., Editor of Sir Ralph Sadler’s State Papers. Edinburgh: Printed by James Ballantyne and Co., For Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London; and John Ballantyne and Co., Edinburgh. 1813.”
A beautifully printed 4to volume, with large margins, having some English-made Scotch songs among many other poems. This was one of the unfortunate speculations of Scott, which proved so disastrous to both the printing and publishing firms; and yet, in spite of its non-success, the following was taken in hand not long after:—
“Tixall Letters, or the Correspondence of The Family Aston and their Friends during the Seventeenth Century. With Notes and Illustrations, by Arthur Clifford, Esq. In Two Volumes. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster Row; and for Archibald Constable and Co., and John Ballantyne and Co., Edinburgh. 1815.”
There were two volumes in this latter work, of 216 pp. each in foolscap 8vo. The Letters refer generally to the first half of the seventeenth century.
“The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Edward Gibbon, Esq. In Twelve Volumes. Vol. I. A New Edition. London. Printed for Lackington, Allen, and Co., W. Stride, R. Scholey, and G. Cowie and Co., London; and for P. Hill, Doig and Stirling, and Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh. 1815. Edinburgh: Printed by James Ballantyne and Co.”