Grampian Club > Boswelliana

quantity of loose quarto sheets, inscribed on each page
BoswELLiANA. In certain of these sheets the pages
are denoted by numerals in the ordinary fashion ; an-
other portion is numbered by the folios ; while a
farther portion consists of loose leaves and letter-
backs. The greater part of the entries are made so
carefully as to justify the belief that the author
intended to embody the whole in a volume of literary
anecdotes.
At Boswell's death his portfolio was sold along with
the books contained in his house in London. It came
into the possession of John Hugh Smyth Pigott, Esq.,
of Brockley Hall, Somersetshire, an indefatigable book
collector. On Mr. Pigott's death in 1861 the volume,
bound in russia, was sold along with the stores of the
Brockley library. Purchased by Mr. Thomas Kerslake,
bookseller in Bristol, it was afterwards sold by him to
Lord Houghton. By his lordship it was lately handed
to the Grampian Club, with a view to publication.
Boswell's commonplace-book exhibits some of the
author's weaknesses, but is on the whole a valuable
repertory. The social talk of leading persons during
the latter part of the century is graphically depicted.
Considerable light is thrown on the character of indi-
viduals respecting whom every fragment of authentic
information is treasiu-ed with interest. In preparing
the commonplace-book for the press the Editor has
omitted a few entries which transgressed on decorum.
He has generally retained the author's orthography.