John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, ClassifiedGraham, Dougal
General
John Cheap, the Chapman's Library. Vol. 1: Comic and Humorous: The Scottish Chap Literature of Last Century, Classified
Graham, Dougal
Chapbooks, Scottish; English literature -- 18th century; Graham, Dougal, 1724-1779; Popular literature -- Scotland
1. _Jockie and Maggie_, five parts, 1783; 2. _Paddy from Cork_,
1784; 3. _Lothian Tom_, six parts, 1793; 4. _John Cheap_ (The
Chapman), three parts, 1786; 5. _John Falkirk_, 1779; 6. _John
Falkirk’s Cariches_; 7. _Janet Clinker’s Orations_; sometimes
published under the title of _Granny M’Nab’s Lectures in the
Society of Clashing Wives_; 8. _Leper the Tailor_, parts I.
and II., 1779; 9. _Simple John and His Twelve Misfortunes_.
Motherwell is of opinion that _George Buchanan_, _The Coalman’s
Courtship_, and the _History of Buckhaven_, are his also; and
questions the existence of any of them before his time. These
three are also found attributed to him by M’Vean, a Glasgow
antiquarian bookseller, in a MS. list of Dougal’s publications
quoted by Dr Strang,[A] which, in addition to those in Motherwell’s
list, contains: _The History of the Haverel Wives_, _The Grand
Solemnity of the Tailor’s Funeral_, &c.; _The Remarkable Life and
Transactions of Alexander Hamwinkle_, &c.; _The Dying Groans of
Sir John Barleycorn_, &c.; _A Warning to the Methodist Preachers_;
_A Second Warning to the Methodist Preachers_. Mr Fraser, who has,
perhaps, given more consideration to the subject than any of his
predecessors, besides having the benefit of their labours,[B] gives
a classified list of his publications under four heads.
1. _The Works of Dougal Graham._ 2. _Works Probably Written by
Graham._ 3. _Works Compiled or Edited by Graham._ 4. _Works
attributed to Graham._ Under the first head he adopts Motherwell’s
list, substituting for _Paddy from Cork_ and _Simple John_,
_The Coalman’s Courtship_, and _Simple Tam_, which is the Scotch
introduction to _Simple John_; and adding, _The Grand Solemnity of
the Tailor’s Funeral_, _Turnimspike_, _John Hielandman_, _Proverbs
on the Pride of Women_, and _The History of the Haverel Wives_.
Under the second he gives: _Dugald M’Taggart_, in verse; _Verses on
the Popular Superstitions of Scotland_; _Rythmical Dialogue between
the Pope and the Devil_; _An Epitaph on the Third Commandment_;
_Alexander Hamwinkle_; _Warning to the Methodist Preachers_; and
_A Second Warning_. Under the third he places _Paddy from Cork_;
_Simple John_; _John Falkirk_; and _John Falkirk’s Cariches_;
and under the fourth, _Sir John Barleycorn_; _The History of
Buckhaven_; and _Verses on the Pride of Women_; he should also have
added _George Buchanan_. Of the _History of Buckhaven_; _George
Buchanan_; and _Simple John_, except the Scotch introduction,
Mr Fraser thinks it extremely improbable, judging from internal
evidence, that they were composed by Graham, though he may have
sold them to the publishers as his own composition. “For,” he adds,
regarding the two first, “there is not a single sentence in either
of them that might not have been written by anyone else.” Then why
not by Graham? We wonder whether Mr Fraser has read the _History of
Buckhaven_ through, or whether he is thinking of some other tract.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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