2110-5-2-1

[A.S. Ferguson]

King's College, Old Aberdeen

22nd Jan., 1928.

Dear Mr. Buchan,

I venture to send you an epigram which you may think worthy of a corner in a new edition of 'The Northern Muse'. I saw it quoted years ago and thought it the best translation of Hadrian's 'Address' that I had seen. But not till yesterday could I discover its source - in a privately printed collection of translations. So if you did find it in your heart to give the epigram a place, you might give many people the pleasure I had when

I first saw it.

My colleague Harrower lent me Geddes's own copy and I have transcribed the epigram wtih two corrections which Geddes made on the margin. The printed text of the second line is plainly wrong.

Believe me,

Yours very truly,

A.S. Ferguson

University of Aberdeen

Department of Logic King's College, Aberdeen.

Hadrian's Address to his Soul.

Wee wan'erin winsome elf, my saul,

Thou's made this clay lang house an 'haul',

But whar, oh whar art thou to dwell,

Thy bield now bare?

Gaun' flichterin', feckless, shiverin' caul',

Nae cantrips mair.

Sir William Geddes.

Apparatus. l.1. wan'ering. marginal correction: wanderin', text l.2 haul', (=hold) " " : hall, " l.3 now, marginal v.l. : thou "

(The first two are definite corrections by W.G.; the third apparently an alternative - probably 'now' in the following line made him hesitate).

From: Hadrianus Moriens (on back of cover): Title page - Translations / Literal and Free / of the / Dying Hadrian's / Address to his Soul. /

Quo vadam nescio. / Appian - Pagan Epitaph / Collected and arranged by David Johnston / For private circulation only. / Bath: Printed at the "Chronicle Office, Kingston Buildings. / MDCCCLXXVI. pp. 110.