Chapter 11. Recuperating Older Scots in the early 18th century
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Jeremy J. Smith
Abstract
In early 18th-century Scotland, a group of writers and printers appeared who were engaged, as a community of practice, on the recuperation of Scots verse composed some two hundred years earlier. In doing so they have a claim to be the ‘inventors’ of Scots, bringing about what literary critics have regularly referred to as the ‘vernacular revival’. In this chapter, the editorial work of two key figures – Allan Ramsay and Thomas Ruddiman – is examined. It is shown how features of ‘expressive form’ in their editions, such as spelling and punctuation, can be related closely to the paratextual materials supplied. It is also shown how Ramsay’s and Ruddiman’s editorial practices relate closely to their own ideological interests.
Abstract
In early 18th-century Scotland, a group of writers and printers appeared who were engaged, as a community of practice, on the recuperation of Scots verse composed some two hundred years earlier. In doing so they have a claim to be the ‘inventors’ of Scots, bringing about what literary critics have regularly referred to as the ‘vernacular revival’. In this chapter, the editorial work of two key figures – Allan Ramsay and Thomas Ruddiman – is examined. It is shown how features of ‘expressive form’ in their editions, such as spelling and punctuation, can be related closely to the paratextual materials supplied. It is also shown how Ramsay’s and Ruddiman’s editorial practices relate closely to their own ideological interests.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
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Part I. Conceptualisations of text and framing phenomena
- Chapter 1. Framing framing 3
- Chapter 2. On the dynamic interaction between peritext and epitext 33
- Chapter 3. The footnote in Late Modern English historiographical writing 63
- Chapter 4. Threshold-switching 91
- Chapter 5. Framing material in early literacy 115
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Part II. Framing and audience orientation
- Chapter 6. Paratext and ideology in 17th-century news genres 137
- Chapter 7. “All which I offer with my own experience” 163
- Chapter 8. “I write not to expert practitioners, but to learners” 187
- Chapter 9. Book producers’ comments on text-organisation in early 16th-century English printed paratexts 209
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Part III. Form and layout in framing
- Chapter 10. Paratextual features in 18th-century medical writing 233
- Chapter 11. Recuperating Older Scots in the early 18th century 267
- Chapter 12. Paratext, information studies, and Middle English manuscripts 289
- Index 309
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
-
Part I. Conceptualisations of text and framing phenomena
- Chapter 1. Framing framing 3
- Chapter 2. On the dynamic interaction between peritext and epitext 33
- Chapter 3. The footnote in Late Modern English historiographical writing 63
- Chapter 4. Threshold-switching 91
- Chapter 5. Framing material in early literacy 115
-
Part II. Framing and audience orientation
- Chapter 6. Paratext and ideology in 17th-century news genres 137
- Chapter 7. “All which I offer with my own experience” 163
- Chapter 8. “I write not to expert practitioners, but to learners” 187
- Chapter 9. Book producers’ comments on text-organisation in early 16th-century English printed paratexts 209
-
Part III. Form and layout in framing
- Chapter 10. Paratextual features in 18th-century medical writing 233
- Chapter 11. Recuperating Older Scots in the early 18th century 267
- Chapter 12. Paratext, information studies, and Middle English manuscripts 289
- Index 309
