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Reprint of the original, first published in 1874.
Sir Alexander Boswell (1775-1822) wrote Scottish songs that are still performed today, such as “Jenny’s Bawbee”. An extravagant character and a Tory, he wrote flagrant lampoons of his Whig opponents. One of them greatly incensed his Whig cousin James Stuart of Dunearn, who challenged him to a duel in which Boswell was killed. At his trial for murder, Stuart was represented as a peaceable man unaccustomed to the use of firearms. Nothing could be further from the truth. He served in the militia, was irascible and, at times, violent. This book tells the compelling stories of the remarkable tangled events that led to their quarrel. The duel marked a turning point in Scottish politics away from a turbulent and fractious past to a quieter future. The Whigs triumphed, paving the way for liberal Scotland. In addition, this volume includes, for the first time, many of Boswell’s poems and witty lampoons.
Boswelliana is a valuable book filled with quotes, anecdotes, observations, and information penned down by James Boswell. In addition, this work contains a memoir and annotations by this well-known Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer of the 18th century. Boswell is most famous for writing the biography of the English writer Samuel Johnson, which is the most remarkable biography written in the English language.