Selections from Barbour's Bruce, John Barbour [Edited by Rev. Prof. Walter W. Skeat] — Student Edition

Publication: Bungay, Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, 1899

Formatting: 8vo, variable pagination [pp. ciii, 767].

Condition Report: Good. The half plum morocco leather binding over cloth boards remains structurally sound but exhibits moderate exterior wear typical with its age and intended academic use. The spine leather is faded, showing noticeable rubbing and scuffing to the raised bands, joints, and spine ends. The leather corners are similarly bumped and rubbed, while the cloth boards display light handling marks and minor fraying at the extreme edges. Internally, the binding is firm, and the hinges remain unbroken. The text block edges are tanned and somewhat foxed; however, the interior pages remain largely bright and supple, save for occasional reading wear.

Catalogue Note: This 1899 printing was specifically issued as 'A cheap Edition for the use of the Students of the University of London 1900–1901', repurposing the highly regarded scholarly text prepared by Reverend Professor Walter W. Skeat for the Early English Text Society.

The volume features a notable institutional provenance, bearing the small, oval ink stamp "IN USUM COLLEGII STI. EDUORDI" [For the use of St Edward's College] to the title page.

Enhancing its appeal as a historical study text, this copy includes a fascinating laid-in manuscript leaf of original student notes. Penned in neat contemporary ink, the ephemera outlines 'Dialectical Differences' in verbs, pronouns, and nouns between Northern and Southern dialects, specifically referencing Book III, line 259, providing a tangible connection to the book's pedagogical history. Due to their utilitarian nature and heavy academic handling, surviving copies of this specific University of London edition are scarce on the open market.

John Barbour’s The Bruce stands as one of the cornerstone works of early Scottish literature and historical record. Composed in Early Scots around 1375, the epic narrative poem chronicles the heroic actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir James Douglas during the Scottish Wars of Independence, culminating in the legendary Battle of Bannockburn. This specific volume collects Books I through X, painstakingly edited and annotated by the pre-eminent British philologist Reverend Professor Walter W. Skeat. Combining romantic chivalry with a grounded historical chronicle, this text remains an essential resource for scholars of Middle English and Scottish history alike.