THE FAIR MAID of PERTH, or St Valentine's Day: with Provenance

The Fair Maid of Perth, or St. Valentine's Day was first published in 1828. It was inspired by the strange, but historically true, story of the Battle of the North Inch. It is set in Perth around 1400.

The Battle of the North Inch, or the Battle of the Clans, was a staged battle between the Chattan Confederation and the 'Clan Kay' in September 1396. Thirty men were selected to represent each side in front of spectators that included King Robert III of Scotland and his court, on what is now the North Inch Park in Perth.

The Chattan Confederation killed all but one opponent, at a cost of 19 of their own men. It is not clear whom they were fighting: it may have been their traditional enemies Clan Cameron or it may have been Clan Davidson, in an internal dispute for precedence in the Chattan line of battle in future campaigns against the Camerons.

Provenance

The inside front cover of this book bears the pre-printed book plate of Robert Treat Platt, author of Oregon and Its Share in the Civil War (1903). Platt graduated from Yale Law School in 1891 and went to teach at the Betts Academy in Stamford CT. He was still living in 1952. He was a great-grandson of Robert Treat, an American colonial leader, militia officer, governor of the Connecticut Colony 1683-1698 and founder of Newark, NJ. I attach a photo of Platt--he's standing, far left, in photo #6.

This copy was published by Henry Frowde for Oxford University Press and is dated 1912. The binding is red leather, engraved on the front with an image of Scott and on the spine with a leaf design and the title, all in bright gold. Inside, the book is pristine, with 34 black and white illustrations and 522 pages, including a glossary and notes.

It's 4 ½" x 6 ¾" and the tops of the pages are stained in bright gold.

There is minor wear to the edges and a small tear at the top of the spine. Also, after this photo was taken, someone put a piece of tape over a larger tear in the spine. This tape will have to be steamed off, then the tears can be repaired.

Inside, the spine is perfectly tight; it's a lovely little book.