A completely unprompted surprise today from my institutional library. Very lovely indeed.

Well, that concludes a week long trawl at the #NationalLibraryofScotland. 🙏 A lovely experience and only the beginning! #earlymodern #earlymodernwomen #songbooks and #miscellanies #earlymoderncreatives

Damn, was just gearing up for a good soliloquy! #edinburgh #earlymodernprejudice #ifeelopressed

An amusingly blasé address to John Scot of Scots Tarvet ‘at Edinburgh, or where soever he is’. #earlymodernletters #earlymodernadresses #scottishhistory

Um, this wasn’t on my archival itinerary. 😏

A lovely view from special collections reading room at #nationallibraryofscotland; a tonic for tired eyes.

A good one here today, if I may:

Likely a long shot, but might any #earlymodern musicologists be able to identify these bars? There are numerous settings by Campion, Morley, Gautier in this Scottish ms, so I wondered if it was recognisable as any of theirs, or indeed someone else’s. As a lit historian, it’s beyond me, sadly.

Fairly excited about the prospect of making jam very soon, from our own 🍎. Have enjoyed gooseberry one made by a friend recently that was top drawer, and also a frocken pie, which was scrumptious. Pic of frocken bush (I’d never heard of them).

Rather smashing out the back garden this eve. Wicklow,Ireland.

Researching around #earlymodernscottish scripts and hands, I came across this beautiful and ornate example of a secretary alphabet by Jehan de Beau-Chense & John Baildon, 1570.

*Usually* we in Ireland would be falling over ourselves for such a recipe! Medical recipe book of Anna, Lady Elcho and Jean Wemyss, NLS, MS3031. #scottish #earlymodernscottishwomen #scottishpaeleography #earlymodernlife

The page from which it came:

My guess is ‘love’- any early modern Scottish palaeographers willing to pitch a thought?

Does this ever get old? As an ECR it is very lovely.

My little collection of diaries, found today, which document years between final undergrad year to PhD thesis submission. Later on they detail fellowship app processes. Amazing how the contents of a single page can return you to precise feelings and thoughts on a given day so long ago.

It would be remiss not to share a couple of pics of the sublime goings on out the back of our house this eve. Picture one is a view to Glenmalure valley and lugnaquilla mountain, zoom in. Picture two includes a moon capture and a couple of red kites in a tree, top left.

An altogether sedate and ‘worky’ St Patrick’s day for me; at least my espresso cup and saucer are feeling suitably festive! Happy st Patrick’s day to all! ☘️

Exciting transcriptions afoot! #earlymodern #katherinephiliis #womenwriters