Lives of the literati

This text is part of the "Scottish Thought and Culture 1750-1800" series which reprints classic works illustrating the cultural and intellectual life of Scotland during the second half of the 18th century.At the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment lay a few dozen literary and scientific figures who distinguished themselves in fields as diverse as medicine, belles-lettres, poetry, drama, philosophy, religion, political economy, and history.

This text offers a collection of seven 19th-century biographical accounts of such figures as James Beattie and Hugh Blair.

Each biography includes a new introduction, specially commissioned for the series.