The "Cornerstone" of the Literary Manuscripts Collection

In 1881 Morgan’s father, Junius, learned that the manuscript of Sir Walter Scott’s second novel would be sold at auction. “If it’s genuine beyond the possibility of a doubt,” Junius told his agent, “I should like to own it.” Junius placed a successful bid of £390 and added his bookplate to this volume. Within a year, he presented the manuscript as a gift to his son, who placed his leather bookplate just below. Both feature the family motto, Onward and Upward. The extensive notes on the right were added years later by Belle da Costa Greene, the Morgan Library’s first director. At the foot of the page, she cited the item’s institutional significance.