Ronan A. Cunningham

Beau Nash (1674–1762), born Richard Nash, was a celebrated dandy and leader of fashion in 18th-century Britain. He is best remembered as the Master of Ceremonies at the spa town of Bath. (Wikipedia)<br><br> This, the best of Goldsmith's Biographies, was published the year after Nash's death. It was at once popular, and went through two editions in the same year in which it was published. To the second edition (it never reached a third), Goldsmith made many important additions. Yet strange to say none of these have been attended to by the editors of his Works. The text of this reprint is that of the second edition, compared with the first. The text of previous editions has been that of a mutilated first impression. (Peter Cunningham, Editor)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 23 recordings of A Wet Sheet and a Flowing Sea by Allan Cunningham. This was the Weekly Poetry project for March 4, 2012.<br><br>Allan Cunningham was a Scottish poet and author. Cunningham was apprenticed to a stonemason, but gave his leisure to reading and writing imitations of old Scottish ballads. His prose is often spoiled by its misplaced and too ambitious rhetoric; his verse also is ornate, and both are full of mannerisms. Some of his songs, however, hold a high place among British lyrics. "A Wet Sheet and a Flowing Sea" is one of the best British sea-songs, although written by a landsman.(Summary by Wikipedia)

Seven original fairy tales . . .<br><br> "Now for the stories you promised us."<br> "Well, how many shall there be?"<br> "O, seven, one for each."<br> And here are our seven stories; affectionately dedicated to any little curly heads that like to read them. (Preface)