spirits, somewhat similar in their operations to the clan, or family of distinction; and who, perhaps Brownie, were supposed to haunt the Swedish yet more than the Brownie, resemble the classic mines. The passage, in the translation of 1658, household gods. Thus, in a MS. history of Moray, runs thus: "This is collected in briefe, that in we are informed, that the family of Gurlinbeg is northerne kingdomes there are great armies of de- haunted by a spirit, called Garlin Bodacher; that vils, that have their services, which they perform of the Baron of Kinchardin, by Lamhdearg or with the inhabitants of these countries: but they Redhand, a spectre, one of whose hands is as red are most frequently in rocks and mines, where they as blood; that of Tullochgorm, by May Moulach, break, cleave, and make them hollow: which also a female figure, whose left hand and arm were cothrust in pitchers and buckets, and carefully fit vered with hair, and who is also mentioned in Auwheels and screws, whereby they are drawn up-bry's Miscellanies, pp. 211, 212, as a familiar attendwards; and they shew themselves to the labourers, ant upon the clan Grant. These superstitions were when they list, like phantasms and ghosts." It so ingrafted in the popular creed, that the clerical seems no improbable conjecture, that the Brownie synods and presbyteries were wont to take cogniis a legitimate descendant of the Lar Familiaris zance of them.§ of the ancients. Various other superstitions, regarding magicians, A being, totally distinct from those hitherto men- spells, prophecies, &c., will claim our attention in tioned, is the Bogle, or Goblin; a freakish spirit, the progress of this work. For the present, therewho delights rather to perplex and frighten man- fore, taking the advice of an old Scottish rhymer, kind, than either to serve, or seriously to hurt them. let us This is the Esprit Follet of the French; and "Leave bogles, brownies, gyre carlinges, and ghaists."T Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, though enlisted by Flyting of Polwart and Montgomery. \ Shakspeare among the Fairy band of Oberon, pro- The domestic economy of the Borderers next enperly belongs to this class of phantoms. Shelly-gages our attention. That the revenues of the chiefcoat, a spirit, who resides in the waters, and has tain should be expended in rude hospitality, was the given his name to many a rock and stone upon the natural result of his situation. His wealth consisted Scottish coast, belongs also to the class of Bogles. chiefly in herds of cattle, which were consumed by When he appeared, he seemed to be decked with the kinsmen, vassals, and followers, who aided him marine productions, and, in particular, with shells, to acquire and to protect them.** whose clattering announced his approach. From this circumstance he derived his name. He may, perhaps, be identified with the goblin of the northern English, which, in the towns and cities, Durham and Newcastle for example, had the name of Barguest; but, in the country villages, was more frequently termed Brag. He usually ended his mischievous frolics with a horse-laugh. The following notice of Lamhdearg occurs in another account of Strathspey, apud Macfarlane's MSS. :-"There is much talk Shellycoat must not be confounded with Kelpy, a water-spirit also, but of a much more powerful and malignant nature. His attributes have been the subject of a poem in Lowland Scottish, by the learned Dr. Jamieson of Edinburgh, which adorns then latter part of this collection. Of Kelpy, therefore, it is unnecessary to say any thing at present. Of all these classes of spirits, it may be, in general, observed, that their attachment was supposed to be local, and not personal. They haunted the rock, the stream, the ruined castle, without regard to the persons or families to whom the property belonged. Hence they differed entirely from that species of spirits, to whom, in the Highlands, is ascribed the guardianship, or superintendence, of a particular him just in the act of drawing on his boots, he administered to him a most merciless drubbing with his own horsewhip. Such an important service excited the gratitude of the laird; who, understanding that Brownie had been heard to express a wish to have a green coat, ordered a vestment of that colour to be made and left in his haunts. Brownie took away the green coat, but was never seen more. We may suppose, that, tired of his domestic drudgery, he went in his new livery to join the fairies.-See Appendix, No. VI. The last Brownie known in Ettrick Forest, resided in Bodsbeck, a wild and solitary spot, near the head of Moffat Water, where he exercised his functions undisturbed, till the scrupulous devotion of an old lady induced her to hire him away, as it was termed, by placing in his haunt a porringer of milk and a piece of money. After receiving this hint to depart, he was heard the whole night to howl and cry, "Farewell to bonnie Bodsbeck !" which he was compelled to abandon for ever. 1802. Mr. Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, has written a tale, in which the Brownie of Bodsbeck is explained as being one of the fugitive Cameronians. 1830. So generally were these tales of diablerie believed, that one William Lithgow, a bon vivant, who appears to have been a native, or occasional inhabitant, of Melrose, is celebrated by the pot companion who composed his elegy, because "He was good company at jeists, He laugh'd at stories about ghaists; WATSON'S Scottish Poems, Edin. 1706. **We may form some idea of the style of life maintained by the Border warriors, from the anecdotes, handed down by tradition, concerning Walter Scott of Harden, who flourished towards the middle of the sixteenth century. This ancient laird was a renowned freebooter, and used to ride with a numerous band of followers. The spoil, which they carried off from England, or from their neighbours, was concealed in a deep and impervious glen, on the brink of which the old tower of Harden is situated. From thence the cattle were brought out, one by one, as they were wanted, to supply the rude and plentiful table of the laird. When the last bullock was killed and devoured, it was the lady's custom to place on the table a dish, which, on being uncovered, was found to contain a pair of clean spurs, a hint to the riders that they must shift for their next meal. Upon one occasion, when the village herd was driving out the cattle to pasture, the old laird heard lam call loudly, to drive out Harden's core. "Harden's cow!" echoed the affronted chief-"Is it come to that pass? by my faith, they shall sune say Harden's kye," (cows.) AccordOne of his pranks is thus narrated: Two men, in a very dark ingly, he sounded his bugle, mounted his horse, set out with his night, approaching the banks of the Ettrick, heard a doleful voice followers, and returned next day with "a bow of kye, and a basfrom its waves repeatedly exclaim-" Lost! Lost!" They fol- sen'd [brindled] bull." On his return with this gallant prey, he lowed the sound, which seemed to be the voice of a drowning passed a very large haystack. It occurred to the provident laird, person, and, to their infinite astonishment, they found that it as- that this would be extremely convenient to fodder his new stock cended the river. Still they continued, during a long and tem- of cattle; but as no means of transporting it were obvious, he pestuous night, to follow the cry of the malicious sprite; and ar- was fain to take leave of it with this apostrophe, now proverbial: riving, before morning's dawn, at the very sources of the river, the "By my soul, had ye but four feet, ye should not stand lang there !" voice was now heard descending the opposite side of the moun- In short, as Froissart says of a similar class of feudal robbers, notain in which they arise. The fatigued and deluded travellers now thing came amiss to them, that was not too heavy, or too hot. relinquished the pursuit; and had no sooner done so, than they The same mode of housekeeping characterized most Border faheard Shellycoat applauding, in loud bursts of laughter, his suc-milies on both sides. A MS., quoted in History of Cumberland, cessful roguery. The spirit was supposed particularly to haunt p. 466, concerning the Graemes of Netherby, and others of that the old house of Gorinberry, situated on the river Hermitage, in clan, runs thus:-" They were all stark moss-troopers and arrant Liddesdale. thieves; both to England and Scotland outlawed: yet sometimes connived at, because they gave intelligence forth of Scotland. and would raise 400 horse at any time, upon a raid of the English into Scotland." A saying is recorded of a mother of this clan to her son, (which is now become proverbial,)" Ride, Rouly, [Rowland,] hough's i' the pot," that is, the last piece of beef was This is a sort of spirit peculiar to those towns. He has made his appearance in this very year (1809) in that of York, if the vulgar may be credited. His name is derived by Grose, from his ap pearing near bars or stiles, but seems rather to come from the German Bahr-Geist, or Spirit of the Bier. We learn from Lesley, that the Borderers were temperate in their use of intoxicating liquors, and we are therefore left to conjecture how they occupied the time, when winter, or when accident, confined them to their habitations. The little learning which existed in the middle ages, glimmered, a dim and dying flame, in the religious houses; and even in the sixteenth century, when its beams became more widely diffused, they were far from penetrating the recesses of the Border mountains. The tales of tradition, the song, with the pipe or harp of the minstrel, were probably the sole resources against ennui, during the short intervals of repose from military adventure. This brings us to the more immediate subject of the present publication. than the King of Scotland exerting legal power to punish his depredations; and when the characters are contrasted, the latter is always represented as a ruthless and sanguinary tyrant. Spenser's description of the bards of Ireland applies, in some degree, to our ancient Border poets.There is, among the Irish, a certain kinde of people called bardes, which are to them instead of poets; whose profession is to set forth the praises or dispraises of men, in their poems or rhymes; the which are had in such high regard or esteem amongst them, that none dare displease them, for fear of running into reproach through their offence, and to be made infamous in the mouths of all men; for their verses are taken up with a general applause, and usually sung at all feasts and meetings, by certain other persons, whose proper Lesley, who dedicates to the description of Border function that is, who also receive, for the same, manners a chapter, which we have already often great rewardes and reputation amongst them." quoted, notices particularly the taste of the Marchmen Spenser, having bestowed due praise upon the poets, for music and ballad poetry. "Placent admodum who sung the praises of the good and virtuous, insibi sua musica, et rythmicis suis cantionibus, quas forms us, that the bards, on the contrary, "seldom use de majorum suorum gestis, aut ingeniosis predandi to choose unto themselves the doings of good men precandice stratagematibus ipsi confingunt."- for the arguments of their poems; but whomsoever LESLEUS, in capit. de moribus eorum, qui Scotia they finde to be most licentious of life, most bold and limites Angliam versus incolunt. The more rude lawless in his doings, most dangerous and desperate and wild the state of society, the more general and in all parts of disobedience, and rebellious disposition, violent is the impulse received from poetry and mu- him they set up and glorify in their rhythmes: him sic. The muse, whose effusions are the amusement they praise to the people, and to young men make of a very small part of a polished nation, records, in an example to follow."—" Eudorus-I marvail the lays of inspiration, the history, the laws, the what kind of speeches they can find, or what faces very religion, of savages.-Where the pen and the they can put on, to praise such bad persons, as live press are wanting, the flow of numbers impresses so lawlessly and licentiously upon stealths and upon the memory of posterity the deeds and senti- spoyles, as most of them do; or how they can think ments of their forefathers. Verse is naturally con- that any good mind will applaud or approve the nected with music; and, among a rude people, the same?" In answer to this question, Irenæus, after union is seldom broken. By this natural alliance, remarking the giddy and restless disposition of the the lays, "steeped in the stream of harmony," are ill-educated youth of Ireland, which made them more easily retained by the reciter, and produce upon prompt to receive evil counsel, adds, that such a his audience a more impressive effect. Hence there person, if he shall find any to praise him, and to has hardly been found to exist a nation so brutishly give him any encouragement, as those bards and rude, as not to listen with enthusiasm to the songs rhythmers do, for little reward, or share of a stolen of their bards, recounting the exploits of their fore- cow, then waxeth he most insolent, and half-mad, fathers, recording their laws and moral precepts, or with the love of himself and his own lewd deeds. hymning the praises of their deities. But where the And as for words to set forth such lewdness, it is feelings are frequently stretched to the highest pitch, not hard for them to give a goodly and painted show by the vicissitudes of a life of danger and military thereunto, borrowed even from the praises which adventure, this predisposition of a savage people, to are proper to virtue itself. As of a most notorious admire their own rude poetry and music, is heighten- thief, and wicked outlaw, which had lived all his ed, and its tone becomes peculiarly determined. It lifetime of spoils and robberies, one of their bardes, is not the peaceful Hindi at his loom, it is not the in his praise, will say, that he was none of the idle timid Esquimaux in his canoe, whom we must ex-milk-sops that were brought up by the fire-side, but pect to glow at the war-song of Tyrtæus. The mu- that most of his days he spent in arms, and valiant sic and the poetry of each country must keep pace enterprises; that he never did eat his meat before he with their usual tone of mind, as well as with the had won it with his sword; that he lay not all night state of society. slugging in his cabin under his mantle, but used commonly to keep others walking to defend their lives, and did light his candle at the flames of their houses to lead him in the darkness; that the day was his night, and the night his day; that he loved not to be long wooing of wenches to yield to him; but, where he came, he took by force the spoil of other men's love, and left but lamentations to their lovers; that his music was not the harp, nor lays of love; but the cries of people, and clashing of armour; and, finally, that he died, not bewailed of many, but made many wail when he died, that dearly bought his death.' Do not you think, Eudoxus, that many of these praises might be applied to men of best deserts? Yet are they all yielded to a most notable traitor, and amongst some of the Irish not smally accounted of."-State of Ireland. The same concurrence of circumstances, so well pointed out by Spenser, as dictating the topics ot the Irish bards, tuned the Border harps to the praise of an outlawed Armstrong, or Murray. The morality of their compositions is determined by the same circumstances. Those theines are necessarily chosen by the bard, which regard the favourite exploits of the hearers; and he celebrates only those virtues which from infancy he has been taught to admire. Hence, as remarked by Lesley, the music and songs of the Borderers were of a military nature, and celebrated the valour and success of their predatory expeditions. Razing, like Shakspeare's pirate, the eighth commandment from the decalogue, the minstrels praised their chieftains for the very exploits, against which the laws of the country denounced a capital doom. An outlawed freebooter was to them a more interesting person in the pot, and therefore it was high time for him to go and fetch more. To such men might with justice be applied the poet's de scription of the Cretan warrior, translated by my friend, Dr. Ley den : "My sword, my spear, my shaggy shield, Hybrias (ap. Athenæum.) 66 For similar reasons, flowing from the state of society, the reader must not expect to find, in the Border ballads, refined sentiment, and, far less, elegant expression; although the style of such compo * The reward of the Welsh bards, and perhaps of those upon the Border, was very similar. It was enacted by Howel Dha, that if the King's hard played before a body of warriors, upon a predatory excursion, he should receive, in recompense, the best cow which the party carried off.-Leges Walliæ, l. 1. cap. 19. sitions has, in modern hands, been found highly | obligingly pointed out to me the following passages, susceptible of both. But passages might be pointed out, in which the rude minstrel has melted in natural pathos, or risen into rude energy. Even where these graces are totally wanting, the interest of the stories themselves, and the curious picture of manners which they frequently present, authorize them to claim some respect from the public. But it is not the Editor's present intention to enter upon a history of Border poetry; a subject of great difficulty, and which the extent of his information does not as yet permit him to engage in. He will, therefore, now lay before the reader the plan of the present publication; pointing out the authorities from which his materials are derived, and slightly noticing the nature of the different classes into which he has arranged them. The MINSTRELSY of the SCOTTISH BORDER Contains three classes of Poems: I. HISTORICAL BALLADS. II. ROMANTIC. II. IMITATIONS OF THESE COMPOSITIONS BY MO DERN AUTHORS. The Historical Ballad relates events, which we either know actually to have taken place, or which, at least, making due allowance for the exaggerations of poetical tradition, we may readily conceive to have had some foundation in history. For reasons already mentioned, such ballads were early current upon the Border. Barbour informs us, that he thinks it unnecessary to rehearse the account of a victory, gained in Eskdale over the English, because -"Whasa liks, thai may her Young women, whan thai will play, Syng it among thaim ilk day." The Bruce, book xvi. Godscroft also, in his history of the House of Douglas, written in the reign of James VI., alludes more than once to the ballads current upon the Border, in which the exploits of those heroes were celebrated. Such is the passage relating to the death of William Douglas, Lord of Liddesdale, slain by the Earl of Douglas, his kinsman, his godson, and his chief. Similar strains of lamentation were poured by the Border poets over the tomb of the Hero of Otterbourne; and over the unfortunate youths, who were dragged to an ignominious death, from the very table at which they partook of the hospitality of their sovereign. The only stanza preserved of this last ballad is uncommonly animated: "Edinburgh castle, toune, and toure, respecting the noted ballad of Dick of the Cow; Was telling tales of Bothwell-brig; * * * The bairns and oyes were all within doors: The causes of the preservation of these songs have either entirely ceased, or are gradually decaying. Whether they were originally the composition of minstrels, professing the joint arts of poetry and music; or whether they were the occasional effusions of some self-taught bard, is a question into which I do not here mean to inquire. But it is certain, that, till a very late period, the pipers, of whom there was one attached to each Border town of note, and whose office was often hereditary, were the great depositaries of oral, and particularly of poetical, tradition. About spring time, and after harvest, it was the custom of these musicians to make a progress through a particular district of the country. The music and the tale repaid their lodging, and they were usually gratified with a donation of seed corn. This order of minstrels is alluded to in the comic song of Maggy Lauder, who thus addresses a piper "Live ye upo' the Border?" Who will not regret, with the Editor, that compositions of such interest and antiquity should be was preserved, which must otherwise have perished. By means of these men, much traditional poetry now irrecoverable? But it is the nature of popular Other itinerants, not professed musicians, found poetry, as of popular applause, perpetually to shift their welcome to their night's quarters readily enwith the objects of the time; and it is the frail sured by their knowledge in legendary lore. John chance of recovering some old manuscript, which Græme, of Sowport, in Cumberland, commonly can alone gratify our curiosity regarding the earlier called The Long Quaker, a person of this latter efforts of the Border Muse. Some of her later description, was very lately alive; and several of the strains, composed during the sixteenth century, have survived even to the present day; but the recollec-Songs, now published, have been taken down from tion of them has, of late years, become like that of a "tale which was told." In the sixteenth century, these northern tales appear to have been popular even in London; for the learned Mr. Ritson has "The Lord of Liddesdale being at his pastime, hunting in Ettrick Forest, is beset by William, Earl of Douglas, and such as he had ordained for the purpose, and there assailed, wounded, and slain, beside Galeswood, in the year 1353, upon a jealousy that the Earl had conceived of him with his lady, as the report goeth: for so sayeth the old song, "The Countess of Douglas out of her bower she came, That I let all these tears down fall.' Some fragments of this ballad are still current, and will be found in the ensuing work. his recitation. The shepherds also, and aged per sons, in the recesses of the Border mountains, fre- + The Selkirkshire ballad of Tamlane seeins also to have been This person, perhaps the last of our professed ballad reciters, died since the publication of the first edition of this work. He was by profession an itinerant cleaner of clocks and watches; but a stentorian voice, and tenacious memory, qualified him eminently for remembering accurately, and reciting with energy, the Border quently remember and repeat the warlike songs of their fathers.. This is more especially the case in what are called the South Highlands, where, in many instances, the same families have occupied the same possessions for centuries. It is chiefly from this latter source that the Editor has drawn his materials, most of which were collected many years ago, during his early youth. But he has been enabled, in many instances, to supply and correct the deficiencies of his own copies, from a collection of Border songs, frequently referred to in the work, under the title of Glenriddell's MS. This was compiled from various sources, by the late Mr. Riddel of Glenriddell, a sedulous Border antiquary, and, since his death, has become the property of Mr. Jollie, bookseller at Carlisle, to whose liberality the Editor owes the use of it, while preparing this work for the press. No liberties have been taken, either with the recited or written copies of these ballads, farther than that, where they disagreed, which is by no means unusual, the Editor, in justice to the author, has uniformly preserved what seemed to him the best or most poetical read ing of the passage. Such discrepancies must very frequently occur, wherever poetry is preserved by oral tradition; for the reciter, making it a uniform. principle to proceed at all hazards, is very often when his memory fails him, apt to substitute large portions from some other tale, altogether distinct from that which he has commenced. Besides, the prejudices of clans and of districts have occasioned variations in the mode of telling the same story. Some arrangement was also occasionally necessary, to recover the rhyme, which was often, by the ignorance of the reciters, transposed, or thrown into the middle of the line. With these freedoms, which were essentially necessary, to remove obvious corruptions, and fit the ballads for the press, the Editor presents them to the public, under the complete assurance that they carry with them the most indisputable marks of their authenticity. The same observations apply to the Second Class, here termed ROMANTIC BALLADS, intended to comprehend such legends as are current upon the Border, relating to fictitious and marvellous adventures. Such were the tales with which the friends of Spenser strove to beguile his indisposition: "Some told of ladies, and their paramours; Some of brave knights, and their renowned squires ; Some of the fairies, and their strange attires, And some of giants, hard to be believed." These, carrying with them a general, and not merely a local interest, are much more extensively known among the peasantry of Scotland than the Border-raid ballads, the fame of which is in general confined to the mountains where they were originally composed. Hence, it has been easy to collect these tales of romance, to a number much greater than the Editor has chosen to insert in this publication. With this class are now intermingled some lyric pieces, and some ballads, which, though narrating real events, have no direct reference to Bor-, der history or manners. To the politeness and liberality of Mr. Herd of Edinburgh, who put forth the first classical collection of Scottish songs and ballads, the Editor is indebted for the use of his MSS., containing songs and ballads, published and unpublished, to the number of ninety and upwards. To this collection frequent references are made in gathering songs and tales of war. His memory was latterly much Empaired, yet, the number of verses which he could pour forth, and the animation of his tone and gesture, formed a most extraor dinary contrast to his extreme feebleness of person, and dotage of mind. (1910.) (There is in the library at Abbotsford a collection of ballads, partly printed broadsides, partly in MS., in six small volumes, which, from the band writing, must have been formed by Sir Walter Scott while he was attending the earlier classes of Edinburgh College. ED.] My the course of the following pages. Two books of From this curious and valuable collection, the Editor has procured very material assistance. At the same time, it contains many beautiful legendary poems, of which he could not avail himself, as they seemed to be the exclusive property of the bards of Angus and Aberdeenshire. But the copies of such as were known on the Borders, have furnished him with various readings, and with supplementary stanzas, which he has frequent opportunities to acknowledge. The MSS. are cited under the name of Mrs. Brown of Falkland, the ingenious lady, to whose taste and memory the world is indebted for the preservation of the tales which they contain. The other authorities, which occur during the work, are particularly referred to. Much information has been communicated to the Editor, from various quarters, since the work was first published, of which he has availed himself, to correct and enlarge the subsequent editions. 1 Now a senator of the College of Justice, by the title of Lord Woodhouselee, 1810-Now deceased. 1820. § William Tytler, Esq. the ingenious defender of Queen Mary, and author of a Dissertation upon Scottish Music, which does honour to his memory. [To this lady, Mr. Jamieson also acknowledges his obligations for similar assistance, in the following terms: For the groundwork of this collection, and for the greater and more valuable part of the popular and romantic tales which it contains, the public are indebted to Mrs. Brown of Falkland. Besides the large supply of ballads, taken down from her own reci tation many years ago, by Professor Scott of Aberdeen-in 1800, I paid an unexpected visit to Mrs. Brown, at Dysart, where she then happened to be for health, and wrote down, from her unpremeditated repetition, about a dozen pieces more, most of which will be found in my work. Several others, which I had not time to take down, were afterwards transmitted to me by Mrs. Brown herself, and by her late highly respectable and worthy husband, the Rev. Dr. Brown. Every person who peruses the following sheets, will see how much I owe to Mrs. Brown, and to her nephew, my much esteemed friend, Professor Scott; and it rests with me to feel, that I owe them much more for the zeal and spirit which they have manifested, than even for the valuable communications which they have made. "As to the authenticity of the pieces themselves, they are as authentic as traditionary poetry can be expected to be; and their being more entire than most other such pieces are found to be, may be easily accounted for, from the circumstance that there are few persons of Mrs. Brown's abilities and education, that repeat popular ballads from memory. She learnt most of them before she was twelve years old, from old women and maid-servants: what she once learnt she never forgot; and such were her curiosity and industry, that she was not contented with merely knowing the story, according to one way of telling, but studied to acquire all the varieties of the same tale which she could meet with. In some instances, these different readings may have insensibly mixed with each other, and produced, from various dis Mr. Robert Jamieson, of Macclesfield, a gentleman of literary and poetical accomplishments, was, for some years, employed in a compilation of Scottish ballad poetry, which was published in 1806. I therefore, as far as the nature of my work permitted, sedulously avoided anticipating any of his materials: and the cu-jointed fragments, a whole, such as reciters, whose memories nous reader will find in his collection some important light on the history of Scottish Song, derived from comparing it with the ballad of the Scandinavians. 1810. and judgments are less perfect, can seldom produce: but this must be the case in all poetry, which depends for its authenticity on oral tradition alone."-Preface to Jamieson's Ballads.] In publishing both classes of Ancient Ballads, the | and other of the upper house of the Muses, have Editor has excluded those which are to be found in the common collections of this nature, unless in one or two instances, where he conceived it possible to give some novelty, by historical or critical illustration. It would have been easy for the Editor to have given these songs an appearance of more indisputable antiquity, by adopting the rude orthography of the period to which he is inclined to refer them.. But this (unless when MSS. of antiquity can be referred to) seemed too arbitrary an exertion of the privileges of a publisher, and must, besides, have unnecessarily increased the difficulties of many readers. On the other hand, the utmost care has been taken, never to reject a word or phrase, used by a reciter, however uncouth or antiquated. Such barbarisms, which stamp upon the tales their age and their nation, should be respected by an editor, as the hardy emblem of his country was venerated by the Poet of Scotland: "The rough bur-thistle spreading wide I turned the weeder-clips aside, And spared the symbol dear."-BURNS. The meaning of such obsolete words is usually given at the bottom of the page. For explanation of the more common peculiarities of the Scottish dialect, the English reader is referred to the excellent glossary annexed to the best editions of Burns's works. thought their canzons honoured in the title of a ballad." To my ingenious friend, Dr. John Leyden,* my readers will at once perceive that I lie under extensive obligations, for the poetical pieces with which he has permitted me to decorate my compilation; but I am yet farther indebted to him for his uniform assistance, in collecting and arranging materials for the work.t In the Notes and occasional Dissertations, it has been my object to throw together, perhaps without a sufficient attention to method, a variety of remarks, regarding popular superstitions, and legendary history, which, if not now collected, must soon have been totally forgotten. By such efforts, feeble as they are, I may contribute somewhat to the history of my native country; the peculiar features of whose manners and character are daily melting and dissolving into those of her sister and ally. And, trivial as may appear such an offering to the manes of a kingdom, once proud and independent, I hang it upon her altar with a mixture of feelings which I shall not attempt to describe. "Hail, Land of spearmen! seed of those who scorn'd My life, my strength, my first and latest song."1 Now, to the great loss of literature, and of his friends, no more. 1820. The Third Class of Ballads are announced to the public, as MODERN IMITATIONS of the Ancient style [In 1801, when Mr. Lewis published his Tales of Wonder, of composition, in that department of poetry; and Leyden was a contributor to that collection, and furnished the they are founded upon such traditions, as we may ballad of the Elf King. And in the following year he employed suppose in the elder times would have employed the the Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, the first publication of himself earnestly in the congenial task of procuring materials for harps of the minstrels. This kind of poetry has been the Editor of that collection. In this labour, he was equally intesupposed capable of uniting the vigorous numbers rested by friendship for the Editor, and by his own patriotic zeal and wild fiction, which occasionally charm us in the for the honour of the Scottish Borders, and both may be judged of from the following circumstance. An interesting fragment had ancient ballad, with a greater equality of versification, been obtained of an ancient historical ballad, but the remainder, and elegance of sentiment, than we can expect to find to the great disturbance of the Editor and his coadjutor, was not in the works of a rude age. But upon my ideas of to be recovered. Two days afterwards, while the Editor was sitthe nature and difficulty of such imitations, I ought ting with some company after dinner, a sound was heard at a distance like that of the whistling of a tempest through the torn in prudence to be silent; lest I resemble the dwarf, rigging of the vessel which scuds before it. The sounds increased who brought with him a standard to measure his as they approached more near, and Leyden (to the great astonishown stature. I may, however, hint at the difference, ment of such of the guests as did not know him) burst into the not always attended to, betwixt the legendary po- gesture, and all the energy of the saw tones of his voice, already room, chanting the desiderated ballad, with the most enthusiastic ems and real imitations of the old ballad; the reader commemorated. It turned out, that he had walked between forty will find specimens of both in the modern part of and fifty miles, and back again, for the sole purpose of visiting an this collection. The legendary poem, called Glen-old person who possessed this precious remnant of antiquity. His antiquarian researches and poetic talents were also liberally exfinlas, and the ballad, entitled the Eve of St. John, erted for the support of this undertaking. To the former, the were designed as examples of the difference betwixt reader owes, in a great measure, the Dissertation on Fairy Superthese two kinds of composition. stition, which, although arranged and digested by the Editor, abounds with instances of such curious reading as Leyden alone the spirited ballads entitled Lord Soulis, and the Court of Keeldar."-Biographical Memoir of Dr. Leyden, in Sir Walter Scott's Miscellaneous Prose Works 1 It would have the appearance of personal vanity, were the Editor to detail the assistance and encouragement which he has received, during his undertaking, from some of the first literary characters of our age. The names of Steuart, Mackenzie, Ellis, Currie, and Ritson, with many others, are talismans too powerful to be used, for bespeaking the world's favour to a collection of old songs; even although a veteran bard has remarked, "that both the great poet of Italian rhyme, Petrarch, and our Chaucer, had read, and was originally compiled by him; and to the latter, vered. This poem was a great favourite with Sir Walter Scott, who often read it aloud in his evening circle. He used to say it was most likely the early effort of some gentleman, who, rising subsequently to eminence in a grave profession, was afraid of con original thin folio is very rare-but Dr. Leyden reprinted the piece fessing that he had ever indulged in the light sin of verse. The in his "Scottish Descriptive Poems," 1903, 12mo.-ED.] From Albania, (1742,) whose author has never been disco |