The Scottish Ballads

TH E SCO TTI SH BALLADS ; CO LLECTED AN D ILL UST RATED T MB E R O B E R C HA R S, ” A U TH O R O F T R D T ON O F D N B U RGH T H E A I I S E I , P T U RE O F O T N D 8cc . IC SC LA , EDIN BU RGH ‘ wt intea by afi auautpne ant Gompam} . ffl t LLAMT 78 PR N CES T W TA S EET . I I I , I R MD C ! ! ! . C C I P RE F AC E . S I NCE the publication o f a few Sco ttish Bal a s “ P e in 1 755 ut e s ec ia u n l d by rcy, , b p lly d ri g th e e s en c en u th e u ic ave een ut pr t t ry, p bl h b p in po s s e s sion O f many various c oll e c tions Of pO p ular narrative po e try ; a mo ng which the c hief L— ’ are Sir Walt e r Scot t s Mi ns tr elsy o f the S c o t ’ i B e 1 80l —Jamieso n s P u a B a a s t sh ord r , op l r ll d ’ an d S n s 1 806—F n a s Hi a and Ro o g , i l y storic l ’ man c B a a s l SOS—Kin c s An cien B al ti ll d , lo h t ’ ’ a 1 82 6—Mo ther well s ns e nc e nt l ds , Mi tr lsy, A i ’ an d e n 1 827—and B u an s An ient Mod r , ch c B a a s o f the N O f S an 1 828 . Each ll d orth cotl d, " O f the s e works c on tains a c e rtai n numb e r O f ' a a s w the e i s re c overe d from the b ll d , hich d tor m u s o f the mm n n in e for c e e a d . o th o o p opl , pr t d th fi s ime as s n s num e e r t t ; al o a c o ide rable b r, which c an o nly ' be c alle d various ve r s ions O f n s imilar c o mpo sitio ns e ls e whe r e publish e d . O e wa and an e n ea two un e di nc y oth r, rly h dr d sti t ly diffe r e n t b allads have b e en th us l aid b e fore th e publi c ; s ome O f the m in no fe we r than six iffere n form A e r s n ion has een d t s . nd a r p e e tat b ii afforded o f th e c o ndition in whic h s uch poe try e xist s in al l the principal pr ovinces O f S cot n la d . In th e res en a e w en ike the e ci p t g , h , l pr ous ' v ume s O f the Si ks ma e s a t i ol byl , boo y b id o n e a e in va ue in SO far as e are a e via e c r s l th y bbr t d, Obj e ction will s car cely be t ake n to a work whi c h propos e s to c onde nse the diffus e d me rit Of SO h a er many diffe r ent and expensive book s . T e re d w e e fi nd a I ave no t o n ma e a ca e ill h r , th t h ly d r ful s ele ctio n Of Wh at appeare d to m e in eve ry r e spe ct the be st Of th e whol e mass O f publishe d ba a s w i has ee n a ea ne to a c e r ll d ; h ch b lr dy do , ta n e en e c en c m e s b ut a i xt t, by r t o pil r ; th t, by a m e a n e e i n O f a e I ave in a or d ri g x rt o t st , h , m n ins anc e as a e w a s e e me gr eat a y t s , soci t d h t d t o me the e s anz as and the e nes na b st t , b st li , y n the e w o f the va us c e s e x e ve b st ords , rio opi t ant ; thus producing s ome thi ng c on side rably ffe en it is ue f m w a is to be f un in di r t, tr , ro h t o d an a u ar a O f the c un and e e y p rtic l p rt o try, th r for e not c orr e ctly a re pre s e ntation O f the con dition O f S cottish ballad po e try any whe r e ; but w ne ve e e as it c m in s man e hich, r th l ss, o b e y oth r a van a e is un ues i na e e at eas d t g s, q t o bly b tt r, l t in a i e a n O f vie w an n o e s in l t r ry poi t , th a y th r l e n e e o a o r n I am r g thi g ith r r l pri te d . pe fe c tly awar e that this mode Of e diting ballads is e b the an ua as ein i e d pr ecate d y tiq ry, b g l ttl be tte r than the d elibe rate vitiation o f thes e re m s i ns O f W ic s o man o e ve r e d c o po it o , h h y th r e i s ave e en ui . Ye t af e r a u d tor h b g lty , t thoro gh ev e w O f all th e c i c um tances I ave a ive r i r s , h rr d at the c nc usi n a it is no t on a wa e o l o , th t ly llo bl , ut i s s b s ab olutely de mande d by the p ublic . The e na a ve s it mus be re ma ke ave no t e ac e rr ti , t r d, h r h d us in the exac t shape in which they we r e thro wn O ff e ir a s e a c me wn by th uthor . Th y h ve o do f o m the far e ea s O f an i ui a e e dif r r tr t t q ty, ltog th r ferent in s i in an ua e an d in f m f m pir t , l g g , or , ro W a e o i na we . an O f e m e s h t th y r gi lly r e M y th , ec iall s e m s t e e n l u s e a e S O p y tho o r c t y p bli h d, r c omple tely translat e d into the mode rn phras eo o f the vul a a it is im s i e to s a logy g r, th t po s bl y l that the y are g enuine Old ballads at al . Had e ee n ke the m s O f the En s a a s th y b , li o t gli h b ll d u e P e c ese ve in a manus c i t p blish d by r y, pr r d r p Of cons e a e an i ui and had e s i id r bl t q ty, th y t ll o ne ma ks O f the as e o f ancien imes I t' b r r t t t t , a onc e a o w a as e e wo u ave een no ll , th t, th r ld h b nece s s o w u e e e e n no e c us e for s ity, o ld th r b x , a in m an Of u is n em .

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