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might be appropriately styled, the Scottish Kæmpe Viser; for although the smallest in size, it is the most comprehensive Ballad book which has ever appeared in print, since the publication of that far-famed Danish collection. The Editor, Mr. Alexander Whitelaw, in speaking of the labours of Mr. Buchan, says: "He has indeed been by far the most successful ballad hunter that ever entered the field; and his success is to be attributed, partly to his own unwearied researches, and partly to the district which he explored; a district, Aberdeenshire and Banffshire, comparatively fresh and untrod by ballad gatherers."

We have observed, that Mr. Buchan's manůscripts were compiled solely for his own amusement; but at one time, in consequence of the solicitations of several of his antiquarian and literary friends, it was certainly Mr. Buchan's intention to have published a portion, at least, of the matériel which he had so industriously collected. Causes, however, over which he had no control, compelled an abandonment of the design, and the volumes were laid aside till the establishment of the Percy Society, when they were handed over to a member of the Council, who made a careful investigation of their contents. They were subsequently inspected by other members of the Society, and, finally, by a vote of the

Council, were placed in the hands of the Editor and his friend W. Jerdan, Esq., for them to decide on the authenticity and general merit of the Ballad portion of the volumes.

It has been often asserted, that many of the so-called ancient Ballads, that have of late years been given to the public in different northern collections, were modern forgeries; but the assertion so made, has been of far too sweeping a character: for since the time of Lady Wardlaw* (who certainly appears to have been a great adept at this species of literary imposture), very little has been done in the way of "Old Ballad" making, by either editors or authors connected with the "north countrie"; and that little has in almost every instance been immediately discovered, and exposed as it ought to be.

The Editor and Mr. Jerdan did not, however, forget that such charges had been made, and, therefore, the first consideration in looking over the collection of ballads, was their genuineness and authenticity. After a very careful scrutiny, the conclusion has been come to, that the Ballads are what they assume to be, viz.: genuine traditionary relics taken down from oral recitation.

* This celebrated Lady is now known to be the author of Edward! Edward! and Sir Patrick Spens, in addition to Hardyknute.

They are, indeed, not such compositions as a literary impostor would think it worth his while to produce. The manuscripts contain little that has not met the eye before, in some shape or other, as will be seen by glancing over the notes appended to the following pages. The Editor cannot lay before the Society any Hardyknutes, any Patrick Spenses, any Lord Ewries or Barthram's dirges; he can merely present an offering of a few versions of well known and popular ballads, the antiquity of which is beyond all dispute.

Whether these versions be coeval with those already in print we cannot say, but they are evidently of considerable antiquity, and certainly not to be considered as the productions of a very modern era. They abound in ancient and obsolete words and phrases; and, although in the Scottish language, they are certainly not in the pure Doric of the pastoral poets—the language as it is spoken at present-but in the dialect of a particular district, or, to speak more correctly, in the ancient language of the country.

To those unacquainted with the manners and customs of the "north countrie," it may seem strange, that no sooner has any old relic of traditionary lore been rendered popular by the editorial labours of a Ritson or a Scott, than various

versions of the same production have made their appearance. These second and third editions, with variations, can, however, be easily accounted for.

From whom have Ritson, Scott, or Motherwell, received many of the old ballads which they have been the means of rescuing from obscurity, if not oblivion? The answer is, from the minstrels of the North-aye, the minstrels, for although the harp has long been silent in the dales of the north of England and Scotland, it has been succeeded by the violin, and a class of men are still in existence, and pursuing their calling, who are the regular descendants and representatives of the minstrels of old.

In his rambles amongst the hills of the North, and especially in the wild and romantic dales of Yorkshire, the editor has met with several of these characters-they are not idle vagabonds who have no other calling, but, in general, are honest and industrious though poor men, having a “local habitation" as well as a "name," and engaged in some calling, pastoral or manual. It is only at certain periods, such as Christmas, or some other of the great festal seasons of the ancient Church, that they take up the minstrel life, and levy contributions in the hall of the peer or squire, and in the cottage of the farmer or peasant. They are in general well-behaved, and often very witty fel

lows, and therefore their visits are always welcome. These minstrels do not sing modern songs, but, like their brethren of a by-gone age, they keep to the ballads. The editor has in his possession some old poems which he obtained from one of these minstrels, who is still living and fiddling in Yorkshire.

The Welsh bards have an annual congress, when they assemble and meet in a friendly and brotherly manner. It would not be so easy a task to hold a congress of Northern fiddlers, for, from some cause, the origin of which it would be difficult to ascertain, these men are almost invariably found to entertain a supreme contempt for one another. Each fiddler has his particular walk, with which it is understood another must not interfere; and it is no uncommon occurrence to hear a ballad-singer of one district boast of the correctness of his own versions, and speak in disparagement of those which are sung by his brotherfiddler in an adjoining one. If a "ballad-hunter" obtain three or four versions of the same song from as many different reciters, he is therefore certain of having no two copies alike, and, unless there be some authentic printed copy to appeal to, it is a difficult, if not an impossible task, to determine as to correctness; for these singers will tell you that they are the grandsons and great-grandsons of minstrels, and that they sing the ballads as they