Ancient Scottish ballads, recovered from tradition, and never before ...

PREFATORY NOTICE.
The Editor, in laying this work before the pub-
lic, deems it unnecessary to make any apology
for rescuing from oblivion those remains of our
ancient Scottish ballads, which have escaped
the researches of former Collectors. If, accord-
ing to some eminent writers, the manners and
customs of our ancestors be described;—their
characters and pursuits delineated;—the dispo-
sitions of the inhabitants, and the prevailing
superstitions, of a country but little advanced
in civilization, be displayed in ancient ballad
poetry; then, he may be permitted to express
a hope, that this volume will not be considered
an useless addition to those collections of Scot-
tish traditionary poetry already published.