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

After the successful and important labours of
Sir Walter Scott, Mr. Jamieson, and others, it
might have been thought that the harvest had
been so thoroughly reaped, as to leave but a
bare and arid field behind. Yet, though the
collections of those eminent individuals stand
unrivalled in excellence, and contain the best,
perhaps, of our ancient ballads, the harvest
was too rich, and the field too wide, not to al-
low a few scattered patches to escape untouched
for future collectors to gather in. Whilst, there-
fore, the works alluded to are chiefly confined
to the South of Scotland, the present collection
is almost entirely composed of ballads obtained
in the ' North Countrie,' a district hitherto but
little explored, though by no means destitute of
traditionary poetry.
Although this work may not rank with
those above mentioned, yet, it is hoped, there
will be found in it a few ballads not unworthy
of preservation. They have all been taken
down from recitation ; and, so far as the Edi-
tor is aware, have never before been published
and though some of them will be found to be