Full text of ' 9). Seventh Series. MODERN SCOTTISH POETS WITH BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTICES.

Scotland, though small, is as full of memories as the heaven is full of stars, and almost as bright. There is not the most insignificant piece of water that does not make my heart thrill with some story of heroism or some remembered poem; for not only has Scotland had the good fortune to have had men that knew how to make heroic history, but she has reared those bards who have known how to sing her histories. Ward Btecher. EDWARDS 1844. 506102 4- 4-50 5.0.7 CONTENTS. ALEXANDER, JAS. 224 I'm no amang my ain folk, Daddy, look at Tottie.

ALLISON, ELIZABETH. 145 To the departed Winter. The world is good. Her bright boy^'s cap. To the wintry 'winds. Death at the palace.

ANDERSON, JOHN. 308 My auJd Scottish plaid. Speak gently. Little Mary, O. ANDERSON, REV. 329 Jessie Brown; or, The Slogan of Lucknow.

The Gipsy Boy. We'll meet again. The power of love.

300 Song of the Wind-Spirit. The Gipsy Woman of the Tower. The Herring Drave.

Auld Sandy Malt. BRAIDWOOD, D. 284 All things shall cease to be. Ken ye the land Then and after.

32 Convalescent in London. The Blackbird. The death of Summer.

Death hi Yarrow. BROWN, SIMON. 288 John Knox and the Covenanters. The Keystone to Virtue.

A dying saint. BURNS, DAVID. 365 The stream. On the beach.

Sabbath bells. His beloved's sleep. CAMPBELL, JAMES. 260 Never again. In the Gloamin'. The Braes o' Lochlee. CARNIE, WM.

204 Tarn Teuchit's Reflections amang the stooka. Bonnie Deeside. There's aye some water whaur the stirkie droons. K.173 My Native Land.

The auld wife's address to her gudeman. The Plaidie, To a Wren found dead in the snuw, iv CONTENTS. 178 A sprig of heather. Sudden Memories. The lonely grave.

The shipwrecked mother. Love's extravagance. CRAWFORDS OF CATRTNE, 292 The fate of a flower. The richt cat in the richt place. The Good Shepherd.

Scotti&h homes again. DALGITY, JOHN,. 208 could I but go. ' Heaven lies about us in our infancy.' DICKSON, WM.

349 ' Like lark in summer morning.' New Year's hymn. ' Follow Me,' DUTHIE, GEORGE. 345 The Standard Stone of Bannockburn. The bonny lass o' Broughty Ferry. The Mearns bonnie lasses. The gathering of the men of the Mearns.

FAIRBAIRN, J. C.217 Early blossoms. Fleeting joys. Rutherford'.

letters. Summer clouds.

GRAHAM-YOOLL, H. Spring is so sweet. Nature's farewell to the old year. GREIG, GAVIN.

375 The Gloamin'. The Grampians. The Scottish Sabbath. Epistle to the Editor of 'Modern Scottish Poets.'

HAMILTON, ALEX. 241 The mither's bawbee. The auld kirkyard.

An address to the rainbow. HAMILTON, ANDREW.

118 O why maun I dee? The snowdrops. HARRISON, JOHN. 195 The smith's a gallant fireman. Darby O'Reilly. Hail to the thistle. Ill Love in all.

At the window. Told to the missionary.

'Tis then I'd choose to die. HEBENTON, EDWARD. 53 The standard of the man.

Lone were the way. The poet's kingdom. HEGGIK, JOHN. 318 To the daisy. Smiling faces. The sunshine. The lass o' Lomond Vale.

HENDERSON, WM. 278 Sweet Biggar Burn, sweet Biggar Braes. Sweet hawthorn time. My own loved land. Sound the slogan. Dreams of home. HOGG, ROBERT.

The last look of home. Aye do the best ye can. HYSLOP, JAMES. 73 Let Italy boast. The Scottish sacramental Sabbath.

V.185 Sae dear to me. Kilt and feather. The Scot abroad. KEITH, ALEX. 272 This, too, shall pass away. ' Consider the lilies.' ' Come unto me.'

KENNEDY, ALEX. CLARK 368 Song Bruce's Rallying The song of the grouse.

Scottish scenes. 321 The two 'Mabels.' Dust and Discontent. The four aspects. 336 My auld clay pipe.

Man wasna made to mourn. T.123 Ailsa Craig. The last lay of the minstrel. The fisher's wife. Hymn to the wind. Love lasts for aye.

A trysting sang. To the lute of lyric poetry. LINEN, JAMES Donald and Lucy I feel I'm growing auld, guidwife.

The winter song of the shepherd. When freedom an exile from foreign lands came. The poet's mission. Lizzie Laird. The bunch o' heather bells. LORNE, MARQUIS OF Psalm C.

An Islesman's farewell. The strong hunter. The guide of the Mohawks. The auld meal mill.

The world we live in. Phantom fancies. The auld draw-well.

MAHON, JAMES To sleep. The night comes down. ' This weary world.' 137 252 192 221 95 MASON, J. Bonnie Bonaly.

A ploughman's elegy. Tarn o' Swanston. 276 The old and the new year. The Viking ship. The sunset hour. 189 The song of the freedman. Seeking after a sign.

MACDONALD, HUGH. The wee, wee man.

The wee primrose. O ken ye the dell. The land of the bright blooming heather. The trysted hour. MACDONALD, JAMES.

Life a vapour. MACINTOSH, WM.

Sleep my heart. Spring, love as long as thou canst love. 1 think of thee. 43 356 89 86 MACPHAIL, MARION Submission. M'CULLOCH, J. S.212 Will ye buckle wi' me?

The lark is come again. Sing not to me. Maggie wi' the dark-blue een.

M'DIARMID, JOHN. My faithful somebody. On the death of a child. NELSON, JOHN. 82 The Valley of the Earn. Ode to Onondaga. 338 When we sing.

On finding a spray of thyme in an old book. In other days. Baby and banjo. PRINGLE, ALICE. 232 The weaver's bairn. The discordant harp. Ross, JOHN.297 Grace.

True friendship. Our aiu fireside. The heart-soothing harp.

The dying mother's fare- well. The faded flower. Wakened memories. Lauchie Broon. The old miller of Lag.c;an. A legend of King Cani^ore. The old churchyard of Dalfad.

RENTON, JAMES The Highland tartan. The young aspirant.

My first pair o' breek? Tim, the newsboy. Oor ain hearthstane. Song of silence. St-hiller's last words. 227 101 49 342 57 ROBERTSON, WM.

Lahore et honore. Infant praises. Come, Holy Spirit. There is a land. SCOTT, AGNES G.

The fisher's wife. 244 An August idyl.

Secret affinities. In Sutherlandshire. Vox Clamantis. SINCLAIR, WALTER.

306 A nicht at Tain's. O tell me not.

61 The lay of the Wakama- riua. The wounded soldier. Oh, do not sigh. The flower of Wanaka. STEWART, JOHN,.267 Consecration hymn.

The song of the sunbeam. Kathleen's wooing. My mother's song. Golden dreams. The auld folks. 314 A coming tempest. Belshazzar's feast.

STRANG, JAMES. 358 In the glen.

Dreaming of thee. 'One soweth and another reapeth.' Life pictures. 264 The captive's return. The house of prayer. The Christian's hope. THOMSON, JAMES.160 William Blake.

The fire that filled my heart of old. Modern Penelope. Sonnet written 1862. From 'The City of Dreadful Night.' 353 The bonnie banks o' Noran.

My sailor lad. 151 My daddie's awa' at the war. Come, boys, come. Ye humble beggar. WALLACE, WM,.

202 The Burnie. The child and the robin. WILSON, ARTHUR.

182 A spriglet of the mine. Albion's sons. 247 Threnodeia.

Lament for the depar- ture of the fairies. YOUNG, MARGARET. 130 The peace of the hearth. Voices from the Orphan Home. The sons of the Covenant. YOUNG, THOMAS.

363 Star of the evening. INDEX OF AUTHORS. FIRST SERIES. Adamson, Robert.

226 Allan, William.281 Anderson, Alex.157 Barker, A. 350 Bernstein, Marion. 51 Bethtme, John.

94 Blackie, J. S.377 Blyth, David. 344 Bonar, Horatius. 359 Brown, J. J.341 Brown, Alex. 151 Bruce, George.217 Burgess, Alex.271 Cadenhead, W. 347 Campbell, Thos.

25 Campbell, Elizabeth. 135 Carnegie, David.189 Catto, Edward.144 Christie, J.

18 Clyne, Norval. 362 Cowper, Wm.185 Cowie, J. 386 Crawford, J.

372 Crawford, J. 324 Cuthberteon, David. 267 Cross, Mary. 312 Dalglish, A.351 Davidson, James. 91 Donald, G. 21 Donaldson, W. Elliot, Lady Charlotte Ferguson, James.

Ford, Robert Forsyth, VV. Fullerton, John Gall, James Hogg. Geddes, James Young Gerrie, J.

Giant, Mary Guthrie, James Cargill Hamilton, Janet. Hewitt, James Hillocks, James I. Hutchison, J.

Kelly, James Kelly, James Kelly, John Knight, William. Leighton, William. Leigh ton, Robert. Lindsay, William.

Livingstone, Peter. M' Arthur, Peter. M'Fadyen, Dugald M'Lachlane, Kenneth M'Lauchlan, Thos. M 'Queen, Wm.

Macdonald, John. Macfarlane, John.

342 307 55 146 125 357 15 9 244 356 121 214 248 231 242 275 84 172 204 208 193 294 300 328 229 196 329 246 364 156 31 98 34 INDEX OF AUTHORS. Mackay, James Maclaren, David. Macleod, Norman. Mitchelson, Alex. Morton, Mrs Jessie Murdoch, Alex. Neilson, James M. Nicholson, James.

Nicoll, Thos. Ogilvy, Dorothea. Reid, Kobert Reid, William Robertson, William Ross, Angus Russell, Mrs Jessie Russell, Thomas Sanderson, Robert. Shearer- A itken, William Sievwright, Colin.

Sievwright, William Sim, Andrew Smith, James Smith, James Smith, Mrs M. Southesk, The Earl of. Soutar, Alex. Stewart, James Still, Jun., Peter.

Taylor, David Taylor, John Tennant, Robert Tester, W. Thorn, Robert W. Thomson, William Todd, A. Wallace, Margaret Watson, John PAGE. 334 Watson, John 314 Watt, James E. 316 Wilson, H.

322 Whytock, Peter. 177 Young, Andrew 387 Young, D.

233 81 SECOND SERIES. 335 360 Anderson, Wm. 45 A itken, Wm.

39 Balfour, Wm. 318 Barnet, J. 199 Barr, Matthias 306 Bell, Thomas. 292 Bethune, G. 309 Ely th Family, The. 339 Chisholm, Walter, 139 Cock, James. 269 Craig, J.

88 ( 'raig-Knox, Isa 187 Chambers, R. 230 Chapman, J.

191 Crawford, W. 260 Cruickshank, Wm. 382 1 Donald. George 105 Davidson, Thomas. 101 Ferguson, F. 211 Fraser, Gordon 173 Galbraith, James.

26 Garden, William. 77 Garden, Alex. 168 Gemmell, Robert. 325 Gordon, G. 221 Guthrie, J. 389 Hargrave, Hugh D.

321 Howden, Robert 130 Imrie, D. 293 291 Japp, Alex. Jerdan, Samuel Smiles. 42 73 369 70 28 381 381 331 99 276 234 161 167 288 200 55 313 179 97 131 62 181 121 292 357 318 328 192 72 84 249 157 147 24 117 57 256 92 139 34 224 106 17 INDEX OF AUTHORS.

239 Tasker, D. 280 Johnstone, Rev.

174 Teenan, J. 229 Laidlaw, W.

331 Thomson, David. 112 Laing, Alex. 273 Thomson, Wm. 156 Lancaster, G. 183 Wallace, Andrew. 101 Logan, Thomas.

30 Watson, T. 220 Longmuir, J. 39 Watt, William,. 78 Waters, D. 253 Marshall, Charles.

28 Whitelaw, J. 226 Macpherson, R. 203 Williamson, Effie. 304 Macrae, David. 188 W T ingate, D., 283 Mac Donald, G. 333 THIRD SERIES.

265 M'Intosh, D. 329 Adam, John 219 M'Lauchlan, A. 259 Aird, Marian Paul 90 M'Kay, Archibald.

375 Aird, Thomas 206 MacKellar, Mary. 196 Allison, James. 373 Manners, J. 289 Balf our, Charles 406 M 'Crakett, P.

340 Ballantyne, James 25 M'Laren. 346 Brechin, George. 414 Mitchell, Alex. 37 Brown, Hugh 182 M 'Queen, T. 323 Brown, John Davidson 55 M'Auslane, Wra. 1.35 Brown, Thomas. 265 Milne, J.

362 Buchan, Dr Patrick. 381 Buchanan, Wm. 274 Nichol, J. 245 Campbell, John.

164 Ormond, T. 354 Canning, Dan 363 Outram, G. 214 Carry le, Thomas. 425 Paton, J. 296 Cranstoun, Jas. 299 Paton, Rev. 309 Currie, James 117 Proctor, James.

79 Davidson, Harriet M. 318 Robertson, Alex. 155 Donaldson, Rev.

John 379 Reid, W. 349 Douglas, Sarah Parker 282 Ridpath, Win. 242 Duncan, John F.

49 Robertson, Alex. 326 Duncan, Peter 167 Ross, J. 352 Fraser, Lydia Falconer 309 Salmon, J. 205 Gallacher, Daniel W.

43 Scott, William. 67 Gibb, George 376 Scott, W.

367 Gordon, Frank H, 365 Smith, Rev. 141 Graham, Wm. 188 Smith, D. 211 Grant, Robert. 391 Spens, Walter Cook Stoddart, J. 300 Hastings, Lady Flora. Hedderwick, J.

230 410 Smibert, Thomas,. 379 Hunter, Robert. 250 INDEX OF AUTHORS. Hutcheon, Rebecca. 223 Hutcheson, David. 236 Ingram, John G.

81 Jacque, Rev. 197 Johnston, James. 335 Kelly, John. 416 Laing, William. 85 Lamont, Alexander. 291 Latto, W. 37 Lee, John.

59 M' Do wall, William. 256 M'Nicol, Duncan.

279 Maclagan, Professor. 173 Macpherson, Colin. 33 Mennon, Robert. 130 Miller, Hugh. 312 Miller, William. 142 Milne, John F. 17 Morrison, Jeanie.

322 Morrison, Margaret. 221 Murray, Rev. 147 Murray, Rev. 155 Nicolson, Sheriff. 417 Nicholson, William.

63 Neaves, Lord. 106 Newbigging, Thomas. 402 Paulin, George.

360 Proctor, Andrew. 367 Rae, John. 216 Ramsay, John. 270 Rankin, Alexander. 254 Robertson, J. Laserjet m1132 mfp driver download. 352 Robertson, Mrs Logic.

348 Roger, James. 52 Rogers, Rev. 369 Ross, William Stewart 329 Still, Peter. 305 Sidey, James A.

392 Smith, Ebenezer. 98 Smith, Walter C. D.D., 238 Stanley, Montague.

326 Steel, Andrew. 76 Thomson, James. 380 Veitch, John LL.D.,.

384 Walker, William, 102 PAGE. Wallace, Rev. 337 Watson, Mrs J. 262 Watt, Alexander.

136 Watts, Thomas. 70 Whyte, John LL.D. 45 Wood, John W.

342 Wright, John. 121 Young, John. 160 Yule, John T. 225 FOURTH SERIES. Allan, John. 136 A ndrew, John -.

290 Andrew, Rev. 295 Andrew, David. 301 Archer, W. 105 Baildon, H.

146 Begg, Peter. 209 Bower, John. 360 Brown, Alex. 176 Burns, Rev. 233 Byers, Thomas.

286 Cannon, Jas. 190 Cargill, Alex. 53 Carmichael, Peter.

230 Chapman, Thomas. 69 Cousin, Mary. 364 Cowan, Thomas. 326 Craig, John. 38 Davidson, E.

93 Dickie, Rev. Matthew 306 Dickson, Emma D.

101 Dodds, James. 239 Dunlop, Thomas.

219 Fairbairn, Angus. 316 Figg, James C. 59 Fleming, R.

199 Fowlis, Dowager Lady 321 Gardiner, Rev. 40 Harper, Helen W. 249 Hawkins, W. 143 Hetrick, Robt. 368 Houston, John. 32 Howden, W. 354 Hyslop, Sarah Jane.

348 xii INDEX OF AUTHORS. Hyslop, John Keith, Don Lang, Andrew Miller. Leggat, Joseph. M'Dougall, Wm.

M'Naughton, Peter Mathieson, George S. Moir, Mrs Margaret. Paterson, George Peacock, John Macleay Pirie, Geo. Reid, John Richardson, Robert. Robertson, Mrs Louisa Sanders, Rev.

Saxby, Jessie M. Scott, James K.

Scott, David, Shaw, John Shaw. Mary Anne Si tn son, James. Sinclair, Elizabeth M. Somerville, Robert Somerville, Geo. Sturoc, William C. Taylor, James Taylor, John Taylor, A. Thomson, Rev.

Cecile M 'Neill Thorpe, Thos. Turner, Robt. Wardrop, Alex. Watson, Jean L. 'Wright, Joseph. FIFTH SERIES. 281 192 PAGE.

61 Alexander, A. 303 131 185 Armstrong, A. Ballantine, Rev. 253 382 17 Bogue, J.

340 72 Borthwick, J. 123 113 Brown, J. 230 265 Buchanan, M. 345 99 Calder, R. 173 385 Chalmers, G. 212 164 Christie, J. 367 202 Clephane, E.

225 226 Colburn, G. 64 212 Cousin, A. 109 196 Crawford, A.

97 154 Crawford, J. 101 206 Dobie, G. 128 138 Donald, J. 257 49 Dryerre, H. 274 382 Durie, W.

271 117 Dykes, T. 70 43 Ferguson, Rev.

92 57 Freeland, Wm. 17 372 Graham, W.

396 377 Henderson, J. 139 64 Henrietta, F. 165 84 Inglis, J. 161 256 limes, R. 98 163 Jamieson, J. 187 170 Johnston, J.

238 335 Johnston, Rev. 372 174 Kennedy, D. 44 181 Kerr, A.

216 311 Law, J. 314 109 Latto, T. 330 88 Lyall, J. 386 22 Maclachlan, A.

40 27 Merrylees, R. 115 81.Miller, T.

146 126 Munro, A. 191 29 Murie, G. 264 274 M'Auslane, D. 199 M'Bryde, A. 181 M'Corkindale, D. 360 INDEX OF AUTHORS. Xlll M'Gill, J.

364 Cooper, G. 72 M'Intosh, J. 203 Craig, C. 300 M'Kimm, J. 348 Crerar, D. 121 M'Murdo, G. 220 Criehton, Mrs.

82 M'Neill, P. 292 Cross, W. 339 Denham, J.

57 Nisbet, H. 155 Donaldson, A.

374 Pettigrew, J. 35 Drummond, A. 298 Duncan, A.

188 Rankine, W. 27 Elliot, M. 280 Fergusson, R. 267 Reston, A. 63 Fisher, R.

324 Scorgie, J. 321 Glass, A. 338 Scott, A. 134 Gulland, C.

244 Smith, R. 104 Hardy, R. 310 Smith, D.

308 Harper, F. 344 Sproat, G. 356 Henderson, D.

115 Stewart, Rev. 370 Stronach, G. 391 Kennedy, J. 213 Symington, A. 84 Lauder, J. 362 Taylor, J. 325 Laing, A.

147 Taylor, A. 328 Levack, G. W., 53 Thomson, W. 241 Lyle, W. 28 Turner, G.

261 Meek, R. 209 Tough, M. 286 Menteath, Mrs. 289 Wanless, A. 51 M'Farlane, S.

394 Wilson, J. 377 M'Lean, A. 135 Macleod, N. 23 SIXTH SERIES. Macphail, M. 298 Macmorland, Rev.

60 M'Neil, D. 318 Allan, D. 166 M'Neil, K. 228 Allan, W. 342 Nicol, C. 70 Anderson, B.

402 Norval, J. 193 Bennoch, F. 381 Paxton, J. 173 Bowie, R. 241 Bremner, J. 170 Robb, J.

For Mac Ion Civic Aye Tic Attack

162 Bruce, D. 274 Sangster, Mrs M. 107 Buchan, A.

For Mac Ion Civic Aye Tic Agreement

279 Sellars, D. 153 Buchanan, D. 328 Stewart, A. 333 Cairns, A.

96 Stewart, C. 180 Campbell, J. 35 Stewart, J. 252 Campbell, J. 200 Stoddart, T. 349 Christie, J. 260 Sutherland, E.

347 Clark, H. 397 Cleghorn, J. 366 Tatlow, J. 205 XIV INDEX OF AUTHORS. Urquhart, J. 101 306 78 322 140 Wedderburn, A. 238 128 273 111 INTRODUCTORY NOTE, SEVEN prefaces to one work must become tiresome to the reader, who will naturally look upon us as a mere ' title-page creature.'

We feel that this must be true, even though many 'indulgent friends' have reminded us of the fact that 'as guid may baud the stirrup as he that loups on,' and have urged us to give a specimen of our poetic efforts. We lay no claim to the title of poet, and, although in passing so many effusions through our hands it might have been possible to absorb some of the precious ore, we can only pretend to have a feeling for poetry. It would never do for a poet to criticise his brethren. In our last ' note,' 3 prefixed to the Sixth Series, we promised to give in the present volume an essay on ' Modern Scottish Poets and Poetry,' but we find that it is possible our labours in this field may not be at an end.

We find that although this volume is more bulky than its predecessors, after the most careful and anxious selection has been made, we have been compelled to ' crush out ' many worthy aspirants. We make this announcement with feelings of reluctance, especially after our repeated and perhaps rash averments that we had reached the end of our project. We are not responsible, however, for the popping up of bards from nooks where we could not reasonably expect to find them. Like Pope's traveller among the mountains, we found after climbing many a height that 'Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps on Alps arise' a beautiful metaphor for which Pope was indebted to Drummond of Hawthorn Den: ' All as a pilgrim who the Alps doth paase, Till mounting some tall mountain he doth finde More heights before him than he left behinde.'

For Mac Ion Civic Aye Tic Abbreviation

Should this issue therefore meet with general approbation, and on learning the wishes of our readers on the subject, it is possible that we may in the course of a year pre- pare a supplemental volume. XVI INTRODUCTORY NOTE. The valuable and interesting article by Professor John Stuart Blackie precludes any necessity for our wasting much space at present. The learned and genial professor, poet, and patriot, whose utterances are ever on the side of freedom and right, and are given with a freshness betoken- ing perpetual youth and unwavering chivalry, is one of the best living authorities on the subject of Scottish poetry. He holds that the national songs of Scotland are more powerful than any national songs in Europe. In the course of a recent lecture he said that there were four things in which the Scotch had a right to glory shillings, sermons, stories, and songs. Sir Walter Scott represented stories, Adam Smith represented shillings, John Kiiox represented sermons, and Rabbie Burns and a whole host of others represented songs.

When he travelled he always took a copy of the ' Lyric Gems of Scotland ' with him, and when he found himself alone in a railway carriage he just made himself as happy as a king singing songs. The English cannot sing Scotch songs, because while they educate their throats they starve their souls. He had been in many countries, but none of them were so grand in picturesque song as ' auld Scotland.' We have experienced the fact that not only does the spirit of poetry possess a home amid the quiet retirement of Nature's most favoured spots, but that the Muse is being successfully wooed, and ' thoughts that breathe ' woven amid the din of steam-driven machinery. Although there are those who ' lisp in numbers,' and cannot choose but sing, only to a certain extent is it true that the poet is born and not made, for we have proved by many examples that poetry is developed by opportunity and culture. Some of our poets may lack imaginative brilliancy, or pro- found pathos, but we generally find felicities of idiomatic expression, happy poetical images, delightful pictures of the influence of home, and the affections that gather round it, and many of what Lord Jeffrey calls ' the more sweet and engaging pictures of what is peculiar in the depth, softness, and thoughtfulness of our Scotch domestic affec- tions.' Where we found ' wasteful luxuriance/' and at the same time the promise of good fruit, we have occasionally used the priming-knife, applied the file to inequalities, and endeavoured to.supply feet to the lame.

Civic

Some, how- ever, of those who come under the genus irritaMle class, INTRODUCTORY NOTE. XV11 would not submit to this, and have accordingly been left out in the cold. This we have had the less reluctance in doing on account of having many productions of greater merit held over for want of room, which may yet, however, find a place. On the other hand, we have piles of MSS. Of so crude a nature as to hold out no hopes of the writers ever acquiring a claim to the ' divine afflatus.' The calls on our time, and heavy correspondence, have made it impossible for us to reply to these rhymers.

Another class left out are those who, though evidently raw and lacking in simplicity of motive and melody of expression, only require more pro- found reading and observation in the field from whence they draw tiieir materials, and a closer study of the best models to give them a claim to be heard. An approxima- tion is demanded by the public when one ventures before them with one's thoughts, and a certain degree of pro- ficiency is necessary in warranting a writer to invite public criticism. Certainly the mechanical construction of verse is a valuable linguistic discipline; but, after all, poetry in its higher aspect is really a communing with the imperishable and the Divine. One of our correspondents has called our attention to the argument frequently levelled against the multiplication of collections of poetry, by asking if a bird is to be silent because another songster has warbled the same strain, and if not, then is he justified in having his say though other bards have been in the field before him. The difference, however, between a bird and a bard is this: The songs of the former cease when the little throat is stilled, whereas the poet can ring down the ages with undiminished sweet- ness although the singer has long vanished from among men. If we are to enjoy the song of the mavis we must have another little warbler to take its place not so with the bard: his song remains, and a new singer must have a note of his own to justify his coming before us as a min- strel.

It was different in the olden time, when the min- strel recited his lay, and when his vocal delivery and instrumental accompaniment gave a character to his per- formance, which perished with the death of the individual. ' Hark their hands the lyre explore, Bright-eyed Fancy hovering 1 o'er, Scatters from her pictured urn Thoughts that breathe and words that buru ' Xvill INTRODUCTORY NOTE. It affords us great pleasure to acknowledge the encourage- ment and aid we have received in our undertaking from people of all ranks; and while the friendship this has been the means of forming will ever be regarded as amongst the most pleasing circumstances of our life, we feel honoured in being instrumental in adding to the already large and brilliant list of national biography. So large a body of poems and songs has never before been published in any national work. Although the pro- ductions are of different degrees of merit, all of them are more or less felicitous, and express feelings and sentiments such as the heart delights to cherish, and amply vindicate Scotland's right to the proud title of ' The Land of Song.' The line that lightens a heart, dries a tear, and makes a burden easier to bear has a right to live.

Since we began this work, now four years ago, we regret to have to record that the lyres of a number of gifted bards now ' lie silent and sad.' Some of these had spent a long life of usefulness, while others had scarcely reached the years of manhood, although they gave the promise of future greatness. These include the Rev.

Charles Marshall, Rev. Dr Longmuir, Rev. Dr Whitlaw, Mrs Harriet Miller Davidson (daughter of the late Hugh Miller), Messrs Peter M'Cracket, Peter M'Arthur, William Thomson, Frank Henrietta, Andrew Steele, Hugh D. Hargrave, Joseph Teenan, Archibald M'Kay, James K. Scott, and James M.

Advertiser Office, BRECHIN, August, 188k THE POPULAE SONGS AND BALLADS OF SCOTLAND. By JOHN STUAKT BLACKIE, Emeritus Professor of Greek in the University of Edinburgh.

BODY of song, at once thoroughly popular and characteristically national, is the richest heri- tage that the manhood of any people can receive from its boyhood and youth. Such a body of song pre- serves in the most attractive form, and presents to the most widely sympathetic audience whatsoever traits of nobility, grandeur, or beauty in achieve- ment or sentiment enrich the memory of the past, and give wings to the aspirations of the future. In this respect there has been no people within the range of Aryan and Semitic civilization more fortu- nate than the Greeks. The songs and ballads of their scattered tribes, which glorified their heroes, painted their manners, and gave human type and significance to the vagueness of their elemental gods, at first sung from country to country by wandering minstrels, were collected into one consistent whole by the great Epic genius who bears the name of Homer, and planted upon a pedestal of national regard, which in their original separate state they would have found it difficult to maintain.

The Iliad as we now have it, was at once the Bible and the great popular or minstrel Epos of the Greeks; and, though as a Bible it had some very serious defects, it had the immense advantage of binding together by a bond of indissoluble unity the two great factors of popular culture religion and poetry which never can be separated without damage to both; for as religion apart from poetry is apt to become severe XX THE POPULAR SONGS and unsympathetic, so poetry without religion lightly declines into the loose and frivolous. The rich magazine of materials preserved by Homer and his school of minstrels was handed down by unbroken tradition to the tragedians, who expanded them into a great variety of dramatic pieces at once popular in their contents, humanizing in their tone, and elevating in their tendency. In Scotland, with perhaps a no less rich inheritance of tradition to start from, we have not been so fortunate. Walter Scott certainly may justly claim to be our Homer; but he came too late in the day to represent the summation of the early minstrel poetry of Scot- land in the same sense that Homer, himself a minstrel, summed up for all time the ballad materials of the early Hellenes. Thoroughly Scotch though he be, it is the personality of the man Scott, as much as the character of the Scottish people, that speaks to us in 'The Lady of the Lake,' whereas in the great Greek Epics, the Greek people is felt every- where, the Greek poet seen nowhere.

We must be content, therefore, with the possession of a great mass of minstrel ballads and popular poetry, which remains in its original state of lyrical independence, and which had not the strength to elevate itself into the dignity of the popular epos, much less to branch out into the luxuriant breadth of a truly national drama. Had it not been for the dramatic form which one or two of Scott's novels could so readily assume, Scotland would have remained altogether without a single specimen of the natural consumma- tion of the popular ballad a genuine popular drama. What remains for us, to compensate for this stunted development of the national mind in various forms, is that we cling with the more loyal devotion to what we have the rich collection of truly popular songs, in which we are approached by few, and sur- AND BALLADS OF SCOTLAND. Xxi passed by no people. Of all her characteristic possessions, which command the respect of foreign nations, and give Scotland a place of honour in modern history, next to her political independence recovered at Bannockburn, and her religious freedom gained by the Covenanters, there is nothing of which she ought to be so proud as her songs.

And yet it is a sad fact that these songs, sung and admired over the whole world, are treated by not a few of our influential classes with a neglect and even a contempt not at all of a piece with the sturdy self-estimate with which Scotsmen are generally credited. The cause lies 'in the general decay of a strongly marked Scottish nationality, which again proceeds from the concurrent action of various influences social, political, ecclesiastical, and educational all tending to smooth off the features, and to tone down the hue of whatever is most distinctively Scotch in Scotland.