ADVERTISEMENT. THE manuscript of this HISTORY OF SCOTISH POETRY--written very neatly and distinctly-was put into my hands in December last. After due consideration, I recommended the publication of it-both because there is no other work of the kind, and because it contains a great deal of accurate and solid information, which, in addition to its present value, will be of essential use to any one who may hereafter attempt to treat the subject more completely and in a more modern form. As to the Editorship, since no one else was ready to undertake it, I consented-chiefly from love of the subject and respect for the memory of the Author-to superintend the last proofsheets, and very speedily got more deeply entangled in the business. A few words will suffice to state what has been attempted by me : The Text itself is printed exactly as it was left by the Author: from the outset all changes seemed perfectly hopeless--might swell or diminish the work, but could do it no good-for the whole of it is written with a deliberate and steadfast coherency and compactness. The Poetical Extracts, in many cases, required a somewhat different treatment. The Author, though he possessed in his own private library all the careful and accurate editions of Old Scotish Poems published by Mr. Laing, had seldom made use of them; and it seemed absolutely necessary to remedy that defect by giving various improved readings from those editions. The quotations from Barbour and Winton and Henry the Minstrel needed no alteration. For the King's Quair, Mr. Laing |