2»« S. X. Jolt 14. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



31 



opinion, been a ballad written that could be mis- 

 taken for ancient : perhaps the inimitable pro- 

 ductions of Surtees may be excepted, and the 

 fragmentary stanzas of Steenie Mucklebacket's 

 grandmother in The Antiquary, They are much 

 too fine ; some are very mawkish, some stupid, 

 and others of exceeding beauty ; but still they 

 lack the flavour of the old minstrelsy. On the 

 other hand, numerous ancient songs have been 

 rescued by poetical antiquaries from destruction, 

 vitiated in many instances and interpolated, but 

 nevertheless genuine. Those who have looked 

 much into such matters cannot help being struck 

 by the variations and differences which will occur 

 in different versions of the same production. 

 Take, for instance, Catherine Jaffery, a border 

 ballad printed by Scott, but which had travelled 

 into Aberdeenshire, and was first included in Mr. 

 Maidment's North Country Garland, and secondly 

 in Mr. Kinloch's Ballads. The story is substan- 

 tially the same, whilst the verses vary materially. 



Sir Patrick Spens has been the chief object of 

 attack. Let us see how matters stand in refer- 

 ence to this fine old fragment. It was originally 

 pritited by Bishop Percy in his Reliques, from two 

 MSS. obtained from Scotland, and he had no 

 doubt that it was genuine. Next it appeared in 

 David Herd's curious and now scarce collection 

 of Scotish songs ; and towards the end of last 

 century in Ritson's collection (1794); and this 

 most acute and unusually cautious critic was ap- 

 parently duly satisfied of its authenticity. Now of 

 all men in the world there never existed one so 

 little Inclined to take things upon trust as Ritson. 

 Sir Walter Scott, who knew him, assured the 

 present writer that he was the most distrustful 

 individual in literiiry matters he ever met with, 

 and the most difficult to convince. He actually 

 took a journey exclusively to ascertain the ac- 

 curacy of a statement which Sir Walter hazarded 

 in relation to the height of the Roman wall at one 

 portion of it, and thus satisfied himself that what 

 he had been told was true. 



That the original ballad was 7iot fabricated by 

 Lady Wardlaw I have not the slightest doubt, 

 but I have no fault to find with such persons as 

 think otherwise. Ritson is not always infallible ; 

 but in such matters there never existed a more 

 keen-sighted man or competent judge, and when 

 Sir Patrick passed muster before him, it would 

 require some better arguments than any hitherto 

 adduced to show that he had been imposed upon. 



The modern versions of the ballad by Scott, 

 Finlay, Motherwell, and Buchan are enlarged ones; 

 they mention the visit to " Noroway," the recep- 

 tion, probably at Bergen, where the palace of 

 King Haco still exists, the impertinence of the 

 Norwegians, the hasty departure, the storm and 

 its consequences, which are more minutely given 

 than previously. Sir Walter Informs his readers 



that the version in the Minstrelsy was taken down 

 by him from the recitation of Robert Hamilton, 

 Esq., Sheriff of Laifark. Neither the reciter, 

 Scott, Finlay, nor Motherwell entertained any 

 doubt that it was genuine. Mr. Hamilton, with 

 whom the writer of these remarks was very well 

 acquainted, was a gentleman of probity and much 

 esteemed. He was about the last man in Scot- 

 land to countenance a practical joke. He was of 

 good family, well educated, a classical scholar, 

 and moreover possessed of considerable legal 

 knowledge. He obtained much professional re- 

 putation for getting up the case for Hamilton 

 of Wishaw, which carried the peerage of Bel- 

 haven before a committee of privileges. He also 

 drew up the elaborate claim of Miss Lennox of 

 Woodhead to the ancient earldom of Lennox, an 

 interesting production, but based on a fallacy. 

 He -had been In the army originally, and served in 

 the American war. He quitted the army, and 

 coming to the Bar obtained the preferments we 

 have mentioned. 



Mr. .Hamilton used to sing the ballad to a 

 quaint tune, which the late Alexander Campbell 

 noted down and gave to the public In his un- 

 deservedly neglected collection of Scotish music 

 termed Alhyns Anthology, a work which ought to 

 be better known In the South. Mr. Hamilton 

 died several years since at a good old age. Some 

 ,time before his demise he had relinquished his 

 Lanarkshire sherlfTdora, and obtained the more 

 lucrative appointment of clei'k of session. It is 

 now matter of regret that Inquiry had not been 

 made as to the quarter from whence he obtained 

 his version of the ballad. 



Notwithstanding this omission I see no reason 

 to question the accuracy of the Hamilton addi- 

 tions. In the first place we are bound to take 

 into consideration the character of the person 

 from whose lips the verses are taken down by 

 Scott ; and in this instance he Is omni exceptione 

 major, to use a legal phrase. In the second place, 

 Mr. Hamilton had not the slightest turn for poet- 

 ical composition. He never wrote, his surviving 

 relations Inform me, a line of poetry In his life. 

 He, both In outward appearance and in reality, 

 was an " unpoetical " sort of person. As an his- 

 torical rellque the legend of Sir Patrick would 

 attract his notice, and we doubt not that he got it 

 during his rule as sheriff of Lanarkshire. What 

 a pity that modern sceptics did not raise their 

 objections before his demise. 



In the third place. Sir Patrick comes dressed 

 by Mr. Peter Buchan after the Aberdonian fashion, 

 differing considerably from his more southern cos- 

 tume. Hardicnute was more than a century be- 

 fore printed; numerous versions were published, 

 yet, generally speaking, the country Ignores the 

 existence of this worthy; whilst Sir Patrick, whose 

 existence was only orally perpetuated, contrived 



