63 



to an appearance also, with or without a supernatural ringing 

 of bells. 



The copy of the ballad published by Mr. Gilchrist is almost 

 identical with Dr. Jamieson's given here. It contains the 

 same number of stanzas ; for, though iii. and ix* are want- 

 ing, vii. is given as in Motherwell, and the introductory 

 dialogue is continued through three instead of through two. 

 In another respect the two versions are coincident ; Gilchrist's 

 contains the two circumstances which were at first peculiar to 

 Jamieson's, viz., the notice of Our Lady's well, and the 

 miraculous ringing of the sacred bells. The last stanza in 

 botli consists of six lines, and is expressed in the very same 

 words. 



Pinkerton's copy consists of fourteen stanzas ; the former 

 half being similar to that of Jamieson or Gilchrist, and the 

 latter coinciding with that of Percy. 



The edition by Sir Egerton Brydges is a fragment, from 

 imperfect tradition. It consists of only five stanzas, four of 

 which are ecuiivalent to the first four in this arrangement, and 

 the fifth is a compound of parts of x. and xxii. 



The version which has been privately printed by Mr. Halli- 

 well, as communicated to him from Godalming, Surrey, by 

 Miss Agnes Strickland, is more fragmentary still. It con- 

 sists of only two verses, which are nearly equivalent to ii. and 

 iv. in this arrangement. 



Hence, it is evident that the known English versions of the 

 entire ballad are only six in number ; but each of these may 

 have given origin to a large number of fragments, in the lo- 

 calities where they were respectively procured. 



* This does not mean iii. and ix. in the particular edition, Imt in this lmrmimi- 

 ous arrangement. 



