44 
mentioned in your fragment was, I believe, a castle upon 
the Seine belonging to the French monarchs, which gave a 
name to the favourite dance there practised, just as a more 
modern dance was called the Louvre , and as we call our 
Highland dance a Strathspey. I beg you to believe that I 
am extremely sensible of your polite attention to the re- 
searches of a total stranger, and that I feel myself very 
much gratified by the interest you have taken in them. 
“I have the honor to be, Sir, 
“Your obliged and faithful servant, 
“Walter Scott / 7 
“ Laswade Cottage, 
“ near Edinburgh, 
“2 April, 1802.” 
“ R. Cleator, Esquire, 
“ Cropton Lodge, near Pickering, Yorkshire.” 
“East Wood, 9th April, 1802. 
“ Hear Sir,™ I am this morning favoured with your letter 
of 7th, and lose not a moment in complying with your 
desire. The old ballad of Jock o’ Milk was given to me by 
Mr. Bell Irving, of Whitehill, and the notes thereon were 
collected from old tradition, but really not having a copy 
by me I cannot bring the whole to recollection. Mr. Bell 
Irving’s grandfather, old Whitehill, was many years factor 
or steward to the family of Castle Milk, and having access 
to the Repository of all the deeds and papers belonging to 
that antient place, lie found this ballad amongst them, so the 
present Mr. Bell Irving informs me. From many enquiries 
amongst veiy old people now no more, I could perceive 
there had been such an old ballad, but of which they 
had a very imperfect idea, but some time it strikes me that 
two verses are added by the present Mr. Bell Irving. This, 
however, you can easily detect by writing to him for every 
