In Scott’s printed text of the ballad, two interpolations, of two lines each, are acknowledged in notes. They occur in stanzas vii., xlvi., and are attributed to Hogg. In fact, Hogg sent one of them (vii.) to Laidlaw in his manuscript. The other he sent to Scott on 30th June 1802.
Colonel Elliot, in the spirit of the Higher Criticism (chimæra bombinans in vacuo), writes, [31a] “Few will doubt that the footnotes” (on these interpolations) “were inserted with the purpose of leading the public to think that Hogg made no other interpolations; but I am afraid I must go further than this and say that, since they were inserted on the editor’s responsibility, the intention must have been to make it appear as if no other interpolations by any other hand had been inserted.”
But no other interpolations by another hand were inserted! Some verbal emendations were made by Scott, but he never put in a stanza or two lines of his own.
Colonel Elliot provides us with six pages of the Higher Criticism. He knows how to distinguish between verses by Hogg, and verses by Scott! [32a] But, save when Scott puts one line, a ballad formula, where Hogg has another line, Scott makes no interpolations, and the ballad formula he probably took, with other things of no more importance, from Mrs. Hogg’s recitation. Oh, Higher Criticism!
I now print the ballad as Hogg sent it to Laidlaw, between August 1801 and March 1802, in all probability.
[Back of Hogg’s MS.: Mr. William Laidlaw, Blackhouse.]
OLD MAITLAND
A VERY ANTIENT SONG
There lived a king in southern land
King Edward hecht his name
Unwordily he wore the crown
Till fifty years was gane.
He had a sister’s son o’s ain
Was large o’ blood and bane
And afterwards when he came up,
Young Edward hecht his name.
One day he came before the king,
And kneeld low on his knee
A boon a boon my good uncle,
I crave to ask of thee