CLASSICAL DEPARTMENT HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY EDITORS' PREFACE BURNS's verse falls naturally into two main divisions. One, and that the larger, appeals with persistency and force, on the strength of some broadly human qualities, to the world in general: for the reason that the world in general is rich in sentiment but lacks the literary sense. The other, being a notable and lasting contribution to literature, is the concern of comparatively few. The present Edition of Burns's verse is primarily addressed to the second of these two bodies of readers. Of necessity, however, it is as nearly complete as existing canons of taste will permit; and 'tis hoped that it will prosper, though for different reasons and on different grounds, with both sections of what, after all, is one, and that a world-wide, public. A chief object with the Editors has been the preparation of a text as nearly classic as a systematic and, in so far as might be, an exhaus VOL. I tive collation of authorities-books, proof-sheets, tracts, broadsides, periodicals, and Mss.—could secure. They have spared no pains in its pursuit; and they have peculiar pleasure in denoting the spirit in which, on every hand, their appeal for assistance was received. It is for others to appreciate the result of their effort. Enough for them to say, that such authority as it may be found to have is largely due to the generous consideration extended to them from outside. They have noted the several facts of their indebtedness, as occasion offered, in their bibliographical introduction and in the body of their work. As regards this First Volume, it remains for them to express their gratitude to Dr. Garnett, C.B., of the British Museum, for that help no man of letters ever asks in vain; to Mr. Clark, of the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh; to Mr. Hugh A. Webster, of the University Library, Edinburgh; to Mr. Barrett, of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow; to Mr. James L. Caw, of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh; to Mr. Andrew Macdonald, Glasgow, for the use of a capital set of Ramsay chap-books; to Mr. R. T. Hamilton Bruce, Edinburgh, for the use of a unique and precious copy of the garland known as The Merry Muses of Caledonia and the set of chapbooks hereafter referred to as the Motherwell Collection; and to Mr. Walter Raleigh, Liverpool, and Mr. James Fitzmaurice-Kelly, London, for assistance in tracing the life of Burns's favourite stave from its beginnings in Provence to its earliest known appearance in Scots verse. In the matter of notes and explanations, the Editors have done their best to restrict themselves to essentials, and to state their facts and theories as briefly as is consistent with exactness of effect. All the same, the sum of their commentary bulks formidably, to say the least; and the reason is not far to seek. Burns borrowed largely from his predecessors; he lived a hundred years ago; first and last he was what is called a local poet. Indeed, it is fair to say of him that he was the satirist and singer of a parish: so that even in his own time much of his verse, though it survives as verse of genius, was intelligible through all its niceties of meaning to his fellowparishioners alone. In these days, therefore, |