New-York tribune., 1911-02-05

ton of Scott's goodness. He was the
only one I ever knew whom no man.
either poor or rich. held at i'll will. ]
was the only exception myself that ever
came 10 my knowledge and that was
only for a short season, and all the while
il never lessened his interest in my wei
fare"
OF Hogs mother. the ancient Min
streless." the repository of the old bal
lads Of the people which Scott gathered
with such ardor, there is pleasant
picture here Mrs. MaCCunn quotes with
approval the old peasant woman's asser-
tion. made 10 Scott as she struck his
knee with her hand: There was never
ane o. my sangs prentit till We prenut
them yersel. and ye hae spoilt them a
theeither They were made for singing
and no for reading but ye hae broken
the charm. and they'll never he sung
noair" That was wonderful dramatic
singing, "in oldrtch shrek" that Scott
heard from the lips OF old Margaret, but
we doubt if it would have survived
among her kind in an age Of railroads
and automobiles Margaret HOgg had
been born into a world of belief in war
lock. fairy and ghost: her own father
II was said. had seen and spoken to the
fairies himself. Tales of such beings
and ballads of dark adventure served
her instead Of the modern newspaper
Does such an old woman live to-day?
We may not unreasonably hold that If
the Border ballads had not been gathered
and "prentit" they would have been lost
10 us. Apropos of ballad collecting is an
entertaining chapter here on Robert
Surtees, that "pious, honorable, single
minded gentleman" who, when ii came
10 ballads. had as little conscience as
Shakespeare's Puck if we can imagine
Puck deserting moonbeams and wood
lands for genealogies and margnalia.'
Surtees had something of the poets in
spiration. even though, as our author
notes. it was evoked only for imposture.
We can imagine SCOTS pleasure when
ne unfolded the manuscript ballad which
his correspondent averred had been
taken down from the recitation of an
old woman Of eighty on Aston Moor:
Hoot ava lads. hoot ava.
Ha' We heard how the Ridleys and Thrill
walls and a
Ha' set upon Aubony FeatherstOnehaugh
And taken his life at the Deadmanshaugh?
But this pious gentleman had in dis
may to "kill off his old chauntress' when
Scott solemnly identified the scene Of
"Bertram's Dirge." another bit Of Sur
tees's manufacture
Scott. as we know found some Of his
dearest friends among the members Of
the ducal house Of Buccleuch, OF which
he was "the clansman true" There is
9 charming sketch in this volume Of
those friendly people-of Duke Charles,
who answered Scott's protest against
some hastily resentful action with these
words: 81 have reason to thank God for
many things. but especially for having
given me friends who will tell me the
truth: Of the young duke, Charles s
son. who when Scott fell into misfort-
une besought i'm vain the privilege OF
raying for his clansman the debts which
crushed him, of Duke Charles's sister,
Lady Frances Scott. whose dainty little
figure. as a child with her brothers. Sir
Josbua drew. She was a girl Of brains,
of sweet manners. Of unusual talents ana
Wit. and the owner Of a heart nobly gen
erous and faithful She was the pet Of
her stepfather, the brilliant Charles
Tovnshend. Chancellor Of the Exchequer.
snd when only fifteen was his confden-
tial secretary, the sharer OF his political
secrets. Not one girl in thousand
rould 20 through such experiences and