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INTRODUCTION
were written under some romantic, pathetic, or entertaining circumstances. Though many a favourite song may be missing from these pages, I do not think that one, with which there is any history associated as to its inception and birth, has been omitted—that is, not any cele-brated effusion.
While aiming all the time at accuracy and truth as to the development of the world's famous musical ballads, my object has been to produce, not so much a pedantic reference guide or dictionary for the library, as an entertaining, amusing, and instructive work that shall appeal to the hearts and sympathies of all true lovers of songs with music.
In dealing with the Irish and the Scottish sections I have striven to be just to each* When selected portions of the " Stories" were appearing in " Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper," I was assailed quite violently by certain Scottish gentlemen, who were highly indignant with me for various statements I made as to who wrote and who did not write particular songs that had generally been accepted as having been born in Scotland. But nobody has yet proved that abuse is either argument or logic, and as I have found no reason to alter the views I originally expressed, they remain exactly as I
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