I have now given so many tales of perfect truth to the public, many of them with not one word of truth in them, that I know I shall not be believed in this, and that people will say, "Oho! this is a mere subterfuge of the Shepherd's to get off, in case of any unsound tenets or instances of bad taste." It is, nevertheless, literally true; and I shall tell you how it came to my hand, which was not in a very fair way. In 1801 I sent a MS. volume of songs, ballads, &c. to a bookseller in Edinburgh (many years since deceased) to publish for me, which he had promised to do. A long time after, he returned a parcel, with a letter, saying the work would not do, and for my own credit he had abstained from publishing it. It was this translation which he returned me, and being greatly chagrined I kept it. I cared not for the loss of my own, for I had it all either in scraps or by heart; so I retained the parcel sent me, which was never more inquired after. It has now been in my possession for three and thirty years; but there were so many corrections on the margin, and French notes, that I never ventured to look into it till last winter, when I thought I perceived many observations far too valuable to be lost, and I have mixed a part of them up with my own. JAMES HOGG. ALTRIVE, March 31, 1834. CONTENTS. PAGE Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walk- ing and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. * will take away the bravery of their tinkling orna- ments about their feet, and their cauls and their round tires like the moon, the chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings, the rings, and the nose- jewels, the changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins, |