course of the present work, as the place where many of our very best old Scottish songs first appeared in print. Herd was at once a most successful and most faithful collector.[1] 'The rough, the polished,' says Allan Cunningham, 'the rude, the courtly, the pure, the gross, the imperfect, and the complete, were all welcome to honest and indiscriminating David—he loved them all, and he published them all. He seemed to have an art of his own in finding curious old songs: he was not a poet, and could not create them; he was no wizard, and could not evoke them from the dust; yet he had the good fortune to find them, and the courage to publish them mthout mitigation or abatement. Whatever contained a vivid picture of old manners, whatever presented a lively image of other days, and whatever atoned for its freedom by its humour, or for its indelicacy by its well-flavoured wit, was dear to the good old Scotchman.'
Early in the year 1787, the first volume of Johnson's 'Scots Musical Museum' was published. This work was undertaken by James Johnson, Engraver and Musicseller in Edinburgh.[2] at the suggestion of William Tytler of Woodhouselee and Dr. Blacklock, and its professed object was 'to unite the songs and music of Scotland in one general collection.' It was intended to extend to two volumes only;[3] but before the first volume was completed, Johnson got acquainted with Robert Burns, who was then in the zenith of his popularity in Edinburgh—and from that hour, the 'Scots Musical Museum,' which in all probability would have gone down to the dust, expanded its wings, and became immortal. Every reader is familiar with the history of
- ↑ David Herd was a native of St. Cyrus in Kincardineshire, but spent most of his life as clerk in an accountant's office in Edinburgh. He died in 1810, at the age of seventy-eight. 'He was known,' says Sir "Walter Scott, 'and generally esteemed for his shrewd, manly common sense and antiquarian science, mixed with much good nature and great modesty. His hardy and antique mould of countenance, and his venerable grizzled locks, procured him, amongst his acquaintance, the name of Greysteil.'
- ↑ Johnson died at Edinburgh in February, 1811, in indigent circumstances. He is said to have been the first who engraved music on pewter, by which a great saving was effected. The 'Museum' is engraved on pewter plates.
- ↑ Johnson's 'Museum' eventually ran the length of six volumes. The second was published in 1788, the third in 1790, the fourth in 1792, the fifth in 1797, (a year after the poet's death, but he had contributed largely to its contents before that event) and the sixth in 1803. A new edition of the 'Museum' was brought out in 1839, with Notes by the late William Stenhouse, and additional Illustrations by Mr. David Laing of Edinburgh. To these Notes and Illustrations we have been much indebted for information in the course of this work.
