Commentary
Verse 1: 'When Charlie first came to the North, / With the manly looks of a Highland laddie'. A detailed woodcut of a grand and large house surrounded by estate land dominates the top of this sheet. Its inclusion would have increased the value of the sheet greatly and may have helped less literate viewers feel included. This song was popular broadside topic and there are many examples of it from various time periods in the National Library of Scotland's collection. Although Jacobite leanings were clearly traitorous, and dangerous after 1746, this continued to be published. The strength of Catholic, Scottish and monarchists' feelings about the line of inheritance of the British throne may be gauged by publications such as this. Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse.
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