Broadside ballads entitled 'The Dark-hair'd Girl' and 'The Moon'

Commentary

'The Dark-hair'd Girl' begins: 'Oh, my dark-hair'd girl, your ringlets deck / In silken curls your graceful neck; / Your neck is like the swan, and pure as the pearl, / And diamonds are thy eyes, Oh, my dark-hair'd girl.'

'The Moon' begins 'How beautiful and how serene, / Shines, younder, Nidht's resplendent Queen, / Kindly to comfori those who roam, / Aod light the trav'ller to his home!' This broadside was published in Edinburgh, but the name of the publisher has been obscured, and the date of publication has not been given.

Broadsides were generally sold for a penny a sheet. It was usual for just one ballad to appear on each sheet, so this example, which contains two songs and a woodcut illustration, would have represented good value. Broadsides were produced quickly and were not edited as thoroughly as modern newspapers and books, so misprints and spelling errors were common, as is evidenced by verse one of 'The Moon'.

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