Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Actis and deidis of the illustere and vailzeand campioun, Schir William Wallace, Knicht of Ellerslie

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INTRODUCTION.
RECENT EDITIONS.
Of more recent editions I shall notice only three—those
of 1758, 1790, and 1820.
The edition of 1758 was published at Edinburgh. The
printer’s name is not given, and Dr Jamieson says this
edition was printed in 1714 or 1715 by Fairbairn, but owing
to his taking part in the Rebellion of 1715 the work was not
published until 1758. It is a quarto in black-letter, and is
interesting as containing the so-called “ Relationes Arnaldi
Blair.”
The 1790 edition was published at Perth by Morrison
& Son. It is in three neat vols. l2mo, and contains notes
and a glossary.
The 1820 edition of Dr Jamieson has been hitherto de¬
servedly regarded as the best edition of the poet. So good,
in many respects, is it, that the present edition would not
have been undertaken by me had I not wished to give
a glossary of the Minstrel which might enable any one
unacquainted with the ancient Scottish language to read
and understand the poem. This was the chief object I had
in view. But having been able to secure the able assistance
of Mr James T. Clark, the keeper of the Advocates’ Library,
I have given a revised edition of the MS. Mr Clark has in
the most generous way devoted much care and critical
skill to this task, and altogether several hundred corrections
have been made on Dr Jamieson’s edition. Without Mr
Clark’s help I could not, situated as I am, have obtained
sufficient time to give so thorough a revision as has been
given; and he deserves thanks not only from me, but from
the Scottish Text Society and from every true Scot.