Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Jacobite relics of Scotland > [First series]

INTEODUCTION. Xlll
same advantage : so that, in adapting these, I had only to turn
up our oldest collections of music. But the modern fashion of
changing the name and style of these old tunes has been the
cause of much perplexity and confusion of ideas to me. I look
upon this as extremely reprehensible, if not disgraceful, in the
collectors of our national airs. It is scarcely possible to ascertain
the original name of one tune from these modern collections.
On the other hand, of all the innumerable songs that I got
from Mr Walter Scott (which he must have picked out of every
cabinet and portfolio in the kingdom), as well as those sent me
from Aberdeenshire by Mr Wallace, Mr Buchan, and Mr Graham,
scarcely one had the name of the air mentioned ; and unless the
tune and song chanced to be coeval, and bore the same name,
which is the case in many instances, for all these I was forced to
take the country at large, a very uncertain standard to go by. It
has had, however, this advantage, that a great number of ske-
letons of old tunes will be found, that have never been published
before, which, if improven by accompaniments, and set upon
proper keys, will be found not unworthy of the delightful class of
music to which they belong. As I make no pretentions to science
in music, I have attempted nothing further than the preservation
of these old airs in their most naked and primitive style ; well
knowing, that, should any of them become favourites with the
public, it would be an easy matter for any composer, or professional
player on the piano, to harmonize them.
I have searched in vain for the songs of the other party, in
order to contrast them with those of the Cavaliers. There are
but few of them existing in Scotland, worthy of preservation,
previous to 1715. Such as remain will be found in the appendix.
In the succeeding era there are a few indifferent ones. I would
b