PREFACE. WHEN I published my last Volume in 1868-"Poems and Ballads," many who perused it, but had not seen my two first published volumes "Poems and Essays" and "Poems and Sketches," expressed a desire to possess them also; to meet that desire, I now offer to the public, and my numerous friends, a selected and revised edition of these two in one volume, with additional pieces composed since the publication of "Poems and Ballads," with the hope that it may meet with the same kind and generous reception that my former volumes have met with both from the press and the public. For the information of those who may not have seen any former sketch of my life, I will here give a short autobiographic sketch of my antecedents, written by myself, and prefixed to the second edition of "Poems and Essays," published in 1863. "I have been requested by some who take an interest in what I have written, to state how I came to acquire the power of language and ability for composition, which is necessary in writing a book that would pass muster with the press, and the public. I can only say, that they must have been acquired during a long course of reading the works of good authors, and thus, insensibly acquiring something of their manner and style. I was never taught, never knew, do not know even now, any of the rules of grammar in composition, the names of its parts I know when I meet with them in the course of reading, but cannot methodically use or apply them. It is chiefly by the aid of a correct and musical ear that I can detect or avoid grammatical inaccuracies, which jar on my ear in reading, or hearing like a false note in music. I I do not remember when I became mistress of the alphabet, but I read Bible stories and children's half-penny books with eager delight before I was five years of age. When about eight, I found to my great joy, on the loom of an intellectual weaver, a copy of Milton's Paradise Lost and a volume of Allan Ramsay's Poems. I carried them off in triumph to the kitchen, returning day after day to devour the contents. soon became familiar with, and could appreciate the gorgeous sublimity of Milton's imagery, and the grandeur of his ideal conceptions. With Ramsay I was at home at once, for I was beginning to get rich in the Ballad treasures of my country about that time; and a pathetic "Aul Warl Ballant," would put the sweetie shop to a discount at any time when I was mistress of a bawbee. About this time my father became a subscriber to the village library, and I had access to much good and solid reading, history, geography, biography, travels, and voyages; but there was no poetry, novels, or light reading of any sort, and I was obliged to slake my unquenchable thirst for reading, with Rollin, Plutarch's Lives, Ancient Universal History, Reynal's Indies, and Pitscottie's Scotland; but the Spectator and Johnson's Rambler were the tid-bits of my literary banquet. I was quite familiar with Ferguson, Burns, and M'Neil; and, as time wore on, by dint of begging, and borrowing from libraries and individuals, I managed to obtain and read the works many of our best poets and authors. of Some will say this girl must have done nothing else but read—not so-in justice to myself, I must say I had a daily task assigned me, first at the spinning wheel, and afterwards at the tambour frame, which was never omitted. My mother, who was a very pious woman, did not at all approve of my ballad singing, poetry, and novel reading, and would often threaten to burn my precious store, but a good fit of crying, on my part, always saved them. Like Timothy, I was taught from a child to know the Holy Scriptures, for as soon as I could read, she made me read a chapter from the Bible every morning, and this practice was never omitted for a single day, till I married and left the house; and during all the years of childhood, every night when I laid my head on the pillow, my mother's mouth was close at my ear, praying for me, and teaching me to pray for myself. After I had entered the married state, and was engaged in rearing a young family on small means, I was busy enough, and my reading hours were taken from my sleep; and many an hour have I spent in reading, holding the book in one hand, and nursing an infant on my lap with the other. Did space permit, I could give many similar details, but I have said enough to show, that "where there is a will there is a way" to attain knowledge, even while struggling with deficiences and difficulties. I hope I shall be excused for this egotistical sketch, which I would not have thought of giving, had I not been urgently requested to do so." I now return my grateful thanks to the press, and the public, for the kind indulgence, and generous reception given to these two volumes (now comprised in one) on their first publication. JANGT HAMILTON |