The Forest Minstrel
The Forest Minstrel is an anthology of 83 songs, assembled by James Hogg, divided into four sections: 'Pathetic Songs', 'Love Songs', 'Humorous Songs', and 'National Songs'. Hogg himself is the author of 56 items. There are also 15 by Thomas Mounsey Cunningham, 5 by John Grieve, 3 by William Laidlaw, 3 by James Gray, and one perhaps by John Ballantyne.
Background
In February 1810 Hogg exchanged life as a shepherd in the south of Scotland for a literary career in Edinburgh. Within weeks of his arrival he persuaded Archibald Constable to publish The Forest Minstrel. The words 'Printed for the Editor' on the title-page suggest that the publication involved a degree of authorial subsidy. Of the 56 songs by Hogg himself nearly one-third had appeared in The Scots Magazine between 1803 and 1808. Most of these were revised for the new publication, with a tendency to tone down their rural localism, colloquialism, and earthiness to make them more acceptable for polite readers and performers: 'The Forest Minstrel is meant for the young lady at her piano'.Editions
Until 2006 the only edition of The Forest Minstrel as a collected set of songs was that published in Edinburgh on 4 August 1810 by Archibald Constable and Co. with the title The Forest Minstrel; A Selection of Songs, adapted to the most favourite Scottish airs. Few of them ever before published. By James Hogg The Ettrick Shepherd, and others. The contents were as follows :- Preface
- Pathetic songs
- *'The Soldier's Widow'
- *'The Beggar'
- *'The Flower'
- *'The Moon Was A-Waining'
- *'Mary at her Lover's Grave'
- *'Lament for W. Allan'
- *'Lucy's Flittin' '
- *'Bonny Dundee'
- *'Julia's Grave'
- *'My Peggy an' I'
- *'Cauld is the Blast'
- *'The Gloamin' '
- *'The Braes of Ballahun'
- *'The Unco Grave'
- *'Alake for the Lassie!'
- *'Lord Eglinton's Auld Man'
- *'Lament for Julia'
- *'The Guardian Angel'
- *'Beware, Ah! Gentle Maiden'
- Love songs
- *'Bonny Mary'
- *'My Blythe an' Bonny Lassie'
- *'The Braes of Bushby'
- *'Blythe an' Cheery'
- *'Caroline'
- *'To Miss Jane S——'
- *'The Bonny Lass of Deloraine'
- *'The Hills o' Gallowa'
- *'Her Blue Rollin' E'e'
- *'I Hae Lost My Jeany, O'
- *'Here, Fix'd By Choice'
- *I'm Gane A' Wrang, Jamie'
- *'The Hay-Makers'
- *'The Maid of Devon'
- *'Avon Banks'
- *'Lovely Mary'
- *'The Bogles'
- *'Bonny Jean'
- *'Strathfillan'
- *'Bonny Leezy'
- *'Now Well May I'
- *'The Sheep Sheering'
- *'How Foolish Are Mankind'
- *'Her Bonny Black E'e'
- *'My Dear Little Jeany'
- *'The Exile'
- Humorous songs
- *'Doctor Monro'
- *'Love's Like a Dizziness'
- *'Lucky Reid'
- *'Auld Ettrick John'
- *'Bonny Beety'
- *'Ayont the Mow Amang the Hay'
- *'The Drinkin', O; A Sang for the Ladies'
- *'Gracie Miller'
- *'Cannie Wi' Your Blinkin', Bessie'
- *'Birniebouzle'
- *'Life is a Weary Cobble o' Care'
- *'Jock an' His Mother'
- *'Athol Cummers'
- *'Willie Wastle'
- *'Haverel Willie'
- *'Auld John Borthick'
- National songs
- *'Lament for Abercrombie'
- *'Bauldy Fraser'
- *'Scotia's Glens'
- *'The Jubilee'
- *'Fareweel, Ye Streams'
- *'The Auld Highlandman'
- *'Buccleuch's Birth-Day'
- *'Highland Harry Back Again'
- *'Hap an' Rowe the Feetie O't'
- *'Born, Laddie'
- *'Donald Macdonald'
- *'By a Bush'
- *'Culloden, or Lochiel's Farewell'
- *'Prince Owen and the Seer'
- *'Song for the Anniversary of Mr Pitt's Birth'
- *'My Native Isle'
- *'Honest Duncan'
- *'Highland Laddie'
- *'Bannockburn'
- *'The Emigrant'
- *'The British Tar'
- *'Caledonia'
A critical edition of The Forest Minstrel, edited by P. D. Garside and Richard D. Jackson, was published by Edinburgh University Press in 2006 as Volume 19 in The Stirling/South Carolina Research Edition of The Collected Works of James Hogg. The editors provide music wherever possible, though in 1810 only the titles of tunes were given.