  (decorative line) Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see, Thinks what ne’er was, nor is, nor e’er shall be. Pope. (decorative line) “Give me the writing of all the Ballads, for the people of England, and let who will be their law-giver,” was said by a celebrated orator, in speaking on the manners of the people:—this cheering ray, in behalf of ballad writing, gave rise to the publication of the following pages: for how many of these simple, yet popular effusions, have been lost for want of a repository to give them a chance of living a day beyond the time they were written?—As such, the Summum Bonum of my labours is to rescue from the yawning jaws of oblivion the productions of the Bards of the Tyne; and by so doing, hand them down to future ages as Reliques of Provincial Poetry:—But, conscious of the liability of personal allusions in the generality of provincial poems, the words of the poet have been kept in mind:— “Curs’d be the verse, how well soe’er it flow, Which tends to make one worthy man my foe!” Those who may have expected a matchless collection, and find it inferior to other poetical selections, will please to think of the following Italian proverb:— “CHI LAVA LA TESTA AL ASINO PERDE IL SAPONE.” and accept the same from their Obedient Servant, THE EDITOR. Newcastle upon Tyne, August, 1812. |
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