burned) the story of the duel with the spectre knight which occurs
in Marmion. In the following letter this ingenious antiquary plays
the same game with Mr. Jonathan Oldbuck, of Monkbarns, the
celebrated antiquary. A note on the subject is published in the
Appendix.


Mainsforth, May 9, 1815.

Dear Sir,--I am something of the Mussulman's humour, as you know,
and never willingly pass by a scrap of printed paper, however it
comes in my way. I cannot, indeed, like the "Spectator," "mention
a paper kite from which I have received great improvement," nor "a
hat-case which I would not exchange for all the beavers in Great
Britain." It is in a less unlikely place that I have made a little
discovery which will interest you, I hope; for as it chances, not
only has a lost ballad been at least partially recovered, but . . .
however, I will keep your learned patience on the tenterhooks for a
while.

Business taking me to Newcastle of late, I found myself in Bell's
little shop on the quay. {9} You know the man by report at least;
he is more a collector than a bookseller, though poor; and I verily
believe that he would sell all his children--Douglas Bell, Percy
Bell, Hobbie Bell, and Kinmont Bell--"for a song." Ballads are his
foible, and he can hardly be made to part with one of the
broadsides in his broken portfolios. Well, semel insanivimus omnes
(by the way, did it ever strike you that the Roman "cribbed" that
line, as the vulgar say, from an epigram in the Anthology?), and
you and I will scarce throw the first stone at the poor man's