Walter Scott, Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border

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Walter Scott published his first major work,

Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border: consisting of historical and romantic ballads, collected in the Southern Counties of Scotland; with a few of modern date, founded upon local tradition,

in January 1802. Printed in Kelso, near Edinburgh, by Scott's friend James Ballantyne, published in the Strand, London, by Cadell and Davies, and sold both in London and Edinburgh and Scotland, the initial two volumes contained 52 assorted ballads classified as “Historical”, “Romantic” or as modern “Imitations”. The

Minstrelsy

was an immediate literary and commercial success. Following an encouraging review in the January 1803 number of the newly established

Edinburgh Review

(for which Scott contributed articles until political differences led him…

2424 words

Citation: Oliver, Susan. "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 April 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3542, accessed 22 November 2024.]

3542 Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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