Whether the writers of these English ballads knew of the Scottish ‘Geordie,’ I would not undertake to affirm or deny; it is clear that some far-back reciter of the Scottish ballad had knowledge of the later English broadside. The English ballads, however, are mere “goodnights.” The Scottish ballads have a proper story, with a beginning, middle, and end, and (save one late copy), a good end, and they are most certainly original and substantially independent of the English. The Scottish Geordie is no thief, nor even a Johnie Armstrong. There are certain passages in certain versions which give that impression, it is true, but these are incongruous with the story, and have been adopted from some copy of the broadside, the later rather than the earlier. These are, the first two stanzas of #F#, utterly out of place, where we have the king’s horses stolen and sold in Bohemia, almost exactly as in the ballad of ‘George of Oxford,’ 15; #G# 7, where the Earl of Cassilis is made to steal geldings and sell them in Balleny; and #J# 23, in which the Laird of Gight steals one of the king’s steeds (precisely as in ‘George of Oxford’) and sells it in Bevany. That is to say, we have the very familiar case of the introduction (generally accidental and often infelicitous) of a portion of one ballad into another; which, if accidental in the present instance, would easily be accounted for by a George being the hero in each. Further; the burden of #E#, embodied in the ballad in two versions, #I# 27, #J# 35, has a general resemblance to that of ‘George Stoole,’ and could hardly have been original with the Scottish ballad. There was probably a ‘Geordie Luklie,’ a Scottish variety of one of the English broadsides. #G# is translated by Gerhard, p. 56; #A#, in part, by Knortz, Schottische Balladen, p. 101. * * * * * A Johnson’s Museum, No 346, p. 357, 1792; communicated by Robert Burns. 1 There was a battle in the north, And nobles there was many, And they hae killd Sir Charlie Hay, And they laid the wyte on Geordie. 2 O he has written a lang letter, He sent it to his lady: ‘Ye maun cum up to Enbrugh town, To see what word’s o Geordie.’ 3 When first she lookd the letter on, She was baith red and rosy; But she had na read a word but twa Till she wallowt like a lily. 4 ‘Gar get to me my gude grey steed, My menyie a’ gae wi me, For I shall neither eat nor drink Till Enbrugh town shall see me.’ 5 And she has mountit her gude grey steed, Her menyie a’ gaed wi her, And she did neither eat nor drink Till Enbrugh town did see her. 6 And first appeard the fatal block, And syne the aix to head him, And Geordie cumin down the stair, And bands o airn upon him. 7 But tho he was chaind in fetters strang, O airn and steel sae heavy, There was na ane in a’ the court Sae bra a man as Geordie.