[Footnote 39: I am convinced, however, from a comparison of many of Ramsay's interpretations, both in the Glossary to the _Evergreen_, printed in 1724, and in that, which is subjoined to his _Poems_, with the interpretations given by Ruddiman in the Glossary to _G. Douglas's Virgil_, that Ramsay had made frequent use of the latter for the explanation of the most antiquated words; though he does not seem to have studied it with that care, which his duty as an editor of ancient Scotish poetry certainly required. In proof of this, his obligations to Ruddiman's Glossary, the reader has only to compare, with the interpretations in that work, the following, given by Ramsay in the Glossary to his Poems: _Bodin_, _Brankan_, _Camschough_, _Dern_, _Douks_, _Dynles_, _Elritch_, _Ettle_, _Freck_, _Gousty_, _Moup_, _Pawky_, _Withershins_; and the following, in the Glossary to the Evergreen: _Crawdon_, _Galziart_, _Ithandly_, _Ourefret_, _Ruse_, _Schent_, &c.] From these considerations, one cannot but wonder at the observation, which is sometimes made even by Scotsmen of good taste, that the language of _The Gentle Shepherd_ disgusts from its vulgarity. It is true, that in the present day, the Scotish dialect is heard only in the mouths of the lowest of the populace, in whom it is generally associated with vulgarity of sentiment; but those critics should recollect, that it was the language of the Scotish people, which was to be imitated, and that too of the people upwards of a century ago, if we carry our mind back to the epoch of the scene. If _Ramsay_ had made the shepherds of the Lowlands of Scotland, in the middle of the seventeenth century, speak correct English, how preposterous would have been such a composition! But, with perfect propriety, he gave them the language which belonged to them; and if the sentiments of the speakers be not reproachable with unnecessary vulgarity, we cannot with justice associate vulgarism with a dialect, which in itself is proper, and in its application is characteristic. After all, what is the language of Ramsay, but the common speech of Yorkshire during the last century?[40] [Footnote 40: See "A Yorkshire Dialogue in its pure natural dialect;" printed at York, 1684.]