Then follow the first twenty songs; (Song XXI., which concludes the Pastoral, not being noticed;) at the head of each it is stated by whom sung, and the page where it "comes in" is given. It would seem, therefore, that the songs were mainly intended for "_the acting_;" and that many copies of the Pastoral were extant without the songs, to the pages of which these references in the "Miscellany" thus formed an index or guide.] For these eighteen extra songs we have not had what we can consider a standard text: they have been printed from the edition of 1798, collated with those of 1788 and 1808. We also compared them with those in the "Tea-table Miscellany" of 1733, the oldest copy in our possession, and found no difference of any consequence. The GLOSSARIES heretofore appended to the "GENTLE SHEPHERD" have been, usually, reprints of that given by Ramsay in the quarto of 1728, which was prepared for his Poems, complete: that in the edition of 1800 being considerably enlarged. In the present edition the Glossary has been restricted chiefly to those words and phrases which occur in the Pastoral; of which, upwards of a hundred and fifty have been omitted in every former edition that we have seen: those are now added, with explanations. The rest of the Glossary has been carefully examined, and some corrections made. In the "LIFE of Ramsay, by Tennant," we have made one or two corrections; and some additions, derived from various sources, have been inserted. These are distinguished by being enclosed in brackets. The elaborate ESSAY by Lord Woodhouselee "on the Genius and Writings of Allan Ramsay," so far as it refers to the "GENTLE SHEPHERD," we have given complete, excepting a few quotations in Italian. To this have been added, opinions and criticisms on the Pastoral, by various celebrated authors. These are not entirely confined to expressions of approbation; that of Pinkerton being quite the reverse, although, as we think, singularly unjust. The PORTRAIT prefixed to this edition is a careful and accurate copy of the print given by Cadell and Davies, in their edition of 1800; respecting which they make the following statement:--"there is prefixed a portrait of the author, which has been finely engraved by Mr. Ryder, from a drawing which was made by Allan Ramsay, the poet's son; the original of which is now in the possession of A. F. Tytler, Esq., of Edinburgh." In order that we may not be charged with negligence, we subjoin a list of all the editions of the "GENTLE SHEPHERD" to which we have had access during the preparation of the present edition; with a few slight remarks as to the character of these editions. POEMS:--"Printed for the Author at the Mercury, opposite, to Niddry's Wynd;" 1 vol. small 8vo. Edinburgh, 1720-1.