Yet，evennow，wearenotattheendofthismostfortunatediscovery。ItwouldappearthattherewaslittledemandforworksoflearningandreligioninScotland，oratleastatFairport；fortheparchmentsheetcontainsfragmentsofaBalladintheScotstongue。Nonebutapoorandstrugglingprinterwouldthenhavelenthistypestosuchwork，andfortunateforushasbeenthepovertyofyourgreatancestor。Herewehavetheveryearliestprintedballadintheworld，and，thoughfragmentary，itisthemorepreciousasthestyleprovestodemonstration，andagainstthefranticscepticismevenofaRitson，theantiqueandvenerablecharacterofthosecompositions。IsendyouacopyoftheBallad，withthegaps（wherethetoothoftimeoroftheworm，edaxrerum，hathimpairedit）filledupwithconjecturalrestorationsofmyown。Buthowfardotheyfallshortoftheoriginalsimplicity!
Noncuiviscontingit。Asthetitleislacking，aswellastheimprint，IhavestyleditTHEFRAGMENTOFTHEFAUSELOVER
ANDTHEDEADLEMAN。
OWillierade，andWilliegaedAtweentheshoreandsea，AndstillitwashisdeadLadyThatkepthimcompany。
OWillierade，andWilliegaedAtweenthe[lochandheather]，AndstillitwashisdeadLadyThat[heldhisstirrupleather]。