1897 Compendious Book of Godly & Spiritual Songs : The Gude and Godlie Ballatis

A Compendious Book of Godly and Spiritual Songs : Commonly Known as The Gude and Godlie Ballatis

Edited, with introduction and notes by A. F. Mitchell

Edinburgh and London; Printed for the Society by William Blackwood and Sons, 1897. Reprinted from the edition of 1567. The Scottish Text Society. Quarter leather binding, large 8vo, pp cxxvi + (xxx) + 338 (including the Glossary).

CONDITION
A very good copy. The binding is in good condition. Endpapers good. All contents present and pages in good clean condition throughout. No names or writing to the book. Overall a very good copy.

The Gude and Godlie Ballatis is a collection of religious lyrics from the early years of the Scottish Reformation. It was a highly popular, if controversial, volume, was often reprinted, and is considered one of the most important literary works of vernacular Scots from the period. It contains translations of a number of Psalms, but most of the contents consist of shorter songs and ballads, many of which have been adapted from a secular to a spiritual use.

The poems gathered in The Gude and Godlie Ballatis, originally published in the 1560s and known as the ‘Dundee Psalms’, were probably written over the previous 20 years at the height of the ferment leading to the Reformation in Scotland. Their authors are most likely the three Wedderburn brothers, James, John and Robert, whose various works represent a key moment in Scottish culture across the written arts.

(Location : Scotland, top shelf)