Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/409

 JOHN WILSON 393 and we think that he has very fairly succeeded in his attempt; for we certainly find in this case that the third is better than the whole— that now, by the lapse of time, his one volume is more interesting and effec- tive than Ferrier's four. He "suspects that the lacuficz are sometimes visible to the naked eye," and they certainly are, and here and there a few words in parenthesis might well have been inserted to bridge the gaps; but it is also true that in the complete dialogues the transitions were often very abrupt. Ferrier's glossary has been retained; and Ferrier's own words thereanent are too good for omission here (Preface to "Noctes," xix.): "As the last specimen, then, on a large scale, of the national language of Scotland which the world is ever likely to see, I have preserved with scrupulous care the original ortho- graphy of these compositions. Glossarial interpreta- tions, however, have been generally subjoined, for the sake of those readers who labour wider the disadvantage of having been born on the south side of the Tweed" The glossary is very good as far as it goes, but, like most glossaries we have ever come across, omits some words which the average general reader cannot under- stand ; while including others with whose meaning he is quite familiar. Thus we find braird, yello7v-yite, flasterin, clegs, soap the floor or ripe the ribs, of each a Thurtn, bate the girdle, partail, stance, rumblede- thumps in the text, unexplained by footnote or glossary ; yet surely most of those who labour under the disadvantage of having been born on the south side of the Tweed, would be far more puzzled by them than by such glossary terms as a aboon, ae, aim, alane, aneath, auld ; would indeed be as "catawamp-