Excerpt from The Essays of the Literary Society: Read in Montreal During the Winter of 1880-81, at the Houses of Some of Its Members

Addison's design in writing these Essays, was to cultivate a purer taste in literature, by calling the public attention to those ballads, once the delight of all men, but, owing to the artificial spirit of the age, now much overlooked or forgotten. They existed only in mutilated mss and printed scraps, scattered about over the country, or hidden away in libraries. It was a bold task, there fore, to hold up to admiration that which was scorned and neglected by all but Addison, sure of his ground, did not shrink from encountering ridicule, and there is no doubt that such criticism from so competent a judge had even more effect than be anticipated.

Fifty-four years later, in 1765, Bishop Percy, after spending much time in collecting and revising these scattered fragments, published his Reliques, and in his notes made mention of Addison's criticism. His collection was favourably received, and besides inspiring 'many individuals, exerted a very healthful influence over poetry in general, by introducing a new, or rather old, but forgotten element. Others have followed his example, and copies hive been so multiplied that in our day an Essay upon Ballads would need no apology. The following information is taken chiefly from Percy.

He tells us that the minstrels were an order of men in the middle ages, who. Subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang to the harp verses com posed either by themselves or others. The Normans greatly encouraged this: class in England, and they flourished for many centuries after the Conquest.

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