Gude and Godlie Ballatis

Gude and Godlie Ballatis (ca. 1540). ‘The Gude and Godlie Ballatis’ is the title generally given to a collection of ballads and other songs, probably, from internal evidence, originating in Scotland in the 1540s. If this date is correct, it pre-dates the Scottish Psalter of 1564. However, the first extant edition, which lacks its title page, is normally dated 1567. There were further editions in 1578, 1600 and 1621, with a title page describing it as ‘Ane Compendius Buik of Godly and Spirituall Sangis, collectit out of sundrye partes of the Scripture, with sundrye uther Ballatis changeit out of prophaine Sangis in Godly Sangis…’. It has been ascribed to three Wedderburn brothers from...