Abby:

So good to hear from you! Thank-you for reminding us of the Ettrick Shepherds birthdate. My sources give the quote his mother gave when asked if any of her ballits had been printed as follows: 'Oo, na, na, sire, it was never printed i' the world...There was never ane o' my songs prentit tillye prentit them yourself, an, ye hae spoilt them a'thegither. The war made for singing, an no for reading; and they're nouther right spelled nor right setten down... 'Ye hae broken the charm noo, an' they'll never be sung mair..'

Hogg's grandfather, Will o' Phaup, was supposedly the last known human to converse with the fairies. I will take issue with that one from personal experience of course.