Thanks, Jim,
I'm well aware of what Greig and Keith had to say on PB. I actually agree with a lot of what Greig says. Both of them were heavily under the influence of William Walker, who, when Child was alive, was equally scathing of PB's efforts, but rather strangely as soon as Child died seemed to jump completely to PB's defence. Being 'as reliable as Hogg or Cunningham' is hardly any recommendation, in fact, I'd say it was more of an indictment.

'But he does not appear to have been a sinner above and beyond other collectors and editors of his own day and generation.' I defy anyone who has studied closely his ballads in great detail to agree with this statement.

As for the ballads in Keith, many come from the indefatigable, non-singing Bell Robertson and having also studied these very closely, quite a number are almost verbatim the texts published by PB himself.

Christie has long been known as a very unreliable source. Much of the texts he published, as stated in Child, are taken direct from PB's publications.

'critic like Child pause before he rejected Buchan's contributions. Child did more than pause. By inference at least he accepted Buchan as substantially reliable, and gave him the place of honour with a frequency denied to most of the other great collectors.' This is not just inaccurate. it is grossly untrue. PB's texts, where others are available, are given at the end of the list just before the fragments in the vast majority of cases. We've been over this before.

'Had he been able to compare the Ballads with their MS. originals, and had he been spared to see the collection made by Greig, it may be confidently asserted that the prince of ballad-editors would have been on the side of Peter Buchan." '
Again this is totally untrue. As I said earlier, the Harvard Ms is a publisher's proof, a finished product. It is almost verbatim what was published. I have a copy. I doubt if Keith had seen it! Child knew exactly what was in it which is why he delayed over buying it. Also Walker copied out for him any bits that weren't already published.