'Young Waters' was first printed in 1755; Percy's text(Reliques, 1765, II 172) agrees with this edition except in half a dozen trivial points. Motherwell says he had never met with any traditionary version of this ballad. Buchan, who may generally be relied upon to produce a longer ballad than anybody else, has 'Young Waters' in thirty-nine stanzas, "the only complete version which he had ever met." Everything in this copy which is not in the edition of 1755 (itself a little worse for editing) is a counterfeit of the lowest description.
It is possible, and Aytonn thinks highly probable, that this ballad may have been founded on some real event in Scottish history; but Aytoun shows a commendable discretion in his conclusion that, "though various conjectures have been hazarded as to its origin, none appear sufficiently plausible to warrant their adoption." A Scandinavian ballad (Grundtvig, No. 178), historical to the extent that one version has historical names, exhibits the principal incidents of the short story of 'Young Waters.'
Young Waters, an Ancient Scottish Poem, never before printed. Glasgow, Printed and sold by Robert and Andrew Foulis, 1755. Small 4o, 8 pages.
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