Their readings varied from Mrs. Hogg's; therefore Hogg
misdoubted them. He adds that Jamie Telfer differs from his mother's
version, without meaning that, for Jamie, Scott used a Herd MS.
CONCLUSION
I have now proved, I hope, that the ballad of Jamie Telfer is entirely
mythical except for a few suggestions derived from historical events of
1596-97. I have shown, and Colonel Elliot agrees, that refusal of aid
by Buccleuch (or by Elliot of Stobs) is impossible, and that the
ballad, if it existed without this incident, must have been a Scott,
and could not be an Elliot ballad. No farmer in Ettrick would pay
protection-money to an Elliot on Liddel, while he had a Scott at
Branksome. I have also disproved the existence of a Jamie Telfer as
farmer at "Dodhead or Dodbank" in the late sixteenth century.
As to the character of Sir Walter Scott, I have proved, I hope, that he
worked on a copy of the ballad which was not the Elliot version, or the
Sharpe copy; so that this copy may have represented the Scotts as
taking the leading part; while for the reasons given, it is apparently
earlier than the Elliot version--cannot, at least, be proved to be
later--and is topographically the more correct of the two.
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