+The Text+ is taken from Percy's _Reliques_ (1765), vol. i. p. 71,
'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very
similar ballad, which substitutes a Sir Andrew Wood for the hero. The
version of this ballad printed in most collections is that of Scott's
_Minstrelsy_, Sir Patrick Spens being the spelling adopted.[1] Scott
compounded his ballad of two manuscript copies and a few verses from
recitation, but the result is of unnecessary length.
[Footnote 1: Coleridge, however, wrote of the 'grand old ballad of
Sir Patrick Spence.']
+The Story.+--Much labour has been expended upon the question whether
this ballad has an historical basis or not. From Percy's ballad--the
present text--we can gather that Sir Patrick Spence was chosen by the
king to convey something of value to a certain destination; and later
versions tell us that the ship is bound for Norway, the object of the
voyage being either to bring home the king of Norway's daughter, or the
Scottish king's daughter, or to take out the Scottish king's daughter to
be queen in Norway. The last variation can be supported by history,
Margaret, daughter of Alexander III. of Scotland, being married in 1281
to Erik, king of Norway. Many of the knights and nobles who accompanied
her to Norway were drowned on the voyage home.
However, we need not elaborate our researches in the attempt to prove
that the ballad is historical. It is certainly of English and Scottish
origin, and has no parallels in the ballads of other lands. 'Haf owre to
Aberdour,' _i.e._ halfway between Aberdour in Buchan and the coast of
Norway, lies the island of Papa Stronsay, on which there is a tumulus
called 'the Earl's Knowe' (knoll); but the tradition, that this marks
the grave of Sir Patrick Spence, is in all probability a modern
invention.