This book contains the substance of ten small volumes of the poetry of Charles Mackay published between the years 1839 and 1870. The volume also includes several pieces published anonymously in periodicals and magazines. The book is in good condition and is scarce. It contains a portrait and original illustrations.There is no date of publication, but the preface is dated 1876. The fore-edge outside of the pages is gold decorated. Charles Mackay (1814 – 1889) was a Scottish poet and also a journalist, author, anthologist, novelist, and songwriter.He made his literary reputation in 1846 with a collection of poems, Voices from the Crowd, and achieved popular success the same year with the hit songs “Cheer, Boys, Cheer” and “The Good Time Coming” (music by Henry Russell). Some popular poems include "You have no enemies, you say?" and "Who shall be fairest?" In whatever he has written the author never courted popularity but simply wrote because he could not help uttering the thought that was in him, and because the thought spontaneously took the lyric form.  And if some of his worst compositions have been the greatest favourites of the public and some of his very best have remained unknown, he attributes the fact , not to the public love of inferiority, but to the constant iteration that is the result of a melody that pleases the ear and floats upon the memory of the people.