Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. The Ballad in Literature by T. F. Henderson was first published in 1912. The volume presents a discussion of the formal qualities of ballads, together with an account of their historical development.