LIVERPOOL,
PRINTED BY J. M'CREERY, HOUGHTON-STREET ;
FOR T. CADELL, JUN. AND W. DAVIES, STRAND, LONDON;

AND W. CREECH, EDINBURGH.
Sold also by Bell and Bradfute, P. Hill, and Manners and Miller, Edinburgh ;
Brash and Reid, and J. Murdoch, Glasgow; J. Brown, Aberdeen; W. Boyd,
Dumfries; J. Morrison, Perth; J. Forsyth, Ayr; and by Merritt and

Wright, W. Robinson, W. Harding, and E. Rusbton, Liverpool.

1800.

PREFACE.

THE first and principal part of the en

suing volume, consists of the correspondence be

tween Mr. Burns and Mr. Thomson, on the

subject of the beautiful work projected and ex

ecuted by the latter, the nature of which is ex

plained in the first number of the following series. *

VOL. IV.

a

The

* This work is entitled, “ A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the voice; to which are added, introductory and concluding Symphonies and Accompaniments for the Piano Forte and Violin, by Pleyel and Kozeluch. With select and characteristic Verses, by the most admired Scottish Poets, &c."

London, Printed and Sold by PRESTON, No. 97, Strand.

The undertaking of Mr. Thomson, is one op which the public may be congratulated in various

points of view; not merely as having collected the

finest of the Scottish songs and airs of past times,

but as having given occasion to a number of ori

ginal songs of our bard, which equal or surpass

the former efforts of the pastoral muses of Scot

land, and which, if we mistake not, may be safely

compared with the lyric poetry of any age or

country. The letters of Mr. Burns to Mr. Thom

son include the songs he presented to him, some of

which appear in different stages of their progress,

and these letters will be found to exhibit occasion

ally his notions of song writing, and his opinions

on various subjects of taste and criticism. These

opinions, it will be observed, were called forth by

the observations of his correspondent, Mr. Thom

son; and without the letters of this gentleman,