WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD.

(GEO. THOMSON'S COLL., 1799.)

Chorus.-O WHISTLE an' I'll come to you, my lad,
O whistle an' I'll come to you, my lad,
Tho' father an' mother an' a' should gae mad,
O whistle an' I'll come to ye, my lad.1

But warily tent when ye come to court me, take care
And come nae unless the back-yett be a-jee; gate ajar
Syne up the back-style, and let naebody see, then
And come as ye were na comin to me,
And come as ye were na comin to me.
O whistle and I'll come, &c.

At kirk, or at market, whene'er ye meet me,
Gang by me as tho' that ye car'd na' a flie ;
But steal me a blink o' your bonie black e'e, glance
Yet look as ye were na lookin to me,

Yet look as ye were na lookin to me.

O whistle an' I'll come, &c.

Ay vow and protest that ye care na for me,
And whyles ye may lightly my beauty a-wee;

*

But court na anither tho' jokin ye be,

For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me, beguile
For fear that she wyle your fancy frae me.

O whistle an' I'll come, &c.

[A skeleton-sketch of this unique song was provided by Burns for Johnson's second vol. in the winter of 1787-88; which was not printed in its place, because it is all included in the present version. In sending it to Thomson (August 1793) he thus wrote:

* And sometimes affect to make light of my beauty a little.-J. H.

-"Yesterday I set the following verses to this air, which I much admire. Urbani, whom I met with here, begged them of me, as he also admired the air; but as I understand he looks with an evil eye on your Work, I did not choose to comply."

That this song was inspired by the charms of Jean Lorimer (late "Mrs. Whelpdale") cannot admit of a doubt.

The only variations are in the chorus, thus :

10 whistle and I'll come to ye, my jo,

O whistle and I'll come to ye, my jo,

Tho' father and mother an' a' should say no,
Thy Jeanie will venture wi' ye, my jo.]

PHILLIS THE QUEEN O' THE FAIR.

(CURRIE, 1800.)

Another favorite air of mine is "The muckin o' Geordie's Byre." When sung slow with expression, I wish that it had better poetry. That I have endeavored to supply as follows:—

ADOWN winding Nith I did wander,

To mark the sweet flowers as they spring;
Adown winding Nith I did wander,

Of Phillis to muse and to sing.

Chorus.-Awa' wi' your Belles and your Beauties,
They never wi' her can compare,

Whaever hae met wi' my Phillis,

Has met wi' the queen o' the Fair.

The Daisy amus'd my fond fancy,
So artless, so simple, so wild;
Thou emblem, said I, o' my Phillis-
For she is Simplicity's child.

Awa' wi' your Belles, &c.

The Rose-bud's the blush o' my charmer,
Her sweet balmy lip when 'tis prest.
How fair and how pure is the Lily!
But fairer and purer her breast.
Awa' wi' your Belles, &c.

Yon knot of gay flowers in the arbor,
They ne'er wi' my Phillis can vie:
Her breath is the breath of the woodbine,
Its dew-drop o' diamond her eye.
Awa' wi' your Belles, &c.

Her voice is the song o' the morning,
That wakes thro' the green-spreading grove,
When Phebus peeps over the mountains,
On music, and pleasure, and love.
Awa' wi' your Belles, &c.

But, Beauty, how frail and how fleeting!
The bloom of a fine summer's day;
While Worth in the mind o' my Phillis,
Will flourish without a decay.

Awa' wi' your Belles, &c.

[The reader will understand that Miss Philadelphia M'Murdo was the subject of this elegant song, produced to gratify Mr. Stephen Clarke the musician, who at this time would be a widower; for at his death on 6th August 1797, his son, William Clarke was appointed his successor, as organist of the Episcopal Chapel in the Cowgate of Edinburgh, and he also harmonized the airs in the sixth volume of the Museum. William Clarke died in 1820.

The following additional stanza is in the original MS. introduced as verse third, but scored out as superfluous, or not equal in quality to the others :

"The Primrose is o'er for the season,

But mark where the Violet is blown;
How modest it peeps from the covert,
So Modesty sure is her own."]

COME, LET ME TAKE THEE TO MY BREAST.

(GEO. THOMSON'S COLL., 1799.)

That tune, "Cauld Kail" is such a favorite of yours that I once more roved out yester evening for a gloamin-shot* at the Muses: when the Muse that presides o'er the shores of Nith, or rather, my old inspiring, dearest nymph, Coila, whispered me the following:

COME, let me take thee to my breast,
And pledge we ne'er shall sunder;
And I shall spurn, as vilest dust,
The world's wealth and grandeur :
And do I hear my Jeanie own

That equal transports move her?

I ask for dearest life alone,

That I may live to love her.

Thus, in my arms, wi' a' her charms,
I clasp my countless treasure;
I'll seek nae mair o' Heav'n to share,
Than sic a moment's pleasure:
And by thy e'en sae bonie blue,
I swear I'm thine for ever!
And on thy lips I seal my vow,
And break it shall I never.

[The reader will find, on looking to page 24, Vol. I., that the closing eight lines form part of one of the poet's earliest productions-the song called " Peggy Alison." In his letter of 28th August 1793, Burns admits that fact to Thomson in these words: "The last stanza of this song I send you, is the very words that Coila taught me many years ago; so I more than suspect she has followed me hither, or at least makes me occasional visits."

* Gloamin-twilight.

A beautiful Saxon word which ought to be adopted in England. A "gloamin-shot," a twilight interview with.-Currie.

The real inspirer of the revived song, with additions, was Jean Lorimer. Thomson would not gratify the poet by setting the former song which Burns had penned in her celebration, to the tune of "Cauld Kail." He arranged that song to the air "I had a horse;" and as the poet had vowed to have a song to "Cauld Kail" dedicated to Jean Lorimer, he produced the one in the text. Thomson thwarted the bard again, by setting these verses to the far inferior Irish air, "Alley Croker;" but Burns did not live to be made aware of that instance of his correspondent's perversity.

Some of our readers may be disposed to conjecture that Mrs. Burns was the "Jeanie" of this song, as well as of "Poortith cauld," and of "Whistle and I'll come to you;" but the references to the blue eyes of the charmer, prove that he did not in these effusions sing of his black-eyed spouse.

"Her een sae bonie blue betray

How she repays my passion."]

DAINTY DAVIE.

(GEO. THOMSON'S COLL., 1799.)

Now rosy May comes in wi' flowers,
To deck her gay, green-spreading bowers;
And now comes in the happy hours,
To wander wi' my Davie.

Chorus.-Meet me on the warlock knowe,*
Dainty Davie, Dainty Davie ;
There I'll spend the day wi' you,
My ain dear Dainty Davie.

The crystal waters round us fa',

The merry birds are lovers a',
The scented breezes round us blaw,

A wandering wi' my Davie.
Meet me on, &c.

* A warlock is a male witch. A warlock knowe is a knoll or height haunted by such beings.-J. H.