"Now wae to thee, thou cruel lord, A bluidy man I trow thou be; For mony a heart thou hast made sair, That ne'er did wrang to thine or thee!" [The kindly Spring wakened up the chords of song within the bosom of our Minstrel, and bestirring himself to produce lyrics for the pages of Johnson and Thomson, he was gradually diverted from the morbid desire to write lampoons and personal satire. In Oswald's "Caledonian Pocket Companion," he found a pretty enough melody bearing the title of the song in the text, and forthwith he produced these verses, which are generally thought to be amongst his most successful imitations of the style of the older minstrels. "Drumossie Muir" is merely another name for "Culloden Lea," where the closing battle of the Rebellion in 1745-46, was fought, with such disaster to the hopes of the Jacobites. On Thursday, 6th September 1787, according to an entry in the record of the poet's Highland Tour, he " came over Culloden Muir," and had "reflections on the field of battle." The reader may judge of these reflections by perusing the text. The original MS. in the British Museum shews the important variation, woman's e'e, for "lover's e'e" in Johnson.] 1 CHARLIE, HE'S MY DARLING. (JOHNSON'S MUSEUM, 1796.) 'Twas on a Monday morning, Right early in the year, That Charlie came to our town, The young Chevalier. Chorus-An' Charlie, he's my darling, My darling, my darling, As he was walking up the street, O there he spied a bonie lass Sae light's he jumped up the stair, To let the laddie in! An' Charlie, &c. He set his Jennie on his knee, All in his Highland dress; For brawly well he ken'd the way To please a bonie lass, An' Charlie, &c. It's up yon heathery mountain, perfectly brushy dare not go [This Jacobite effusion was never seen in print before its appearance in Johnson's fifth volume; and as it was communicated by Burns, it is fairly presumed to be his own. It was a favorite of Sir Walter Scott, and it will be recollected that when in Italy, seeking to repair his hopelessly shattered frame, his mind would wander northwards to his native glens, as was made apparent by his frequent crooning of the closing verse of this song:-"It's up yon heathery mountain," &c.] A "risping-pin," fixed on the back of house doors, was a notched rod of iron, with loose ring attached; this made a loud ricketing noise, on being drawn up and down. The old ballad of the Grey Cock, thus refers to it : "So up Johnie rose, and to her door she goes, And gently tirl'd at the pin.” The melody to which these words are sung was much improved in passing through the hands of Stephen Clarke, the musical editor of the Museum, and we consequently transfer it to our pages.] 'Twas on a Monday morn-ing, Right early in the year, That Char - lie came to our town, The young Che-va-lier, An' Charlie he's my darling, My darling, my darling, Charlie he's my darling, The young Che-va- lier. BANNOCKS O' BEAR MEAL.* Barley (JOHNSON'S MUSEUM, 1796.) Chorus-Bannocks o' bear meal, Bannocks o' barley, Here's to the Highlandman's Bannocks o' barley! *The Highlanders carried bannocks or thick cakes of bear and barley meal as provender, when following "Charlie" in their unfortunate campaign of 1745 and 1746.-J. H. [The above is entirely the production of Burns, who wrote it to supplant some very indifferent words to which the fine old tune was sung. A song called, Cakes o' Crowdy," dating so far back as 1688, is still extant, and is said to have been a composition of Lord Newbattle, eldest son of the then Earl of Lothian. Another song, perhaps older, but very indecorous, commencing-"A lad and a lass lay in a Killogie," was sung to the same air. The melody is short and sweet, and we therefore annex it.] - ver the lads wi' the bannocks o' barley! THE HIGHLAND BALOU. (JOHNSON'S MUSEUM, 1796.) HEE balou, my sweet wee Donald, Ha! be soothed Brawlie kens our wanton Chief Wha gat my young Highland thief. Leeze me on thy bonie craigie, full well save neck horse An thou live, thou'll steal a naigie, Thro' the Lawlands, o'er the Border, [This rich picture of an embryo Highland Cateran displays the hand of Burns in every line, although his name is not attached to it in the Museum. Stenhouse informs us that the poet obtained the Gaelic words and music in course of his Highland Tour, and that the text is merely a translation into "laigh country" dialect.] Hee bal - ou, my sweet wee Don-ald, Picture o' the great Clan ronald, Brawly kens our wanton Chief Wha gat my young High-land thief. THE HIGHLAND WIDOW'S LAMENT. (JOHNSON'S MUSEUM, 1796.) OH I am come to the low Countrie, It was na sae in the Highland hills, Nae woman in the Country wide, For then I had a score o' kye, Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie ! Feeding on yon hill sae high, And giving milk to me. And there I had three score o' yowes, Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie! COWS ewes Skipping on yon bonie knowes, hills And casting woo to me. yielding wool |
