may be said in the sublime language of Scripture, that "he went forth conquering and to conquer." "For Nature made her what she is, No. X MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON And never made anither." (Such a person as she is.) With Poortith Cauld and Galla Water. This is in my opinion more poetical than "Ne'er made sic anither." However, it is immaterial; make it either way.* "Caledonie," I agree with you, is not so good a word as could be wished, though it is sanctioned in three or four instances by Allan Ramsay but I cannot help it. In short that species of stanza is the most difficult that I have ever tried. The Lea-rig is as follows. (Here the poet gives the two first stanzas, as before, p. 193, with the following in addition.) The hunter lo'es the morning sun, To rouse the mountain deer, my jo : At noon the fisher seeks the glen, Along the burn to steer, my jo: I am interrupted. See Poems, pp. 86, 87. January, 1793. MANY returns of the season to you, my dear Sir. How comes on your publication? will these two foregoing be of any service to you? I should like to know what songs you print to each tune besides the verses to which it is set. In short, I would wish to give you my opinion on all the poetry you publish. You know it is my trade, and a man in the that escape men of much superior parts way of his trade, may suggest useful hints, and endowments in other things. If you meet with my dear and muchvalued C. greet him in my name, with the compliments of the season. Yours, &c. No. IX. Yours, &c. No. XI. MR. THOMSON TO MR. BURNS. Edinburgh, January 20, 1793. You make me happy my dear Sir, and thousands will be happy to see the charming songs you have sent me. Many merry returns of the season to you, and may you long continue, among the sons and MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON. daughters of Caledonia, to delight them and to honour yourself. Inclosing Auld Rob Morris, and Duncan Gray. See Poems, p. 86. 4th December, 1792. The foregoing (Auld Rob Morris and Duncan Gray,) I submit, my dear Sir, to your better judgment. Acquit them, or condemn them as seemeth good in your sight. Duncan Gray is that kind of lighthorse gallop of an air, which precludes sentiment. The ludicrous is its ruling feature. The four last songs with which you favoured me, viz. Auld Rob Morris, Duncan Gray, Galla Water, and Cauld Kail, are admirable. Duncan is indeed a lad of grace, and his humour will endear him to every body The distracted lover in Auld Rob, and exhibit an excellent contrast: they speak the happy Shepherdess in Galla Water, from genuine feeling, and powerfully touch the heart. The number of songs which I had ori * Mr. Thomson has decided on Ne'er made sic ani- ginally in view was limited; but I now ther. E. resolve to include every Scotch air and song worth singing, leaving none behind | about writing for the airs I sent to him, but mere gleanings, to which the publish- because of the peculiarity of their meaers of omnegatherum are welcome. I sure, and the trammels they impose on would rather be the editor of a collection his flying Pegasus. I subjoin for your from which nothing could be taken away, perusal the only one I have yet got from than of one to which nothing could be him, being for the fine air "Lord Gregoadded. We intend presenting the sub-ry." The Scots verses printed with that scribers with two beautiful stroke engravings; the one characteristic of the plaintive, and the other of the lively songs; and I have Dr. Beattie's promise of an essay upon the subject of our national music, if his health will permit him to write it. As a number of our songs have doubtless been called forth by particular events, or by the charms of peerless damsels, there must be many curious anecdotes relating to them. air, are taken from the middle of an old ballad, called The Lass of Lochroyan, which I do not admire. I have set down the air therefore as a creditor of yours. Many of the Jacobite songs are replete with wit and humour, might not the best of these be included in our volume of comic songs? POSTSCRIPT. FROM THE HON. A. ERSKINE. The late Mr. Tytler of Woodhouselee, I believe knew more of this than any body, for he joined to the pursuits of an antiquary a taste for poetry, besides being a man of the world, and possessing an en- MR. THOMSON has been so obliging as thusiasm for music beyond most of his to give me a perusal of your songs. Highcontemporaries. He was quite pleased land Mary is most enchantingly pathetic, with this plan of mine, for I may say it and Duncan Gray possesses native genuhas been solely managed by me, and we ine humour; "spak o' lowpin o'er a linn," had several long conversations about it is a line of itself that should make you when it was in embryo.. If I could sim-immortal. I sometimes hear of you from ply mention the name of the heroine of each song, and the incident which occasioned the verses, it would be gratifying. Pray, will you send me any information of this sort, as well with regard to your own songs, as the old ones To all the favourite songs of the plaintive or pastoral kind, will be joined the delicate accompaniments, &c. of Pleyel. To those of the comic and humorous class, I think accompaniments scarcely necessary; they are chiefly fitted for the conviviality of the festive board, and a tuneful voice, with a proper delivery of the words, renders them perfect. Nevertheless, to these I propose adding bass accompaniments, because then they are fitted either for singing, or for instrumental performance, when there happens to be our mutual friend C. who is a most excellent fellow, and possesses, above all men I know, the charm of a most obliging disposition. You kindly promised me, about a year ago, a collection of your unpublished productions, religious and amorous: I know from experience how irksome it is to copy. If you will get any trusty person in Dumfries to write them over fair, I will give Peter Hill whatever money he asks for his trouble, and I certainly shall not betray your confidence.I am your hearty admirer, ANDREW ERSKINE No. XII. 26th January, 1793. no singer. I mean to employ our right MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON. trusty friend Mr. Clarke, to set the bass to these, which he assures me he will do con amore, and with much greater attention than he ever bestowed on any thing of the kind. But for this last class of airs I will not attempt to find more than one set of verses. That eccentric bard, Peter Pindar, has started I know not how many difficulties, I APPROVE greatly my dear Sir, of your plans; Dr. Beattie's essay will of itself be a treasure. On my part, I mean to draw up an appendix to the Doctor's essay, containing my stock of anecdotes, &c. of our Scots songs. All the late Mr. Tytler's anecdotes I have by me, taken down in the course of my acquaintance with him from his own mouth. I am such an enthusiast, that, in the course of my several peregrinations through Scotland, I made a pilgrimage to the indivi dual spot from which every song took its rise; Lochaber, and the Braes of Ballenden, excepted. So far as the locality, either from the title of the air, or the tenor of the song, could be ascertained, I have paid my devotions at the particular shrine of every Scots muse. I do not doubt but you might make a very valuable collection of Jacobite songs; but would it give no offence? In the mean time, do not you think that some of them particularly The sow's tail to Geordie, as an air, with other words, might be well worth a place in your collection of lively songs? My most respectful compliments to the honourable gentleman who favoured me with a postscript in your last. He shall hear from me and receive his MSS. soon. No. XIII. MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON 20th March, 1793. MY DEAR SIR, THE song prefixed is one of my juvenile works. I leave it in your hands. I do not think it very remarkable, either for its merits or demerits. It is impossible (at least I feel it so in my stinted powers) to be always original, entertaining, and witty.. If it were possible to procure songs of merit it would be proper to have one set of Scots words to every air, and that the set of words to which the notes ought to be set. There is a naivete, a pastoral simplicity in a slight intermixture of Scots words and phraseology, which is more in unison (at least to my taste, and I will add to every genuine Caledonian taste) with the simple pathos, or rustic sprightliness of our native music, than any Eng-ship from you, nor any body else. lish verses whatever. The very name of Peter Pindar is an acquisition to your work. His Gregory is beautiful. I have tried to give you a set of stanzas in Scots, on the same subject, which are at your service. Not that I intend to enter the lists with Peter; that would be presumption indeed. My song, though much inferior in poetic mert, has, I think, more of the ballad simplicity in it.* * For Burns's words, see Poems, p. 87.-The song of Dr. Walcott, on the same subject, is as follows: Ah! ope, Lord Gregory, thy door! A midnight wanderer sighs: Who comes with wo at this drear night-- If she whose love did once delight, Alas! thou heard'st a pilgrim mourn, What is become of the list, &c. of your songs? I shall be out of all temper with you by and by. I have always looked upon myself as the prince of indolent cordingly; and I will not, cannot bear rivalrespondents, and valued myself accor No. XIV. MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON With the first copy of Wandering Willie. March, 1793. I LEAVE it to you, my dear Sir, to de termine whether the above, or the old Thro' the lang Muir, be the best. But shouldst thou not poor Marian know, And think the storms that round me blow, It is but doing justice to Dr. Walcott to mention, that his song is the original. Mr. Burns saw it, liked it, and immediately wrote the other on the same subject which is derived from an old Scottish ballad of uncor tain origin. E. † Mary Morison, Poems, p 87 strictures upon every thing else relating to the work. Pleyel has lately sent me a number of the songs, with his symphonies and accompaniments added to them. I wish you were here, that I might serve up some of them to you with your own verses, by way of dessert after dinner. There is so much delightful fancy in the symphonies, and such a delicate simplicity in the accompaniments-they are indeed beyond all praise. I am very much pleased with the several last productions of your muse: your Lord Gregory, in my estimation, is more interesting than Peter's, beautiful as his is! Your Here awa Willie must undergo some alterations to suit the air. Mr. Erskine and I have been conning it over; MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON. he will suggest what is necessary to make JESSIE. Tune-"Bonnie Dundee." TRUE hearted was he, the sad Swain o' the Yarrow, And fair are the maids on the banks o' the Ayr; See Poems, p. 89. them a fit match.* The gentleman I have mentioned, whose fine taste you are no stranger to, is so well pleased both with the musical and poetical part of our work, that he has volunteered his assistance, and has already written four songs for it, which, by his own desire, I send for your perusal. No. XVII. No. XVIII. MR. THOMSON TO MR. BURNS. Edinburgh, 2d April, 1793. I WILL not recognize the title you give yourself, "the prince of indolent correspondents;" but if the adjective were taken away, I think the title would then fit you exactly. It gives me pleasure to find you can furnish anecdotes with respect to most of the songs: these will be a literary curiosity. I now send you my list of the songs which I believe will be found nearly complete. I have put down the first lines of all the English songs which I propose giving in addition to the Scotch verses. If any others occur to you, better adapted to the character of the airs, pray mention them, when you favour me with your This second line was originally, * See the altered copy of Wandering Willie, p. 88. of the Poems. Several of the alterations seem to be of little importance in themselves, and were adopted, it may be presumed, for the sake of suiting the words better to the music. The Homeric epithet for the sea, dark-heaving, suggested by Mr. Erskine, is in itself more beautiful, as well perhaps as more sublime, than wild rearing, which he has retained; but as it is only ap plicable to a placid state of the sea, or at most to the swell left on its surface after the storm is over, it gives a picture of that element not so well adapted to the ideas of eternal separation, which the fair mourner is supposed to imprecate. From the original song of Here awa Willie, Burns has borrowed nothing but the second line and part of the firs. The superior excel lence of this beautiful poem, will, it is hoped, justify the different editions of it which we have given. E. MEG O' THE MILL. Air "O bonnie lass will you lie in a barrack." O KEN ye what Meg o' the Mill has gotten, An' ken ye what Meg o' the Mill has gotten? See Poems, p. 89. No. XIX. MR. BURNS TO MR. THOMSON. 7th April, 1793. THANK you, my dear Sir, for your packet. You cannot imagine how much this business of composing for your publication has added to my enjoyments. What with my early attachment to ballads, your books, &c. ballad-making is now as completely my hobby-horse, as ever fortification was uncle Toby's; so I'll e'en canter it away till I come to the limit of my race (God grant that I may take the right side of the winning post!) and then cheerfully looking back on the honest folks with whom I have been happy, I shall say or sing, "Sae merry as we a' hae been!" and raising my last looks to the whole human race. the last words of the voice of Coila* shall be, " Good night and joy be wi' you a'!" So much for my past words: now for a few present remarks, as they have occurred at random on looking over your list. The first lines of The last time I came o'er the moor, and several other lines in it, are beautiful; but in my opinion-pardon me revered shade of Ramsay! the song is unworthy of the divine air. I shall try to make or mend. For ever, Fortune, wilt thou prove, is a charming song! but Logan burn and Logan braes, are sweetly susceptible of rural imagery: I'll try that likewise, and if I succeed, the other song may class among the English ones. I remember the two last lines of a verse, in some of the old songs of Logan Water (for I know a good many different ones) which I think pretty. * Burns here calls himself the Voice of Coila in imitation of Ossian, who denominates himself the Voice of Cona. Semerry as we a' has been; and Good night and joy be wi' you a', are the names of two Scottish tunes. "Now my dear lad maun face his faes, Far, far frae me and Logan braes." My Patie is a lover gay, is unequal. "His mind is never muddy," is a muddy expression indeed. "Then I'll resign and marry Pate, This is surely far unworthy of Ramsay, or your book. My song, Rigs of Barley, to the same tune, does not altogether please me; but if I can mend it, and thrash a few loose sentiments out of it, I will submit it to your consideration. The Lass o' Patie's Mill is one of Ramsay's best songs; but there is one loose sentiMr. Erskine will take into his critical conment in it, which my much valued friend cal volumes, are two claims, one, I think, from Aberdeenshire, and the other from The following anecdote, which I had from Ayrshire, for the honour of this song. Robertland, who had it of the late John, the present Sir William Cunningham. of Earl of Loudon, I can, on such authorities, sideration.-In Sir J. Sinclair's Statisti believe. Allan Ramsay was residing at Loudoncastle with the then Earl, father to Earl John; and one forenoon, riding or walking out together, his Lordship and Allan passed a sweet romantic spot on Irvine water, still called "Patie's Mill," where a bonnie lass was "tedding hay, bare headed on the green." My Lord observed to Allan, that it would be a fine theme for a song. Ramsay took the hint, and lingering behind, he composed the first sketch of it, which he produced at dinner. One day I heard Mary say, is a fine song; but for consistency's sake alter the name "Adonis." Were there ever such banns published, as a purpose of marriage between Adonis and Mary? I agree with you that my song, There's nought but care on every hand, is much superior to Poortith cauld. The original song, The Mill Mill O, though excellent, is, on account of delicacy, inadmissible; still I like the title, and think a Scottish song would suit the notes best; and let your chosen song, which is very pretty, follow, as an English set. The Banks of the Dee, is, you know, literally Langolee, to slow time. The song is well enough, but has some false imagery in it for instance, : "And sweetly the nightinga'e sung from the tree.' |