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 book, &c., ballad-making is now as completely my hobby-horse, as ever fortification was Unele 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 last 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 Burns here calls himself the Voice of Coila, in imitation of Ossian, who denominates himself the Voice of Cona. Sae merry as we a' hae been, and Good night and joy be wi' you a', are the names of two Scottish tunes. E. (for I know a good many different ones) which I think pretty: "Now my dear lad maun face his faes, 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 thresh 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 sentiment in it, which my much-valued friend, Mr. Erskine, will take into his critical consideration. In sir J. Sinclair's Statistical volumes, are two claims, one, I think, from Aberdeenshire, and the other from Ayrshire, for the honour of this song. The following anec. dote, which I had from the present sir William Cunningham, of Robertland, who had it of the late John, earl of Loudon, I can, on such authorities, believe. Allan Ramsay was residing at Loudon castle 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 Irwine water, still called, "Patie's Mill," where a bonie lass was " tedding hay, bareheaded 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 pur pose 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 nightingale sung from the tree." In the first place, the nightingale sings in a low bush, but never from a tree; and, in the second place, there never was a nightingale seen, or heard, on the banks of the Dee, or on the banks of any other river in Seotland. Exotic rural imagery is always comparatively flat. If I could hit on another stanza, equal to The small birds rejoice, &e. I do myself honestly avow that I think it a superior song. John Anderson my jothe song to this tune, in Johnson's Museum, is my composition, and I think it not my worst: if it suit you, take it and welcome. Your collection of sentimental and pathetic songs, is, in my opinion, very complete; but not so your comic ones. Where are Tullochgorum, Lumps o' puddin, Tibbie Fowler, and several others, which, in my humble judgment, are well worthy of preservation? There is also one sentimental song of mine in the Museum, which never was known out of the immediate neighbourhood, until I got it taken down from a country girl's singing. It is called Craigieburn Wood; and, in the opinion of It will be found in the course of this corres pondence, that the bard produced a second stanza of The Chevalier's Lament (to which he here al Judes), worthy of the first. E. Mr. Clarke, is one of our sweetest Scottish songs. He is quite an enthusiast about it; and I would take his taste in Scottish music against the taste of most connoisseurs. You are quite right in inserting the last five in your list, though they are certainly Irish. Shepherds I have lost my love, is to me a heavenly air-what would you think of a set of Scottish verses to it? I have made one to it a good while ** ** *** ago, which I think but in its original state it is not quite a lady's song. I inclose an altered, not amended copy for you, if you chuse to set the tune to it, and let the Irish verses follow*. Mr. Erskine's songs are all pretty, but his Lone Vale is divine. Yours, &c. Let me know just how you like these random hints. No. XX. Mr. THOMSON to Mr. BURNS. Edinburgh, April, 1793. I rejoice to find, my dear sir, that ballad-making continues to be your hobby-horse.-Great * Mr. Thomson, it appears, did not approve of this song, even in its altered state. It does not appear in the correspondence; but it is probably one to be found in his MSS. beginning, Yestreen I got a pint of wine, It is highly characteristic of our bard, but the strain of sentiment does not correspond with the air, to which he proposes it should be allied, E. pity 'twould be, were it otherwise. I hope you will amble it away for many a year, and "witch the world with your horsemanship." I know there are a good many lively songs of merit, that I have not put down in the list sent you; but I have them all in my eye. My Patie is a lover gay, though a little unequal, is a natural and very pleasing song, and I humbly think we ought not to displace or alter it, except the last stanza. No. XXI. Mr. BURNS to Mr. THOMSON. I April, 1793. I have yours, my dear sir, this moment. shall answer it and your former letter, in my desultory way of saying whatever comes uppermost. The business of many of our tunes wanting at the beginning what fiddlers call, a starting-note, is often a rub to us poor rhymers. "There's braw, braw lads on Yarrow braes, You may alter to "Braw, braw lads on Yarrow braes, My song, Here awa, there awa, as amended by *The original letter from Mr. Thomson contains many observations on the Scottish songs, and on the manner of adapting the words to the music, which, at his desire, are suppressed. The subsequent letter of Mr. Burns refers to several of these observations. E. |