]
[Footnote 240: This is an alteration of one of Crawford's songs.
[Footnote 240: This is an alteration of one of Crawford's songs.
Robert Forst
[245]
"Todlin hame. " Urbani mentioned an idea of his, which has long been
mine, that this air is highly susceptible of pathos: accordingly, you
will soon hear him at your concert try it to a song of mine in the
Museum, "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon. " One song more and I have
done; "Auld lang syne. " The air is but mediocre; but the following
song, the old song of the olden times, and which has never been in
print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man's
singing, is enough to recommend any air. [246]
Now, I suppose, I have tried your patience fairly. You must, after all
is over, have a number of ballads, properly so called. "Gil Morice,"
"Tranent Muir," "Macpherson's farewell," "Battle of Sherriff-muir,"
or, "We ran, and they ran," (I know the author of this charming
ballad, and his history,) "Hardiknute," "Barbara Allan" (I can furnish
a finer set of this tune than any that has yet appeared;) and besides
do you know that I really have the old tune to which "The cherry and
the slae" was sung, and which is mentioned as a well-known air in
"Scotland's Complaint," a book published before poor Mary's days? [247]
It was then called "The banks of Helicon;" an old poem which Pinkerton
has brought to light. You will see all this in Tytler's history of
Scottish music. The tune, to a learned ear, may have no great merit;
but it is a great curiosity. I have a good many original things of
this kind.
R. B.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 239: Mr. Thomson's list of songs for his publication.
]
[Footnote 240: This is an alteration of one of Crawford's songs. ]
[Footnote 241: His Christian name was William. ]
[Footnote 242: Song CXCV. ]
[Footnote 243: Song CCIX. ]
[Footnote 244: By William Julius Mickle. ]
[Footnote 245: The song here alluded to is one which the poet afterwards
sent in an entire form:--
"Where are the joys I hae met in the morning. "]
[Footnote 246: Song CCX. ]
[Footnote 247: A curious and rare book, which Leyden afterwards edited. ]
* * * * *
CCLXXIV.
TO MR. THOMSON.
[Burns listened too readily to the suggestion of Thomson, to alter
"Bruce's Address to his troops at Bannockburn:" whatever may be the
merits of the air of "Louis Gordon," the sublime simplicity of the
words was injured by the alteration: it is now sung as originally
written, by all singers of taste. ]
_September, 1793. _
I am happy, my dear Sir, that my ode pleases you so much. Your idea,
"honour's bed," is, though a beautiful, a hackneyed idea; so, if you
please, we will let the line stand as it is. I have altered the song
as follows:--[248]
N.
"Todlin hame. " Urbani mentioned an idea of his, which has long been
mine, that this air is highly susceptible of pathos: accordingly, you
will soon hear him at your concert try it to a song of mine in the
Museum, "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon. " One song more and I have
done; "Auld lang syne. " The air is but mediocre; but the following
song, the old song of the olden times, and which has never been in
print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man's
singing, is enough to recommend any air. [246]
Now, I suppose, I have tried your patience fairly. You must, after all
is over, have a number of ballads, properly so called. "Gil Morice,"
"Tranent Muir," "Macpherson's farewell," "Battle of Sherriff-muir,"
or, "We ran, and they ran," (I know the author of this charming
ballad, and his history,) "Hardiknute," "Barbara Allan" (I can furnish
a finer set of this tune than any that has yet appeared;) and besides
do you know that I really have the old tune to which "The cherry and
the slae" was sung, and which is mentioned as a well-known air in
"Scotland's Complaint," a book published before poor Mary's days? [247]
It was then called "The banks of Helicon;" an old poem which Pinkerton
has brought to light. You will see all this in Tytler's history of
Scottish music. The tune, to a learned ear, may have no great merit;
but it is a great curiosity. I have a good many original things of
this kind.
R. B.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 239: Mr. Thomson's list of songs for his publication.
]
[Footnote 240: This is an alteration of one of Crawford's songs. ]
[Footnote 241: His Christian name was William. ]
[Footnote 242: Song CXCV. ]
[Footnote 243: Song CCIX. ]
[Footnote 244: By William Julius Mickle. ]
[Footnote 245: The song here alluded to is one which the poet afterwards
sent in an entire form:--
"Where are the joys I hae met in the morning. "]
[Footnote 246: Song CCX. ]
[Footnote 247: A curious and rare book, which Leyden afterwards edited. ]
* * * * *
CCLXXIV.
TO MR. THOMSON.
[Burns listened too readily to the suggestion of Thomson, to alter
"Bruce's Address to his troops at Bannockburn:" whatever may be the
merits of the air of "Louis Gordon," the sublime simplicity of the
words was injured by the alteration: it is now sung as originally
written, by all singers of taste. ]
_September, 1793. _
I am happy, my dear Sir, that my ode pleases you so much. Your idea,
"honour's bed," is, though a beautiful, a hackneyed idea; so, if you
please, we will let the line stand as it is. I have altered the song
as follows:--[248]
N.
