The Mary here alluded to is generally supposed to be Miss Mary
Macghie, daughter to the Laird of Airds, in Galloway.
Macghie, daughter to the Laird of Airds, in Galloway.
Robert Forst
Of consequence, the beautiful
song of Tweed Side is Mr. Crawfurd's, and indeed does great honour to
his poetical talents. He was a Robert Crawfurd; the Mary he celebrates
was a Mary Stewart, of the Castle-Milk family, afterwards married to a
Mr. John Ritchie.
I have seen a song, calling itself the original Tweed Side, and said
to have been composed by a Lord Yester. It consisted of two stanzas,
of which I still recollect the first--
"When Maggy and I was acquaint,
I carried my noddle fu' hie;
Nae lintwhite on a' the green plain,
Nor gowdspink sae happy as me:
But I saw her sae fair and I lo'ed:
I woo'd, but I came nae great speed;
So now I maun wander abroad,
And lay my banes far frae the Tweed. "--
* * * * *
THE POSY.
It appears evident to me that Oswald composed his _Roslin Castle_ on
the modulation of this air. --In the second part of Oswald's, in the
three first bars, he has either hit on a wonderful similarity to, or
else he has entirely borrowed the three first bars of the old air; and
the close of both tunes is almost exactly the same. The old verses to
which it was sung, when I took down the notes from a country girl's
voice, had no great merit. --The following is a specimen:
"There was a pretty May, and a milkin she went;
Wi' her red rosy cheeks, and her coal black hair;
And she has met a young man a comin o'er the bent,
With a double and adieu to thee, fair May.
O where are ye goin, my ain pretty May,
Wi' thy red rosy cheeks, and thy coal black hair?
Unto the yowes a milkin, kind sir, she says,
With a double and adieu to thee, fair May.
What if I gang alang with thee, my ain pretty May,
Wi' thy red rosy cheeks, any thy coal-black hair;
Wad I be aught the warse o' that, kind sir, she says,
With a double and adieu to thee, fair May. "
* * * * *
MARY'S DREAM.
The Mary here alluded to is generally supposed to be Miss Mary
Macghie, daughter to the Laird of Airds, in Galloway. The poet was a
Mr. John Lowe, who likewise wrote another beautiful song, called
Pompey's Ghost. --I have seen a poetic epistle from him in North
America, where he now is, or lately was, to a lady in Scotland. --By
the strain of the verses, it appeared that they allude to some love
affair.
* * * * *
THE MAID THAT TENDS THE GOATS.
BY MR. DUDGEON.
This Dudgeon is a respectable farmer's son in Berwickshire.
* * * * *
I WISH MY LOVE WERE IN A MIRE.
I never heard more of the words of this old song than the title.
* * * * *
ALLAN WATER.
This Allan Water, which the composer of the music has honoured with
the name of the air, I have been told is Allan Water, in Strathallan.
* * * * *
THERE'S NAE LUCK ABOUT THE HOUSE.
This is one of the most beautiful songs in the Scots, or any other
language. --The two lines,
"And will I see his face again!
song of Tweed Side is Mr. Crawfurd's, and indeed does great honour to
his poetical talents. He was a Robert Crawfurd; the Mary he celebrates
was a Mary Stewart, of the Castle-Milk family, afterwards married to a
Mr. John Ritchie.
I have seen a song, calling itself the original Tweed Side, and said
to have been composed by a Lord Yester. It consisted of two stanzas,
of which I still recollect the first--
"When Maggy and I was acquaint,
I carried my noddle fu' hie;
Nae lintwhite on a' the green plain,
Nor gowdspink sae happy as me:
But I saw her sae fair and I lo'ed:
I woo'd, but I came nae great speed;
So now I maun wander abroad,
And lay my banes far frae the Tweed. "--
* * * * *
THE POSY.
It appears evident to me that Oswald composed his _Roslin Castle_ on
the modulation of this air. --In the second part of Oswald's, in the
three first bars, he has either hit on a wonderful similarity to, or
else he has entirely borrowed the three first bars of the old air; and
the close of both tunes is almost exactly the same. The old verses to
which it was sung, when I took down the notes from a country girl's
voice, had no great merit. --The following is a specimen:
"There was a pretty May, and a milkin she went;
Wi' her red rosy cheeks, and her coal black hair;
And she has met a young man a comin o'er the bent,
With a double and adieu to thee, fair May.
O where are ye goin, my ain pretty May,
Wi' thy red rosy cheeks, and thy coal black hair?
Unto the yowes a milkin, kind sir, she says,
With a double and adieu to thee, fair May.
What if I gang alang with thee, my ain pretty May,
Wi' thy red rosy cheeks, any thy coal-black hair;
Wad I be aught the warse o' that, kind sir, she says,
With a double and adieu to thee, fair May. "
* * * * *
MARY'S DREAM.
The Mary here alluded to is generally supposed to be Miss Mary
Macghie, daughter to the Laird of Airds, in Galloway. The poet was a
Mr. John Lowe, who likewise wrote another beautiful song, called
Pompey's Ghost. --I have seen a poetic epistle from him in North
America, where he now is, or lately was, to a lady in Scotland. --By
the strain of the verses, it appeared that they allude to some love
affair.
* * * * *
THE MAID THAT TENDS THE GOATS.
BY MR. DUDGEON.
This Dudgeon is a respectable farmer's son in Berwickshire.
* * * * *
I WISH MY LOVE WERE IN A MIRE.
I never heard more of the words of this old song than the title.
* * * * *
ALLAN WATER.
This Allan Water, which the composer of the music has honoured with
the name of the air, I have been told is Allan Water, in Strathallan.
* * * * *
THERE'S NAE LUCK ABOUT THE HOUSE.
This is one of the most beautiful songs in the Scots, or any other
language. --The two lines,
"And will I see his face again!
