Another
excellent
song of old Skinner's.
Robert Burns
Ramsay here, as usual with him, has taken the idea of the song, and
the first line, from the old fragment which may be seen in the
"Museum," vol. v.
* * * * *
WILLIE BREW'D A PECK O' MAUT.
This air is Masterton's; the song mine. --The occasion of it was
this:--Mr. W. Nicol, of the High-School, Edinburgh, during the autumn
vacation being at Moffat, honest Allan, who was at that time on a
visit to Dalswinton, and I, went to pay Nicol a visit. --We had such a
joyous meeting that Mr. Masterton and I agreed, each in our own way,
that we should celebrate the business.
* * * * *
KILLIECRANKIE.
The battle of Killiecrankie was the last stand made by the clans for
James, after his abdication. Here the gallant Lord Dundee fell in the
moment of victory, and with him fell the hopes of the party. General
Mackay, when he found the Highlanders did not pursue his flying army,
said, "Dundee must be killed, or he never would have overlooked this
advantage. " A great stone marks the spot where Dundee fell.
* * * * *
THE EWIE WI' THE CROOKED HORN.
Another excellent song of old Skinner's.
* * * * *
CRAIGIE-BURN WOOD.
It is remarkable of this air that it is the confine of that country
where the greatest part of our Lowland music (so far as from the
title, words, &c. , we can localize it) has been composed. From
Craigie-burn, near Moffat, until one reaches the West Highlands, we
have scarcely one slow air of any antiquity.
The song was composed on a passion which a Mr. Gillespie, a particular
friend of mine, had for a Miss Lorimer, afterwards a Mrs. Whelpdale.
This young lady was born at Craigie-burn Wood. --The chorus is part of
an old foolish ballad.
* * * * *
FRAE THE FRIENDS AND LAND I LOVE.
I added the four last lines, by way of giving a turn to the theme of
the poem, such as it is.
* * * * *
HUGHIE GRAHAM
There are several editions of this ballad. --This, here inserted, is
from oral tradition in Ayrshire, where, when I was a boy, it was a
popular song. --It originally had a simple old tune, which I have
forgotten.
"Our lords are to the mountains gane,
A hunting o' the fallow deer,
And they have gripet Hughie Graham,
For stealing o' the bishop's mare.
