OUT OVER THE FORTH. [This beautiful fragment is first heard tell of in a letter from the poet to Alexander Cunningham, dated from Ellisland, 12th March, 1791. After transcribing several new pieces, and remarking thus:-"For my own part, a thing I have just composed always appears through a double portion of that partial medium in which an author will ever view his own works," he adds-" Apropos, how do you like this thought in a ballad I have just now on the tapis?— 'I look to the west when I gae to rest, That happy my dreams and my slumbers may be; The lad that is dear to my babie and me!'"] OUT over the Forth, I look to the north; But what is the north and its Highlands to me? The south nor the east gie ease to my breastThe far foreign land, or the wide rolling sea: But I look to the west when I gae to rest, That happy my dreams and my slumbers may be; For far in the west lives he I lo'e best, The man that is dear to my babie and me. WANTONNESS FOR EVER MAIR. [The title of this fragment is quoted in the "Answer to 'Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence Displayed.' It was recovered by Burns, touched up, and sent by him, along with its fine old tune, to the Museum.] WANTONNESS for ever mair, I hae lo'ed the Black, the Brown; A' the colours in the town, I hae won their wanton favour. CHARLIE, HE'S MY DARLING. [This Jacobite song was communicated by Burns to Johnson, and never having been seen in print before, is presumed to be his own. It was a favourite of Sir Walter Scott, and those who have read his memoirs, by Lockhart, will remember that in Italy, during that sad period when he was seeking to repair his shattered health among its salubrious vales, his mind would wander northwards to his native glens, as was made certain by his often crooning the last verse of this very song: "It's up yon heathery mountain, and down yon scroggy glen, 'Twas on a Monday morning, Right early in the year, That Charlie came to our town An' Charlie, he's my darling, As he was walking up the street, Sae light's he jimpèd up the stair, To let the laddie in? An' Charlie, &c. THE LASS OF ECCLEFECHAN. [Ecclefechan was occasionally one of the poet's resting places during his latter excise journeys. Many of our readers will remember the humorous letter he wrote to George Thomson, from "this unfortunate, wicked little village," on 7th February, 1795, when he was detained there, for a second day, against his will, "by snows ten feet deep." The present song is certainly by Burns, although not marked as his in the Museum.] GAT ye me, O gat ye me, O gat ye me wi' naething? A mickle quarter basin : Bye attour, my gutcher has A heigh house and a laigh ane, A' forbye my bonie sel', The toss of Ecclefechan. O haud your tongue now, Luckie Laing, I tint my whistle and my sang, I tint my peace and pleasure; But your green graff, now, Luckie Laing, THE COOPER O' CUDDY. [This is another unclaimed, although undoubted production of Burns', possessing, unfortunately, more wit than delicacy. He directs it to be sung to the wellknown tune-Bab at the Bowster. In one of his MS. copies of this song, the last line of the chorus reads "For fear o' the auld gudeman, O."] CHORUS. We'll hide the Cooper behind the door, B THE Cooper o' Cuddy cam' here awa'; He sought them out, he sought them in, They cooper'd at e'en, they cooper'd at morn, On ilka brow she's planted a horn, And swears that there they shall stan', 0. LEEZIE LINDSAY. [The poet communicated to Johnson the exquisite air of this song, which afterwards became so popular through the singing of John Wilson. One verse of the words is all that he sent; for he did not live to fulfil his promise to forward the remainder. This is to be regretted, because the verses which have been since added to it are very common-place: these are as follow: "To gang to the Hielands wi' you, sir, I dinna ken how that may be; O Leezie, lass, ye maun ken little, if sae that ye dinna ken me; She has kilted her coats o' green satin; she has kilted them up to the knee; WILL ye go to the Hielands, Leezie Lindsay? Will ye go to the Hielands, Leezie Lindsay, * FOR THE SAKE O' SOMEBODY. [This charming song is given with Burns' name attached to it. So early as in November, 1787, he seems to refer to this production in a letter to Peggy Chalmers. That lady had desired to see it in the second volume of the Museum, and he writes thus:-"I am afraid the song of Somebody will come too late." At same time, the poet may have been alluding to the song he had then just composed in honour of his correspondent, beginning, "My Peggy's face, my Peggy's form," which was intended to appear in that volume, but through some mishap was omitted, and only saw the light when published by Currie, in 1800.] My heart is sair-I dare na tell My heart is sair for somebody; I could wake a winter night I could range the world around, Ye powers that smile on virtuous love, Oh-hey! for somebody : I wad do what would I not? THE CARDIN' O'T. [This is a very exquisite production-barring the chorus, which is not satisfactory. "Haslock Woo "is the very finest wool clipped or pulled from the hause or throat of the sheep. The last four lines of this little song are not surpassed in beauty and tenderness by the author's "John Anderson, my jo." It sings well to the air-My Johnie's Gray Breeks.] I COFT a stane o' haslock woo, To mak' a wat to Johnie o't; For Johnie is my only jo, I lo'e him best of onie yet. |