BIB_ID
293690
Accession number
MA 47.20
Creator
Burns, Robert, 1759-1796.
Display Date
[1793 Aug. 19].
Credit line
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1906.
Description
1 item (3 p.) ; 25.5 cm
Notes
"Allan Water" first line: By Allan-side I chanc'd to rove.
"Allan Water" without edits and differing slightly from published version; see notes in Kinsley for variants.
Address panel with evidence of a seal and postmarks (Dumfries and AU 19) and addressed to "Mr. George Thomson / Trustees Office / Edinr." Docketed "Aug. 1793 Mr. Burns with new Scots Verses for Allan water."
Localization and dating from postmarks.
Part of a large collection of letters from Robert Burns to George Thomson. Items are described individually; see collection record (MA 47 and MA 50) for more information.
With notes in Thomson's hand.
"Allan Water" without edits and differing slightly from published version; see notes in Kinsley for variants.
Address panel with evidence of a seal and postmarks (Dumfries and AU 19) and addressed to "Mr. George Thomson / Trustees Office / Edinr." Docketed "Aug. 1793 Mr. Burns with new Scots Verses for Allan water."
Localization and dating from postmarks.
Part of a large collection of letters from Robert Burns to George Thomson. Items are described individually; see collection record (MA 47 and MA 50) for more information.
With notes in Thomson's hand.
Summary
Mentioning the songs "O poortith cauld" (i.e., "Song -- Tune, Cauld kail in Aberdeem"), "Let me in this ae night," "Had I a cave" (i.e., "Song"), "Down the burn Davie," and "The last time I came o'er the muir" (i.e., "Song" to the tune of "Nansy 's to the green-wood gone"). Relating that during an evening stroll the previous day, he was inspired to work on "Allan Water," noting that he "sat, & raved, under the shade of an old thorn, till I wrote one to suit the measure." Thinking the result "not in my worst style," and discussing the inclusion of an historic line within the verses.
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