BIB_ID
293739
Accession number
MA 47.27
Creator
Burns, Robert, 1759-1796.
Display Date
[1793 early Sept.].
Credit line
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1906.
Description
1 item (20 p.) ; 25.4 cm
Notes
"Auld lang syne" first line: Should auld acquaintance be forgot.
"Auld lang syne" without edits and as published in Kinsley (excepting the use of "Dear" instead of "jo" in the chorus and the placement of stanza two at the end of the lines).
"Down the burn Davie" first line: As down the burn they took their way.
"Down the burn Davie" here without edits and as published in Kinsley.
"Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock" (here titled "Fragment [song (deleted)] -- tune, Saw ye my father") first line: Where are the joys I have met in the morning.
"Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock" (here titled "Fragment [song (deleted)] -- tune, Saw ye my father") without edits and differing slightly from published version. Lacking final stanza. See notes in Kinsley.
Dated in Ferguson, p. 239.
Letter is perhaps a response to an ordered list of the songs that Thomson intends to publish first in his Select Collection of Original Scotish Airs.
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.
Verses and/or tunes mentioned in the numbered list: An thou wert my ain (i.e., An thou wert my ain thing); Down the burn Davie; Katharine Ogie; Low down in the broom; Lewie Gordon (noting, "Jamie Dawson is a beautiful ballad, but it is a great length"); Cowdenknowes (reminding him that the English song "When Summer comes the Swains on Tweed" is by Robert Crawford); Bonie Dundee; The last time I came o'er the moor (i.e., Song to the tune of Nansy 's to the green-wood gane); Flowers of the forest; Despairing beside a clear stream; Thro' the wood laddie; Lord Gregory; Thou art gane awa frae me, Mary (suggesting that he see the "best set" of this song in Johnson's Scots Musical Museum); Peggy I must love thee (asking that Burns be allowed to "take this into consideration" for Thomson's third number); Logan water (i.e., his "Song -- Tune, Logan Water"); My lodging is on the cold ground (i.e., his "Scotish Song -- Tune, My lodging is on the cold ground"); Fair Helen (which is "not an air that charms me"); Bonie Jean (i.e., his "A Ballad" beginning "There was a lass and she was fair," asking Thomson to publish the song by its own tune); Gill Morice (suggesting that Thomson omit the song entirely); Hughie Graham (suggesting Thomson look to Oswald's Collection, book 8, under the title "Drimen Duff" for the notes); Laddie lie near me (and discussing his creative process); Highland laddie (and discussing variants); O bonie lass will ye lie in a barrack; Woes my heart that we should sunder (suggesting that Thomson use Burns's verses "My bony Mary" for this air); John Anderson my jo (reminding Thomson that Burns is the author of these verses); The bonie brucket lassie (enclosing (not present) verses by Balloon Tytler for this tune); Banks of the Dee (suggesting Thomson "leave it out entirely" as it is Irish, and use "Saw nae ye my Peggy" or "Let us a' to the bridal" instead); White Cockade (and referencing "Love and Liberty -- a Cantata" and his "Highland Lassie O"); Song (beginning "O whistle, and I'll come to ye, my lad"); Auld Sir Symon (asking Thomson to replace it with "Song -- Tune, Liggeram cosh" (beginning "Blythe hae I been on yon hill")); Dainty Davie (disparaging the verses and noting that "nothing, since a Highland wench in the Cowgate once bore me three bastards at birth, has surprised me so much, as your opinion on this Subject"); Fee him father (enclosing (not present) Fraser's set of the tune); Jockie & Jenny (i.e., "Jockey fou and Jenny fain," suggesting it be replaced with "There's nae luck about the house" or "When she cam ben she bobbit"); Maggie Lauder; Saw ye my father (discussing the tune and referencing "Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock"); Todlin hame (and referencing his "Highland Mary -- Tune, Katharine Ogie"); Geordie's byre (i.e., his "Song -- Tune, Geordie's byre," suggesting Thomson delete the stanza beginning "The primrose is o'er for the season"); Tranent Muir (suggesting it be replaced with "I had a horse and I had nae mare").
With notes in Thomson's hand.
"Auld lang syne" without edits and as published in Kinsley (excepting the use of "Dear" instead of "jo" in the chorus and the placement of stanza two at the end of the lines).
"Down the burn Davie" first line: As down the burn they took their way.
"Down the burn Davie" here without edits and as published in Kinsley.
"Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock" (here titled "Fragment [song (deleted)] -- tune, Saw ye my father") first line: Where are the joys I have met in the morning.
"Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock" (here titled "Fragment [song (deleted)] -- tune, Saw ye my father") without edits and differing slightly from published version. Lacking final stanza. See notes in Kinsley.
Dated in Ferguson, p. 239.
Letter is perhaps a response to an ordered list of the songs that Thomson intends to publish first in his Select Collection of Original Scotish Airs.
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.
Verses and/or tunes mentioned in the numbered list: An thou wert my ain (i.e., An thou wert my ain thing); Down the burn Davie; Katharine Ogie; Low down in the broom; Lewie Gordon (noting, "Jamie Dawson is a beautiful ballad, but it is a great length"); Cowdenknowes (reminding him that the English song "When Summer comes the Swains on Tweed" is by Robert Crawford); Bonie Dundee; The last time I came o'er the moor (i.e., Song to the tune of Nansy 's to the green-wood gane); Flowers of the forest; Despairing beside a clear stream; Thro' the wood laddie; Lord Gregory; Thou art gane awa frae me, Mary (suggesting that he see the "best set" of this song in Johnson's Scots Musical Museum); Peggy I must love thee (asking that Burns be allowed to "take this into consideration" for Thomson's third number); Logan water (i.e., his "Song -- Tune, Logan Water"); My lodging is on the cold ground (i.e., his "Scotish Song -- Tune, My lodging is on the cold ground"); Fair Helen (which is "not an air that charms me"); Bonie Jean (i.e., his "A Ballad" beginning "There was a lass and she was fair," asking Thomson to publish the song by its own tune); Gill Morice (suggesting that Thomson omit the song entirely); Hughie Graham (suggesting Thomson look to Oswald's Collection, book 8, under the title "Drimen Duff" for the notes); Laddie lie near me (and discussing his creative process); Highland laddie (and discussing variants); O bonie lass will ye lie in a barrack; Woes my heart that we should sunder (suggesting that Thomson use Burns's verses "My bony Mary" for this air); John Anderson my jo (reminding Thomson that Burns is the author of these verses); The bonie brucket lassie (enclosing (not present) verses by Balloon Tytler for this tune); Banks of the Dee (suggesting Thomson "leave it out entirely" as it is Irish, and use "Saw nae ye my Peggy" or "Let us a' to the bridal" instead); White Cockade (and referencing "Love and Liberty -- a Cantata" and his "Highland Lassie O"); Song (beginning "O whistle, and I'll come to ye, my lad"); Auld Sir Symon (asking Thomson to replace it with "Song -- Tune, Liggeram cosh" (beginning "Blythe hae I been on yon hill")); Dainty Davie (disparaging the verses and noting that "nothing, since a Highland wench in the Cowgate once bore me three bastards at birth, has surprised me so much, as your opinion on this Subject"); Fee him father (enclosing (not present) Fraser's set of the tune); Jockie & Jenny (i.e., "Jockey fou and Jenny fain," suggesting it be replaced with "There's nae luck about the house" or "When she cam ben she bobbit"); Maggie Lauder; Saw ye my father (discussing the tune and referencing "Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock"); Todlin hame (and referencing his "Highland Mary -- Tune, Katharine Ogie"); Geordie's byre (i.e., his "Song -- Tune, Geordie's byre," suggesting Thomson delete the stanza beginning "The primrose is o'er for the season"); Tranent Muir (suggesting it be replaced with "I had a horse and I had nae mare").
With notes in Thomson's hand.
Summary
Giving his opinion, suggesting edits or substitutions, and generally discussing seventy-four songs in a numbered list (1-74). Giving the verses of "Down the burn Davie" (p. 1-2); "Fair Jenny -- Tune, The grey cock" (p. 15, and here titled "Fragment [song (deleted)] -- tune, Saw ye my father"); and "Auld lang syne" (p. 18-19).
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