“Fee him, father:” I enclose you Frazer’s set of this tune when he plays it slow: in fact he makes it the language of despair. I shall here give you two stanzas, in that style, merely to try if it will be any improvement. Were it possible, in singing, to give it half the pathos which Frazer gives it in playing, it would make an admirably pathetic song. I do not give these verses for any merit they have. I composed them at the time in which “Patie Allan’s mither died—that was about the back o’ midnight;” and by the lee-side of a bowl of punch, which had overset every mortal in company except the hautbois and the muse.
Thou hast left me ever, Jamie.[243]
“Jockie and Jenny” I would discard, and in its place would put “There’s nae luck about the house,”[244] which has a very pleasant air, and which is positively the finest love-ballad in that style in the Scottish, or perhaps in any other language. “When she came ben she bobbit,” as an air is more beautiful than either, and in the andante way would unite with a charming sentimental ballad.
“Saw ye my father?” is one of my greatest favourites. The evening before last, I wandered out, and began a tender song, in what I think is its native style. I must premise that the old way, and the way to give most effect, is to have no starting note, as the fiddlers call it, but to burst at once into the pathos. Every country girl sings “Saw ye my father?” &c.
My song is but just begun; and I should like, before I proceed, to know your opinion of it. I have sprinkled it with the Scottish dialect, but it may be easily turned into correct English.[245]
“Todlin hame.” Urbani mentioned an idea of his, which has long been mine, that this air is highly susceptible of pathos: accordingly, you will soon hear him at your concert try it to a song of mine in the Museum, “Ye banks and braes o’ bonnie Doon.” One song more and I have done; “Auld lang syne.” The air is but mediocre; but the following song, the old song of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man’s singing, is enough to recommend any air.[246]
Now, I suppose, I have tried your patience fairly. You must, after all is over, have a number of ballads, properly so called. “Gil Morice,” “Tranent Muir,” “Macpherson’s farewell,” “Battle of Sherriff-muir,” or, “We ran, and they ran,” (I know the author of this charming ballad, and his history,) “Hardiknute,” “Barbara Allan” (I can furnish a finer set of this tune than any that has yet appeared;) and besides do you know that I really have the old tune to which “The cherry and the slae” was sung, and which is mentioned as a well-known air in “Scotland’s Complaint,” a book published before poor Mary’s days?[247] It was then called “The banks of Helicon;” an old poem which Pinkerton has brought to light. You will see all this in Tytler’s history of Scottish music. The tune, to a learned ear, may have no great merit; but it is a great curiosity. I have a good many original things of this kind.
R. B.
FOOTNOTES:
[239] Mr. Thomson’s list of songs for his publication.