The Poetical Works of Miss Susanna Blamire (1842) - Gredos ...

The Salamanca Corpus: The Poetical Works of Miss Susanna Blamire (1842)
the hermit in “ Stoklewath.” “The Letters of the Lovers” I am disposed to think are real,
and that “ Anna” and “The Mourner” were not imaginary beings, nor one and the same
individual.
Miss Blamire’s poetry is characterized by ease, a happy gayety, great earnestness,
and often displays considerable imagination, vigour, and exuberance of thought. She was
unquestionably the best female writer of her age; and had her works been published during
her life, with the final corrections of their author, her name by this date would have attained
an honourable position among the poets of our country. Late as they have been in being
brought before the public, I have no fear for their fate, but anticipate her poems will be
found in the collection of every reader of taste. Many of her songs, the greater part of which
are now for the first time published, would have made the reputation of any writer of lyric
poetry in her day; that 1 however is a species of composition which has been I much and
successfully cultivated since her time.
In claiming in her name the authorship of “The Siller Croun,” I candidly
acknowledge I found it not among her manuscripts, but make the claim on the
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authority of her niece Miss Blamire of Thackwood, who perfectly remembers her mother
having said that it was written by her aunt Susanna. It affords me infinite satisfaction to be
thus enabled to point out the true author of this exquisite lyric, upon such unquestioned
authority. My friend Dr Lonsdale had the kindness to inform me that the song was
published in a collection entitled “The National Minstrel,” printed in Glasgow or Greenock
by the late Mr D. Weir, with Miss Blamire’s name attached to it, but it was a very incorrect
edition; this was the first time I had seen her name associated with it, and before I was
prepared to address Mr Weir to inquire how he obtained the knowledge that she was the
author of the song, I was told he was dead.
I have taken an unwarrantable liberty—but which I hope may be of use—in printing
among her works that touching Scottish lyric “The Waefu’ Heart.” Having long had a
settled conviction in my mind, that the writer of “The Siller Croun” was also the writer of
“The Waefu’ Heart;” and having ascertained beyond a doubt that the first-mentioned song
was the production of Miss Blamire, I thought it would be useful to print the songs
together, the better to examine their styles, and to see how closely they resembled each
other in sentiment and expression. I think it cannot
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fail to strike every one, that the second song is a continuation of the first; had the “Jamie”
of the latter hut been the “Donald” of the former, the likeness would have been perfect. The
same impassioned feeling which resolves “Brave Donald’s fate to share,” is also very
visible in that distraction which calls on heaven to
“------take this life, now naething worth,
Since Jamie’s in his grave.”