[A composite volume : containing The ballads and songs of Ayrshire ...

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REMARKS.
She may be gentle thy heart's love,
She may be fair and fine ;
But, by the heav'n aboon our head,
She canna be like mine.
O !
her cheek's like the rosy glow
That niaks the burdies chirl
Her ee is like the lightning's lowe
That gars the heartstrings dirl.
Her lips are like the cherries twin,
That grow upon ae shank
Her breath— it beats the simmer win'
I' the lowne o' a iiowVy bank.
Her neck is like the siller stour
That bowses frae the linn
Her breast— O, its a lily bower,
That ane wad fain lie in !
Awa', avva', ye wooer youth,
Yours may be fair and fine
But, by the heav'n aboon our head,
She canna be like mine."
As a modern Scottish poet, Ainslie only stands second to
Burns in
his native county ; others may be inclined to dispute his pretensions ;
if so, Vv'e would be glacl to be favoured with their names. It is our
firm opinion, that were the circle enlarged so as to embrace all the
counties in Scotland, where, v/e would ask, is the living bard to be
found to match Hew Ainslie*
The Carle of Kellyhurn Braes. The Editor contents himself with
remarking, that " Bun:is is said to be the author of Kellyhurn Braes.
The overcome is old ;" but there is no doubt whatever that Burns
founded it on an old ballad. This was just such a subject as the poet
loved to handle, and, in depicting the wicked shrew of the " auld Carle,"
he gave full swing to his witty and humorous fancy. Mr Cromek, in
his " Remains of Mthsdale and Galloway song," published what he
called the " Original of Surns's Carle of Kellyhurn Braes," consisting
of sixteen verses, and differing in almost every stanza from that sent
by Burns to Johnson's Musical Museum. This questionable version
is now admitted to have been furnished by Allan Cunningham. It is
almost needless to observe, that the wicked wit, in this new version, is
not heightened, nor the humour improved. An English version of this
ballad appeared in No. LXII. of the Percy Society's publications, entitled
" Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs, of the Peasantry of England."
Of this song, " The Farmer's old Wife—a Sussex whistling
song," the editor (J. H. Dixon) says, " It is very ancient." If so, it
must be the original of Burns's song, as several of the lines are almost
* The Editor of the " Contemporaries of Burns" observes, that the " Pilgrimage
to the Land of Burns,'" printed in 1S22, "did not escape the observation
of Mr Robert Chambers, who transferred three of the poetical pieces to his Collection
of Scottish Songs, published in 1829." We have it from the best authority,
that the three songs above mentioned were pointed out to Mr Chambers
a gentleman well versed in Scottish song, who urged Mr Chambers to give
them a place in his Collection, which was then going through the press.
information respecting Aiuslie, and his original songs, which appeared
the 2d volume of the " Literary Journal," were furnished by Mr "VVelstood, a
manufacturer, who left Edinburgh for America in 1830.