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

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sentiment
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EEMAEKS.
humour infused into the latter part of it, could only be supplied by
the master hand of Burns. It seems passing strange to us—balladmongers
as we are, and Mr Dixon must be—that in editing so singu- (
lar a ballad as the " Farmer's old V/ife," he should have made no I
mention of the version published by Cromek, or—by far the best of \
the three—that sent by Burns to Johnson's " Musical Museum."*
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We come, at last, to what ought to have been noticed first—the ;
Introduction. In it we find some interesting notices of the modern
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musicians and composers of Ayrshire, viz., John M'Gill, composer of (
the air that goes by his name ; John Riddel, who composed " Jenny's
Bawbee," " Stewarton Lasses," &c. The late Earl of Eglinton,
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who
was a first-rate player upon the violincello and hai-p, and composed a
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number of airs, such as the " Ayrshire Lasses," &c. James Tannock,
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and last, not least, the celebrated Major Logan ; all of whom drew a \
good bow-hand. 5
We hope the encouragement given to this work will be such as to \
induce the Editor to go on with it. It comes in well as an addition \
to what Burns has done for the lyrical reputation of Carrick, Cun- ]
ningham, and Kyle. After all, there may be something selfish lurk-
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ing under this, for then we shall have the pleasure of descanting upon \
it at large, in the pages of the Ayrshire " News-I^etter."
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[We have copied the foregoing remai-ks on the First Series of " The i
Ballads and Songs of Ayrshire," in the belief that they will prove interesting
to the reader. They are wi'itten in a kindly spirit, and sup- }
ply some editorial deficiencies, for which we heartily thank the author.
We, at the same time, do not coincide in all that he has advanced.
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With reference to " Old King Cowl," we hold it to be no proof ]
against its antiquity, that it cannot be traced, written or piinted, farther
back than Herd's Collection. It is at best but a " rhyme," easily
retained on the memory ; and many such, of unquestionable antiquity,
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have only recently been committed to paper—the language, as in all f
oral traditions, being aifected by the existing vernacular.
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We are satisfied that we have been led into a mistake regarding
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the author of " My ain Fii'eside." It is quite in the strain of Mrs (
Hamilton—still it is not surprising that collectors should have been
led astray, considering
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the ambiguous terms in which Cromek has in- i
\ troduced the verses. After the song— " A Weary Body's blythe
when the Sun gangs down"—the author of which is not stated—he <
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says :— " The following verses [" My ain Fireside"] contain a kindred
with the preceding. The reader will be curious to see the
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\ smne subject treated by a mere peasant, and by an elegant and ac- \
\ complished living tvriter, Mrs Elizabeth Hamilton, author of ' The ]
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Cottagers of Glenburnie.' " Now—which is Mrs Hamilton's Is it "A
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Weary Body," or " My ain Fireside" 'Ed.]
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* Cromet, in making inquiries at Mrs Burns -what the Poet had done for a <
number of old songs in the Musical Museum—says, " when she came to the Carle
of Kellyburn Braes, she said, He (Burns) gave ' this one a terrible brushing.' " <
Allan Cunningham affirms that the 11th and 12th stanzas are wholly by Burns,
We will take it upon us to affirm that stanzas 6th, 7th, 12th, 14th, and 15th, of
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the version in " Cromek's Remains," were wholly written by Mr Cunningham.