those of Burns would have been often unintelligible. He has therefore yielded to the earnest request of the trustees of the family of the poet, to suffer them to appear in their natural order ; and independently of the illustration they give to the letters of our bard,

it is not to be doubted that their intrinsic merit will

en

ensure them a reception from the public, far beyond what Mr. Thomson's modesty would permit him to suppose. The whole of this correspondence was arranged for the press by Mr. Thomson, and has been printed with little addition or variation.

or va

To this are added, the greater number of the songs furnished by our bard for Mr. Johnson's publication, entitled, “The Scots Musical Museum," (See p. 269) and such other of his poems, not before published, as seemed not unworthy of seeing

INDEX

TO THE

Correspondence between Mr. Thomson and Mr. Burns.

Page

No. 1. MR. THOMSON TO MR. BURNS. 1792.

Desiring the Bard to furnish verses for some

of the Scottish airs, and to revise former songs, 1 II. MR. B. to Mr.T. Promising assistance, 3 III. Mr. T. to Mr. B. sending some tunes, 5 IV. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ The Lea Rig,” and

“Will ye go to the Indies, my Mary,” , 8 V. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ My wife's a win

some wee thing,” and “O saw ye bonnie

Lesley,” . . . . . . 13 VI, Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ Highland Mary,” 17 VII. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Thanks, and critical ob

servations, . . . . . . 19 VIII. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with an additional stanza

to “ The Lea Rig.” . . . . 23

No.

No.

Page. IX. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with "Auld Rob Morris"

and “ Duncan Gray,” . . . 25 X. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with 66 O Poortith cauld

&c.” and “ Galla Water," · · 29 XI. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Jan. 1793. Desiring

anecdotes on the origin of particular songs.
Tytler of Woodhouselee-Pleyel-sends P.
Pindar's “ Lord Gregory.”—Postscript

from the Hon. A. Erskine, , : 32 XII. Mr. B. to Mr. T. Has Mr, Tytler's anec

dotes, and means to give his own-sends

bis own “ Lord Gregory,” . . 36 XIII. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ Mary Morison,” 41 XIV. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with 6 Wandering

Willie,” . . . . . 43 XV. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ Open the door to me, Ob!” .

. 44 XVI. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ Jessie,” i 46 XVII. Mr. T. to Mr. B. with a list of songs, and

“Wandering Willie” altered, . 47 XVIII. Mr. B. to Mr T. “ When wild war's dead

• ly blast was blawn,” and “ Meg o’the

Mill,” . . . . . 50 XIX. Mr. B. to Mr. T. Voice of Coila-Criticism

-Origin of " The Lass o' Patie's Mill,” 55 XX. Mr. T. to Mr. B. . . . . 61 No.

- Page. XXI. Mr. B. to Mr. T. Simplicity requisite in a

song-One poet should not mangle the

works of another, . .. 62 XXII. Mr. B. to Mr. T. “Farewell thou stream

that winding flows."—Wishes that the
national music may preserve its native

features, . . . . . 66 XXIII. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Thanks and observations, 68 XXIV. Mr. B to Mr. T. with “ Blythe hae I

been on yon bill,” . . . 70 XXV. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ O Logan,

sweetly didst thou glide.” “O gin my

love were yon red rose;" &c. , 73 XXVI. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Enclosing a note

Thanks, · · · · · 77 XXVII. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with 56 There was a

‘lass and she was fair,” . 79 XXVIII. Mr. B. to Mr. T. Hurt at the idea of pe

cuniary recompense-Remarks on songs, 82 XXIX. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Musical expression, 85

XXX. Mr. B. to Mr. T. For Mr. Clarke, 86 XXXI. Mr. B. to Mr. T. with “ Phillis the fair,” 87 XXXII. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Mr. Allan–Drawing

from “ John Anderson my jo," : 90 XXXIII, Mr. B. to Mr. T. with 6 Had I a cave"

&c.-Some airs common to Scotland
and Ireland, . . . . 92

No.