Loudon Castle. The omission of the second verse was proposed by Mr. Thomson, and in a moment of unexampled fastidiousness, sanctioned by Burns. I have restored the verse, which, though free and glowing, bears the character and impress of that age; and the removal of it picks the heart and soul out of the song.

JOHN HAY'S BONNY LASSIE.

By smooth winding Tay a swain was reclining,
Aft cry'd he, Oh hey! maun I still live pining
Mysel thus away, and daurna discover

To my bonny Hay that I am her lover!

Nae mair it will hide, the flame waxes stranger;
If she's not my bride, my days are nae langer:
Then I'll take a heart, and try at a venture,
Maybe, ere we part, my vows may content her.

She's fresh as the Spring, and sweet as Aurora,
When birds mount and sing, bidding day a good-morrow;
The swaird of the mead, enamell'd wi' daisies,
Looks wither'd and dead when twinn'd of her graces.

But if she appear where verdure invites her,

The fountains run clear, and flowers smell the sweeter; "Tis heaven to be by when her wit is a-flowing, Her smiles and bright eye set my spirits a-glowing.

The mair that I gaze, the deeper I'm wounded,
Struck dumb wi' amaze, my mind is confounded;
I'm a' in a fire, dear maid, to caress ye,

For a' my desire is Hay's bonnie lassie.

An old and a very beautiful song once existed in Nithsdale, which was sung to the air of this lyric: I only heard it once; I was then very young, and it has escaped wholly from my memory, except a single line, with which I think the first and last verses concluded

There's nane o' them a' like my bonnie lassie.

The story of the song was also the same; and I have an impression that the whole or part of it was older than Ramsay's days. Burns had heard that John Hay's Bonnie Lassie was daughter of the Earl or Marquis of Tweeddale, and Countess of Roxburgh, who died some time between the years 1720 and 1740. If the song was Ramsay's, and it has been generally attributed to him, and frequently printed with his name, it must have been an early production, for the lady, if Burns is right, was too ripe for the freshness of Aurora when he printed his Miscellany. But we cannot depend upon traditional accuracy in such matters; and it may have happened that the song was inspired by a much less lordly personage than an earl's daughter and an earl's

wife.

GIN YE MEET A BONNIE LASSIE.

Gin ye meet a bonnie lassie,

Gi'e her a kiss and let her gae ; But if ye meet a dorty hizzie,

Fy gar rub her o'er wi' strae.

Be sure ye dinna quat the grip

Of ilka joy when ye are young, Before auld age your vitals nip, And lay you twafald o'er a rung.

Sweet youth's a blythe and heartsome time;
Then, lads and lasses, while 'tis May
Gae pu' the gowan in its prime,

Before it wither and decay.

Watch the saft minutes of delyte,

When Jenny speaks beneath her breath,

And kisses, laying a' the wyte

Haith ye're ill-bred, she'll smiling say,
Ye'll worry me, ye greedy rook!
Syne frae your arms she'll rin away,

And hide hersel' in some dark nook.
Her laugh will lead you to the place
Where lies the happiness ye want,
And plainly tell you to your face,

Nineteen nae-says are half a grant.

Now to her heaving bosom cling,
And sweetly toolie for a kiss:
Frae her fair finger whup a ring
As taiken of a future bliss.
These bennisons, I'm very sure,
Are a' o' heaven's indulgent grant;
Then surly carles whisht, forbear

To plague us wi' your whining cant.

The poem out of which this song has been extracted, is described by Lord Woodhouselee as one of the most fortunate efforts of the genius of Allan Ramsay. It is a Scottish version of part of the ninth ode of Horace, but I have heard that the native ease surpasses far the scholastic fidelity. It unites great lyric beauty with a vivacity and a graphic accuracy of painting, which terminate only with the composition. Few hearts could refrain from dilating on a winter day, at the prospect of personal comfort and social pleasure which the poet prepares:

Then fling on coals, and rype the ribs,

And beak the house baith butt and ben;
That mutchkin stoup it hauds but dribs,
Then let's get in the tappit hen.

The first four lines are old, and their spirit has not been conducted very gently into the body of the song. We see at once that they fail to mingle with the rest in that harmonious manner which a song struck off at a heat will always do. After hearing the starting lines sung, we expect a different strain to follow.

GENTY TIBBY AND SONSY NELLY.

Tibby has a store o' charms,

Her genty shape our fancy warms ;
How strangely can her sma' white arms

Fetter the lad who looks but at her!

Fra 'er ancle to her slender waist,

These sweets conceal'd invite to daute her; Her rosy cheek, and rising breast,

Gar ane's mouth gush bout fu' o' water.

Nelly's gawsy, saft, and gay,

Fresh as the lucken flowers in May;
Ilk ane that sees her cries, Ah hey,
She's bonny! O I wonder at her!

The dimples of her chin and cheek,

And limbs sae plump invite to daute her;

Her lips sae sweet, and skin sae sleek,

Gar mony mouths beside mine water.

Now strike my finger in a bore,
My wyson with the Maiden shore,
Gin I can tell whilk I am for

When these twa stars appear thegither:

O love! why dost thou gi'e thy fires
Sae large, while we're oblig'd to nither
Our spacious sauls' immense desires,
And ay be in a hankerin swither?