Tho' winter wild in tempest toil'd,

Ne'er summer-sun was half sae sweet.

Than a' the pride that loads the tide,
And crosses o'er the sultry line;

Than kingly robes, than crowns and globes,
Heaven gave me more - it made thee mine!

11.

While day and night can bring delight,
Or nature aught of pleasure give,
While joys above my mind can move,
For thee, and thee alone, I live!
When that grim foe of life below
Comes in between to make us part,
The iron hand that breaks our band
It breaks my bliss-it breaks my heart.

My Love she's but a Lassie yet.

Tune-Lady Badinscoth's Reel.

I.

My love she's but a lassie yet,
My love she's but a lassie yet;
We'll let her stand a year or twa,
She'll no be half sae saucy yet.
I rue the day I sought her, O,

I rue the day I sought her, O;
Wha gets her need na say she's woo'd,
But he may say he's bought her, O!

II.

Come, draw a drap o' the best o't yet,
Come, draw a drap o' the best o't yet;
Gae seek for pleasure where ye will,
But here I never miss'd it yet.
We're a' dry wi' drinking o't,
We're a' dry wi' drinking o't;
The minister kiss'd the fiddler's wife,
An' could na preach for thinkin' o't.

[Variations abound in this song; some of

them are not without merit:

My love she's but a lassie yet,

My love she's but a lassie yet;

When she's drap ripe, she's theirs that like,

She'll no be half sae saucy yet."

"We're a' dry wi' drinking o't,
We're a' dry wi' drinking o't;
The piper kiss'd the fiddler's wife,
And could na play for thinking o't.
And yon's the moon that's moving, O,
The hour for maidens' loving, 0;
But madam moon, till this bowl's done,
I'll gang nae mair a roving, Ο!"]

The title and some lines are old; the rest of the song is by Burns.]

VAR. Sweet and harmless as a child. M.S.

Jamie, come try me.

Tune-Jamie, come try me.

CHORUS.

JAMIE, come try me, Jamie, come try me, If thou would win my love, Jamie, come try me.

I.

IF thou should ask my love,
Could I deny thee?
If thou would win my love,
Jamie, come try me.

II.

If thou should kiss me, love,
Wha could espy thee?
If thou wad be my love,
Jamie, come try me.

Jamie, come try me,
Jamie, come try me;
If thou would win my love,
Jamie, come try me.

["This air is Oswald's," says Burns; "the song is mine." He took the idea from an ancient strain, of which these words only are remembered:

"If ye wad be my love, Jamie, come try me."

Other songs to the same air supply pleasing variations:

"My heart leaps lightly, love,
When ye come nigh me;

If I had wings, my love,
Think na I'd fly thee.

The bright moon and stars, love,
None else espy thee;

And if ye wad win my love,

Jamie, come try me."

Stanzas, containing a similar strain of sentiment, abound;

"I come from my chamber,

When the moon's glowing;
I walk by the streamlet,
Through the broom flowing;
If ye wad woo me, love,
Wha could deny thee?
I'm far aboon fortune, love,
When I am by thee."]

My bonnie Mary.

Tune-Go fetch to me a Pint & Wine.

I.

Go fetch to me a pint o' wine, An' fill it in a silver tassie;

That I may drink, before I go,
A service to my bonnie lassie;
The boat rocks at the pier o' Leith;
Fu' loud the wind blaws frae the ferry;
The ship rides by the Berwick-law.
And I maun leave my bonnie Mary.

II.

The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are ranked ready;
The shouts o' war are heard afar,
The battle closes thick and bloody;
But it's not the roar o' sea or shore

Wad make me langer wish to tarry; Nor shout o' war that's heard afarIt's leaving thee, my bonnie Mary.

[The Poet recited this song to his brother Gilbert, as a relique of the olden minstrelsy, and inquired if he did not think it beautiful?"Beautiful!" said his brother; "it is not only that, but the most heroic of lyrics. Ah! Robert, if you would write oftener that way, your fame would be surer." Another account says that Gilbert really believed it to be old, and called it an unequalled thing. Burns speaks of it to Mrs. Dunlop as the work of the old Scottish muse; but, in his notes on the Museum, he says:-"This air is Oswald's; the first halfstanza of the song is old, the rest mine." It was written by Burns out of compliment to the feelings of a young officer about to embark for a foreign shore, whose ship rode by the Berwick-law, and who was accompanied to the pier of Leith by a young lady-the bonnie Mary of the song.

A complete version of the old song is given in Hogg and Motherwell's Edition of Burns, from which we select a few stanzas:

"As I went out to take the air,

'Twas on the banks of Diveron water, I chose a maid to be my love, Were it my fortune for to get her.

Her equal's not on Diveron side,
Nor any part of Gawdie water;
I dinna care what may betide,
In any way, if I could get her

She's of a genteel middle size,
Her body's always neat and slender,
Her lips are sweet as honey pear,
To which I am an oft pretender.

When I look to her weel-faur'd face.
Her lily hands and lovely fingers,

I clasp her in my arms twa,

I'd give it all, and ten times more,
For ae poor night to lie beyond her.

Ye'll bring me here a pint of wine,
A server and a silver tassie,
That I may drink before I gang,
A health to my ain bonny lassie.

Ye powers above increase her love,
That such a prize I may inherit;
To gain her love is all I crave,
And after that we shall be married!"

The author of the above was Alexander Lesley, Esq. of Edin, on Divern side, and grandfather to the late Archbishop Sharp of St. Andrew's. The fair one whom he thus immortalizes was named Helen Christie. He sold the lands of Edin, and removed to a small farm on the estate of Lord Pitsligo, in the parish of Pitsligo, where he died, and was buried in the churchyard of Banff. A stone to his memory marks the spot. The song was composed in the year 1636.]

[All that Burns says about the authorship of "The Lazy Mist" is, "This song is mine."

Her cheeks are like the crimson rose,

Her eyes like stars when brightly shining;

She is the girl I dearly love,

And I've wish'd lang out of this pining.

Tho' I had all king Cræsus' rents,

And all possess'd by Alexander;

Oswald's Collection: but the olden time has no farther claims upon the authorship.

This song is a favourite with the Scottish peasantry. The grave and moralizing strain corresponds with the reflecting character of the people.]

The Captain's Lady.

Tune-O mount and go.

CHORUS.

O MOUNT and go,

Mount and make you ready; O mount and go, And be the Captain's Lady.

I.

WHEN the drums do beat,
And the cannons rattle,
Thou shall sit in state,
And see thy love in battle.

II.

When the vanquish'd foe
Sues for peace and quiet,

To the shades we'll go,
And in love enjoy it.
O mount and go,

Mount and make you ready;
O mount and go,

And be the Captain's Lady.

["Part of this song is old, and part of it by Burns: he has not acknowledged it, though Cromek saw it among Johnson's papers in the Poet's handwriting. Some of the old verses are curious:

' I will away,

And I will not tarry:

I will away,

And be a captain's lady. A captain's lady

Is a dame of honour:

She has her maidens

Ay to wait upon her,

Ay to wait upon her,

And get all things.

I will away

And be a captain's lady.'

"The conception of the song is superior to the execution: the dancing measure is difficult to suit with words.

"A very eminent author has sneered at the idea of a lady sitting in state and looking at her lover engaged in battle: the picture is in its nature chivalrous: a tournament gave the express image conveyed in the verse of Burns: other instances, not only from poetry, but from history, might be adduced to prove the accuracy of the most accurate of all poets." -CUNNINGHAM.]

Wee Willie Gray

I.

WEE Willie Gray, and his leather wallet;
Peel a willow-wand to be him boots & jacket:

11.

I see her in the dewy flowers,

I see her sweet and fair:

I hear her in the tunefu' birds,

I hear her charm the air:

There's not a bonnie flower that springs

By fountain, shaw, or green, There's not a bonnie bird that sings, But minds me o' my Jean.

III.

Upon the banks o' flowing Clyde

The lasses busk them braw;

But when their best they hae put on,
My Jeannie dings them a':
In hamely weeds she far exceeds

The fairest o' the town;

Baith sage and gay confess it sae,
Tho' drest in russet gown.

IV.

The gamesome lamb, that sucks its dam, Mair harmless canna be;

She has nae faut (if sic ye ca't,)

| Except her love for me;

The sparkling dew, o' clearest hue,

Is like her shining een :

In shape and air nane can compare
Wi' my sweet lovely Jean.

V.

O blaw ye westlin winds, blaw saft Amang the leafy trees,

Wi' balmy gale, frae hill and dale Bring hame the laden bees; And bring the lassie back to me That's aye sae neat and clean; Ae smile o' her wad banish care, Sae charming is my Jean.

VI.

What sighs and vows amang the knowes
Hae passed atween us twa!
How fond to meet, how wae to part,
That night she gaed awa!
The powers aboon can only ken,
To whom the heart is seen,
That nane can be sae dear to me
As my sweet lovely Jean !

[This is a very popular song, and deservedly Burns wrote it in honour of his wife, and "during the honey-moon," as he archly informs us in his notes. The compliment to simple rural beauty and pure innocence was never more felicitously expressed than in the second stanza. The four concluding stanzas do not appear in the earlier editions of this song. They were subsequently added by Burns, who very naturally was fond of the subject. They contain a part of the author's history, and deserve to be held in remembrance.]

Burns composed his song to supersede the l old verses, and he succeeded. The air was composed, some hundred and odd years ago, by John Bruce, a musician, belonging to the town of Dumfries, whose merits as a player of reel tunes on the violin are still held in remembrance. Old people said that the heaviest foot became light, and the toil-bent frame erect when Bruce drew his best bow-and that he made the fiddle speak the words of the tune as plain as with a tongue. He is celebrated by John Mayne, in his poem of the Siller Gun." CUNNINGHAM.]

["The music of this song has long been popular. Gentle and simple' have equally acknowledged its life - invigorating notes."MOTHERWELL.]

II.

Then come, sweet muse, inspire my lay!
For a' the lee-lang simmer's day
I cou'dna sing, I cou'dna say,

How much, how dear, I love thee.
I see thee dancing o'er the green,
Thy waist sae jimp, thy limbs sae clean,
Thy tempting lips, thy roguish een-

By heaven and earth I love thee!

III.

By night, by day, a-field, at hame,
The thoughts o' thee my breast inflame;
And aye I muse and sing sing thy name-

I only live to love thee.
Tho' I were doom'd to wander on
Beyond the sea, beyond the sun,
Till my last weary sand was run;

Till then-and then I'd love thee.

[In this fine song the Poet welcomed his wife to Ellisland: the Nith, his muse's well, was flowing at hand; and Corsincon, his Nithsdale Parnassus, was at no great distance. It was no sooner written than it became popular: he presented a copy to Miss Staig of Dumfries, with the following characteristic note:-"Mr. Burns presents his most respectful compliments to Miss Staig, and has sent her the song. Mr. B. begs to be forgiven his delaying so long to send it; and allows Miss S. to impute the neglect to any cause under heaven, except want of respect for her commands. Mr. B. would just give the hint to Miss S., that, should the respectful timidity of any of her lovers deny him his powers of speech, that then she will teach him Mr. Burns's song; so that the poor fellow may not be under the double imputation of being neither able to sing nor say."

The Rev. Hamilton Paul says of this beautiful song:-"There is nothing in the whole circle of lyrical poetry, ancient or modern, to be named with it. It bids defiance to compar

ison." He then quotes the latter half of the second stanza, and exclaims :- "This is what may be called the paroxysm of desire. He draws the picture from nature, he becomes enamoured, he forgets himself, he pants for breath, he is unable to continue the description, -and he gives utterance to his feelings in an oath

"By heaven and earth I love thee."]