with critical observations and biographical notices, by Robert Burns
with critical observations and biographical notices, by Robert Burns with critical observations and biographical notices, by Robert Burns
xu Then may he say, both night and day, have mercy. Lord, on me ! Thus have I shown you as I can, the course of all mens' hfe ; We will return where we began, but* either sturt or strife : Dame Memorie doth take her leave^ she'll last no more, we see God grant that I may not you grieve, Ye'll get nae mair of me. It appears from the first verse of this ballad^ that it was written about the year 1653. It is not un- reasonable to suppose, that it was the production of some pedantic country schoolmaster, who would naturally write in a stately, stilted style, different from the common people, his neighbours. Mrs. Burns says, that it was one of the many nursery songs of her mother ; and that she first heard and learned it from her seventy years ago. Neither she nor her son Gilbert had ever seen a printed copy of it. It is no bad specimen of the quaint, moralizing manner that obtained soon after the Reformation. This * Without.
XIU quaintness, however, is mixed up with a good deal of imagination. There is a vein of pensive melancholy too in it which could hardly fail to make a deep im- pression on the young mind of Burns ; accordingly we find that this ballad has not only the same struc- ture of versification with the Ode of Burns, and the repetition of the last line of the stanza; but it breathes a kindred pensive melancholy from begin- ning to end. Many of the imitations in the Ode are so close and so obvious, that it is impossible they could be accidental. For instance, the last line of the first stanza of the ballad, " Man is made to moan" evidently suggested ''Man was made to mourn" The following imitations cannot fail to be acknowledged. The reader of himself will easily discover more. " November air maketh fields bare of flowers, of grass, and corn." " When chill November's surly blast Made fields and forests bare." Ballad, st.xY, Ode, " Thou seest what things are gone before, experience teaches thee
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- Page 3 and 4: I.^wl
- Page 7: SELECT SCOTISH SONGS, ANCIENT AND M
- Page 10 and 11: tyre,* Ritson,f and above all, by B
- Page 12 and 13: IV given us, and possibly it may gi
- Page 14 and 15: VI to recollect so much of it as sh
- Page 16 and 17: vin And to each month add five year
- Page 18 and 19: The man doth thrive to thirty -five
- Page 22 and 23: In what state ever that thou be, re
- Page 24 and 25: XVI gotten bards we owe some of his
- Page 26 and 27: music are both posterior to the day
- Page 28 and 29: The guilt appeared in Jamie's cheek
- Page 30 and 31: 6 to tvhom I am indebted for the an
- Page 32 and 33: ~s THE BEDS OF SWEET ROSES. This so
- Page 34 and 35: Fee him, father,* fee him, quo' she
- Page 36 and 37: 12 SAW YE NAE MY PEGGY? This charmi
- Page 38 and 39: 14 Saw ye my Maggie, Saw ye my Magg
- Page 40 and 41: 16 gallant though unfortunate house
- Page 42 and 43: 18 To this day among people who kno
- Page 44 and 45: 20 Let neist day come as it thinks
- Page 46 and 47: 22 THE LAST TIME 1 CAME O ER THE MO
- Page 48 and 49: £4 To dead him weel shall be my ca
- Page 50 and 51: 26 The poor poet, with that inoffen
- Page 52 and 53: 28 Upon the green the virgins wait,
- Page 54 and 55: 30 .; ing together by the banks of
- Page 56 and 57: 32 THE TURNIMSPIKE. There is a stan
- Page 58 and 59: 34 They tak the horse then py te he
- Page 60 and 61: 36 ^c." It consists of three stanza
- Page 62 and 63: 38 THE BLAITHRIE O T. The following
- Page 64 and 65: 40 Tho' we hae nae horses or menzie
- Page 66 and 67: m worthy and able defender of the b
- Page 68 and 69: 44 Say, charmer, where do thy flock
XIU<br />
quaintness, however, is mixed up <strong>with</strong> a good deal of<br />
imagination. There is a vein of pensive melancholy<br />
too in it which could hardly fail to make a deep im-<br />
pression on the young mind of <strong>Burns</strong> ; accordingly<br />
we find that this ballad has not only the same struc-<br />
ture of versification <strong>with</strong> the Ode of <strong>Burns</strong>, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
repetition of the last line of the stanza; but it<br />
breathes a kindred pensive melancholy from begin-<br />
ning to end. Many of the imitations in the Ode are<br />
so close <strong>and</strong> so obvious, that it is impossible they<br />
could be accidental. For instance, the last line of<br />
the first stanza of the ballad, " Man is made to<br />
moan" evidently suggested ''Man was made to<br />
mourn" The following imitations cannot fail to be<br />
acknowledged. The reader of himself will easily<br />
discover more.<br />
" November air maketh fields bare<br />
of flowers, of grass, <strong>and</strong> corn."<br />
" When chill November's surly blast<br />
Made fields <strong>and</strong> forests bare."<br />
Ballad, st.xY,<br />
Ode,<br />
" Thou seest what things are gone before,<br />
experience teaches thee
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