with critical observations and biographical notices, by Robert Burns

196
lay the following letter before the readers of these
volumes, written by the Rev. John Sim, A. B. editor
of Mr. Mickle's works and his intimate friend, and
received since the above account was printed.
The contents of Mr. Sim's letter, and the poetical
sketch it encloses, warrant the Editor in conceding
the ballad to Mr. Mickle.
Dear Sir,
Pentmvillej April 14, 1810;
Since I received Mr. Mudford's letter (a copy of
which you will see in the Universal Magazine for this
month, p. 265), I have been so very fortunate as to
discover among Mr. Mickle's MSS. what I have every
reason to believe, from its inaccuracy, and other evi-
dent marks of haste, to be the very first sketch of the
ballad, " There's nae luck about the house," a copy of
which I have inclosed. Besides the marks of haste,
which I have noticed in the margin, you will find Colin
spelt once with two, and twice with a single I: the
verb mun (must) spelt with a u and an a, at the dis-
tance of only two lines : and the word make spelt twice
with, and thrice without, the letter e. One stanza con-
tains twelve, two stanzas eight, and the others only
four lines a-piece ; by which he seems undetermined
whether the first four or the last four lines should form
the chorus. Other inaccuracies and blunders you will
perceive on comparing the MS. with the printed copy
in my edition of Mickle's Poetry.