Ramsay has been laughed at for the rhyme of the second line of the first verse. It is dangerous to cavil at words: in one of Burns's best songs we have him wishing, in honour of his love, that the flowers may be ever fair, and the waters never "drumlie;"a word more objectionable than Ramsay's, since it is used in a pathetic song. This song belongs to the "Gentle Shepherd;" the air is old, and there were words of far greater antiquity than Allan's, which wanted some skilful and cunning hand to render them fit for modest company. The following lines formed the chorus; and if I remember right, the chorus of every verse was a variation from its predecessor, of which we have an example in too few songs:

O corn-riggs and barley-riggs,

And corn-riggs are bonnie;

And gin ye meet a winsome quean,
Gae kiss her kind and cannie.

The London wags who compiled a work called "Mirth and Wit" abused the sweetness of this fine old air by compelling it to carry the burthen of some very silly verses, written in that kind of singular slang which a citizen uses when he thinks he speaks Scotch.

MERRY MAY THE KEEL ROWE.

As I came down through Cannobie,
Through Cannobie, through Cannobie,
The summer sun had shut his ee,
And loud a lass did sing-o:
Ye westlin winds, all gently blow,—
Ye seas, soft as my wishes flow,—
And merry may the shallop rowe

My love has breath like roses sweet,
Like roses sweet, like roses sweet,
And arms like lilies dipt in weet,

To fold a maiden in-o.

There's not a wave that swells the sea,
But bears a prayer and wish frae me ;-
O soon may I my truelove see,

Wi' his bauld bands again-o!

My lover wears a bonnet blue,

A bonnet blue, a bonnet blue; A rose so white, a heart so true, A dimple on his chin-o.

4

He bears a blade his foes have felt,
And nobles at his nod have knelt:

My heart will break as well as melt,
Should he ne'er come again-o.

An imperfect copy of this song found its way into Cromek's Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song.It started thus:

As I came down the Cannogate,
The Cannogate, the Cannogate;
As I came down the Cannogate,
I heard a lassie sing-o:
O merry may the keel rowe,

The keel rowe, the reel rowe;

Merry may the keel rowe

The ship that my love's in-o!

The picture of her love which the heroine draws seems to be that of the Pretender; at all events, the white rose of the Stuarts marks it for a Jacobite song.

.

THE BONNY SCOT.

Ye gales, that gently wave the sea,
And please the canny boat-man,
Bear me frae hence, or bring to me
My brave, my bonny Scot-man!
In haly bands

We join'd our hands,
Yet may not this discover,
While parents rate
A large estate

Before a faithfu' lover.

But I'd lieuer choose in Highland glens
To herd the kid and goat, man,
Ere I cou'd for sic little ends

Refuse my bonny Scot-man.

Wae worth the man,
Wha first began

The base ungenerous fashion

Frae greedy views,

Love's art to use,

While strangers to its passion!

Frae foreign fields, my lovely youth,
Haste to thy langing lassie,

Wha pants to press thy bawmy mouth,
And in her bosom hawse thee!

VOL. III.

M

Love gi'es the word,

Then haste on board!

Fair winds and tenty boat-man,

Waft o'er, waft o'er,

Frae yonder shore,

My blithe, my bonny Scot-man!

This is a lyric of ardent passion embodied in very pleasant strains. The constant and disinterested attachment of the "langing lassie" is finely portrayed; and that easy and winning simplicity, which lends the sweetest grace to song, is happily diffused over all.Ramsay was seldom possessed by intense and rapturous enthusiasm; with him, love was a prudent and reasonable emotion. He calls the song the "Bonny Scot," to the tune of the "Boatman;" but the ancient verses which belonged to the melody have long since been lost. "Scotman" has always seemed to me a clumsy compound, and not very intelligible. The air presents many obstructions to facility of composition, and Ramsay, in several of his songs, was not over solicitous about liquid ease and harmonious grace of expression. A singer, formerly, overcame such difficulties with the voice as would not be tolerated now. We are more correct, but far less natural.