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358 Notes.
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ex v. "There is a series of old rustic songs," says Mr. Chambers, "commemorating 'abonnie lass,'also the 'braw, braw lads of Gala Water,' and which were sung to a beautiful simple air of one strain." These have been, for the most part, superseded by Burns' song, written, tothesameair, for Thomson's Collection. cxvi. Said to be old, on what evidence I know not,—surely not on internal evidence. Burns wrote a narrative ballad to this tune, too long for insertion here. cxvii. Mr. Chappell regards this beautiful melody as "a mere modification" of the English tune, / am tfie Duke of Norfolk, which "has remained in constant and popular use from the early part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth down to the present time." Moore has included it, modified as usual, in his Irish Melodies, under the name Cruiskiti Laivn. Whatever be its origin or date, its interest and popularity are due entirely to the words with which it is now universally associated. By right of conquest, at least, it is a Scottish song. cxx. Burns has re-cast this song, of which I have printed
the original words. cxxi. Composed originally, I suspect, in D, and, like many other Scottish melodies, by a violin player. The cadences are very suggestive of open strings. cxxn. Curious on account of its uncertain tonality. cxxiii. Probably Irish. cxxv. I have not succeeded in learning anything about the origin or date of this magnificent melody, the germ of which is undoubtedly old. It is in the 3rd mode, modulating in the second section into the Modo Las-civo of the old masters—our "natural scale." No attempt at harmonization with which I am acquainted shows the slightest recognition of this. Burns has written some plaintive and incongruous words to this tune, which, for individuality—the first quality in a tune—strength, and sweetness, is all but unequalled in its cl iss. I refer those who are curious about Roy's wife, or her husband, to the pages of Mr. Chambers. cxxviii. The first two lines are from an old dialogue between a mother and daughter; the subject being the eligibility of Auld Rob Morris, who has fourscore years as well as fourscore sheep, as a husband. (See Chambers' Songs of Scotland, p. 210.) The topic and the treatment of Burns' song are his own. cxxix. There is a touching "old ballad" in The Scottish Minstrel (vol. iii. p. 58) of the tune of which the above seems to be a more modern adaptation. cxxxi. In the 1st tone, transposed to the fourth above, cxxxii. Another violin tune, originally in D (See cxxi.). It
is certainly modern, and, I think, overrated. cxxxiii. In the 8th tone, transposed one degree lower. The |
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