Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Scots musical museum > Volume 5

AULD LANGSYNE. *441
If e'er I have a house, my Dear,
That truly is call'd mine.
And can aiFord but country cheer.
Or ought that's good therein ;
Tho' thou wert Rebel to the King,
And beat with wind and rain,
Assure thyself of welcome Love,
For Old-long-syne.
ccccxxv.
THE BOATIE ROWS.
Burns has attributed this Song to a person whose death
was thus announced in the Obituaries of the time.
" Oct. 21, 1821— Died at Aberdeen, in the 80th year of
his age, John Ewen, Esq., who was a most useful member
of society, and one of the most respectable public charac-
ters of that place for more than half a century. His exer-
tions in favour of charitable institutions, and for every in-
dividual case of distress that came under his notice, were
zealous and unremitting; his conduct, as connected with
public aifairs, was strictly disinterested; while his great
information on subjects of general interest, merited, upon
all occasions, the respectful attention of the community.
Strangers visiting Aberdeen, who very frequently had in-
troductions to Mr Ewen, will long recollect his assiduous
and polite attentions. Though not a native of Aberdeen,
he had long been regarded as one of her most eminent citi-
zens. With the exception of various sums left to the pub-
lic charities of Aberdeen, he has bequeathed the bulk of his
property (perhaps L.15,000 or L. 16,000) to the Magis-
trates and Clergy of Montrose, for the purpose of founding
an Hospital, similar to Gordon's Hospital of Aberdeen, for
the maintenance and education of boys." — {Scots Magazine^
1821, p. 620.)
This bequest gave rise to a protracted litigation, in the
course of which, the conduct of " this respectable pub-
lic character," in his family settlements, appeared in a very