Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Jacobite relics of Scotland > [First series]

NOTES. 259
Himself a prating good-for-nothing
A very wolf in shepherd's clothing,
"Who does his utmost forces bend
To wrong the church he should defend,
And, caterpillar- like, indeed,
Destroys the tree by which he's fed."
SONG XL VI.
3lUjaj catjip, atoa.
The air of this song is one of the most ancient Scots airs in exist-
ence. I am informed by my friend Mr William Stenhouse, a
gentleman thoroughly versed in Scottish music, that originally it
consisted only of one measure, and that the second is a modern
variation of that. Burns sent a bad copy of it to the late Mr
Clarke, who put a bass to it ; and it was that copy which was
published in the Scots Museum, and which Ritson copied, with
all its imperfections on its head. The air of the popular song,
What ails this heart o' mine ? is merely a modification of this
ancient tune ; so also is My Dearie an ye die. Part of the verses
are as old as the time of Cromwell, but others have been added
of a later date, it is impossible to say when. There is a tra-
dition, that, at the battle of Bothwell Bridge, the piper to Clavers'
own troop of horse stood on the brink of the Clyde, playing it
with great glee ; but being struck by a bullet, either by chance,
or in consequence of an aim taken, as is generally reported, he
rolled down the bank in the agonies of death ; and always as
he rolled over the bag, so intent was he on this old party tune,
that, with determined firmness of fingering, he made the pipes to
yell out two or three notes more of it, till at last he plunged into
the river, and was carried peaceably down the stream among a
great number of floating Whigs.