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(212) Page 72 - John Hay's bonnie lassie
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12 LXVI. GILDEKOY.
indelicate luxuriances that required the aid. of the pruning-
hook. This was performed by a lady in every respect qua-
lified for such an undertaking, namely, Miss Halket of Pet-
ferran, afterwards married to Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pit-
reavie, in Fifeshire, the well-known authoress of Hardica-
nute. In Lady Wardlaw's amended copy, which did not
appear till after her death, some of the old stanzas are re-
tained, others retouched or expunged, and several from her
own pen are added. The ballad, in its present shape, is now
excellent and unexceptionable. It is rather long for inser-
tion here, but it may be seen in the Collections of Herd,
Ritson, Gilchrist, and many others.
LXVIT.
JOHN HAY'S BONNY LASSIE.
The music adapted to the same stanzas, inserted in the
Museum, beginning, " By smooth winding Tay," appears
in the Orpheus Caledonius in 1725. The verses are gene-,
rally attributed to Allan Ramsay ; but, from the circum-
stances about to be mentioned, they would rather seem to be
the production of an older and somewhat inferior poet. Firsts
Though the verses in the Tea-table Miscellany were only
printed in 1724, yet the music made its appearance in Lon-
don in a few months thereafter, viz. in 1725, and again in
Craig's Collection, 1730. Now, it is a fact well known, that
neither William Thomson, nor Adam Craig, published any
tunes in their collections, but such as were old, and univer-
sally sung in Scotland at the time. Secondly^ It is a re-
ceived opinion, that Hay's Bonnie Lassie was a daughter of
John Hay, Earl of Tweeddale, afterwards Countess Dowager
of Roxburgh ; and Burns says, that this lady died at Broom-
lands, near Kelso, sometime between the years 1720 and
1740. Can we then for a moment suppose, that Ramsay
could commit such anachronism as to represent this dowager
as a " dear maid, fresh as the spring, and sweet as Aurora,"
in 1724 ? This seems rather improbable. The tune, as well
as the verses (if written by Ramsay) must have been known
indelicate luxuriances that required the aid. of the pruning-
hook. This was performed by a lady in every respect qua-
lified for such an undertaking, namely, Miss Halket of Pet-
ferran, afterwards married to Sir Henry Wardlaw of Pit-
reavie, in Fifeshire, the well-known authoress of Hardica-
nute. In Lady Wardlaw's amended copy, which did not
appear till after her death, some of the old stanzas are re-
tained, others retouched or expunged, and several from her
own pen are added. The ballad, in its present shape, is now
excellent and unexceptionable. It is rather long for inser-
tion here, but it may be seen in the Collections of Herd,
Ritson, Gilchrist, and many others.
LXVIT.
JOHN HAY'S BONNY LASSIE.
The music adapted to the same stanzas, inserted in the
Museum, beginning, " By smooth winding Tay," appears
in the Orpheus Caledonius in 1725. The verses are gene-,
rally attributed to Allan Ramsay ; but, from the circum-
stances about to be mentioned, they would rather seem to be
the production of an older and somewhat inferior poet. Firsts
Though the verses in the Tea-table Miscellany were only
printed in 1724, yet the music made its appearance in Lon-
don in a few months thereafter, viz. in 1725, and again in
Craig's Collection, 1730. Now, it is a fact well known, that
neither William Thomson, nor Adam Craig, published any
tunes in their collections, but such as were old, and univer-
sally sung in Scotland at the time. Secondly^ It is a re-
ceived opinion, that Hay's Bonnie Lassie was a daughter of
John Hay, Earl of Tweeddale, afterwards Countess Dowager
of Roxburgh ; and Burns says, that this lady died at Broom-
lands, near Kelso, sometime between the years 1720 and
1740. Can we then for a moment suppose, that Ramsay
could commit such anachronism as to represent this dowager
as a " dear maid, fresh as the spring, and sweet as Aurora,"
in 1724 ? This seems rather improbable. The tune, as well
as the verses (if written by Ramsay) must have been known
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| Special collections of printed music > Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Illustrations of the lyric poetry and music of Scotland > (212) Page 72 - John Hay's bonnie lassie |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/91319713 |
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| Description | By the late William Stenhouse. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood and Sons, 1853. Originally published in James Johnson's "Scots' musical museum," Edinburgh, 1839 and now published separately, with additional notes and illustrations, [edited by David Laing, with the assistance of Charles K. Sharpe.] |
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| Shelfmark | Glen.204 |
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| Attribution and copyright: |
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More information
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| Description | Scottish songs and music of the 18th and early 19th centuries, including music for the Highland bagpipe. These are selected items from the collection of John Glen (1833 to 1904). Also includes a few manuscripts, some treatises, and other books on the subject. |
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| Description | The Glen Collection and the Inglis Collection represent mainly 18th and 19th century Scottish music, including Scottish songs. The collections of Berlioz and Verdi collected by bibliographer Cecil Hopkinson contain contemporary and later editions of the works of the two composers Berlioz and Verdi. |
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