Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Illustrations of the lyric poetry and music of Scotland

CCCCXLVI O WALY, WALY ! 397
tor observes the following note on the back of the original
manuscript of the music, in the hand-writing of Mr Clarke,
addressed to the publisher. — " If you choose to print this
song, it is right ; but the alterations are little from the other,
and much to the worse in my opinion. I took it down at
the late Glenriddel's desire, and put the bass as it now stands ;
but I thought you had had enough of the poor Captain's
variations before."
CCCCXLVII.
SHE SAYS SHE LO'ES ME BEST OF A'.
This song, beginning " Sae flaxen were her ringlets," was
written by Burns for the Museum. The words are adapted
to an Irish tune, entitled OnagJCs Waterfall. Respecting
this tune. Burns, in a letter to Mr Thomson, dated Sept.
1794, says, " The air is charming, and I have often regret-
ted the want of decent verses to it. It is too much, at least
for my humble rustic muse, to expect that every effort of
her's shall have merit ;" still I think, that it is better to have
mediocre verses to a favourite air than none at all. On this
principle I have all along proceeded in the Scots Musical
Museum, and as that publication is at its last volume, I in-
tend the following song to the air above-mentioned, for that
work." [Here follows the song as printed in the Museum.]
CCCCXLVIII.
THE BONNIE LASS THAT MADE THE BED TO ME.
Burns wrote this amatory ballad in imitation of the olden
style. His model was an old ballad, which tradition affirms
to have been composed in an amour of Charles II. with a
young lad}"^ of the house of Port-Letham, whilst his Majesty
was skulking about Aberdeen in the time of the usurpation.
It begins —
There was a lass dwalt in the north,
A bonnie lass of high degree ;
There was a lass whose name was Nell,
A blyther lass you ne'er did see.
O, the bed to me, the bed to me.
The lass that made the bed to me ;