As his pieces were successively written, he sent them to the world in the form of single sheets, or half sheets, at the price of a penny each. His name became thus celebrated among the good people of Edinburgh, who were accustomed to send out their children, with a penny, to buy " Allan Ramsay's last piece." In 1716, (while still a wig-maker,) he published an edition of James the First's poem of "Christ's Kirk on the Green," with a second canto by himself; in which the "hubbleshaw" of the country fair is succeeded by the festivities of a bridal scene. The public thought so well of this sequel to the admirable sketch of the royal bard, that, in two years after, another edition was called for, when Ramsay, rious," as he says, "to know how his bridal folks would look next day after the marriage," added a third canto, which describes the congratulatory visits to the married pair, and makes an end of an old tale by" deep drinking and bloodless quarrels." "cu From the imprint of this second edition of Christ's Kirk on the Green, it appears, that Ramsay had shortly before abandoned his original occupation of wig-making, and commenced the more congenial pursuit of book-making and selling of books. It bears, to be "printed for the Author, at the Mercury opposite to Niddry's Wynd." Very probably it was his first adventure in trade; and with a better he could scarcely have commenced. It continued a selling work for many years, and, as early as 1722, had reached a fifth edition. In 1720, Ramsay opened a subscription for a collection of his poems in one volume quarto; and the liberal manner in which it was immediately filled up, affords a striking proof of the general esteem in which he was now held. The list of subscribers is said to have comprehended" all who were either eminent or fair in Scotland." He is supposed to have cleared, by this publication, four hundred guineas, a large sum at that time, and sufficient to purchase as much land in Scotland as would now produce a respectable income. The volume was preceded by several copies of recommendatory verses, from persons of eminence and taste; and closed with an address by the author to his book, after the manner of Horace, in which he speaks thus flauntingly of his hopes : -Gae spread my fame, And fix me an immortal name; Ages to come shall thee revive, And gar thee with new honours live. The future critics, I foresee, Shall have their notes on notes on thee; The wits unborn shall beauties find, That never entered in my mind. In 1724, he published the first volume of the Tea Table Miscellany, a collection of Songs, Scottish and English, which was speedily followed by a second and third, under the same title. The publication acquired him more profit than lasting fame. It went through no less than twelve editions in a few years. The want of taste and fidelity which it displays has, however, deprived it of all estimation in later times. Ramsay lived at a period when a great many of the old Scottish words, to the most admired of our native airs, were still floating on the memories of the people; and, by a very little industry and research, they might have been rescued from the oblivion which has since swept them for ever from our grasp. But, instead of bestowing any thought on the importance of such an undertaking-important in a historical point of view, as giving perpetuity to so many monuments of change in the character of the people, and equally so in a poetical one, as preserving that native freshness and individuality which no modern imitation can expect to rival-Ramsay made it his boast to give new words to every old air he could meet with! "My being well assured," he says, in his Preface to the Miscellany," how acceptable new words to known good tunes would prove, engaged me to the making of verses for above sixty of them in this (the first) and the second volume (both of which consist almost entirely of Scottish songs); about thirty more were done by some ingenious young gentlemen." How mortifying to reflect, that for these ninety substitutions by Ramsay and his " ingenious young gentlemen," very few of them worth preserving, (for Ramsay, however great in other respects, was but a poor song writer,) we have, in all probability, lost as many of those genuine effusions which made the minstrels of the north countrie" so celebrated in former times! Leyden mentions a MS. collection of airs, written soon after the Revolution, and not long before the time when Ramsay flourished, in which we meet with the following titles of songs, of most of which, though then well known, we have now scarcely any authentic remnant." O'er the Mure to Maggie." "Robin My dearie, if thou dye." Money in both the pockets." "The Lady's goune." Maggie, I must luve thee." "Bonie Nanie."* 66 66 *The "new words," by Ramsay, to this air, present a characteristic example of what has been gained by modern adaption. They are too vulgar to be repeated, and could only have been popular among such a knot of" ingenious young gentlemen" as embellished the Tea Table Miscellany. The original words which, notwithstanding Ramsay's neglect, are fortunately not lost, are simple and touching enough. I am indebted for the following copy of them to a member of the society, who procured them from John Mayne, Esq. author of the "Siller Gun," Glasgow," and other poems, whose words, to the air of " Logan Water," shew, that of all modern bards, he is among the last who is likely to do injury to his recollections of the songs familiar to his infancy. "I believe them," says Mr. Mayne, speaking of this copy of verses, to be the very words that gave birth, or were first adapted, to that beautiful air, with the exception of the first four lines of the third stanza, which are mine. I never heard the others but in my father's family, and there, at first, in infancy." On more particular inquiry, I find, that the lines are traced back in Mr. M.'s family, to a period quite as remote as the MS. quoted by Leyden. Original words to the Scotch Air of " My Nanny, O!" Never before printed. As I cam in by Embro' town, By the back o' the bonny city, O! I heard a young man mak his moan, For aye, he cried, his Nanny, O! Father, your counsel I wou'd tak, But ye maun not be angry, O! Than the laird's daughter and her hundred My bonny, bonny Nanny, O! My handsome, charming Nanny, O! Then dinna mock our want o' gear, My handsome, charming Nanny, O! Come weal, come woe, the warld shall know Burns has also supplied us with a set of words to this tune; but, though not among his worst effusions, they are much inferior to this original version. Mrs. Brooks has adapted to the same air one of the |