that, without a strong natural predilection for music, and a mind fully susceptible of its charms, it is unlikely that any poet, however eminent for other qualities, can be successful in song writing. There is so close an union between these sister arts, that to separate them in the present instance, is like the separation of mind from body. A plaintive, a tender, or a lively air, operating forcibly on a true musical mind, produces wonderful effects on poetic composition; but, independently of this influence, a poet, of real musical taste and feeling, is necessarily, and indeed insensibly, led by the particular cadences and expressive passages in an air, to apply corresponding words and sentiments. If there be any truth in this remark, the impropriety of composing airs to words, instead of words to airs, must be obvious. The nature of the present subject might authorize the author to say something of those modern writers who have devoted a considerable portion of their time to lyrical composition, and furnished the public with a number of their productions; but as this might possibly give offence to some, and be considered invidious, he has conceived it proper to avoid the subject. A comparative view of their respective merits and defects, might throw additional light on the essential requisites of song writing, and tend to illustrate the cursory remarks thrown out in the present short essay. It may however, be safely asserted, that the principal defects in most of our modern lyrical compositions, are a want of passion, particularly tenderness, and a want of simplicity. This must proceed either from a deficiency of natural sensibility and taste in the writers, or from a want of due attention to the nature of the music for which they have composed words.-The uncommon excellence of our passionate Scottish airs furnishes such excitements to the various emotions of the human heart, that no other cause can be assigned for a deficiency of corresponding passion in the words that accompany them. Exclusively of this, our lyrical poets in the Scottish dialect have nothing to plead in their behalf from any defect in the language in which they write, since none can supply a greater number or variety of appropriate terms and epithets of endearment to express the language of love, not only with the utmost tenderness, but with the greatest delicacy. It may likewise be observed (now that we are on the subject,) that it is also highly favourable to the humorous. It abounds in phrases, epithets, and proverbial sayings, peculiarly calculated to excite risibility; and, in addition to this advantage, our Scots songs of humour admit of a free adoption of provincialisms and phraseology, which, in subjects of more dignity, would be offensively vulgar, but which, in the present instance, give an additional zest and poignancy to ludicrous composition. In this last walk, a late admired writer* excels all his contemporaries, and stands unrivalled; but, in support of our preceding opinions, let it be remembered, that this poet possessed true native humour, and was at all times alive to its influence. These observations, the author, with the utmost candour, gives to the public, merely with the view to improve a species of writing highly interesting * Burns. and grateful to national taste and feeling. After what has already been premised, it is almost unnecessary for him to remark, that they have no reference whatever to the trifles that immediately follow, nor indeed to any thing in these volumes. December, 1805. "WHAR hae ye been a' day, my boy Tammy? Just come frae her mammy.' And whar gat ye that young thing, 'I gat her down in yonder how, 'What said ye to the bonie bairn, My boy Tammy?" 'I prais'd her een, sae lovely blue, Her dimpled cheek, and cherry mou;~ I pree'd it aft as ye may true She said, she'd tell her mammy. |