Air—“Let me taste the sparkling wine.” 1810.
WHY unite to banish Care ?
Let him come our joys to share ;
Doubly blest our cup shall flow,
When it soothes a brother's woe ;
Twas for this the powers divine
Crown'd our board with generous wine.
Far be hence the sordid elf
Who'd claim enjoyment for himself;
Come, the hardy seaman, lame,
The gallant soldier, robb'd of fame ;
Welcome all who bear the woes
Of various kind that merit knows.
“Patriot heroes, doomed to sigh,
Idle neath corruption's eye ;
Honest tradesmen, credit worn,
Pining under Fortune's scorn ;
Wanting wealth, or lacking fame,
Welcome all that worth can claim.
“Come, the hoary headed sage,
Suffering more from want than age ;
Come, the proud, though needy bard,
Starving midst a world's regard :
Welcome, welcome, one and all
That feel on this unfeeling ball.”
R. A. Smith, in one of several letters to Motherwell, editor of the “Harp of Renfrewshire,” page xl. (First Series), says:—“Two days before his death Tannahill showed me several poetical pieces of a most strange texture ; and in the afternoon of the same day he called on me again, requesting me to return him a song that had been left for my perusal. 1 had laid it past in a music book, and was unable to find it at the time. It was his last production, and he seemed to be much disappointed when, after a long search, I could not procure it for him. This was the last time I saw him. The anxiety he showed to get back the manuscript appears to have proceeded from a determination to destroy every scrap of his poetry that he could possibly collect.”
According to Mr. Smith's statement, this meeting with the Poet must have taken place either on Monday, the 14th, or Tuesday, the 15th day of May, 1810. M‘Laren relates the strange conduct of the Bard at his “initiation into the sacred order of Masonry,” which likely took place on either of these two days, 14th and 15th May. But it seems far stranger to us that neither Smith nor M'Larcn, his bosom friends, in referring to poetical pieces of a most strange texture, or strange conduct, never hint that Tannahill was then insane, and should have been looked after. If such is friendship, well may we exclaim, “Save us from our friends!”—Ed.
The first and second stanzas were printed in the 1815 and 1817 editions.—Ed.
Note by Motherwell.—“The last two stanzas are for the first time added.”
Note by Ramsay.—“Many an expedient has been resorted to by the poets for the disposal of so gloomy a personage as Care. Burns gained the admiration of all jolly topers by making him
“Mad to see a man sae happy,
E'en drown himeel amang the nappy.”
Our good-natured Bard, by inviting him to participate in the festivities, surely evinced a more hospitable disposition. A melancholy interest is attached to this little effusion; it was Tannahill's last production. This we state on the authority of Smith,—Harp. The two last stanzas have not appeared in any former edition. They are taken from a manuscript copy furnished by the Author to his friends.”
[Semple 145]