Wherever he may be found.
March, 1804.
GUDE Pibrocharian, jorum jirger,
Sae, hae ye turned an Antiburgher ?
Or lang-fac'd Presbyterian El'er ?
Deep read in wiles o gath'rin siller ?
Or cauld, splenetic solitair,
Resolv'd to herd wi man nae mair ?
As to the second I've nae fear for't ;
For siller, feth ! ye ne'er did care for't,
Unless to help a needfu body,
An get an antrin glass o toddy.
But what the black mischief's cam owre ye ?
These three months I've been speirin for you,
Till e'en the Muse, wi downricht grievin,
Has worn her chafts as thin's a shavin.
Say, hae ye ta'en a tramp to Lon'an,
In Co. wi worthy auld Buchanan,[1]
Wha mony a mile wad streek his shanks,
To hae a crack wi Josie Banks [2]
Concerning “Shells, an birds, an metals,
Moths, spiders, butterflies, an beetles.”
For you, I think you'll cut a figure,
Wi king o pipers, Malc. M‘Gregor, [3]
An wi your clarion, flute, an fiddle,
Will gar their southron heart-strings diddle.
Or are ye thro' the kintra whiskin,
Accoutr'd wi the sock an buskin,
Thinkin to climb to wealth an fame,
By adding Roscius [4] to your name?
Frae thochts o that, pray keep abeich !
Ye're far ow're auld, an far owre heich;
Since in thir novel-hunting days
There's nane but bairns can act our plays.
At twal year auld, if ye had tried it,
I doubtna but ye micht succeedit ;
But full-grown buirdly chiels like you—
Quite monstrous, man, 'twill never do !
Or are ye gane, as there are few sic,
For teachin o a band o music ?
O, hear auld Scotland's fervent pray'rs,
And teach her genuine native airs !
Whilk simply play'd, devoid o' airt.
Thrill thro the senses to the heart.
Play, when ye'd rouse the patriot's saul,
True valour's tune, “The Garb of Gaul.”
An when laid low in glory's bed,
Let “Roslin Castle” soothe his shade.
“The Bonnie Bush aboon Traquair,”
Its every accent breathes despair ;
An “Ettrick's Banks,” celestial strain !
Mak's simmer's gloamin mair serene ;
An, O how sweet the plaintive muse,
Amang “The Broom o Cowdenknowes !”
To hear the love-lorn swain complain,
Lane, on “The Braes o' Ballendine;”
It e'en micht melt the dortiest she,
That ever sklinted scornfu e'e.
When Beauty tries her vocal pow'rs
Amang the greenwood's echoing bow'rs,
“The Bonnie Birks o Invermay”
Might mend a seraph's sweetest lay.
Then, should grim Care invest your castle,
Just knock him down wi “Willie Wastle,”
An rant blythe “Lumps o' Puddin” owre him ;
And for his dirge sing “Tullochgorum.”
Whan Orpheus charm'd his wife frae hell,
Twas nae Scotch tune he play'd sae well ;
Else had the worthy auld wire scraper
Been keepit for his dielship's piper.
Or if ye're turn'd a feather'd fop,
Licht dancing upon fashion's top,
Wi lofty brow an selfish e'e,
Despising low clad dogs like me ;
Uncaring your contempt or favour,
Sweet butterfly adieu for ever !
But, hold—I'm wrong tae doubt your sense,
For pride proceeds from ignorance.
If peace of mind lay in fine clothes,
I'd be the first of flutt'ring beaux,
An strut as proud as any peacock,
That ever craw'd on tap o haycock ;
And ere I'd know ane vexing thocht,
Get dollar buttons [5] on my coat,
Wi a the lave o fulsome trash on
That constitutes a man o fashion.
O, grant me this, kind Providence,
A moderate, decent competence ;
Thou'lt see me smile in independence,
Above weak-saul'd pride born ascendence.
But whether ye're gane to teach the Whistle,
Midst noise an rough regimental bustle ;
Or gane to strut upon the stage,
Smit wi the mania o the age ;
Or Scotsman like, hae trampt abreed,
To yon big town far south the Tweed ;
Or dourin in the hermit's cell,
Unblessing an unblest yoursel—
In gude's name, write !—tak up your pen
An how ye're daein let me ken.
Sae, hoping quickly your epistle,
Adieu! thou genuine son of song an whistle.
POSTSCRIPT.
We had a concert here short syne ; [6]
Oh, man ! the music was divine,
Baith plaintive sang and merry glee,
In a the soul o harmony.
When Smith and Stuart [7] lea this earth,
The gods, in token o their worth,
Will welcome them at heaven's portals
The brichtest, truest, best o mortals ;
Apollo, proud, as weel he may,
Will walk on tip toe a that day ;
While a the Muses kindred claim,
Rememb'ring what they've done for them.
This Epistle first appeared in Maver's Glasgow Selector, 1800, Vol. IV., page 114. See Note to No. 5.—Ed.
James Barr, weaver and musician, Kilbarchan, was born at Tarbolton, Ayrshire, in 1781. In his childhood, his parents came to Kilbarchan to reside there, and he was brought up in that town. He was apprenticed to the trade of a weaver with Mr. James Buchanan, Kilbarchan, mentioned in the Epistle No. 25. He cultivated music in his leisure hours, and became an accomplished player of the violin and flute, and latterly taught instrumental music bands. Tannahill and Barr formed an early acquaintance, which ripened into bosom-friendship. They frequently corresponded with each other; and a few of the letters that passed between them, which have been preserved, are printed among the Correspondence. “Blythe Jamie Barr” is one of the parties mentioned in the song of “The Five Friends,” No. 144. In 1812, James Barr was in the employment of Mr. J. Steven, music publisher, Wilson Street, Glasgow; and, in 1818, he commenced the teaching of music opposite the Star Inn, Glasgow. From Glasgow, he went with his family, in 1832, to Saint John's, New Brunswick, and there followed the occupation of farming for upwards of 20 years. He returned to Glasgow, and afterwards removed to Govan, where he died. On Halloween, 1874, we made a pilgrimage to Kilbarchan, and visited the cemetery of the U.P. Church there, and saw a tombstone with the following inscription;—“In Memory of James Barr, who died 24th February, 1860, aged 79 years, and his wife, Margaret Love, who died 11th August, 1859, aged 75 years.” Shortly after the death of Mr. Barr, his eldest daughter, Miss Janet Barr, distributed among the friends and acquaintances of her late father several of the letters and songs of Tannahill that he had received, retaining six in her possession. In making inquiries for information to frame the notes to this edition, we were shown the list of those retained by Miss Barr, in her own handwriting, as follows:—
List of Pieces retained by Miss Barr.
Poetical Epistle to J. Barr for negligence in writing.
Song to time “Three Carles,” alluded to in remarks by J. B. in Saturday Evening Post on “Burns and Tannahill's Style.”
The “Five Frien's,”—J. B. one.
Reply to Invitation to Burns' Anniversary in Kilbarchan, pleading some engagements in Paisley; and “Clean Pea Strae.”
Thanks and Presentation of a Volume of the Poems to J. B., and to each of the brothers Matthew and Walter, and copies of some formerly given away.
“Kebbuckston Wedding,” and Letter on the subject.
We made inquiries at the friends and acquaintances of the late Miss Barr, (she having died on 25th December, 1873, aged 68), and also wrote her sister, Mrs. Bannerman, Liverpool, on the subject ; but, unfortunately, none of the pieces in the list could be found after Miss Barr's decease.—Ed.
[1] Note by the Author.—“A much-respected naturalist in the west country.” This is the old friend of Tannahill in Kilbarchan, to whom he addressed the Epistle (No. 25) in August, 1806, and the reader is directed to the Notes upon it.—Ed.
[2] Sir Joseph Banks, an accomplished and laborious naturalist. He accom-panied Captain Cook in his first voyage round the world in 1768. An island in the North Pacific Ocean was named after him, and his name was also conferred on a genus of plants found in the islands of the South Sea. Sir Joseph was President of the Royal Society forty-two years. He was born in 1743, and died 19th March, 1820, aged 77 years.—Ed.
[3] At the annual competition of the Highland Society of Scotland held on 21st August, 1803, for playing on the bagpipes, the second prize was awarded to Malcom M’Gregor, piper from Glasgow, the king of pipers in the West of Scotland.—Ed.
[4] A celebrated comedian and famous elocutionist in Rome, born B.C. 106, and died B.C. 61. He was a contemporary and companion of Cicero, the eloquent Roman orator; Cicero defended and pled a cause for the actor. His daily pay for acting was £30 sterling. Pliny said Roscius made £4000 sterling annually; and Cicero, his advocate, alleged it was £5000. Every actor of excellence on the stage has had the name of Roscius bestowed on him.—Ed.
Note by Ramsay.—“The allusion here is to the young Roscius, Master Betty, whose juvenile performances for a time threw even first-rate actors into the shade.” William Henry West Betty, called “The Young Roscius,” was born on l3th September, 1791, near Shrewsbury in England, but brought up in Ireland. When near twelve years of age, he made his first appearance at Belfast on 16th August, 1803. The manager of the Glasgow Theatre engaged him for ten nights; and he made his first appearance in that city on Monday 21st May, 1804, taking the chief characters of Osman, Hamlet, Romeo, Douglas, Rollo, and others. Tannahill walked into Glasgow one of these evenings, and saw and heard “The Young Roscius” fascinating a Glasgow audience. He acted twenty-eight nights in each of Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres, London, which brought to the managers £34,000, or upwards of £600 per night. This Note was written thus far on Friday, 28th August, 1874; and in an hour thereafter, we read the following paragraph in the Glasgow Daily Mail newspaper of that date,—“Mr. W. H. W. Betty, who was formerly known as ‘The Young Roseius,’ died at his residence in London on Monday night, in the 83rd year of his age. He first appeared on the stage when about twelve years old in August, 1803, and he retired from professional life in August, 1842.”—Ed.
[5] Silverised buttons as large as dollars.
[6] This concert probably took place in the previous month of February, 1804.—Ed.
[7] R. A. Smith (so frequently noticed as the composer of the music for the Author's songs), and William Stuart, weaver in Well Street, Paisley, were frequently vocalists at concerts. Stuart was born 12th November, 1779; married in 1799; and his eldest son, James Stewart, born 20th September, 1802. The father and the son spelled their surnames differently. James Barr, to whom this Epistle was addressed, and Smith and Stuart, were three of the “Five Frien's” mentioned in No. 144, as “blythe Jamie Barr,” “Rab frae the south,” and “Will, the guid fallow.” William Stuart was one of the founders of the Burns' Club in 1805, and a very intimate acquaintance of Tannahill's. On 1st July, 1814, the Town Council of Paisley, of their own accord, appointed Stuart Precentor of the Laigh Kirk in New Street, Paisley; and, in 1822, he removed to the Relief Church in Anderston of Glasgow. We have lying before us a handbill of a grand concert of vocal and instrumental music for the benefit of Mr. Thomas Boyd, a comic singer in Paisley, then in the 82nd year of his ago, to take place in the Assembly Room of the Renfrewshire Tontine, Paisley, on Monday, 30th July, 1827. Two of the seven distinguished performers from Glasgow were the “Quid fallow” and “Blythe Jamie.” “Wee Tommie Boyd” was born in the '45, and became a warper to Messrs. Brown, Sharp, & Co., muslin manufacturers in Shuttle Street. In 1818, he was elected an honorary member of the Burns' Club. Tammie enlivened the festivities of many public and private parties in Paisley upwards of half a century; and we recollect him singing at the election dinner of the Paisley Faculty of Procurators in 1834, in the 90th year of his age (shortly after he had married his third wife), the fine old songs of “The golden days of good Queen Bess,” and “Twa-score twa” (the 42nd). He died on 20th January, 1836, in the 91st year of his age. William Stuart and James Clark, two of the “Five Frien's,” were schoolfellows in Paisley; and William Stuart and his son, James Stewart, were in the habit of visiting Clark in Campbelton. William Stuart died at London in 1862, aged 83 years ; and his son, James Stewart, who had been Precentor to Saint David's Church, popularly called “The Ramshorn,” Glasgow, died on 7th August, 1864, aged 62.—Ed.
[Semple 20]