Air—" Earl Moira's Visit to Scotland." 17th October, 1807.
LOUDON'S bonnie woods and braes,
I maun lea' them a, lassie ;
Wha can thole whan Britain's faes,
Woud gie Britons law, lassie ?
Wha woud shun the fiel o danger ?
Wha frae Fame woud live a stranger ?
Now that Freedom bids avenge her,
Wha woud shun her ca, lassie ?
Loudon's bonnie woods and braes
Hae seen our happy bridal days,
And gentle hope shall soothe thy waes,
Whan I am far awa, lassie.
Hark ! the swellin bugle sings,
Yieldin joy to thee, laddie ;
But the dolefu bugle brings
Waefu thochts tae me, laddie.
Lanely I may climb the mountain,
Lanely stray beside the fountain,
Still the weary moments countin,
Far frae love and thee, laddie.
O'er the gory fiels o war,
Whan Vengeance drives her crimson car,
Thou'lt may be fa, frae me afar,
And nane to close thy e'e, laddie.
Oh, resume thy wonted smile!
Oh, suppress thy fears, lassie!
Glorious honour crouns the toil
That the soldier shares, lassie.
Heaven will shield thy faithfu lover,
Till the vengefu strife is over,
Then we'll meet, nae mair to sever
Till the day we dee, lassie :
Midst our bonnie woods and braes,
We'll spend our peacefu, happy days,
As blythe's yon lichtsome lamb that plays
On Loudon's flowery lea, lassie.
Note by Ramsay.—“This very popular song was composed in honour of the late Earl Moira (afterwards Marquis of Hastings), and a Scottish Peeress, the Countess of Loudon, on occasion of his Lordship having been called abroad in the service of his country shortly after their nuptials. In a letter to his friend King (Nov. 2, 1807), the Author says—‘I own I am somewhat half pleased with the above myself ; but that is always the case when a piece is newly finished, and it must lie past some time before we are capable of judging rightly how it may stand.’ ”
In May, 1803, Napoleon Buonaparte, first Consul of the French Republic, having threatened to invade the sea-girt Isle with a vast army of veteran soldiers, Volunteer Companies were formed, and the Militia embodied to repel the invasion. General the Earl of Moira, who had distinguished himself in the American War, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the forces in Scotland. People of every grade joined heart and hand, and resolved to give the invaders a warm reception. The coast, where necessary, was guarded by the guns of the Artillery, and the interior bristled with the musketry and bayonets of the Volunteer Infantry, and flashed with the sabres of the Yeomanry Cavalry. Loyal Paisley was among the first of the places which raised two regiments of Volunteers. The Poet's brother, Matthew, and R. A. Smith, joined the Second or Gentle Corps; and the regimental dress provided by the members consisted of a cap festooned with two gold-plated chains, scarlet coat and vest, with facings of blue and gold, white breeches, and black gaiters. The First Regiment was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel William M'Kerrell, younger of Hillhouse, and the Second by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Fulton of Hartfield. The French, however, did not press their own invitation. On the 12th of July, 1804, Francis Rawdon Hastings, Earl of Moira in Ireland, was married to Flora Mure Campbell, Countess of Loudon in Scotland; and she was given away by ths Prince of Wales, afterwards King George the IV. The ceremony was performed by the Bishop of London at Lady Perth's House, London, and the nuptial days were spent at Loudon Castle. The Earl was born in Ireland on 7th December, 1754; and the Countess in Scotland on 2nd September, 1780, and her mother died the same day, and her father on 28th April, 1786.
The whole of the Volunteers in the County of Renfrew, mustering nearly 5000 strong, were reviewed by the gallant Commander, General the Earl of Moira, on Thursday, the 4th day of October, 1804, in the large field on the north-west side of the Barnsford Bridge, near Walkinshaw, two miles from town. This review was among the earliest, if not the very first of Volunteer reviews in Scotland, and occurred on a splendid day for the occasion. Business was suspended, and it became a joyous and grand holiday to all classes of the community. The brilliant appearance of so many thousands of Volunteers in their military uniforms,—the beauty and fashion of the surrounding country,—and the vast assemblage of civilians in holiday attire,—was a sight worth seeing. The review was a complete success; and from the cheerful smiles and merry laughs, it was evident that every confidence and reliance was placed in our Scots Volunteer lads that they would defend their households to the death. In the afternoon, an elegant entertainment was given in the Town Hall to his Excellency and suits, and a number of noblemen and gentlemen belonging to the County, officers of Corps, &c., &c. In the evening, his Lordship and suite returned to Glasgow.
The plantations on Loudon Braes were at that time one of the finest in Scotland; John, 4th Earl of Loudon, having about fifty years previously planted upwards of a million of trees, which he had collected in his military travels abroad, and sent home.
In 1807, the Republican Consul (now elevated to Napoleon I., Emperor of the French), having threatened invasion again, the Earl of Moira was called upon to go into active service abroad. On that occasion, Tannahill composed this song, which was dated “Paisley, 17th October, 1807,” and first appeared in the Scots Magazine of that year, page 927. It has now become one of the popular melodies of Scotland.
The Earl of Moira was created Marquis of Hastings in 1816, and be died 23th November, 1826. His daughter, Lady Flora Hastings, born at Edinburgh 11th February, 1806, died at Buckingham Palace on 5th July, 1839, of a broken heart from the circulation of a wicked and unfounded fama. Her gentle spirit passed away with the tender and endearing words on her lips, “My mother.” The whole nation was bathed in tears, and deeply sympathised with her aged widowed parent. The young lady was a poetess; and a volume of her Poems was published in 1841, a specimen of one, also a “Farewell,” in blank verse, we will give:—
“FAREWELL, MY HOME.
Farewell, my home !—Oh ! in that one brief word
What myriad thoughts are cherished,—what deep love
......
And thou dark Hill [1] and hoar
That broodest like a genius o'er the strath,
Passionless witness of the lapse of ages—
And monument, by Nature's hand uprear'd,
Of the stern struggles of an ancient time.”
The venerable Marchioness also died of a broken heart on 9th January , 1840. —Ed.
[1] “Loudon Hill, a curious rock of volcanic formation in Ayrshire, at the foot of which three battles have been fought,—one in the time of the Romans (of whose camp the traces are still supposed to be visible), the second in 1307, and the third in 1679.”—Ed.
[Semple 95]