lay the following letter before the readers of these volumes, written by the Rev. John Sim, A. B. editor of Mr. Mickle's works and his intimate friend, and received since the above account was printed.

The contents of Mr. Sim's letter, and the poetical sketch it encloses, warrant the Editor in conceding the ballad to Mr. Mickle.

Dear Sir,

Pentonville, April 14, 1810.

Since I received Mr. Mudford's letter (a copy of which you will see in the Universal Magazine for this month, p. 265), I have been so very fortunate as to discover among Mr. Mickle's MSS. what I have every reason to believe, from its inaccuracy, and other evident marks of haste, to be the very first sketch of the ballad, "There's nae luck about the house," a copy of which I have inclosed. Besides the marks of haste, which I have noticed in the margin, you will find Colin spelt once with two, and twice with a single 7: the verb mun (must) spelt with a u and an a, at the distance of only two lines: and the word make spelt twice with, and thrice without, the letter e. One stanza contains twelve, two stanzas eight, and the others only four lines a-piece; by which he seems undetermined whether the first four or the last four lines should form the chorus. Other inaccuracies and blunders you will perceive on comparing the MS. with the printed copy in my edition of Mickle's Poetry.

Since I wrote to Mr. Mudford, Mrs. Mickle has informed me, without being asked, that she now perfectly recollects that Mr. Mickle gave her the ballad as his own composition, and explained to her the Scottish words and phrases; and she repeated to me, with a very little assistance, the whole of the song, except the eight lines, which I have, and I think with justice, ascribed to Dr. Beattie. When I asked her why she hesitated at first? she said, that the question coming unexpectedly upon her, flurried her, and the flurry, together with the fear that she might be called upon to substantiate what she then said upon oath, made her answer with diffidence and hesitation. This struck me at that time to have been the case; and I believe such a behaviour to be very natural to persons labouring under a disorder so depressive as a paralysis.

I shall only add, that Mickle had too high an opinion of his own poetical powers to have adopted the compositions of but very few of his contemporaries; and certainly too much honour and integrity, to give the least occasion to the publishing of the works of another as his own productions.

I remain, dear Sir, your most obedient

very humble servant,

J. SIM.

To Mr. Cromek.

The first sketch of the beautiful ballad, "There's nae luck about the house," from the hand-writing of

W. J. Mickle, in the possession of the Rev. Mr.

Sim.

There's nae luck about the house

There's nae luck at aw

There's little pleasure in the house
When our gudeman's awa
And are you sure the news is true
And do you say he's weel
Is this a time to speak of wark
Ye jades lay by your wheel
Is this a time to spin a thread
When Collin's at the door
Reach me my cloak I'll to the quay
And see him come ashore

And gie to me my bigonet
My Bishop's sattin gown

For I mun tell the Bailie's* wife
That Colin's in the town
My Turky slippers man gae on
My stockings pearly blue
"Tis aw to pleasure my gudeman
For he's baith leel and true

Rise Lass and make a clean fire-side
Put on the Mucklet pot

Gie little Kate her button gown

And Jock his Sunday Coat

And make their shoon as black as slaes

Their hose as white as snaw

"Tis a to pleasure my gude Mang
For he's been lang awa

There's twa fat hens upo the Coop

Been fed this month and mair
Mak haste and thraw their necks about
That Colin weel may fare

* The e after the i in Bailie's erased.

+ The M changed for ni.

+ The c in Jock erased.

§ A repetition of line 19.

And mak the Table neat and trim
Let every thing be braw
For who kens how Colin far'd*
When he's beent far awa

Sae true his heart, sae smooth his speech
His breath like cauler air

His very foot has Music in't
As he comes up the stair

And shall I see his face again
And shall I hear him speak
I'm down right giddy wi' the thought
In troth I'm like to greet

If Colin's weel, and weel content
I hae nae mair to crave

And gin I live to mak him sae
I'm blest above the lave

And shall I see his face again &c

APPENDIX (b.)

JAMES TYTLER was the son of a country clergyman in the presbytery of Brechin, and brother to Dr. Tytler, the translator of Callimachus. He was instructed by his father in classical learning and

This line is deficient in measure.

+ Interlined, he was.
The first point in the MS.

The last point in the MS,

school divinity, and attained an accurate knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, and an extensive acquaintance with biblical literature and scholastic theology. Having discovered an early predilection for the medical profession, he was put apprentice to a surgeon in Forfar, and afterwards sent to attend the medical classes at Edinburgh. While a medical student, he cultivated experimental chemistry and controversial theology with equal assiduity. Unfortunately his religious opinions, not deemed orthodox, or calvinistical, connected him with a society of Glassites, and involved him in a marriage with a member of the society, which terminated in a separation. He now settled at Leith, as an apothecary, depending on the patronage of his religious connections; but his separation from the society, which happened soon after, with an unsteadiness that was natural to him, disappointed his expectations. When he ceased to be a Glassite, he ceased not to be a firm believer in the Christian revelation, and a zealous advocate of genuine Christianity; but he never afterwards held communion with any denomination of Christians. The neglect of his business was the unavoidable consequence of his attention to religious dissensions; and having contracted debts to a considerable amount, he was obliged to remove to Berwick, and afterwards to Newcastle. In both places