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 And gie to me my bigonet For I mun tell the Bailie's* wife Rise Lass and make a clean fire-side 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 There's twa fat hens upo the Coop Been fed this month and mair * 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 Sae true his heart, sae smooth his speech His very foot has Music in't And shall I see his face again If Colin's weel, and weel content And gin I live to mak him sae 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 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 |