liften with pleasure to tunes that they know, and can join with in the chorus. Say that our way is only an barmonious fpeaking of merry, witty, or foft thoughts, after the poet has dress'd them in four or five ftanzas; yet undoubtedly thefe must relifh beft with people, who have not bestowed much of their time in acquiring a tafte for that downright perfect mufick, which requires none, or very little of the poet's affiftance. MY being well aljured, how acceptable new words to known good tunes would prove, en`gaged me to the making verfes for above fixty of them, in this and the fecond volume: about thirty more were done by fome ingenious young gentlemen, who were fo well pleafed with my undertaking, that they generously lent me their afiftance; and to them the lovers of fenfe and mufick are obliged for fome of the best fongs in the collection. The reft are fuch old verfes as have been done time out of mind, and only wanted to be cleared from the drofs of blundering tranfcribers and printers; fuch as, The Gaberlunzie man, Muirland Willy, &c. that claim their place in our collection, for their merry images of the low chara&er. THIS eleventh edition in a few years, and the general demand for the book by perfons of all ranks, wherever our language is understood, is a fure evidence of its being acceptable. My worthy worthy friend, Dr. Bannerman tells me from America, Nor only do your lays o'er Britain flow. FROM this and the following volume, Mr. Thomfon (who is allowed by all, to be a good teacher and finger of Scots Songs) cull'd his Orpheus Caledonius, the mufick for both the voice and flute, and the words of the fongs finely engraven in a folio book, for the use of perfons of the highest quality in Britain, and dedicated to the late Queen. This, by the by, I thought proper to intimate, and do my felf that juftice which the publisher neglected; fince he ought to have acquainted his illuftrious lift of fubfcribers, that the most of the songs were mine, the musick abstracted. IN my compofitions and collections, I have kept out all fmut and ribaldry, that the modeft voice and ear of the fair finger might meet with no affront; the chief bent of all my ftudies being, to gain their good graces and it Shall always be my care, to ward off thefe frowns that would prove mortal to my muse. A 5 : Now, Now little books, go your ways; be affured of favourable reception wherever the fun fhines on the free-born chearful Briton; fteal your felves into the ladies bofoms. Happy volumes! you are to live too as long as the fong of Homer in Greek and English, and mix your afbes only with the odes of Horace. Were it but my fale, when old and rufled, like you to be again reprinted, what a curious figure would I appear on the utmost limits of time, after a thousand editions? Happy volumes! you are secure, but I must yield; pleafe the ladies, and take care, of my fame. In hopes of this, fearless of coming age, Ill fmile thro' life; and when for rhime renown'd, I'll calmly quit the farce and giddy flage, And fleep beneath a flow'ry turf full found. INDE X. Beginning with the first Letter of every Song. The SONGS mark'd C, D, H, L, M, O, &c. are nev A A. H, Chloe, thou treasure, thou joy, &c. As from a rock past all relief Auld Rob Morris that wins in yon glen And I'll o'er the moor to Maggy Adieu the pleasant sports and plays 175 A 6 A fouth- As early I walk'd on the firit of sweet May As I fat at my fpinning wheel A quire of bright beauties A four reformation As charming Clara walk'd alone As mufing I rang'd in a meadow alone All you that wou'd refine your blood As down in the meadows I chanced to pafs 340 354 A cobler there was, and he liv'd in a stall 355 As I am a friend 372 Ah! woes me, poor Willy cry'd 377 390 397 397 417 A fox may fteal your hens, fir 419 By a murmuring stream a fair fhepherdefs lay By the delicious warmnefs of thy mouth |