Sending a letter to Captn. Grose, & being at a loss
for his direction, I enclose it to Mr. Cardonnel of the
customs in Edinburgh who is acquainted with the Captain's
motions & is like himself a profound Antiquarian.
On the inside of the cover, I wrote to Cardonnel
extempore & anonymous the following lines, alluding
to an old song
"Heard ye e'er of Sir John Malcom,
Igo & ago"
Ken ye ought o' Captain Grose?
Igo & ago,
If he's amang his friends or foes?
Iram coram dago. -
Is he South, or is he north?
Igo & ago
Or drowned in the river Forth?
Iram coram dago. -
Is he slain by Highland bodies?
Igo &c.
And eaten like ^a weather-haggis?
Iram &c.
Is he to Abram's bosom gane?
Igo & c.
Or haudin Sarah by the wame?
Iram & c.
for his direction, I enclose it to Mr. Cardonnel of the
customs in Edinburgh who is acquainted with the Captain's
motions & is like himself a profound Antiquarian.
On the inside of the cover, I wrote to Cardonnel
extempore & anonymous the following lines, alluding
to an old song
"Heard ye e'er of Sir John Malcom,
Igo & ago"
Ken ye ought o' Captain Grose?
Igo & ago,
If he's amang his friends or foes?
Iram coram dago. -
Is he South, or is he north?
Igo & ago
Or drowned in the river Forth?
Iram coram dago. -
Is he slain by Highland bodies?
Igo &c.
And eaten like ^a weather-haggis?
Iram &c.
Is he to Abram's bosom gane?
Igo & c.
Or haudin Sarah by the wame?
Iram & c.
Whare'er he be, the L-D be near him!
Igo & ago.-
As for the Deil, he dare na steer him,
Iram coram dago.-
But please transmit th' enclosed letter,
Igo & ago,
Which will oblidge your humble debtor,
Iram coram dago.-
Sae may ye find auld stanes in store!
Igo & c.
The very stanes that Adam bore!
Iram & c.
Sae may ye get in glat possession,
Igo & ago,
The coins o' Satan's coronation!
Iram coram dago.-
__________________
Igo & ago.-
As for the Deil, he dare na steer him,
Iram coram dago.-
But please transmit th' enclosed letter,
Igo & ago,
Which will oblidge your humble debtor,
Iram coram dago.-
Sae may ye find auld stanes in store!
Igo & c.
The very stanes that Adam bore!
Iram & c.
Sae may ye get in glat possession,
Igo & ago,
The coins o' Satan's coronation!
Iram coram dago.-
__________________
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/58
- Alt. number
- 3.6199
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/58
- Alt. number
- 3.6199
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Ken ye ought o' Captain Grose? 8 four-line verses written by the Poet to Adam de Cardonnel.
Burns sent this song about his English antiquarian friend to Adam de Cardonnell Lawson, a numismatist and fellow antiquary who helped Grose gather and publish his stories of the British Isles. The song, with 8 four-line verses and a dog-latin chorus, is based on an oyster-dredging song from the Firth of Forth.
Captain Grose had written books on the antiquities of England and Wales and was about to turn his attention to Scotland. Burns met him at Friars' Carse, near Ellisland Farm, in 1789. They became friends and it was for Grose that Burns wrote of Alloway's old haunted Kirk in the tale of Tam o' Shanter.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Ken ye ought o' Captain Grose?
Caring for collections
A gift of £5 a month can help us ensure collections like the Robert Burns Collection receive ongoing care and are shared with as many people as possible.