Can you love me thus, my Betty, verses 2 and 4 of The Minstrel at Lincluden
Tune, Roy's wife
Can you leave me thus, my Betty,
Can you leave me thus, my Betty,
Well you know my aching heart,
And can you leave me thus for pity.
Is this thy plighted fond regard,
Thus cruelly to part, my Betty;
Is this thy faithful swain's reward,
An aching broken heart, my Betty?
Can you leave & c.
Farewell! & ne'er such sorrows tear
That fickle heart of thine, my Katie:
Thou mayest find those will love thee dear,
But not such love as mine, my Katie.-
Canst thou & c.
Can you leave me thus, my Betty,
Can you leave me thus, my Betty,
Well you know my aching heart,
And can you leave me thus for pity.
Is this thy plighted fond regard,
Thus cruelly to part, my Betty;
Is this thy faithful swain's reward,
An aching broken heart, my Betty?
Can you leave & c.
Farewell! & ne'er such sorrows tear
That fickle heart of thine, my Katie:
Thou mayest find those will love thee dear,
But not such love as mine, my Katie.-
Canst thou & c.
The winds were laid, the air was still,
The stars they shote alang the sky:
The tod was howling on the hill,
And the distant echoing glens reply
Still the lassie & c. -
The cauld. blae North was streamin forth
Her lights, wi hissin eerie din;
Athort the lift they start & shift
Like Fortune's favors, tint as win.-
still & c.-
The stars they shote alang the sky:
The tod was howling on the hill,
And the distant echoing glens reply
Still the lassie & c. -
The cauld. blae North was streamin forth
Her lights, wi hissin eerie din;
Athort the lift they start & shift
Like Fortune's favors, tint as win.-
still & c.-
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/98
- Alt. number
- 3.6256
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Thomson, George
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/98
- Alt. number
- 3.6256
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Thomson, George
Description
Can you love me thus, my Betty'; Verses 2 and 4 of 'The Minstrel at Lincluden' an alternative version of "Can you love me thus, my Betty. "
This is the alternative version of the poem Item 3.653. Katy being substituted by Betty in this case. 3 four-line verses. Docketed by Dr Currie. On the reverse of Item ref 353.01 are two verses (2nd & 4th) of the song which begins "As I stood by yon roofless tower", a reference to Lincluden Abbey on the banks of the Nith. Docketed by Dr Currie with an endorsement by W. Wallace Currie.
This song was written in 1794 and sent to George Thomson for consideration for inclusion in A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice. It is set to the English tune Roy's wife.
It is widely believed that this song was intended for Maria Riddell or Elizabeth Riddell. However, very little evidence exists to substantiate these claims.
On the reverse of the manuscript are two verses (the 2nd & 4th) of the song As I stood by yon roofless tower. Burns wrote the words and set the song to the tune Cumnock Psalms, eventually sending it to Thomson in 1794. The 'roofless tower' mentioned refers to Lincluden Abbey, found in north of Dumfries in Maxwelltown. The manuscript is docketed by Dr Currie with an endorsement by W. Wallace Currie.
It is widely believed that this song was intended for Maria Riddell or Elizabeth Riddell. However, very little evidence exists to substantiate these claims.
On the reverse of the manuscript are two verses (the 2nd & 4th) of the song As I stood by yon roofless tower. Burns wrote the words and set the song to the tune Cumnock Psalms, eventually sending it to Thomson in 1794. The 'roofless tower' mentioned refers to Lincluden Abbey, found in north of Dumfries in Maxwelltown. The manuscript is docketed by Dr Currie with an endorsement by W. Wallace Currie.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Can you love me thus, my Betty, verses 2 and 4 of The Minstrel at Lincluden
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.