manuscript book - Love and Liberty – A Cantata

This is the only surviving manuscript in Burns’s hand of the cantata (a drama set to music) better known as The Jolly Beggars. It is divided into parts for different character performers, including a bard who rounds off the whole piece.

This is the manuscript Burns wrote to give to Stewart & Meikle, the publishers of its first twopenny edition. The Cantata is a series of tales influenced by John Gay's Beggars Opera and other works. Burns relates the life stories of eight local vagabonds assembled in a Mauchline Inn in a loquacious and jolly mood.

In page 1 Burns sets the scene, outside it is cold but inside Poosie Nancie's Inn there is a happy if ragged group of disorderly vagabonds singing loud enough to make the roof shake. First to be introduced is the soldier, with his girl, his whisky and a warm blanket all to comfort him.

Page 2 we see the soldier and his girl noisily kissing before he renders his tale. His fighting with the French at the heights of Abraham (Quebec) and Santiago de Cuba. Then he fought on the sea with Admiral Sir Roger Curtis where he lost an arm & a leg, but if his country needed him he would do his bit.

Page 3 has the soldier saying he is as happy as ever, even though he is in rags and has to beg for a living and sleep out of doors, but he would still answer the sound of the drum. His song was loud enough to frighten the rats in the rafters. An encore was called for but instead his girl got up and began her tale.

Page 4 has our camp follower telling of her first lover, a gallant, good-looking young man. Her second was a man of the church but her next conquest was the 'Regiment'. As peace came she too was reduced to begging but now she was happy again with a soldier whom she could toast, but needed two hands to hold her glass steady.

In Page 5 we are introduced to poor merry Andrew who comes away from courting in the corner of the fireplace to give us his tale. He admits to being a 'fool' and 'daft'. He was once censored by the Church for importuning a young lady.

Page 6 is a short page in which the 'fool' finishes his tale by calling the prime Minister a fool and says ministers in the pulpit are rivals to 'his trade'. Being dry he finishes.

In Page 7 we are introduced to a sturdy woman pickpocket. She tells us of her lover, a Highland lad with a sword and a kilt. He ensnared the ladies hearts but he was a lawless lad.

In Page 8 we hear of the travels of the woman and her braw John Highlandman across the lowlands living the good life, but earning it cost him his life by hanging. Her only comfort now is a full glass. We are now introduced to a small man with a fiddle.

Page 9 has the little fiddler breaking into song to the large beldam of the last tale. His favourite tune is "Whistle over the lave o't". He promises to wipe away her tears and promises a grand time together when he plays his fiddle at his harvest-homes and weddings.

In Page 10 the little fiddler promises his female companion that he will look after her but her charms have taken the eye of a sturdy tinker lad who draws his rusty sword and threatens to run the fiddler through unless he gives up the woman. The fiddler acquiesced and the quarrel ended.

Page 10 in the tinkers tale, he tells of his trade and how he often took the bounty to be a soldier but was sure to be absent when his unit marched off. He tells the woman that she should give up on the fiddler. From now on he will look after her need or, he says, may he never have drink again.

In Page 12 we see the tinker gets the woman who sinks in his arms, overcome with emotion and drink. The little fiddler is a good looser and drinks their health. However he later fondles her behind the chicken coop. We are then introduced to a rheumatic Bard (Burns?) a daring drinking man who fell in love easily.

In Page 13 the bard seems just too like Burns himself. He wanted always to be glad, well watered and never to be sad. His muse encouraged him to sing of his poesy and his fame. His is a local inspiration and he does love the lassies.

In Page 14 we see the bard confess that however enraptured he may be he cannot tell how long that particular interest will last. However women deceive him, he loves them "for a' that". And so the bard sings his roof raising song.

Page 15 contains a rousing song. What is treasure or reputation so long as we are happy, if poor. We can tell a good story or use a trick so long as we can end up at night with our lover in the hay for a hug.

Page 16 is the final page in which our bard asks rhetorically if wealth or sober wedlock will ensure a finer love. We don't need to worry about decorum if we have nothing to lose. A toast to all of us vagabonds. "so be it".

When at Mossgeil in 1785 Burns and friend John Richmond visited an Inn in Mauchline where they experienced the inebriated setting and vagabond characters which inspired this work. It was his only attempt at a longer work capable of being staged.