Wilt thou be my Dearie and Contented wi' little, & cantie wi' mair

The manuscript also contains an annotation in an unknown hand, 'newly composed and this the first copy, 6th April 1795'.

The reverse contains the song Wilt thou be my Dearie. The song was first published in the Morning Chronicle on 10 May 1794 but it was written at an earlier date. Burns had sent an earlier version to his friend Alexander Cunningham in March of that same year.

Burns considered this one of his best songs, which he set to the old Highland tune of The Suitor's Dochter. The Jeanie of the song is unknown, although it has been speculated that it was based on Janet Miller, the daughter of Burns's friend Patrick Miller.

The manuscript also contains the annotation in an unknown hand, 'The Scotch Bard's own handwriting'.;Begins: "Contented wi little, and cantie wi mair" Composed in November 1794, with annotation, not in R.B.'s hand, "newly composed and this the first copy, 6th April 1795". Four stanzas of four-lines each. With another poem on the reverse of the ms. see item ref 345.02.