Letter from Robert Burns to James Johnson

My dear Friend,
now to the subject of your
songs.- The song to ginglan Geordie if my memory.
serves me right, is one of Dr Blacklocks. - We
all know the Doctor's merit, but his songs in
general were very silly. I inclose you one to
the tune which has much more merit & beg
you will insert it. -
"Ken ye what Meg o' the mill has gotten, " I
send you the old words. - Any fiddler will give
you the tune if you ask for it but the name
of "Jacky Hume's lament." -
"Gude ale come & gude ale goes" I send you
all that I recollect of the words, as you say
you have the tune. -
"Lay thy loof in mine Lassie" you say you
have the words. - The tune you will find in
Aird's Selection under the name of "The
Cordwainers march"
"My Lady's gown & yairs upon't " I think
I can yet procure. - "The Lochmaden harper"
I fear I shall never recover; it is a famous old
song. The rest are I doubt irrecoverable
think it hard that a few so much trouble in
[?] these tunes they should be lost in this

trifling way. - Clarke has been shameful
careless. - If I had Oswald's old Collection,
I could yet recover some besides picking out
some beautiful airs yet unappropriated to words
My Oswald I lent to a friend who is at a
distance at present; so I beg you will favor
me with a glance of yours for a week or two
Please send it the first convenience.
Pray, is not the song mentioned in the list,
N.o55th under the title of "Gloomy December"
same with - "Ance mair I hail thee thou gloomy Dec.r
which you say is among the lost? -
"Peggy in devotion" is surely English. Tell Clark
from me, on no account to insert an English
song in this volume. - The last paral I sent
you, I do not see at all in your list.
"The rock & the wee puckle tow" put in only
the two first stanzas. - It would be idle folly
to trouble yourself with any more. -
"O bonie Jean, where hast thou been
"Father & mother seeking thee. - & c.
is a fine song which we have all along
overlooked. - The song is in Witherspoon,

the tune is the air of one Gay's songs in the
Beggar's Opera, where it is mentioned by name.-
This music you can easily procure. -
Did I not send you song to "Lumps O
"Puddings", & what has become of it?
"Go from my window" is ^a song so old as to
be mentioned as a popular song in the days
of our James th 4th & wish M.r Clark
would try to make it do. -
Queen Mary's lament, you will find in the
two volume edition of my Poems. Call it
"Queen Many's lament on the return of spring"
________________
In a day or two, I will write you more
at large. -
Yours
R Burns
Weden: eve}