Letter to James Clark: 20 September 1807
Mr James Clark,
Musician Argyle Shire Malitia
Band Aberdeen Paisley 20th Sepr
1807 My Dear Friend. I
received your very welcome letter Dated 19th July, and should have
answered it ere now, but the truth is, [#] and
will call on some of your friends —— Joe Hart (C, O, Co. M, e, Me. D. – a, n, an) co’me’di’an’, along with Mrs
H. and auld Graunie have been acting Tragedies, and Comedies, and Farces
at the Slates last week – I understand that the old Woman frequently appears in
breeches, you may fancy the picture.
this trio is the whole company —— The Miss
Adams are just now in Glasgow, and are drawing crowded houses. Mr
Hunter’s Museum has arrived at the college, you may guess its value and extent,
the Museum is ensured at £100,000. and the Library at
£10,000. it is not yet arranged for exhibition, but
when it is ’twill be well worth seeing —— I understand that a good many of your
men are volunteering, my cousin Math. McNiel, I hear has tried it —
You will no doubt be surprised to hear that the talk has gone thro’ all your
acquaintances here, that you had been complimented with an Officer-ship — we
thought it might be true, as J. Walker was said to have told that Col. McKerel
had got a letter to that purpose, however Robt Smith tells me
your letter to Wm Stewart is backed J.C. Musician. it is odd to see how stories fly ——— You recollect the song
– “When time who steals our years away.” It is not Thos
Campbell’s, as was supposed – it is written by a Thomas Moore, whom I esteem as
the Anacreon of the age – I have seen a volume of his in which was the song
alluded to – like old Dibdin he usually composes Music to his own words – the
Eding Reviewers have endeavor’d to put him up for
being too loose in his subjects — I will write your one of his Epigrams Your
Mother says, my little Venus! There’s something not
correct between us, And you’re
in fault as much as I; How, on my soul, my
little Venus! I think ’twould not be
right between us, To let your Mother tell a lie. Here are a few more
lines that reckon’d worth copying. I dont recollect from whence. Impromptu. ’Twas said, by a wit, should the
French e’er come o’er, One half of England with
fear would turn Quakers, But not so I ween, [let] them touch
British Shore, And to bury them all we
shall prove Undertakers. [#] I have now told you all the news
that I reckon worth writing and will take it most kindly if you’ll write me
soon, and let me know all worth knowing about Aberdeen, tell me if you have a
Theatre and kind of performers you may have, and whether you have had any more
conference with Mr Ross, and w˄h˄ether he keeps a
Music Shop— I will write a little song on chance I dont know how it may please
you -- Song While
the grey-pinion’d lark early mounts to the skies, And
cheerily hails the sweet dawn, And
the sun newly up sheds the mist from his eyes, And
smiles over mountain and lawn Delighted
I stray by the fairy wood-side, Where
the dew-drops the crow-flow’rs adorn, And
Nature, array’d in her midsummer’s pride, Sweetly smiles to the smile of the morn. Ye
dark waving plantings, ye green shady bow’rs, Your
charms ever varying I view, My
soul’s dearest transports, my happiest hours, Have ow’d half their pleasures to you. Sweet
Fergusly, hail! thou’rt the dear sacred grove, Where
first my young Muse spread her wing; Here
Nature first wak’d me to rapture and love, And taught me
her beauties to sing. Now,
my Dear Friend I hope you will not long deny the pleasure of leting me hear
from you – there are so many rubs in life that we ought to make one
another as comfortable as possible, and I assure you that hearing from you
frequently affords me considerable happiness — Give my best respects to my
cousin, and to my friend Tom and Mrs Buchanan, and rest
assured that among your numerous acquaintances, none esteems you more truely
than Your Friend Robt
Tannahill Emendations Our •
O[à]r Boag
• B[àà]g been • bee[à] let • [làt] all • [aàà] Copy
Text: MS Robertson 1/9 Notes: Previous
Publications: |