The Land 0' the leal.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 71

The Land 0' the leal.

TO THE EDITOB.

Sic, — As Dr Stonhouse has carried into your columns the discussion which lie ptarted with his not over-courteous interruption of nay address at the meeting of the Burns Club, unless I state the case for Lady Nairne's authorship of " The Land o' the Leal " many of your readers aro likely to be misled. Dr Stenhouse's letter is a good example of what Air Hutchison calls " taking stories upon trust." The story the doctor tells would be of some interest and value if lie had only given us some proof of its authenticity, but without that it is not worth printer's ink. It should be sufficient for you* readers to know that the editors of the standard editions of Burns' s works and the writcrsof his biogiaphies do not include "The Land o7o 7 the Leal " among the poet's writing?, and take no notice of the story so gravely told by Dr Slenhouse. I have consulted a considerable number of editions of Burns's works, including " The Centenar3 r Edition, "_ edited by Mr Wenley, where we might expect the &ong- if ib was to be claimed foL- Burns at all, and I have never seen it mentioned. And Mr Henderson, in tho preface to his book on. Jjady Nairne,

published this year, quotes Mr Hew Morrison, of i,he Public Library, Edinburgh, as sr>ying - : "I have now examined every edition of Burns which we have heru in the Public Library, and I cannot find in any of them ' Tho Land o' the Leal.' " And we may take it for granted that all the best editions of Burns are to be found in that library. In the face of that, I. must ask what Dr Stenhouse means by saying "The Land o' the Leal " " was quite unknown to the earlier editors of his (Burns's) works, and did not appear in their editions.' 3 Your readers would infer that the song appears 1 in the later editions of the poet's works, and Dr Stenhou'o must know that i& not tlie case. The writers of biographies of Burns also ignore the story to which Dr Stenhousa pins hif faith. I have tbres biographies of the poet before — Lockhort's (commonly regarded as the standard life), Principal Shairp's, and Professor Blr.ckie'e. All give pathetic accounts of his last illness, and spoak of the last efforts of his muse, and two of them describe his writing " O, Wert thou in the Cauld Blast ' to Jessie Lewara ; but they do not mention what would be a fpr more striking seene — the writing " The Land o' the Lcnl " to his wife. They would have done so if it, had happened. The fact is there is nothing- deserving the name of evidence to connect the pong with Bur-is, and ths be^t editors (latsr as well as earlier) rightly exclude it from his work?. During Lady Nairne's lifetime it appeared anonymously in several editions of Scottish songs, the editors stating that they had tried to discover the author and had failed (see Hogers's '" Life and Songs of Lady Nairne," p. 2>l). The want of evidence to connect the pong with Biu-ns* was so compie!o that even while the authorship remained unknown competent Scottish writers did not claim it for him. After Lady Nairne's death the matter wa = set ot rest for all reasonable men. It then became known that to several intimate friends she definitely claimed the authorship of the song. She did so to her niece, Miss Stewart, who died only a few years ago, and to her intimate friend, Miss Helen Walker. (Sec Rogers and Henderson's works. l And Dr Stenhouse draws on his imagination when he ?ays Mrs Colquhomi " naiurally attributed tho authorship to her." Mi's Colquhoun was under 3io raistake, for Lady Nairne's editors state that she " pledged her friend to secrecy " regarding her authorship of the song. And your readers can jiidge from the following extract from a letter of Lady Noirne's whether Dr Stenhouse's "explanation that she may only have meant that she had " written it out with her own hand" — i.e., had copied il — is fair. She writes " ' The Land o' the Leal ' is a, happy rest for the mind in this dark .pilgrimage. O ! yes, I was young then. I wrote it merely because I liked the air so much, and I put these words to it, never fearins questions as to the authorship. However, a lady would know, and took it down," and I had not Sir Walter's art of denying. I was present when it was asserted that Burns compese'd it on his death-bed, and that he had it ' Jean ' instead of ' John ' ; but the parties could not decide why it never appeared in his works, as his last so:ig should have done. I never answered." Dr Stenhcu&e's "Two difficult questions" are very amusing. -As to the first — why, the sontr only appeared anonymously during Lady Neirne's lifetime. When we .remember that all her pongs Only appeared anonymously durino her lifetime, and that she took great pains to preserve her anonymity, the difficulty is i>ofc to understand why " The Land o' the Leal " appeared anonymously, but .why smy man should ask such an absurd question. As to the second question : anyone can see that the so-called two versions are the same song with variations made on it during 50 years-- anonymous publication. The verse, " Sac dear's that joy was bought, John," was added to it by Lady Nairne late in life. But even to far as the slight verbal changes are concerned, Dr Stenhouse is wrong. I have the facsimile of the manuscript in Lady Nairne's handwriting before me, and I observe that the first stanza is given in the exact -words of what Dr Stenhouse is pleaded to call " tho far more exquisite som: attributed to Burns.' 1 Ho much for the doctor's literary criticism. From what I have stated your leaders will see that there is no controversy betwepn authorities on this subject. The authorities on Burn? do not claim the song for him, and the authorities on Lady Nairne all claim it for her, ond she claimed it for herself. The controversy is maintained by admirers of Burns, who take stories unon trust, and with whom pdmiration of Burns' has become a Burns cult.— -I am, etc., Isaac Jollt. The Manse, St. Kilda, October 22. TO THK EDITOB. Sir, — Dr Stenhouse's letter in your issue of Saturday is a very conclusive one, if taken at first sight, on the authorship of this worldrenowned plaintive melody. . I have not the slightest hesitation in saying my opinion coincides with his, that Burns wo a' the writer. The doctor will admit with me there are two points of view fronv which conclusions are drawn in the absence of demonstrable proof. These are internal evidence and the testimony of compeers. These, in my view, are in favour of Burns. Others, perhaps, have obverse opinions, and are possibly more able to judge and have a good deal to say in favour oC their belief that Lacly Nairne indited the song. For instance, in the "Book of Scottish Song," edited by Alexander Whitelaw and published by Blackie and Son of Glasgow, in 1866, the editor makes this prefatory note to the ■son;*:— "For many yoirs it remained a mystery who was the I author of this song, and Very generally it was attributed to the pen of Burns. It is now known to be the production of Lady Nairne, j the authoress of several other popular songs." This, however, is only an assertion, as no proofs are adduced, while Dr Stenhouse gives cogent reasons for his opinion. To one- or two points" I would draw the doctor's attention. He quotes : " I'm wearin' awa', 'John,' " whereas Elackie gives it as "Jean," making a material difference. Again, and perhaps you will allow me space to quote Blackie in full, so that readers may contrast the representations of both as to the production attributed to Lady Nairne. The first stanza being almost identical need not be quoted. The two remaining are: — Ye were aye true and leal, Jean ; \ Your task 's ended now, Jean, And I'll welcome you To the lancl o' the leal. Our bonnie bairn 's there, Jean ; She was baith gruid an' fair, Joan, And we grudged her richt sair To the land o' the leal. Then dry that tearfu' o'e, Joan. My soul langs to be free, Jean, And angels wait on me To tV_ land o' the leal. Now, fare theo weel, my am Ocanj The warld's care is vain, Jean:. j We'll meet and aye bo fain In the land o' the leal.

It will be observed there is a slight difference in sentiment, cxpression^and arrangement between the two versions, and to solve the problem of accuracy, mayhap the Rev. Mr Jolly will assist. — I am, etc., October 22. Jas. M'lkdoe.