TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11485, 19 January 1903, Page 6

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.

Sir,—l fe?l flattered by the interest taken in my poor contribution to your correspondence columns, but I regret to find that Mr Stead should become somewhat discourteous and accuse me "of want of intelligence." If he or your readere wiU kindly look up bis first letter on the subject, "it will be found somewhat uncertain where McKay (Mr Stead's authority) stops and where Mr Stead , himself begins. Quotation marks, I would l>eg to point, are omitted, and I certainly read the concluding remarks as emanating from Mr Stead himself, and not from McKay.

If I have done Mr Stead an injustice on this point, I am sorry, and at onoe ■withdraw the imputation. I might, however, mention that another of your correspondents, E. Barker, evidently came to the sams . conclusion.. At the same time i entirely demur to the conclusion of Mt Btead or hie vaunted authority McKay, as to the authorship 6f "Auld Lang Syne. Furthermore, ac an old and earnest student and worrhipper of Bums, it is the first time I have learned "that so much of Bum's fame rests upon this song." Without attemptjHg to detract from its merit in any way, there are many of Burne'a songs 'which excel this one in beauty andstrengtn. I am pleased indeed to learn that Mr Stead takes such an interest in the works of "the- lad that was born in Kyle,' , but I would beg to ask him to point out any of the eminent men of letters who place "Auld Lang Syne" on the first page of Burns'e works? Certainly Professor Wileon (Obrietopher North) does not, nor, as far ac I can recollect, Carlyie. In the latest work on tJw subject which hae come under my notice, "Life and Works of Botoert Buna," by J. C. Higgias, M.A., 8.D., and present minister of Tarboiton, where Borne at one time lived, there is certainly nothing of the kind. Another of Mr Stead* authorities, Cu?rie, is not .now accepted as unbiassed. I think it is Galrlyle, in his famous, eeeay on Burns, who refers to "Ourrie, who is always apologising for Burns. Why, Currie will be rotten and forgotten, while the man he apologises for wiill rise daily in the opinion of the world," word* which are becoming truer every day.

Burns certainly trimmed up many an old Scotch ditty and prevented them dropping into oblivion, but where did " Auld Lang Syne ,, appear before ib evolved from under Burns's pen? Your correspondent, Mr McLean, has saved me from quoting from these " Auld Lang fiynes " whioh appeared previous to Burne'e, but in which of the three is there any evidence of the masterhand? In an edition, the " Songs of Scotland," published by Ogle and Co.. Glasgow, and in the compilation of which Bob. Chambers had come thing to <io, appears on page 12, after quoting the first " Auld Lang Syne," ascribed to Sir Robert Aytoun:—"From Wateon's collection of Scottish poems, part 3, but hae been traced to Broadsides prior to 1;h« 17fch century (Chambers), it has «Übo been ascribed to Francis Semple, of Beltrees. This song is curious apart from its own merits, as showing ihat the phrase 'Auld Lang Syne' was current as early as the time of Charle* 1., ajid as the earliest kirown attempt to turn it into song. Alla.n Jlamsay wrote a song under this title and with the same sentiment, but his version, like the present, only leads us to admire anore highly that of Robert Burns."

I am obliged for Professor Haslem's kindly criticism. "I am rather inclined to think . . . that Mr Stead is practically , Tight." Ido not agree with this judgment, but I do admire the manner in Vhich it ie given. I would, however, beg to bring before the Professor one fault. Throughout the " Waverky Novels" *ach cltapter is headed by a verse or two of poetiy, many stated to be "from an old song." The" Professor is doubtless aware, a* well as I am. most of these were the work of Scott himself, who, like Burns, thought it a harmless fiction to quote them as from an old song. By the way, would Mr Stead kindly supply some information as to the McKay whom he quotes as an indisputable authority? (Not the real Maekay I should ; imagjnei) In conclunion, Sir, I am living out of town, in fact I am only a "country bumpkin." and accordingly unable to get a' certain works of reference on the subject which I should like t» do. But for all that I am going to stand to my guns.— Yours, etc., KOTOMA3JI.