George Thomson: The Friend of Burns : His Life and CorrespondenceJ. C. Nimmo, 1898 - 392 pages |
Other editions - View all
George Thomson: The Friend of Burns: His Life and Correspondence J Cuthbert 1861-1914 Hadden No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
admiration Allan Cunningham alterations appears artist asked ballad beautiful Beethoven Boswell brother cantata composer composition copy correspondence dated delight ducats Edinburgh edition editor enclosed English express favour feel genius George Thomson give happy Haydn hear Highland Laddie Hogg honour hope Irish Joanna Baillie Jolly Beggars kind Kozeluch ladies lines Lockhart London Lord Lord Cockburn matter melodies ments Miss Baillie Moore music-seller never November Opie overture perhaps pianoforte Pinkie House pleased pleasure Pleyel poem poet poet's poetical poetry present printed proposed published received regard remarks reply request Robert Burns Robert Chambers says Scotch Scotland Scott Scottish Scottish airs Scottish collection sent sing Sir Alexander Boswell sonatas song-writing songs stanza Straton sung taste tell Thom Thomson writes tion Vedder verses Vienna violin volume Welsh Welsh airs William wish words worthy writes to Thomson written wrote
Popular passages
Page 113 - The morning precious; beauty was awake! Why were ye not awake? But ye were dead To things ye knew not of, — were closely wed To musty laws lined out with wretched rule And compass vile: so that ye taught a school Of dolts to smooth, inlay, and clip, and fit, Till, like the certain wands of Jacob's wit, Their verses tallied.
Page 143 - I ASSURE you, my dear Sir, that you truly hurt me with your pecuniary parcel. It degrades me in my own eyes. However, to return it would savour of affectation ; but as to any more traffic of that debtor and creditor kind, I swear by that HONOUR which crowns the upright statue of ROBERT BURNS'S INTEGRITY — on the least motion of it, I will indignantly spurn the by-past transaction, and from that moment commence entire stranger to you...
Page 143 - I cannot express how much I am obliged to you for the exquisite new songs you are sending me ; but thanks, my friend, are a poor return for what you have done : as I shall be benefited by the publication, you must suffer me to enclose a small mark of my gratitude,* and to repeat it afterwards when I find it convenient. Do not return it, for, by Heaven, if you do, our correspondence is at an end...
Page 141 - As to any remuneration, you may think my songs either above or below price ; for they shall absolutely be the one or the other. In the honest enthusiasm with which I embark in your undertaking, to talk of money, wages, fee, hire, &c., would be downright prostitution of soul ! A proof of each of the songs that I compose or amend, I shall receive as a favor.
Page 89 - It is a great trial to me to give up Mary's grave ; greater than I can possibly express. I thought of moving her to the catacombs and saying nothing about it; but then I remembered that the poor old lady is buried next her at her own desire, and could not find it in my heart, directly she is laid in the earth, to take her grandchild away. The desire to be buried next her is as strong upon me now as it was five years ago; and I know (for I don't think there ever was...
Page 233 - Scene 2. crowded to a most extraordinary degree ; many people had come from your native capital of the west ; everything that pretended to distinction, whether from rank or literature, was in the boxes, and in the pit such an aggregate mass of humanity as I have seldom if ever witnessed in the same space.
Page 18 - For example, Saint Cecilia's Hall was the only public resort of the musical, and besides being our most selectly fashionable place of amusement, was the best and the most beautiful concert-room I have ever yet seen. And there have I myself seen most of our literary and fashionable gentlemen, predominating with their side curls, and frills, and ruffles, and silver buckles ; and our stately matrons stiffened in hoops and gorgeous satin ; and our beauties with high-heeled shoes, powdered and pomatumed...
Page 262 - God save the King! Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us! God save the King! O Lord our God, arise! Scatter his enemies, And make them fall ; Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks: On Thee our hopes we fix — God save us all!
Page 141 - Thomson contains curious enough details concerning his connexion with that gentleman's more important undertaking. At the outset, September, 1792, we find Mr Thomson saying, " We will esteem your poetical assistance a particular favour, besides paying any reasonable price you shall please to demand for it. Profit is quite a secondary consideration with us, and we are resolved to save neither pains nor expense on the publication.
Page 214 - But the leading vice in Burns's character, and the cardinal deformity, indeed, of all his productions, was his contempt, or affectation of contempt, for prudence, decency and regularity; and his admiration of thoughtlessness, oddity, and vehement sensibility; — his belief, in short, in the dispensing power of genius and social feeling, in all matters of morality and common sense.