Volume III, song 223, page 232 - 'On a bank of Flowers' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'On a bank of flowers in a summer day, For summer lightly drest, The youthful blooming Nelly lay, With love and sleep opprest. When Willie wand'ring thro' the wood, Who for her favour oft had su'd; He gaz'd, he wish'd, he fear'd, he blush'd, And trembled where he stood.' The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition. According to John Glen, in 'Early Scottish Melodies' (1900), 'This is not a Scottish tune, it was composed by a German musician called Galliard, who died in London about the middle of the last century.' Below the title, Johnson has included the information that the words were written for the 'Museum' by Robert Burns. Whilst in this instance it appears to be true, Johnson's information is not always accurate. He has been known to attribute songs to Burns that were merely revised by him, or indeed to omit his name from songs known to be by him.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503420

Title

Volume III, song 223, page 232 - 'On a bank of Flowers' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 132 x 211 mm