Three Scottish Poems, Written Out By Robert Cromek

ROBERT CROMEK (1770-1812). Cromek was an English engraver, art dealer, and editor. AM. 5pgs. N.d. N.p. A series of three traditional Scottish poems and songs written out by editor and printer Robert Cromek. The poems include “There’s nane o’them a’ like my bonnie Lassie” and “The Lowlands of Holland”. For example: “The Lowlands of Holland My love he built a bonny ship & set her on the sea, With seven score good mariners to bear her company. There's three score of them is sunk & three score dead at sea, And the lowlands of Holland has twined my love & me. My love has built another ship & set her on the main, And nane but twenty mariners all for to bring her hame. But the weary wind began to rise, the sea began to roll, My love then and his bonny ship turn’d widdershins about. There shall neither…on my head nor comb come in my hair, And shall neither coal nor candle light shine in my bower mair. Nor will I love another one until the day I die, For I never lov’d a love but one & he's drown’d in the sea. Oh hold your tongue my daughter dear, be still & be content, There are mair lads in Galloway, you heen nae fair lament. O! there is none in Galloway, there's none at a’ for me, Fer I never lov’d a love but one, & he's drowned in the sea. Note I have heard the two first lines of this verse sung differently an elderly Yorkshire Lady where it seems this Fragment, with a great number of old Scottish ballads, non lost, were popular when she was young. Ed. ‘No boif shall e’er come on my head, nor comb into my hair, No fire light, nor candle bright shall see what beauty’s there.’”. “The Lowlands of Holland” refers to sailors getting pressed into the British Navy against the Dutch. The manuscripts are in very good condition.