among the young people of both sexes, and in these he often joined. He then formed many of those poetical attachments, which he afterwards celebrated in song. It was in such meetings, and such excursions, that he first saw "Jessie the flower o'Dumblane,"[1]—first heard the song of the "mavis" from the "Wood of Craigielee,"—and first breathed the fragrant "broom" of the "Braes o'Gleniffer."
While at work, it was his custom to occupy his mind with the composition of verses. To his loom he attached a sort of writing-desk, by which he was enabled, in the midst of his labours, to jot down any lines that might occur to him, without rising from his seat. In this way, some of his best songs were composed. He had a correct ear for music, and played the flute well; and whenever a tune greatly pleased him, it was his ambition to give it appropriate words of his own. It has been said in most of the notices of his life, that from his fourteenth to his twenty-fourth year, he wholly neglected the muse; but this is a mistake. He seldom allowed many days to pass without composing some song or copy of verses, which it was his custom to read to one or two only of his intimate acquaintances. The first poem of his which appeared in print, was in praise of Ferguslee wood; a wood which was one of his favourite haunts, and which often in the summer evenings rang to the notes of his flute. The lines were sent to a Glasgow periodical, and obtained immediate insertion, accompanied with a request for further favours. This was the more gratifying to the young poet, as in one or two previous endeavours at publication, he had been unsuccessful; and from this period he continued, for two or three years afterwards, to send occasional contributions to the Glasgow papers.
After his apprenticeship had expired, he removed to the village of Lochwinnoch, about nine miles from Paisley, where he continued to work at the loom for some time. It may be worth mentioning, that Alexander Wilson, the poet and future American ornithologist, was at this time also weaving in the same village. He was by some years the senior of Tannahill; and the latter, being then unknown to fame, had not the fortitude to seek his acquaintance, although he greatly admired the pieces by which Wilson had already distinguished himself.
About the year 1800, some of the figured loomwork, for which Paisley was famed, was beginning to be manufactured in England, and it was reported that great wages were to be had there for weaving it Tempted by the report, or more probably by a desire of seeing the country, Tannahill left Paisley for England, accompanied by a younger brother. They went away without informing their parents, who, they rightly supposed, would have put a stop to the journey, as their circumstances in Paisley were too comfortable to justify a change. They were both at this time in the strength and buoyancy of youth; they were both also of industrious habits, of excellent dispositions, and of modest manners. They travelled mostly on foot, often stepping out of the way to view the curiosities of the country, until they reached Preston, which they had marked as the limit of their journey. They found, however, that nothing but plain work was woven there; and while Robert went forward to Bolton, to inquire after figured work, his brother took lodgings at Preston, in the house of an old woman of the Roman catholic persuasion. At Bolton, Robert found
- ↑ It disturbs the fancy to know, that, although Tannahill wrote all his Jove-songs under the inspiration of some particular object, in this case the girl was neither a Jessie, nor was she from Dumblane. The words were originally written to supplant the old doggerel song, "Bob o' Dumblane,"'—hence the title. Tannahill never was in Dumblane,—never, indeed, beyond the Forth,—and knew no person belonging to Dumblane; yet the guards of coaches, and others, hesitate not to point out the very house in Dumblane in which Jessie was born.
