---
title: "To Mr. Thomson"
author: "Robert Burns"
recipient: "Mr. Thomson"
letter_number: 268
roman: "CCLXVIII"
date: "August 1793"
source: "Project Gutenberg #18500 — The Complete Works of Robert Burns (ed. Allan Cunningham)"
editor: "Allan Cunningham"
source_url: "https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18500/pg18500.txt"
canonical_url: "https://robert-burns.com/letters/268-to-thomson/"
---

# To Mr. Thomson

## Editor's note
"Cauld kail in Aberdeen, and castocks in Strabogie," are words which have no connexion with the sentiment of the song which Burns wrote for the air.

— Allan Cunningham

## Letter
SONG.

Now rosy May comes in wi' flowers.[235]

So much for Davie. The chorus, you know, is to the low part of the tune. See Clarke's set of it in the Museum.

N.B. In the Museum they have drawled out the tune to twelve lines of poetry, which is ---- nonsense. Four lines of song, and four of chorus, is the way.[236]

## Footnotes
235. Song CCV.
236. See Song LXVII.

---

Source: [Project Gutenberg #18500 — The Complete Works of Robert Burns (ed. Allan Cunningham)](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18500/pg18500.txt), edited by Allan Cunningham  
Canonical HTML: https://robert-burns.com/letters/268-to-thomson/