The song first appears in the manuscripts of David Herd (1732-1810) with contents dating from pre 1776 to 1803.
Probably closer to 1776 than 1803 as he did most of his collecting for his 1769 and 1776 editions of his Ancient Scottish Songs.

It is given the title:
"What's the Spring Breathing Jessmin and Rose"

Appears in manuscripts of David Herd, MS I, 128a, and MS II 72a.

MS I was given by David Herd himself to Archibald Constable in 1803. Herd's entries date from two different periods, one prior to his 1776 edition of his Ancient Scottish Songs, and one after its appearance.

MS II contains numerous entries after 1776.

In MS II 72a contains what appears to be an original of "What's the Spring Breathing Jessmin and Rose" written by a correspondent and forwarded to Herd.

Song collected by James Hogg (1770-1835) in 1819.
Published in his:
The Jacobite relics of Scotland; being the songs, airs and legends of the adherents to the house of Stuart. pp.126-127.

James Hogg's principal source was Walter Scott, whom was given David Herd's manuscript about 1798 which he made use of for his Border Minstrelsy in 1802.

Herd gives MS II to Archibald Constable in 1803.
Burns had access to the MS from 1787 which he used for Johnston's Scotts Musical Museum. Joseph Ritson and others had access around this time.




"What's the Spring Breathing Jessmin and Rose"

Printed in:
Songs from David Herd's Manuscripts,
by Hanz Hecht, editor, 1904, pp. 269-270.
Taken from manuscripts of David Herd (1732-1810), MS I, 128a, and MS II 72a.


What's the spring breathing jessmine and rose,
What's the summer, with all its gay train,
Or the plenty of autumn to those
Who've bartered their freedom for gain?

Chorus:
Let the love of our king's legal right,
To the love of our country succeed;
Let friendship and honour unite,
And flourish on both sides the Tweed.

No sweetness the senses can cheer,
That corruption and bribery do blind;
No brightness that gloom ever clear,
For honour's the sun of the mind.

(chorus)

Let virtue distinguish the brave,
Place ritches in lowest degree;
Think him poorest who can be a slave,
Him ritchest who dares to be free.

(chorus)

Let us think how our ancestors rose,
Let us think how our ancestors fell,
Tis' the rights they defended, tis' those
They bought wi' their blood we do sell.

(chorus)