George Thomson an Carl Maria von Weber in Berlin und Dresden
Edinburgh, Dienstag, 6. Dezember 1825

I was very glad to receive your favour of the 18th ult.o‡ with the two Ritornelles, which are quite what I wished. It gave me & my musical friends the greatest pleasure to find that your health was improved by your summer excursion to Ems, and most devoutly do we wish that you may long continue to enjoy that greatest of blessings.

I beg leave to trouble you with 4 other Scottish Melodies, & to request that you will have the goodness to give them Ritornelles & Accompaniments in your delightful style, for the Piano Forte chiefly; & for Violino, Flauto, & Violoncello, which may be also obligati in their turn, the one after the other, occasionally, as far as you see it proper. In whatever way you manage them I shall be perfectly contented, and shall ask no alteration. I should be well pleased if the introductory & concluding Ritornelles were not less than 6 or 8 bars each in length, because we then get the exquisite touches of your own imagination. It would be extremely kind and a most especial favour to me, if you will condescend to do these little things with your very earliest convenience they will not occupy much of your precious time, and I cannot well publish what I have got ‘till I receive these 4.

As you understand english, I have put the verses under each Melody, to shew you their character: but you need not take the trouble to copy the words into the manuscript which you send me.

Enclosed I send you a letter of credit for sixteen ducats, being 4 for each Melody, as before. You have only to draw on Messrs J. N. and J. P. Gogel* of Frankfort for the money, taking care to send the letter to them at the same time with your draft, and you will instantly receive the money. – Hoping and again earnestly begging that I may in a very short time have the pleasure of receiving your Ritornelles and Accompaniments in a very short time‡ by the post I have the honour to remain with the utmost respect and esteem My dear Sir your friend & faithful hule Serv.t G Thomson

The four Airs sent were these

• N.o 1 The lamentation of Flora Macdonald, after finally parting with her Lover Prince Charles Stuart
• N.o 2 Aikendrum, an old fellow, but rich & humorous, makes love successfully to a young Beauty.
• N.o 3 A gallant Soldier intreating his Mistress to go with him & share his fortunes
• N.o 4 Quite broken hearted – a fragment – very old