Annotation:Captain Cook's Death

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CAPTAIN COOK'S DEATH. Scottish, Air. The original air published by James Johnston and Robert Burns in the Scots Musical Museum is attributed to Lucy Johnston of Hilton (later Mrs. Oswald of Auchincruive), to which Burns's song "Thou lingering star with lessening ray" ("My Mary dear, departed shade") was set. The modern air to which the song is now usually sung, however, is a composition of Scots fiddler-composer John Lowe, called "Mary's Dream." Lowe was a Galloway divinity student and minor poet who died in America in 1798. See notes for "Annotation:Miss Johnston of Hilton's Fancy" and "Annotation:Mrs. Oswald of Auchincruive (1)" for more on the Oswalds.

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