of my waistcoat skelp.' His vest had actually, like Andrew Lammie's in the old ballad, burst open! He once had occasion, at a large party, to make a speech in answer to a toast, his uncle, the Rev. Dr Dalrymple, being also present. He addressed his venerable relative in such moving terms as to draw tears from every eye. An Irish officer who was present caught the infection, wiped his cheeks, and looking round the company, said: 'Now, can anybody tell me what is the maning of all this?' Such was the man whose notice Burns had now attracted. Can we wonder that two such men should have speedily become much attached to each other, all disparity of worldly condition notwithstanding. Burns committed many of his poems to the care of Mr Aiken, and Aiken read them to all whom he thought likely to appreciate them, giving them the benefit of a style of elocution which is allowed to have been of wonderful effect. Burns himself says: 'Mr Aiken read me into fame.' Thus we see, that even before he had published his poems, he could not be considered as a bard of no regard' in at least his native district. It was with perfect

truth that he made Coila say in The Vision

now, o'er all my wide domains

Thy fame extends,

And some, the pride of Coila's plains,

Become thy friends.

We have a glimpse of Burns's situation and his doings in February 1786 in a letter

TO MR JOHN RICHMOND, EDINBURGH.'

MOSSGIEL, February 17, 1786. MY DEAR SIR-I have not time at present to upbraid you for your silence and neglect; I shall only say I received yours with great pleasure. I have enclosed you a piece of rhyming-ware for your perusal. I have been very busy with the Muses since I saw you, and have composed, among several others, The Ordination, a poem on Mr M'Kinlay's being called to Kilmarnock; Scotch Drink, a poem; The Cotter's Saturday Night; An Address to the Devil, &c. I have likewise completed my poem on the Dogs, but have not shewn it to the world. My chief patron now is Mr Aiken in Ayr, who is pleased to express great approbation of my works. Be so good as send me Fergusson, by Connel, and I will remit you the money. I have no news to acquaint you with about Mauchline; they are just going on in the old way. I have some very important news with respect to myself, not the most agreeable-news that I

1

Richmond had gone to the capital in November, to pursue his legal studies in a writer's office there.

am sure you cannot guess, but I shall give you the particulars another time. I am extremely happy with Smith; he is the only friend I have now in Mauchline. I can scarcely forgive your long neglect of me, and I beg you will let me hear from you regularly by Connel. If you would act your part as a friend, I am sure neither good nor bad fortune should strange or alter me. Excuse haste, as I got yours but yesterday. I am, my dear sir, yours, ROBERT BURNESS.

1

THE INVENTORY.

IN ANSWER TO A MANDATE BY THE SURVEYOR OF THE TAXES,1

Sir, as your mandate did request,

I send you here a faithfu' list

O' gudes and gear, and a' my graith,
To which I'm clear to gie my aith.

Imprimis, then, for carriage-cattle,
I have four brutes o' gallant mettle,
As ever drew afore a pettle.
My han' afore's' a gude auld has-been,
And wight and wilfu' a' his days been,
My han' ahin's a weel-gaun filly,
That aft has borne me hame frae Killie,*
And your auld burro' monie a time,
In days when riding was nae crime-
But ance, whan in my wooing pride,
I like a blockhead boost to ride,
The wilfu' creature sae I pat to
(L—, pardon all my sins, and that too!)
I played my filly sic a shavie,
She's a' bedevil'd wi' the spavic.
My fur ahin's a wordy beast,
As e'er in tug or tow was traced.
The fourth's a Highland Donald hastic,
A d-d red wud Kilburnie blastie !"

plough-stick

worthy

In May 1785, in order to liquidate ten millions of unfunded debt, Mr Pitt made a considerable addition to the number of taxed articles, amongst which were female-servants. The poem seems to have been called forth by the bard's receipt of the next annual mandate from Mr Aiken of Ayr, surveyor of taxes for the district.

2 The fore-horse on the left hand in the plough.

3 The hindmost on the left hand in the plough.

• Kilmarnock.

The hindmost horse on the right hand in the plough.

* Burns had bought this horse at a Kilburnie fair, from one William Kirkwood, a noted horsecouper, who lived at Baillieston in that neighbourhood, and who realised a fortune by his trade.-Correspondent.

Forbye a cowte o' cowtes the wale,
As ever ran afore a tail,

If he be spared to be a beast,
He'll draw me fifteen pun' at least—
Wheel-carriages I hae but few,
Three carts, and twa are feckly new;
Ae auld wheelbarrow, mair for token
Ae leg and baith the trams are broken;
I made a poker o' the spin'le,
And my auld mither brunt the trin'le.

For men I've three mischievous boys,
Run deils for rantin' and for noise;
A gaudsman ane, a thrasher t'other,
Wee Davock hauds the nowt in fother.
I rule them, as I ought, discreetly,
And aften labour them completely;
And aye on Sundays duly, nightly,
I on the Questions targe them tightly;
Till, faith, wee Davock's turned sac gleg,
Though scarcely langer than your leg,
He'll screed you aff Effectual Calling,'
As fast as ony in the dwalling.
I've nane in female servin' station
(L- keep me aye frae a' temptation!)
I hae nae wife-and that my bliss is,
And ye have laid nae tax on misses.
Wi' weans I'm mair than weel contented,
Heaven sent me ane mae than I wanted.
My sonsie, smirking, dear-bought Bess,
She stares the daddy in her face,
Enough of ought ye like but grace;
But her, my bonny sweet wee lady,
I've paid enough for her already,
And gin ye tax her or her mither,
B' the L-! ye'se get them a' thegither.

And now, remember, Mr Aiken,
Nae kind of licence out I'm takin';
My travel a' on foot I'll shank it,

I've sturdy bearers, Gude be thankit. *

Sae dinna put me in your buke,

Nor for my ten white shillings luke.

colt-choice

mostly

wheel

In the Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Assembly of Divines-universally used in Scotland, and commonly called The Questions-What is Effectual Calling? is one of the interrogations.

2 The poet's child, then an inmate of Mossgiel, and about fifteen months old.

This list wi' my ain hand I've wrote it,
The day and date as under noted;
Then know all ye whom it concerns,
Subscripsi huic,

MOSSGIEL, February 22, 1786.

ROBERT BURNS.

The letter which follows was the consequence of a request for a sight of his Cotter's Saturday Night, from a person named John Kennedy, who then resided as clerk or sub-factor at Dumfries House, the seat of the Earl of Dumfries, a few miles from Mauchline. It is characteristic of the frankness of Burns, and expresses some of his predominant feelings:

TO MR JOHN KENNEDY.

MossGIEL, 3d March 1786.

SIR-I have done myself the pleasure of complying with your request in sending you my Cottager. If you have a leisure minute, I should be glad you would copy it, and return me either the original or the transcript, as I have not a copy of it by me, and I have a friend who wishes to see it.

1 Mr Kennedy was subsequently employed as factor by the Marquis of Breadalbane.

2 The market-cross of the village.

DEAR SIR-I am heartily sorry I had not the pleasure of seeing you as you returned through Mauchline; but as I was engaged, I could not be in town before the evening.

I here enclose you my Scotch Drink, and may the follow with a blessing for your edification.' I hope, some time before we hear the gowk,' to have the pleasure of seeing you at Kilmarnock, when I intend we shall have a gill between us in a mutchkin-stoup, which will be a great comfort and consolation to, dear sir, your humble servant, ROBERT BURNESS.

We now approach a most painful chapter in the poet's history. It may be best to break ground by presenting the remainder of his autobiographical narrative:

'I now began,' he says, 'to be known in the neighbourhood as a maker of rhymes. The first of my poetic offspring that saw the light was a burlesque lamentation on a quarrel between two reverend Calvinists, both of them dramatis persone in my Holy Fair. I had a notion myself that the piece had some merit; but to prevent the worst, I gave a copy of it to a friend who was very fond of such things, and told him that I could not guess who was the author of it, but that I thought it pretty clever. With a certain description of the clergy, as well as laity, it met with a roar of applause. Holy Willie's Prayer next made its appearance, and alarmed the kirk-session so much, that they held several meetings to look over their spiritual artillery, if haply any of it might be pointed against profane rhymers. Unluckily for me, my wanderings led me on another side, within point-blank shot of their heaviest

1 The cuckoo.