Corruption forink at your kindling indignant glance; and may tyranny in the Ruler, and licentioufnefs in the People, equally find you an inexorable foe! I have the honour to be, With the fincereft gratitude and highest respect, My LORDS and GENTLEMEN,. Your most devoted humble fervant, ROBERT BURNS. EDINBURGH, April 4, 1787. Extract from the LOUNGER, No. 97, lately published in Edinburgh. "ROBERT BURNS, an Ayrshire Ploughman, whofe Poems were fome time ago published in a country town in the Weft of Scotland, with no other ambition, it would feem, than to circulate among the inhabitants of the county where he was born, to obtain a little fame from thofe who had heard of his talents-It is to be hoped, I do not affume too much, if I endeavour to place him in a higher point of view; to call for a verdict of his country on the merit of his works, and to claim for him thofe honours which their excellencies appear to deferve. "In mentioning the circumftance of his humble ftation, I mean not to reft his pretenfions folely on that title nor to urge the merits merits of his poetry when confidered in relation to the lowness of his birth, and the little opportunity of improvement which his education could afford: Thefe particulars, indeed, might excite our wonder at his productions; but his poetry, confidered abftractedly, and without the apologies arifing from his fituation, feems fully entitled to command our feelings, and to obtain our applaufe. "It is not my intention to point out the various beauties interfperfed in the following poems; the candid and difcerning reader will easily perceive, with what uncommon penetration and fagacity this Heaven taught Ploughman, from his humble and unlettered ftation, has looked upon men and manners. "BURNS poffeifes the fpirit as well as the fancy of a Poet. That honeft pride and independendence of foul, which are fometimes the Mufe's only dower, break forth on every occafion in his works. It may be, then, I fhall wrong his feelings, while i indulge my own, in calling the attention of the public to his fituation and circumftances. That condition, humble as it was in which he found content, and wooed the Muse, might not have been deemed uncomfortable; but grief and misfortune have reached him there; and one or two of his poems hint, what I have learned from fome of his countrymen, that he has been obliged to form the refolution of leaving his native land to feek under a Weft-Indian clime, that fhelter and fupport which Scotland has denied him. But I trust means may be found to prevent this refolution from taking place; and that I do my country no more than justice, when I fuppofe her ready to stretch out her hand to cherifh and retain this. native poet, whofe "wood-notes wild," posfefs fo much excellence. "To repair the wrongs of fuffering or neglected merit; to call forth genius from the |