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PAGE 376, NOTE 123.-Lady E. Cunningham was the sister of Burns's best patron, the deceased Earl of Glencairn, as also of the existing nobleman ( (who had succeeded to his brother). Lady E. C. died in the month of August, 1804, unmarried.

sicians, and mainly consists in an assertion | who stood in the relationship of maternal that our ideas of beauty in objects, of all uncle to Mr. Cunningham. kinds, arise from our associating with them some other ideas of an agreeable kind. For instance, our notion of beauty in the cheek of a pretty maiden arises from our notions of her health, innocence, and so forth; our notion of the beauty of a Highland prospect, such as the Trosachs, from our notions of the romantic kind of life formerly led in it as if there were no female beauty independent of both health and innocence, or fine scenery where men had not formerly worn tartans and claymores. The whole of the above letter of Burns is, in reality (though, perhaps, unmeant by him), a satire on this doctrine, which, notwithstanding the eloquence of an Alison, a Stewart and a Jeffrey, must now be considered as amongst the dreams of philosophy.

PAGE 374, NOTE 119.-"This gentleman, the factor, or steward of Burus's noble friend, Lord Glencairn, with a view to encourage a second edition of the poems, laid the volume before his lordship, with such an account of the rustic bard's situation and prospects, as from his slender acquaintance with him he could furnish. The result, as communicated to Burns by Mr. Dalzel, is highly creditable to the character of Lord Glencairn. After reading the book, his lordship declared that its merits greatly exceeded his expectation, and he took it with him, as a literary curiosity, to Edinburgh. He repeated his wishes to be of service to Burns, and desired Mr. Dalzel to inform him, that in patronising the book, ushering it with effect into the world, or treating with the booksellers, he would most willingly give every aid in his power; adding his request, that Burns would take the earliest opportunity of letting him know in what way or manner he could best further his interests.' -CROMEK.

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PAGE 376, NOTE 124.-The accompanying poem enclosed in this letter, and to which Burns here alludes, was the "Lament for James, Earl of Glencairn."

PAGE 376, NOTE 125.-Colonel Fullarton is mentioned with praise and respect by Burns, in his poem of The Vision. This letter was first published in the year 1828, in the Paisley Magazine.

PAGE 376, NOTE 126.-An allusion to eight-page song books, produced in the coarsest manner, and containing equally coarse matter, usually heralded with the title of Six Excellent Songs for One Halfpenny, the price at which they were sold; and, secondly, to the Penny Almanacks published at Aberdeen.

PAGE 377, NOTE 127.-Colonel Fullarton was a native of Ayrshire.

PAGE 377, NOTE 128.-Mr. Cunningham, in his edition of Burns, gives a very interesting note respecting the "charming lovely Davies;" from which we learn, that she was the youngest daughter of Dr. Davies, of Tenby, in Pembrokeshire, and a relative of the Riddels of Friars' Carse. She died young, under the distress of mind consequent on the neglect of a lover.

PAGE 379, NOTE 129.-Grose, in the introduction to his "Antiquities of Scotland," acknowledges his obligations to Burns in the following paragraph, some of the terms of which will scarcely fail to amuse the "modern reader:

PAGE 374, NOTE 120.-The gist of this passage will be the better understood, when it is explained that Mrs. Burns's accouchement had occurred only two days before the date of this letter, that is, on the 9th of April. It was the birth of William Nicol Burns, to which this letter refers. This child was christened after Mr. W. N., the teacher in the High School, Edinburgh, and the warm friend of Burns.

PAGE 374, NOTE 121.-An allusion to the grandson of Mrs. Dunlop, and son of M. and Madame Henri. For additional particulars the reader is referred to the foregoing Note, number 111.

PAGE 375, NOTE 122.-Dr. Robinson,!

"To my ingenious friend, Mr. Robert Burns, I have been seriously obligated: he was not only at the pains of making out what was most worthy of notice in Ayrshire, the country honoured by his birth, but he also wrote, expressly for this work, the pretty tale annexed to Alloway Church :

"

This "pretty tale" being "Tam o' Shanter."

PAGE 379, NOTE 130.-Mrs. Riddel, of Woodlee Park, near Dumfries. Her maiden name was Maria Woodlee, or Woodleigh, of Woodlee. Another Mrs. Riddel (she of Friars' Carse) was also a friend of Burns's.

PAGE 379, NOTE 131.-The Philosophy of Natural History.

PAGE 380, NOTE 132.—An allusion to an

admonitory letter received from W. Nicol, what Mr. Thomson's modesty would permit by Burns. him to suppose."

PAGE 380, NOTE 133.-Mr. Nicol had purchased a small piece of ground, called Laggan, on the Nith. There took place the bacchanalian scene which called forth "Willie Brewed a Peck o' Maut.”

PAGE 381, NOTE 134.-This letter was communicated by Mr. Gilchrist, of Stamford, to Sir Egerton Brydges, by whom it was published in the Censura Literaria, in the year 1796.

PAGE 384, NOTE 135.-The lengthy correspondence which ensued between Mr. G. Thomson and Robert Burns, originated in the circumstances referred to in the first and second letters. Mr. George Thomson, of Edinburgh, having designed a more than usually elegant collection of the national music of Scotland, applied to the poet for his aid in improving the songs, many of which were unworthy of publication. Burns, with that enthusiasm which he entertained on the subject of Scottish music, entered heartily into Mr. Thomson's views, and contributed about sixty songs to the work. The letters which passed between the poet and Mr. Thomson are here given, as prepared for publication by the latter, and presented to the public in the volumes of Dr. Currie, who prefaced them with the following note:-"The undertaking of Mr. Thomson is one on which the public may be congratulated in various points of view, not merely as having collected the finest of the Scottish songs and airs of past times, but as having given occasion to a number of original songs of our bard, which equal or surpass the former efforts of the pastoral muses of Scotland, and which, if we mistake not, may be safely compared with the lyric poetry of any age or country. The letters of Mr. Burns to Mr. Thomson include the songs he presented to him, some of which appear in different stages of their progress; and these letters will be found to exhibit occasionally his notions of song-writing, and his opinions on various subjects of taste and criticism. These opinions, it will be observed, were called forth by the observations of his correspondent, Mr. Thomson; and without the letters of this gentlemen, those of Burus would have been often unintelligible. He has, therefore, yielded to the earnest request of the trustees of the family of the poet, to suffer them to appear in their natural order; and, independently of the illustration they give to the letters of our bard, it is not to be doubted that their intrinsic merit will ensure them a reception from the public, far beyond

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Mr. George Thomson was born at Limekilns, in Fife, about the year 1759, and educated at Banff, his father being a schoolmaster successively at these places. Through the recommendation of Mr. Home, the author of "Douglas," he was admitted, in 1780, to the office of the Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of Manufactures in Scotland, as their junior clerk: and he is now (1838), after a service of fifty-eight years, principal clerk to the Board. His natural taste for music was cultivated, in his early years, at the meetings of the St. Cecilia Society in Edinburgh-an amateur body, whose performances used to attract no inconsiderable share of notice in those days. Mr. Thomson's Collection of Scottish Airs, first designed about 1792, was not completed for many years: it has been, in fact, the employment of the leisure hours of the better part of his life.

Mr. Thomson's work is entitled, "A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice: to which are added, Introductory and Concluding Symphonies and Accompaniments for the Piano Forte and Violin, by Pleyel and Kozeluch; with Select and characteristic Verses, by the most admired Scottish Poets," &c. London: Printed and sold by Preston, No. 97, Strand. It has been completed in five volumes --one edition being in folio, and another in 8vo.

PAGE 385, NOTE 136.-We have been informed that Burns marked his loathing of remuneration, by the use of even a stronger term than this, which was substituted by the original editor.

PAGE 390, NOTE 137.-The Commis sioners of the Scottish Board of Excise were, at this time, George Brown, Thomas Wharton, James Stodart, Robert Graham (of Fintry), and John Grieve, Esqrs.

PAGE 391, NOTE 138.-"The following extract from a letter addressed by Mr. Bloomfield to the Earl of Buchan, contains so interesting an exhibition of the modesty inherent in real worth, and so philosophical, and at the same time, so poetical an estimate of the different characters and destinies of Burns and its author, that I should esteem myself culpable were I to withhold it from the public view.

"The illustrious soul that has left amongst us the name of Burns, has often been lowered down to a comparison with me; but the comparison exists more in circumstances than in essentials. That man stood up with the stamp of superior intellect

on his brow; a visible greatness: and great and patriotic subjects would only have called into action the powers of his mind, which lay inactive while he played calmly and exquisitely the pastoral pipe.

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"Who comes with woe at this drear night-
A pilgrim of the gloom?

If she whose love did once delight,
My cot shall yield her room."
"Alas! thou heard'st a pilgrim mourn,
That once was prized by thee;
Think of the ring by youder burn,
Thou gav'st to love and me.”
"But should'st thou not poor Marion know,
I'll turn my feet and part;
And think the storms that round me blow,
Far kinder than thy heart."

"The letters to which I have alluded in my Preface to the "Rural Tales," were friendly warnings, pointed with immediate reference to the fate of that extraordinary man. "Remember Burns" has been the watchword of my friends. I do remember Burns; but I am not Burns! neither have I his fire to fan or to quench, nor passions to control! Where, then, is my merit, if I make a peaceful voyage on a smooth sea, "It is but doing justice to Dr. Walcot to and with no mutiny on board? To a lady mention that HIS song is purely original. (I have it from herself) who remonstrated Mr. Burns saw it, liked it, and immediately with him on his danger from drink, and the wrote the other on the same subject, which pursuits of some of his associates, he is derived from an old Scottish ballad of replied:-"Madam, they would not thank uncertain origin."-CURRIE. | me for my company, if I did not drink with them. I must give them a slice of my constitution." How much is it not to be regretted that he did not give them thinner slices of his constitution, that it might have lasted longer.'"-CROMEK.

PAGE 391, NOTE 139.-This letter is correctly dated, according to Chambers's arrangement, in the year 1793. The allusions to the untoward influence of his political opinions on his Excise promotion, which it contains, sufficiently identify it as having been written in this year. And in that respect I fully agree with Mr. Chambers, in opposition to Dr. Currie, who has attributed it to the year 1792 in his own arrange

ment.

PAGE 391, NOTE 140.-At the head of this letter was a transcribed copy of the two songs, Puirtith Cauld" and "Gala Water," | which will respectively be found in the foregoing part of this volume, amongst the poems.

PAGE 392, NOTE 141.-Third son of Alexander, fifth Earl of Kellie, by Janet, daughter of the celebrated physician and wit, Dr. Pitcairn. Mr. Erskine was a wit and a poet, and the author, in part of a curious and rare volume, entitled "Letters between the Hon. Andrew Erskine and James Boswell, Esq., London, 1763”—an amusing specimen of youthful frolic and vivacity. Mr. E. died in 1793.

PAGE 393, NOTE 142.-The song of Dr. Walcot (Peter Pindar), on the same subject, is as follows:-

"Ah ope, Lord Gregory, thy door!
A midnight wanderer sighs;
Hard rush the rains, the tempests roar,
And lightnings cleave the skies."

PAGE 393, NOTE 143.-In closing this letter, Burns here transcribed and appended his own ballad of Lord Gregory," as it stands in the text, now amongst the poems, and as it was published in Mr. Thomson's collection.

PAGE 393, NOTE 144.-This letter bears date subsequently to the marriage of Robert Burns.

·

PAGE 394, NOTE 145.-The following recent account of Clarinda, written in Feb. 1837, appears in a note, to the Memoir of Lord Craig, in "Kay's Edinburgh Portraits," and will be read with interest by all admirers of the poet : "It may, perhaps, be worthy of notice that Lord Craig was cousin-german of Mrs. M'Lehose, the celebrated Clarinda of Burns, who is still living in Edinburgh, and was left an annuity by his lordship. She is now nearly eighty years of age, but enjoys excellent health. We found her sitting in the parlour, with some papers on the table. Her appearance, at first, betrayed a little of that langour and apathy which attend age and solitude; but the moment she comprehended the object of our visit, her countenance, which even yet retains the lineaments of what Clarinda may be supposed to have been, became animated and intelligent.

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That,' said she, rising up and pointing to an engraving over the mantel-piece, 'is a likeness of my relative (Lord Craig), about whom you have been inquiring. He was the best friend I ever had! After a little conversation about his Lordship, she directed our attention to a picture of Burns, by Horsburgh, after Taylor, on the opposite wall of the apartment. You well know who that is-it was presented to me by Constable and Co., for having simply declared what I

knew to be true, that the likeness was good.' | Come to my bosom, my ain only dearie, We spoke of the correspondence betwixt the poet and Clarinda, at which she smiled, and pleasantly remarked on the great change which the lapse of so many years had produced on her personal appearance. Indeed, any observation respecting Burns seemed to afford her pleasure; and she laughed at a little anecdote we told of him, which she had never before heard.

Tell me thou bring'st my Willie the same.

Winter winds blew loud and caul' at our parting,

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Having prolonged our intrusion to the limits of courtesy, and conversed on various topics, we took leave of the venerable lady, highly gratified by the interview."

PAGE 394, NOTE 146.-A seal with these fanciful bearings was actually cut for the poet, and used by him for the remainder of his life. Its impression is represented under a profile of the poet, in Mr. Cunningham's edition of Burns, vol. viii., p. 168.

PAGE 394, NOTE 147.-The poet here alludes to David Allan, painter, usually called the Scottish Hogarth. He was born at Alloa, in 1744, and educated through the kindness of some generous ladies. His serious paintings are not much admired; but he had a happy knack at hitting off Scottish rustic figures. At his death in 1796, he left a series of drawings illustrative of Burns's works.

PAGE 395, NOTE 148.-An old song, commencing with the two following stanzas: there awa, here awa Willie,

"Here awa,

Here awa, there awa, here awa hame; Lang have I sought thee, dear have I bought thee,

Now I hae gotten my Willie again.
Through the lang muir I have followed my
Willie,

Through the lang muir I have followed

him hame, Whatever betide us, nought shall divide us, Love now rewards all my sorrow and pain." PAGE 395, NOTE 149.-In Dr. Currie's edition of Burns's works, there precede two additional letters before this one; but as these consist absolutely and entirely of transcripts of the two songs "Oh open the Door to Me, O!" and "Jessie," respectively, it will suffice simply to refer the reader to those songs, as they will be found amongst the poems; and to add, that they were written for, and first published, in Mr. Thomson's collection.

PAGE 396, NOTE 150.-" Wandering Willie," as altered by Mr. Erskine and Mr.

Thomson.

"Here awa, there awa, wandering Willie, Here awa, there awa, haud awa hame;

Fears for my Willie brought tears in my ee, Welcome now simmer, and welcome my Willie,

As simmer to nature, so Willie to me.

Rest ye wild storms in the cave o' your slumbers,

How your dread howling a lover alarms! Blow soft ye breezes! roll gently ye billows! And waft my dear laddie ance mair to my arms."

PAGE 396, NOTE 151.-The next communication of Burns to Mr. Thomson, (namely, that which intervenes between letters No. 262 and 263,) marked No. XVIII. in Currie's publication of their correspondence, consisted merely of the songs, "The Soldier's Return," and "Meg o' the Mill," respectively, to be found in the accompanying edition of Burns's Poetical Works.

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PAGE 396, NOTE 152.--“ Burns here calls himself the Voice of Coila,' in imitation of Ossian, who denominates himself the Voice of Cona.' Sae merry as we a' hae been!' and "Good night, and joy be wi' you a'!' are the names of two Scottish tunes."-CURRIE.

PAGE 396, NOTE 153.-" Several of the alterations seem to be of little importance in themselves, and were adopted, it may be presumed, for the sake of suiting the words better to the music. The Homeric epithet Erskine, is in itself more beautiful, as well, for the sea, dark-heaving, suggested by Mr. perhaps, as more sublime, than, wide-roaring, which he has retained; but, as it is only applicable to a placid state of the sea, or, at most, to the swell left on its surface after

the storm is over, it gives a picture of that element not so well adapted to the ideas of eternal separation, which the fair mourner is supposed to deprecate. From the original song of Here awa, Willie,' Burns has borrowed nothing but the second line and part of the first. The superior excellence of this beautiful poem will, it is hoped, justify the different editions of it which we have given."-CURRIE.

PAGE 397, NOTE 154.-This was subsequently effected to the mutual satisfaction both of Burns and of Mr. Thomson, and will be gathered from the poems in question, as printed in the foregoing part of this volume.

PAGE 397, NOTE 155.-" Mr. Thomson, it

appears, did not approve of this song, even in its altered state. It does not appear in the correspondence; but it is probably one to be found in his manuscripts, beginning

Yestreen I got a pint of wine

A place where body saw na,
Yestreen lay on this breast of mine,
The gowden locks of Anna.

It is highly characteristic of our bard, but the strain of sentiment does not correspond with the air to which he proposes it should be allied."-CURRIE.

PAGE 397, NOTE 156.-Alluding to the time when he held the farm of Ellisland, as tenant to Mr. Miller.

PAGE 397, NOTE 157.-This gentleman most obligingly favoured the editor with a perfect copy of the original letter, and allowed him to lay it before the public. It is partly printed in Dr. Currie's edition.CHAMBERS.

"It will be necessary to state, that in consequence of the poet's freedom of remark on public measures, maliciously misrepresented to the Board of Excise, he was represented as actually dismissed from his office. This report induced Mr. Erskine to propose a subscription in his favour, which was refused by the poet with that elevation of sentiment that peculiarly characterised his mind, and which is so happily displayed in this letter. See letter to R. Graham of Fintry, December 1792, written by Burns, with even more than his accustomed pathos and eloquence, in further explanation."-CROMEK. Mr. Erskine, of Mar, at all times of his life a noted Whig, became Earl of Mar, in 1824, in consequence of the reversal of his grandfather's attainder. He died August 20, 1825, aged eighty-four.

PAGE 399, NOTE 158.-"The original letter from Mr. Thomson contains many observations on the Scottish songs, and on the manner of adapting the words to the music, which, at his desire, are suppressed. The subsequent letter of Mr. Burns refers to several of these observations."-CURRIE.

of the Scot's Musical Museum and of which the first line runs thus:

Oh ken ye what Meg O' the Mill haз gotten.

"This song," says Mr. Thomson, in an original note, "is surely Mr. Burns's own writing, though he does not generally praise his own songs so much."

PAGE 400, NOTE 163.-The air here mentioned, is that for which he wrote the ballad of Bonnie Jean.

PAGE 400, NOTE 164.-The original version of the song enclosed with this letter, differed somewhat materially from the present version in the text.

PAGE 402, NOTE 165.-"The lines were the third and fourth :

Wi' mony a sweet babe fatherless, And mony a widow mourning. As our poet had maintained a long silence, and the first number of Mr. Thomson's musical work was in the press, this gentleman ventured, by Mr. Erskine's advice, to substitute for them in that publication,

‘And eyes again with pleasure beam'd

That had been bleared with mourning.' Though better suited to the music, these lines are inferior to the original. This is the only alteration adopted by Mr. Thomson, which Burns did not approve, or at least assent to."-CURRIE.

PAGE 403, NOTE 166.—A remittance of five pounds.

PAGE 404, NOTE 167.-Katherine Rutherford, of Fernilee, in the county of Selkirk, who married Mr. Patrick Cockburn.-She died full of years in 1794.

PAGE 406, NOTE 168.-" Gloamin'-twilight, probably from glooming. A beautiful poetic word, which ought to be adopted in England. A gloamin'-shot, a twilight interview."-CURRIE.

PAGE 406, NOTE 169.-The poet inserts the song of " Dainty Davie," which it seems to have been the purpose of this letter to PAGE 399, NOTE 159.-"The reader has communicate. Burns had previously comalready seen that Burns did not finally adoptmunicated, for Johnson's Museum, a song all of Mr. Erskine's alterations."-CURRIE.

PAG 400, NOTE 160.-" The song to the tune of 'Bonnie Dundee' is that named 'Jessie.' The ballad of the 'Mill, Mill O' is that beginning, 'When wild war's deadly blasts are blawn."-CURRIE.

PAGE 400, NOTE 161.-Lugs, a Scottish popular term for ears.

PAGE 400, NOTE 162.-The song here mentioned, is that published in Number xviii

nearly the same, the stanzas of which conclude with the awkward expression, "The gardener wi' his paidle," and to which he makes allusion in the brief prose text of this epistle.

PAGE 406, NOTE 170.-This Miss Craik was the daughter of Mr. Craik of Arbigland, in the Stewartry of Kircudbright.

PAGE 407, NOTE 171.-The dowager Lady Glencairn, widow of William, thirteenth Earl of Glencairn, and, consequently, mother

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