and the contempt of others-claiming an | it to be the perception and relish of beauty, equality with the great, which they are un- order, or any other thing, the contemplation willing to allow-inly pining at the prece- of which gives pleasure and delight to the dence of the hereditary gentry-maddened mind. I suppose it is in this sense you wish by the polished insolence of some of the it to be understood. If I am right, the unworthy part of them-seeking pleasure in taste which these books are calculated to the society of men who can condescend to cultivate (besides the taste for fine writing, flatter him, and listen to his absurdity for which many of the papers tend to improve the sake of a good dinner and good wine- and to gratify), is what is proper, consistent, I cannot avoid concluding, that his brother, and becoming in human character and conor companion, who, by a diligent application duct, as almost every paper relates to these to the labours of agriculture, or some useful subjects. mechanic employment, and the careful husbanding of his gains, has acquired a competence in his station, is a much happier, and, in the eye of a person who can take an enlarged view of mankind, a much more respectable man. "But the votaries of wealth may be considered as a great number of candidates striving for a few prizes: and whatever addition the successful may make to their pleasure or happiness, the disappointed will always have more to suffer, I am afraid, than those who abide contented in the station to which they were born. I wish, therefore, the education of the lower classes to be promoted and directed to their improvement as men, as the means of increasing their virtue, and opening to them new and dignified sources of pleasure and happiness. I have heard some people object to the education of the lower classes of men, as rendering them less useful, by abstracting them from their proper business; others, as tending to make them saucy to their superiors, impatient of their condition, and turbulent subjects; while you, with more humanity, have your fears alarmed, lest the delicacy of mind, induced by that sort of education and reading I recommended, should render the evils of their situation insupportable to them. I wish to examine the validity of each of these objections, beginning with the one you have mentioned. "I do not mean to controvert your criticism of my favourite books, the Mirror and Lounger, although I understand there are people who think themselves judges, who do not agree with you. The acquisition of knowledge, except what is connected with human life and conduct, or the particular business of his employment, does not appear to me to be the fittest pursuit for a peasant. I would say with the poet, "How empty learning, and how vain is art, Save where it guides the life, or mends the heart!' "I am sorry I have not these books by me, that I might point out some instances. I remember two; one, the beautiful story of La Roche, where, besides the pleasure one derives from a beautiful simple story, told in M'Kenzie's happiest manner, the mind is led to taste, with heartfelt rapture, the consolation to be derived in deep affliction, from habitual devotion and trust in Almighty God. | The other, the story of General W where the reader is led to have a high relish for that firmness of mind which disregards appearances, the common forms and vanities of life, for the sake of doing justice in a case which was out of the reach of human laws. "Allow me then to remark, that if the morality of these books is subordinate to the cultivation of taste; that taste, that refinement of mind and delicacy of sentiment which they are intended to give, are the strongest guard and surest foundation of morality and virtue. Other moralists guard, as it were, the overt act; these papers, by exalting duty into sentiment, are calculated to make every deviation from rectitude and propriety of conduct, painful to the mind 'Whose temper'd powers, Refine at length, and every passion wears A chaster, milder, more attractive mien.' "I readily grant you, that the refinement of mind which I contend for increases our sensibility to the evils of life; but what station of life is without its evils? There seems to be no such thing as perfect happiness in this world, and we must balance the pleasure and the pain which we derive from taste, before we can properly appreciate it in the case before us. I apprehend, that on a minute examination it will appear, that the evils peculiar to the lower ranks of life derive their power to wound us, more from the suggestions of false pride, and the 'contagion of luxury, weak and vile,' than the refinement of our taste. It was a favourite remark of my brother's, that there was no part of the constitution of our na "But the man of enlarged mind feels the respect due to him as a man; he has learned that no employment is dishonourable in itself; that while he performs aright the duties of that station in which God has placed him, he is as great as a king in the eyes of Him whom he is principally desirous to please; for the man of taste, who is constantly obliged to labour, must of necessity be religious. If you teach him only to reason, you may make him an atheist, a demagogue, or any vile thing; but if you teach him to feel, his feelings can only find their proper and natural relief in devotion and religious resignation. He knows that those people who are to appearance at ease, are not without their share of evils, and that even toil itself is not destitute of advantages. He listens to the words of his favourite poet: ture to which we were more indebted, than | approve of; and for none more than the that by which 'custom makes things familiar pains he took to impress my mind with the and easy' (a copy Mr. Murdoch used to set sentiment, that nothing was more unworthy us to write); and there is little labour the character of a man, that that his happiwhich custom will not make easy to a man ness should in the least depend on what he in health, if he is not ashamed of his em- should eat or drink. So early did he imployment, or does not begin to compare his press my mind with this, that although I situation with those he may see going about was as fond of sweetmeats as children geneat their ease. rally are, yet I seldom laid out any of the half-pence which relations or neighbours gave me at fairs, in the purchase of them; and if I did, every mouthful I swallowed was accompanied with shame and remorse; and to this hour I never indulge in the use of any delicacy, but I feel a considerable degree of self-reproach and alarm for the degradation of the human character. Such a habit of thinking I consider as of great consequence, both to the virtue and happiness of men in the lower ranks of life. And thus, Sir, I am of opinion, that if their minds are early and deeply impressed with a sense of the dignity of man, as such; with the love of independence and of industry, economy and temperance, as the most obvious means of making themselves independent, and the virtues most becoming their situation, and necessary to their happiness; men in the lower ranks of life may partake of the pleasures to be derived from the perusal of books calculated to improve the mind and refine the taste, without any danger of becoming more unhappy in their situation, or discontented with it. Nor do I think there is any danger of their be coming less useful. coming less useful. There are some hours every day that the most constant labourer is neither at work nor asleep. These hours are either appropriated to amusement or to sloth. If a taste for employing these hours in reading were cultivated, I do not suppose that the return to labour would be more difficult. Every one will allow, that the attachment to idle amusements, or even to sloth, has as powerful a tendency to abstract men from their proper business, as the attachment to books; while the one dissipates the mind, and the other tends to increase its powers of self-government. To those who are afraid that the improvement of the minds of the common people might be dangerous to the state, or the established order of society, I would remark, that turbulence and commotion are certainly very inimical to the feelings of a refined mind. Let the matter be brought to the test of experience and observation. Of what description of people are mobs and insurrections composed? Are they not universally owing to the want of enlargement and improve 'Oh, mortal man, that livest here by toil, Cease to repine and grudge thy hard estate! That like an emmet thou must ever moil, Is a sad sentence of an ancient date; And, certes, there is for it reason great; Although sometimes it makes thee weep and [late; wail, And curse thy star, and early drudge, and Withouten that would come an heavier bale, Loose life, unruly passions, and diseases pale!' "And while he repeats the words, the grateful recollection comes across his mind, how often he has derived ineffable pleasure from the sweet song of 'nature's darling child.' I can say, from my own experience, that there is no sort of farm-labour inconsistent with the most refined and pleasurable state of the mind that I am acquainted with, thrashing alone excepted. That, indeed, I have always considered as insupportable drudgery, and think the ingenious mechanic who invented the thrashing-machine, ought to have a statue among the benefactors of his country, and should be placed in the niche next to the person who introduced the culture of potatoes into this island. 'Perhaps the thing of most importance in the education of the common people is, to prevent the intrusion of artificial wants. I bless the memory of my worthy father for almost every thing in the dispositions of my mind, and my habits of life, which I can life, which I can | ment of mind among the common people? sentiment. I would have established in Nay, let any one recollect the characters of every parish a small circulating library, conthose who formed the calmer and more de- sisting of the books which the young liberate associations, which lately gave so people had read extracts from in the collecmuch alarm to the government of this tions they had read at school, and any other country. I suppose few of the common books well calculated to refine the mind, impeople who were to be found in such socie- prove the moral feelings, recommend the ties, had the education and turn of mind I practice of virtue, and communicate such have been endeavouring to recommend. knowledge as might he useful and suitable to | Allow me to suggest one reason for en- the labouring classes of men. I would have deavouring to enlighten the minds of the the schoolmaster act as librarian; and in common people. Their morals have hitherto recommending books to his young friends, been guarded by a sort of dim religious awe, formerly his pupils, and letting in the light which, from a variety of causes, seems wear- of them of them upon their young minds, he should ing off. I think the alteration in this re- have the assistance of the minister. If once spect considerable, in the short period of my such education were become general, the observation. I have already given my low delights of the public-house, and other opinion of the effects of refinement of mind scenes of riot and depravity, would be conon morals and virtue. Whenever vulgar temned and neglected; while industry, minds begin to shake off the dogmas of the order, cleanliness, and every virtue which religion in which they have been educated, taste and independence of mind could rethe progress is quick and immediate to commend, would prevail and flourish. Thus downright infidelity; and nothing but possessed of a virtuous and enlightened refinement of mind can enable them to dis- populace, with high delight I should continguish between the pure essence of reli- sider my native country as at the head of all gion, and the gross systems which men have the nations of the earth, ancient or modern. been perpetually connecting it with. In addition to what has already been done for the education of the common people of this country, in the establishment of parish schools, I wish to see the salaries augmented in some proportion to the present expense of living, and the earnings of people of similar rank, endowments, and usefulness, in society; and I hope that the liberality of the present age will be no longer disgraced "I am much obliged by your kind inby refusing, to so useful a class of men, quiries about my situation and prospects. I such encouragement as may make parish am much pleased with the soil of this farm, schools worth the attention of men fitted for and with the terms on which I possess it. I the important duties of that office. In fill- receive great encouragement likewise in ing up the vacancies, I would have more building, enclosing, and other conveniences, attention paid to the candidate's capacity of from my landlord, Mr. G. S. Monteith, whose reading the English language with grace general character and conduct, as a landlord and propriety-to his understanding tho- and country-gentleman, I am highly pleased roughly, and having a high relish for, the with. But the land is in such a state as to beauties of English authors, both in poetry require a considerable immediate outlay of and prose-to that good sense and know- money in the purchase of manure, the ledge of human nature which would enable grubbing of brush-wood, removing of stones, him to acquire some influence on the minds &c., which twelve years' struggle with a and affections of his scholars-to the general farm of a cold ungrateful soil has but illworth of his character, and the love of his prepared me for. If I can get these things king and his country-than to his proficiency done, however, to my mind, I think there is in the knowledge of Latin and Greek. I next to a certainty that in five or six years would then have a sort of high English I shall be in a hopeful way of attaining a class established, not only for the purpose of situation which I think as eligible for happiteaching the pupils to read in that gracefulness as any one I know; for I have always and agreeable manner that might make them fond of reading, but to make them understand what they read, and discover the beauties of the author, in composition and | Thus, Sir, have I executed my threat to the fullest extent, in regard to the length of my letter. If I had not presumed on doing it more to my liking, I should not have undertaken it; but I have not time to attempt it anew; nor, if I would, am I certain that I should succeed any better. I have learned to have less confidence in my capacity of writing on such subjects. been of opinion, that if a man bred to the habits of a farming life, who possesses a farm of good soil, on such terms as enables him easily to pay all demands, is not happy, he ought to look somewhere else than to his situation for the causes of his uneasiness. "I beg you will present my most respectful compliments to Mrs. Currie, and remember me to Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe, and Mr Roscoe, Junior, the worth of whose kind attentions to me, when in Liverpool, I shall never forget. I am, dear sir, your most obedient, and much obliged humble servant, "GILBERT Burns. "To James Currie, M.D., F.R.S. Liverpool." The only dependence of Mrs. Burns, after her husband's death, was on an annuity of ten pounds, arising from a benefit society connected with the Excise, the books and other moveable property left to her, and the generosity of the public. The subscription, as we are informed by Dr. Currie, produced seven hundred pounds; and the works of the poet, as edited with singular taste and judgment by that gentleman, brought nearly two thousand more. One half of the latter sum was lent on a bond to a Galloway gentleman, who continued to pay five per The Widow, Children, and Brother of cent. for it till a late period. Mrs. Burns Burns. was thus enabled to support and educate her family in a manner creditable to the memory of her husband. She continued to reside in the house which had been occuby her husband and herself, and "never changed, nor wished to change her place." For many years after her sons had left her to pursue their fortunes in the world, she lived in a decent and respectable manner, on an income which never amounted to more than £62 per annum. At length, in 1817, at a festival held in Edinburgh to celebrate the birth-day of the bard, Mr. Henry, (now Lord) Cockburn acting as president, it was proposed by Mr. Maule of Panmure (now Lord Panmure), that some permanent addition should be made to the income of the poet's widow. The idea appeared to be favourably received, but the subscription did not fill rapidly. Mr. Maule then said that the burden of the provision should fall upon himself, and immediately executed a bond, entitling Mrs. Burns to an annuity of £50 as long as she lived. This act, together with the generosity of the same gentleman to Nathaniel Gow, in his latter and evil days, must ever endear the name of Lord Panmure to all who feel warmly on the subjects of Scottish poetry and Scottish music. AT the time of Burn's decease, his family Mr. Maule's pension had not been enjoyed by the widow more than a year and a half, when her youngest son James attained the rank of Captain with a situation in the commissariat, and was thus enabled to relieve her from the necessity of being beholden to a stranger's hand for any share of her support. She accordingly resigned the pension. Mr. M'Diarmid, who records these circumstances, adds in another place, that, during her subsequent years, Mrs. Burns enjoyed an income of about two hundred a-year, great part of which, as not needed by her, she dispensed in charities. Her whole conduct in widowhood was such as to secure universal esteem in the town where she resided. She died, March 26, 1834, in the 68th year of her age, and was buried beside her illustrious husband, in the mausoleum at Dumfries. (153) Mr. Gilbert Burns, the early companion and at all times the steadfast friend of the poet, continued to struggle with the miserable glebe of Mossgiel till about the year 1797, when he removed to the farm of Dinning, on the estate of Mr. Monteith of Closeburn, in Nithsdale. The poet had lent him £200 out of the profits of the Edinburgh edition of his works, in order that he might overcome some of his difficulties; and he, some years after, united himself to a Miss Breckonridge, by whom he had a family of six sons and five daughters. In consideration of the support he extended to his widowed mother, the poet seems never to have thought of a reckoning with him for the above sum. He was a man of sterling sense and sagacity, pious without asceticism or bigotry, and entertaining liberal and enlightened views, without being the least of an enthusiast. His letter to Dr. Currie, dated from Dinning, October 24, 1800, shows no mean powers of composition, and embodies nearly all the philanthropic views of human improvement which have been so broadly realised in our own day. We are scarcely more affected by the consideration of the penury under which some of his brother's noblest compositions were penned, than by the reflection that this beautiful letter was the effusion of a man who, with his family, daily wrought long and laboriously under all those circumstances of parsimony which characterise Scottish rural life. Some years after, Mr. Gilbert Burns was appointed by Lady Blantyre to be land-steward or factor upon her estate of Lethington in East-Lothian, to which place he accordingly removed. His conduct in this capacity, during near twenty-five years, was marked by great fidelity and prudence, and gave the most perfect satisfaction to his titled employer. It was not till 1820, that he was enabled to repay the money borrowed from his brother in 1788 Being then invited by Messrs. Cadell and Davies to superintend, and improve as much as possible, a new edition of the poet's works, he received as much in remuneration of his labour, as enabled him to perform this act of duty. The mother of Robert and Gilbert Burns lived in the household of the latter at Grant's Braes, near Lethington, till 1820, when she died at the age of eighty-eight, and was buried in the churchyard of Bolton. | In personal aspect, Robert Burns resembled his mother; Gilbert had the more aquiline features of his father. The portrait of Robert Burns, painted by a Mr. Taylor, and published in an engraved form by Messrs. Constable and Company a few years ago, bore a striking resemblance to Gilbert. This excellent man died at Grant's Braes, November 8, 1827, aged about sixty-seven years. His sons, having received an excellent education. occupy respectable stations in society. One is factor to Lord Blantyre, and another is minister of the parish of Monkton, near Ayr. Two sisters of Burns, one. of whom is by marriage Mrs. Begg, yet survive. They reside in the village of Tranent, EastLothian. Phrenological Development of Burns. AT the opening of the Mausoleum, March 1834, for the interment of Mrs. Burns, it was resolved by some citizens of Dumfries, with the concurrence of the nearest relative of the widow, to raise the cranium of the poet from the grave, and have a cast moulded from it, with a view to gratifying the interest likely to be felt by the students of phrenology respecting its peculiar development. This purpose was carried into effect during the night between the 31st March and the 1st April, and the following is the description of the cranium, drawn up at the time by Mr. A. Blacklock, surgeon, one of the individuals present : "The craniel bones were perfect in every respect, if we except a little erosion of their external table, and firmly held together by their sutures; even the delicate bones of the orbits, with the trifling exception of the os unguis in the left, were sound, and uninjured by death and the grave. The superior maxillary bones still retained the four most posterior teeth on each side, including the dentes sapientiæ, and all without spot or blemish; the incisores, cuspidati, &c., had, in all probability, recently dropped from the jaw, for the alveoli were but little decayed. The bones of the face and palate were also sound. Some small portions of black hair, with a very few grey hairs intermixed, were observed while detaching some extraneous matter from the occiput. Indeed, nothing could exceed the high state of preservation in which we found the bones of the cranium, or offer a fairer opportunity of supplying what has so long been desiderated by desiderated by phrenologists |