-at- NOTES, CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL, TO LAST EDITIONS. ABBREVIATIONS : c. s. I. p. PAGE ; COLUMN ; STANZA ; LINE. AFTER the Author's removal to Dumfriesshire, or rather after Thomson's hands, were frankly relinquished by that gentle- his appearance in Edinburgh, three distinct enterprises were man to Dr. Carrie's care, for publication along with the rest of as of the undertaken by him: (1) The writing occasional poems Poet's works in the first posthumous edition : but the ' circumstances or the wishes of his friends suggested, in which Collection' itself, which they were destined to enrich, and in ' miscellaneous work, the lines in Friars- Carse Hermitage,' which they ultimately appeared, continued to be issued at the song of 'The Whistle,' and 'Tarn o' Shanter,' with intervals, and was finally completed by a supplementary sixth three of his most exquisite lyrics are to be included : (2) A volume so late as 1841. series of songs, or revision of songs, adapted to Scottish In addition to the above, Burns was earnestly entreated by melodies for 'Johnson's Musical Museum,' including several many of his most admiring friends to devote himself to the already written or published, but by far the greater number composition of some more elaborate work than he had hitherto a to he attached the utmost or dramatic original ; work which importance, undertaken some epic composition and seems and in which he laboured at intervals with enthusiastic, almost to have entertained transitory, half-serious thoughts of this, devotional, assiduity, till the end of his life: (3) A similar from time to time. But love and music, with him as with for 'Thomson's to series, including some repetitions, Collection;' Anacreon, were paramount absorbing powers ; say nothing an occupation like the former, of intense interest, cut short of the distracting influences, in his case, of pain and poverty. like it by the hand of Death. In editions of his works which For these reasons ostensibly, the grand projected work was appeared in 1793 and 1794, and in a reprint of these after his never accomplished, perhaps never in reality begun fortu- death, in 1797, the new poems and some of the songs above nately, in our humble opinion, for his own poetical reputation referred to were introduced. These were professedly under for no such work, epic or dramatic, from his hands could possibly if from the tenor successful. No 'Tarn o' Shanter' the his own editorial care ; but we may judge have been epic beyond in a few of nor more than the ' of his letter to Lord Woodhouselee, December, 1795, work a day ; comedy complicated Jolly ' months before his own death, already referred to, and from Beggars the effusion most probably of an evening or two, other circumstances, the text seems scarcely ever to have was likely to proceed from him : and as for regular tragedy, enjoyed the advantage of his revision. 'Johnson's Museum,' with its unities, its developments, &c., we believe that by mere in which his most important series of songs, original and instinct alone the man would be prevented from attempting it. indebted almost his revised, appeared, and which was in fact His genius was essentially lyrical, constitution impulsive, for its articulation In virtue of these entirely to himself, in one way or another, contents, and his poetical irrepressible. be in or he became the and certainly for its popularity, began to published characteristics endowments, indisputably of of but the same conditions he 1787. It consisted of six volumes, the last which, however, highest master song ; by very ' from the did not appear until 1808. Thomson's Collection,' which was was naturally excluded quiet laborious interweaving a more ambitious and perhaps a selecter work, more fashion- of dramatic plots, or the construction of effective dialogues. himself or human nature individualised in able, and in that sense more important, was not, however, It was always, In this work Burns' s name him not human nature in detailed him, that more comprehensive or original. ; variety beyond and for its success his or his muse. was also the same tower of strength ; occupied inspired a critical of the and several of labours were indefatigable and exhausting. It consisted In merely point view, poems the first half-volume the now referred to, as marked a contrast in originally of four volumes, but only songs present contri- details to the of his earlier as works appeared during our Author's lifetime. Manuscript certain style compositions, in the same Author in the same could afford. It is butions by him intended for its pages, and then Mr. by language 2 242 LIFE AND WORKS [NOTES CRITICAL Scottish still in the Scottish language he writes, but the our Author's work in that way : all Scotch phraseology there- ' language of another world or region. The tone itself, acquired fore, such as the chimney-neuk,' which sometimes appears ' in Edinburgh, and cultivated in Dumfriesshire, is to a certain instead of chimney-nook,' should be avoided in typography. extent another tone than that which prevailed in Ayrshire : Friars-Carse, a beautiful rural retreat on the Nith, lies a little old to the and it is only towards the close of his life that the rich north-west of Ellisland : and it is by no means an un- accents of the West perceptibly return in his lips and writings. suggestive circumstance that, shortly after all this philosophy, The English form, the English idiom, the English style, is not it was the scene of that celebrated contest for the Whistle, unfrequently adopted, where the native corresponding form where morals, or at least habits, of a strangely different for him would have been infinitely preferable : in is now character were illustrated and immortalised. and from 'Tarn o' generally superseded by -ing, Shanter,' p. 113, c. 2, I. 1. Dangers, eagle-pinioned, bold, of the in Soar around each hold the most conspicuous poem epoch, except two solitary cliffy ; While chearful with linnet banished that it Peace, song, instances, is absolutely ; poem, however, must Chants the lowly dells among : be remembered, in an : appeared originally English publication ' Quoted almost literally Elizabeth to Leicester, in Kenil- also becomes and with its still softer by now bonny ; bonie, ' bony worth insinuating tenderness, is abbreviated into bonnie: changes "He that would climb the eagle's nest, my lord, cares not who are catching which are all perceptible and suggestive, and perhaps inevi- linnets at the foot of the precipice." Kenilworth : Chap. xvi. but not the less of table in the circumstances ; worthy remark, p. 114, c. 1, I. 1. Thus resign'd and quiet, creep as we shall hereafter see, in the retrospective history of his the of To bed lasting sleep ; whence thou shalt ne'er literary experience. Whether such changes were made in Sleep, awake, shall Night, where dawn never break ; every case by the Author himself, however, or only by his ' ' well be doubted in as much as the old forms also in of the Lake : editors, may ; Compare song Lady are almost invariably found in the 'Museum,' copied un- Soldier, rest ! thy warfare o'er, Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking ; doubtedly from his own manuscript, and more particularly in those which were written either in or pieces Ayrshire, Morn of toil, nor night of waking. immediately after his settlement at Ellisland. In some of Can. I. xxxi. these, his most exquisite compositions, which depend for one p. 114. ODE, SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF MRS. [OSWALD] half of their effect on the simplicity of their sounds, 'Of a' OF [ATJCHENCRTJIVE] was written, as we are informed by the ' the airts the wind can blaw,' for example, and Were I on Author in a letter to Dr. Moore, in the month of January, Parnassus Hill ' and in several others of in on his to ; equal beauty, 1789, at an inn New Cumnock, way Ayrshire; " although not of the same personal interest, we rejoice to see he having been turned out of the inn at Sanquhar, in all the ' discarded a of them retained in the Museum,' although elsewhere : terrors of a tempestuous night," with ride twelve miles ' ' so little do those who read or print the Scottish language at more before him, to make room for the funeral pageantry of random understand the value of its syllables, or the source the late great Mrs. Oswald," who "was detested with the of its fascination ! most manifest cordiality," as the Author affirms, among "her p. 113. LINES WRITTEN IN FRIARS-CARSE HERMITAGE, ON servants and tenants." A character of this kind could not NITHSIDE are understood to be the earliest poetical effusion fail at any time to inspire him with aversion and contempt, of our Author's after settling in Dumfriesshire. The original and the circumstances of his expulsion from a comfortable outline of the poem was inscribed with a diamond on a pane of shelter at midnight for her unconscious sake would aggravate " glass in the window of the Hermitage which, on removal at a such sentiments into passionate fury. The powers of poesy subsequent date, was unfortunately broken. The poem itself and prose," he says, "sink under me, when I would describe " seems to have been one to which the Author attached the what I felt." Mr. Carlyle characterises this as a piece that highest importance, having distributed many manuscript copies might have been chaunted by the Furies of ^Eschylus." Its of it among his friends. Among these several considerable coherence, which is fitful and dramatic, not continuous or be found an additional careless variations may proof how difficult it prosaic, has been much injured by punctuation in sometimes is to determine which of his own editions the Author many editions: 'Death and Dr.