The Letters of Robert Burns 1 The Letters of Robert Burns The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Letters of Robert Burns, by Robert Burns #3 in our series by Robert Burns Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission. Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. The Letters of Robert Burns 2 **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** **eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** *****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** Title: The Letters of Robert Burns Author: Robert Burns Release Date: February, 2006 [EBook #9863] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 25, 2003] Edition: 10 Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LETTERS OF ROBERT BURNS *** Produced by Charles Franks, Debra Storr and PG Distributed Proofreaders BURNS'S LETTERS. THE LETTERS OF ROBERT BURNS, SELECTED AND ARRANGED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY J. LOGIE ROBERTSON, M.A. "You shall write whatever comes first,--what you see, what you read, what you hear, what you admire, what you dislike; trifles, bagatelles, nonsense, The Letters of Robert Burns 3 or, to fill up a corner, e'en put down a laugh at full length"--Burns. "My life reminded me of a ruined temple: what strength, what proportion in some parts! what unsightly gaps, what prostrate ruin in others!"--Burns. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE To Ellison or Alison Begbie (?) To Ellison Begbie To Ellison Begbie To Ellison Begbie To Ellison Begbie To his Father To Sir John Whitefoord, Bart., of Ballochmyle To Mr. John Murdoch, schoolmaster, Staples Inn Buildings, London To his Cousin, Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Thomas Orr, Park, Kirkoswald To Miss Margaret Kennedy To Miss----, Ayrshire To Mr. John Richmond, law clerk, Edinburgh The Letters of Robert Burns 4 To Mr. James Smith, shopkeeper, Mauchline To Mr. Robert Muir, wine merchant, Kilmarnock To Mr. John Ballantine, banker, Ayr To Mr. M'Whinnie, writer, Ayr To John Arnot, Esquire, of Dalquatswood To Mr. David Brice, shoemaker, Glasgow To Mr. John Richmond, Edinburgh To Mr. John Richmond To Mr. John Kennedy To his Cousin, Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To Mrs. Stewart, of Stair To Mr. Robert Aikin, writer, Ayr To Dr. Mackenzie, Mauchline; inclosing him verses on dining with Lord Daer To Mrs. Dunlop, of Dunlop To Miss Alexander In the Name of the Nine. Amen To James Dalrymple, Esquire, Orangefield To Sir. John Whitefoord The Letters of Robert Burns 5 To Mr. Gavin Hamilton, Mauchline To Mr. John Ballantine, banker, at one time Provost of Ayr To Mr. Robert Muir To Mr. William Chambers, writer, Ayr To the Earl of Eglinton To Mr. John Ballantine To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. Moore To the Rev. G. Lawrie, Newmilns, near Kilmarnock To the Earl of Buchan To Mr. James Candlish, student in physic, Glasgow College To Mr. Peter Stuart, Editor of "The Star," London To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. Moore To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Nicol, classical master, High School, Edinburgh To Mr. William Nicol The Letters of Robert Burns 6 To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mr. James Smith, Linlithgow, formerly of Mauchline To Mr. John Richmond To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Dr. Moore To Mr. Archibald Lawrie To Mr. Robert Muir, Kilmarnock To Mr. Gavin Hamilton To Mr. Walker, Blair of Athole To his Brother, Mr. Gilbert Burns, Mossgiel To Mr. Patrick Miller, Dalswinton To Rev. John Skinner To Miss Margaret Chalmers, Harvieston To Mrs. Dunlop of Dunlop House, Stewarton To Mr. James Hoy, Gordon Castle To the Earl of Glencairn To Miss Chalmers To Miss Chalmers The Letters of Robert Burns 7 To Miss Chalmers To Mr. Richard Brown, Irvine To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To the Rev. John Skinner To Mrs. Rose, of Kilravock To Richard Brown, Greenock To Mr. William Cruikshank To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mr. Richard Brown To Mr. Robert Muir To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Nicol (perhaps) To Miss Chalmers THE CLARINDA LETTERS GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE (RESUMED)-- To Mr. Gavin Hamilton To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S., Edinburgh The Letters of Robert Burns 8 To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. James Smith, Avon Printfield, Linlithgow To Professor Dugald Stewart To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Samuel Brown, Kirkoswald To Mr. James Johnson, engraver, Edinburgh To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop, at Mr. Dunlop's, Haddington To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Peter Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Beugo, engraver, Edinburgh To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry To his Wife, at Mauchline. The Letters of Robert Burns 9 To Miss Chalmers, Edinburgh To Mr. Morison, wright, Mauchline To Mrs. Dunlop, of Dunlop To Mr. Peter Hill To the Editor of the "Star" To Mrs. Dunlop, at Moreham Mains To Dr. Blacklock To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. John Tennant To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. Moore, London To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Professor Dugald Stewart To Mr. Robert Cleghorn, Saughton Mills To Bishop Geddes, Edinburgh To Mr. James Burness To Mrs. Dunlop To, Mrs. M'Lehose (formerly Clarinda) The Letters of Robert Burns 10 To Dr. Moore To his Brother, Mr. William Burns To Mr. Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mrs. M'Murdo, Drumlanrig To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Richard Brown To Mr. Robert Ainslie To Mrs. Dunlop To Miss Helen Maria Williams To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry. To David Sillar, merchant, Irvine. To Mr. John Logan, of Knock Shinriock To Mr. Peter Stuart, editor, London To his Brother, William Burns, saddler, Newcastle-on-Tyne To Mrs. Dunlop To Captain Riddel, Friars Carse To Mr. Robert Ainslie, W.S. To Mr. Richard Brown, Port-Glasgow The Letters of Robert Burns 11 To Mr. R. Graham, of Fintry To Mrs. Dunlop To Lady Winifred M. Constable To Mr. Charles K. Sharpe, of Hoddam To his Brother, Gilbert Burns, Mossgiel To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S. To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Peter Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mr. W. Nicol To Mr. Cunningham, writer, Edinburgh To Mr. Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Dr. John Moore, London To Mr. Murdoch, teacher of French, London To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Crauford Tait, W.S., Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S. The Letters of Robert Burns 12 To Mr. Peter Hill To Dr. Moore To Mrs. Dunlop To the Rev. Arch. Alison To the Rev. G. Haird To Mr. Cunningharn, writer, Edinburgh To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Thomas Sloan To Mr. Ainslie To Miss Davies To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. William Smellie, printer To Mr. William Nicol To Mr. Francis Grose, F.S.A To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Cunningham To Mrs. Dunlop The Letters of Robert Burns 13 To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. R. Graham, Fintry To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry To Mr. Alex. Cunningham, W.S., Edinbiugh To Mr. Cunningham To Miss Benson, York, afterwards Mrs. Basil Montagu To Mr. John Francis Erskine, of Mar To Miss M'Murdo, Drumlanrig To John M'Murdo, Esq., Drumlanrig To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Riddel To Mr. Cunningham To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. James Johnson The Letters of Robert Burns 14 To Mr. Peter Hill, Jun., of Dalswinton To Mrs. Riddel To Mrs. Dunlop To Mrs. Dunlop, in London To the Hon. The Provost, etc., of Damfries To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr James Johnson To Mr. Cunningham To Mr. Gilbert Burns To Mrs. Burns To Mrs. Dunlop To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose To his Father-in-law, James Armour, mason, Mauchline THE THOMSON LETTERS BURNS'S LETTERS. It is not perhaps generally known that the prose of Burns exceeds in quantity his verse. The world remembers him as a poet, and forgets or overlooks his letters. His place among the poets has never been denied--it is in the first rank; nor is he lowest, though little remembered, among letter-writers. His letters gave Jeffrey a higher opinion of him as a man than did his poetry, though on both alike the critic saw the seal and impress of The Letters of Robert Burns 15 genius. Dugald Stewart thought his letters objects of wonder scarcely less than his poetry. And Robertson, comparing his prose with his verse, thought the former the more extraordinary of the two. In the popular view of his genius there is, however, no denying the fact that his poetry has eclipsed his prose. His prose consists mostly of letters, but it also includes a noble fragment of autobiography; three journals of observations made at Mossgiel, Edinburgh, and Ellisland respectively; two itineraries, the one of his border tour, the other of his tour in the Highlands; and historical notes to two collections of Scottish songs. A full enumeration of his prose productions would take account also of his masonic minutes, his inscriptions, a rather curious business paper drawn up by the poet-exciseman in prosecution of a smuggler, and of course his various prefaces, notably the dedication of his poems to the members of the Caledonian Hunt.