i IJ*V0< V?io^ W**v«\v>V’C'Aaiw ' v’»v\w«»\‘Aiv .•-%v,»\vv''t>*)*.'i i... v • FRONT isrm CJE Jt spak riirkl hcwt—'My 'na me ieDealh .Xi FiiblUhai by JXeftdmv hZrfc THE $}octtcat WORKS ROBERT BURNS. 70 WHICH IS PREFIXED THE AUTHOR’S LIFE. Eonfcon: TEIXTED FOU THE BOOKSELLERS: JtXD FOR J. KKNDREWy COLLIBRGATEj YORK, 1822. £ I ©DEg % 1980 LIFE OF ROBERT BURNS. ^Robert^vas born Burns,on the 25ththe subject January of these1759, memoirs, on the |to■banks which of Doon,stand theabout ruins two of miles Alloway from Kirk, Ayr, nearnow wShanter.pcelebrated by his admirable tale of Tam o’ His father, William Burns, originally from ^Kincardineshire,tuations, at last settledafter serving in Ayrshire in a variety as a ofgar- si- maintaineddener, but soona very afterwards respectable turned character. farmer. HeIn :17o7,Jhe first-born he married of this Agnes marriage. Brown. He Robertwas sent was to taughtSchool towhen read about English, six yearsand writeold, awhere little; he andwas ificiency.wt the age Heof eleven was taught he had the arrived rudiments at great of arith- pro. paeticJtus writes by his of father, his early in thedays, winter in his evenings. letter to Dr.He ■ Moore,javourite “ withAt those any yearsbody—I I was was by ano good means deal a iotedOmething for a inretentive my disposition, memory, and a stubborn an enthusiastic sturdy LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. thenidiot butpiety a ; child—ThoughIsay, idiot piety, it cost because the school-'I wa.t i Englishroaster somescholar; thrashings, and by theI madetime I anwas excellent. ten orv tives,eleven verbs, years ofand age, particles—In I was a critic my in infant substanJ andi boyishwho resided days, intoo, the I owedfamily, much remarkable to an old forwoman: her! ignorance,I suppose, credulity,the largest and collection superstition. in the Shecountry, had, offairies, tales brownies, and songs, witches, concerning warlocks, devils, spunkies, ghosts,, ritions,kelpies, cantraips,elf-candles, giants, dead-lights, enchanted wraiths, towers, appa- dra- t gons,latent andseeds other of poetry trumpery. ; but hadThis so cultivated strong an dieeft nocturnalfeet on my rambles, imagination, I sometimes that to this keep hour, a insharp my ii bodylook outcan inbe suspicious more sceptical places; than and 1 amthough in suclno- itf tomatters, shake yetoff theseit often idle takes terrors.” an effort of philosophy t Young Burns had now acquired a great proj l,, pensityever book for fell reading, in his wayand :eagerly but still perused he had whan no( I discoverednor betrayed any the signs smallest of that inclination striking toready poetry wit Iji, bothlasting of whichfame. haveMr. sinceMurdoch, conferred who upon instructed: him i , himbert in(his English brother) and always writing, appeared remarks, to possessthat Gil i- witmore than lively Robert.” imagination, Robert's and toface be was more generallj of thi ( live,grave, and and thoughtful expressive mind—Gilbert’s of a serious, contemplq face saici , ifMirth any withperson, thee who I mean knew to live!—andthe two boys, certainly ha LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. beento court asked the whichMuses, of he them would was surely the mostnever likely have supposedkind.” that Robert had a propensity of that The first circumstance which induced our youthfulis very interesting, poet to warble on hisaccount “ wild of artless the elegantnotes,” simplicityscription of which his harvestdistinguishes partner: the following“ She was de- a i bonnie,gether, unwittinglysweet, sonsie to lass. herself, In short,initiated she me alto- in - , disappointment,that delicious passion, gin-horse which, prudence, inspite and of luke-acid joys,warm our philosophy, dearest blessing I hold hereto be below.the first Indeed,(f human I rp5 *\ loiterdid not behind know withmyself her, why when I likedreturning so much in theto voiceevening made from my our heart-strings labours ; why thrill the like tones an of yRo- her liansuch harp;a furious and ratan, particularly, when I lookedwhy my and pulse fingered beat ’>' stingsher and little thistles. hand, t pick out the cruel nettle poetry;Thus,” which says at timeshe, “ havewith beenme began my only, love and tillenjoyment. within the last twelve months, my highest farmIt that is during my little the timestory thatis most we livedeventfuL on thisI 'i .'was,' most atungainly the beginning awkward of boythis period,in the perhapsparish—no the j'if.)1b '. ■world.solitaire was less acquainted with the ways of the ters“ Ina brush, my seventeenth I went to a year,country to dancing-school*give my man. 6 LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. against—My fatherthese meetings,had an unaccountableand my going was,antipathy what; i towishes. this momentMy father I repent, was subject in opposition to strong to pas-his i hesions took ; from a dislike that instanceto me, which,of disobedience I believe, in me,wasl succeedingone cause ofyears. the dissipationI say dissipation, which marked compara- myj gularitytively with of presbyterianthe strictness, country and sobriety, life ; for andthough: reJ thewere will-o’-wisp almost the solemeteors lights ofof mythoughtless path, yet whim; early afterwardsengrained pietywithin .and the virtue line keptof innocence. me several years:The) 1great had misfortunefelt early some of my stirrings life was of to ambition, want an aim.buti clopsthey wereround the the blind walls gropings of his cave.of Homer’s I saw Cy-Imyj bour.father’s Thesituation only twoentailed openings, on me by whichperpetual I could la- entergardly the economy, temple ofor fortune,the path was of thelittle gate chicaning of nig-j aperture,bargain-making: I never couldThe firstsqueeze is so myself contracted into itaiv thetion lastin theI alwaysvery entrance. hated—there Thus was abandoned contaminaJ of aim,sociability, or view as in well life, from with native a strong hilarity, appetite as from fon tionala pride melancholy, of observation or hypochondriasm, and remark ; a thatconstitu- made melife, fly my. solitude; reputation add tofor these bookish incentives knowledge, to social aj thought,certain wildsomething logical like talent, the rudiments and strength of good of sense,generally and ait welcomewill not seemguest surprising where I visited,that 1 was or| anythree greatmet wonder,together thatthere always was I whereamong two them! or LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 7 j But far beyond all other impulses of my heart •-t humain.was, vn penchantMy heart a radorablcwas completely muiticc tinder, du genre and e, otherwas eternally ; and as, lighted in every up otherby some warfare goddess in this or is j1 world, my fortune was various, sometimes I was v 1 tidedreceived with with a repulse. favour, andAt sometimesthe plough, I scythe,Was mor- or ■t.a ; reaping-hook,I set absolute wantI feared at defiance no competitor, ; and as and I r. thus:ver ■iyn i)i actualcared fartherexercise, for I my spent labours the thanevenings while in I awas way in rs } after my own heart.” itu jS hisAbout father, a twelvemonthBurns, who previoushad then to attained'histhe death of ...',, | twenty-fourthin a situation year,to enable became him anxious to marry. to be fixedHis a-id J1 heldbrother a small Gilbert portion and ofhe land had fromfor severaltheir father, years ng.. |' ?fon thewhich produce they chieflyof their raised labour, flax. our AuthorIn disposing took ...an , itaccordingly into his head continued to commence at that business flaxdresser for aboutHe ...of [ forsix themonths, shop butsome it timeproved after an taking unlucky fire, concern was ut- ; .,t: terly destroyed, and he was left not worth a six- il4 pence. e Immediately before the death of their father, :id, i giel,Burns consisting and his brotherof 118 acres,took theat £90 farm per of annum, Mcss- 'of?1 savingsIt was stockedof the bywhole the family,property and and was individual a joint il:,t. concern.£” per annum The eachallowance ; and tofor the four two years, brothers at thiswas jt . timeresidence as well with as duringhis father the periodat Lochlea, of seven his years ex- byhe wassubscription. advised to publishWith thea volume first fruits of his poem*of his purchasedpoetical labours, a few hearticles had ofpaid clothing, his passage, &c. andflu LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. Q chest was already on the way to Greenock, when abation letter offrom the Dr Poems, Blacklock, and signifyingan assurance his appro- that burghBurns forwould a second meet withedition, encouragement completely inchanged Edin- hisSoon intentions. after his arrival in Edinburgh, his Poems procuredPersons of him rank the and admiration power were of notall aboveconditions. tak- ingname notice of Burns of him; was celebratedand, in aover short all time,the king- the dom.nour, thatIt ought he had here been to inbe Edinburghmentioned onlyto his a fewho- whenmonths, he anderected was astill monument in the midstin the ofCanongate poverty, butChurch-yard unfortunate to poet,the memory Fergusson. of the celebrated In Edinburgh, Burns beheld mankind in a newbis light.days wereSurrounded passed onin allthe sides company by admirers, of the lifegreat, he his led evenings nearly in a dissipation.twelvemonth, This when kind his of afriends permanent suggested establishment. to him the necessity of seeking in HavingFebruary settled 1788, with Burns his foundpublisher, himsalf Mr. master Creech, of allnearly his expenses.live hundred Two pounds, hundred after pounds discharging he im- hadmediately taken advancedupon himself to his the brother support Gilbert, of his agedwho mother,ties in the and farm was of struggling Mossgiel. withWith many the difficul-remain- derfits fromof this his sum, Poems, and somehe determined farther eventual on settling pro- andhimself took for from life inMr. the Milleroccupation of Dalswinton, of agriculture, the 10 LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. Kith,farm ofsix Ellisland, miles above on Dumfries,the banks toof whichthe river he enteredviously onrecommended Whitsunday to 171M1. the BoardHaving of been Excise, pre- forhis thename humble had been office put of on a gaugerthe list or of exciseman candidates ; formationand he immediately necessary forapplied filling to thatacquiring office, the when in- theemploy honourable him.