your "Ode to Mrs A's Memory," "Address to the Regency Bill," last "Elegy," and "Afton Water," as worthy of immortal preservation from the press: the "Hare" I know you noted yourself, and vanity prompts my wishing you to recollect your New Year's Day, Eighty-nine imployment without recantation. I now leave you to congratulate my worthy friend Kerr on his promotion.2 I like him the better that he has taste to distinguish the Scots Bard as the only man in whose favours he exerts his priviledge of franking. I wish all the rest of the world who had the power of rewarding merit shared as much in the predilection of, Dr. Burns, your sincere friend, and obedient, humble sert. (1) Colonel William Fullarton of Fullarton (see antea, p. 14), at this time forty-five years of age; "Brydone's brave ward" of the "Vision." He did not spend the rest of his life in the service of the Turkish government, for, as previously noted, he entered the British Parliament in 1796, and sat till 1803, and he was subsequently governor of Trinidad. (2) Probably to the Secretaryship of the Post Office. Mrs. DUNLOP of Dunlop. N. B. Just now at Loudon Castle near Kilmarnock. Missent to Stewarton. ELLISLAND, 19th August 1789. DEAR MADAM,- I had written you ere this time but for waiting the issue of two to me important events which were hanging in the wind. I mentioned to you my Excise hopes and views. I have been once more a lucky fellow in that quarter. The Excisemen's Salaries are now £50 per ann., and I believe the Board have been so oblidging as fix me in the Division in which I live; and I suppose I shall begin doing duty at the commencement of next month.1 I shall have a large portion of country, but, what to me and my studies is no trifling matter, it is a fine romantic Country. More luck still! About two hours ago I welcomed home your little Godson. He is a fine squalling fellow, with a pipe that makes the room ring. His Mother as usual. Zeluco I have not thoroughly read so as to give a critique on it. To say it is an excellent performance is but echoing the opinion of the world: I shall be more particular in my remarks. You will easily guess that in the present situation of my family, and in my preparations for the Excise, that I have indeed little spare time. To you, Madam, that little spare time is more chearfully devoted than to any other person or purpose. Miss Charlotte Smith has delighted me. Her Elegy in particular is one of the first performances that I have ever seen. Your pencil has in every mark prevented mine. - I have the honor to be, Dear Madam, your oblidged, grateful humble servt., ROBT. BURNS. P.S. The following lines I sent Mr. Graham as my thanks for my appointment: 3 I call no goddess to inspire my strains, A fabled Muse may suit a Bard that feigns: Thou Orb of Day! Thou other Paler Light! If aught that Giver from my mind efface; Thou roll, to me, along your wandering spheres, 4 I lay my hand upon my swelling breast, And grateful would but cannot speak the rest. (1) Scott Douglas suggested that Burns did not commence duty as an exciseman till the beginning of November. In the new Chambers, vol. iii. p. 96, on the strength of an entry in "List of all the Divisions, officers, expectants, etc., in Scotland as they stand at 10th October 1789," it is inferred that he entered upon his duties immediately on receiving the appointment, i. e. about the beginning of August. This letter shows that he expected at least to start at the beginning of September. (2) Francis Wallace, born 18th August 1789, died 9th July 1803. (3) This sonnet is dated in the original MS., 10th August. (4) These two lines are not, as the editors of the Centenary Burns say they are, wanting in the Lochryan MS. Ad. Mr. ROBERT BURNS, Elliesland, Dumfries. DUNLOP, 20th Augt. 1789. [Franked by Kerr: Edinburgh, Twenty-fourth August 1789.] DR. BURNS, Why have you not wrote me? Is this, like most of our misfortunes, my own fault? Did I not tell you I was uncertain as to my place of destination? Nay, did I not hint at some fear your letter might never reach me? Indeed, there is no part of my property for which I would feel more anxious concern than the safety of my letters from the very few friends with whom I keep up any sort of correspondence, or rather to whom I sometimes write; for 't is now many years since I could be said to maintain any regular intercourse by letter even with my absent children. How strange must this appear to you who I have perfectly persecuted with a correspondence, who has been haunted with my letters in whole volumes; and who, I dare say, has even felt it often an encroachment on your time to give them a cursory glance of an eye while you were thinking on something else; or, if you really favoured them with your attention, would hardly ever meet anything that could deserve or reward it; who have, nevertheless, had the goodness to write me often to flatter my self-love by the kind and obliging manner in which you did it to amuse and interest me by the communication of your ideas in verse and prose, and sometimes raise me in my own esteem by an apparent confidence you seemed to repose in me, and a certain partial regard which seemed to distinguish me more than I ought to have expected among the multitudes whom your fame had rendered emulous of your notice. Believe me, you never used the slightest expression which vanity could construe in her own favours, that I did not read with grateful delight, proud even to draw compliment itself from your pen, for even compliment indicates a desire to please; and what so pleasing as that wish in one who, without ever thinking of the matter, had hit on the way of pleasing all the world beside? I believe I have formerly told you I had an unbounded wish once in my life to have seen the King of Prussia and Dr. Oliver Goldsmith. After reading your works, I was seized with the like to know you. This was the more particular, as at that time my mind was in so torpid a state as hardly to admit any suggestion entitled to the name of a wish; indeed this was rather confined to an emotion of curiosity, and fully exprest in these lines Let me each cranny of that soul peruse But never did I once suppose either he or his Muse in the course of their studies would make the pause required for a single comma to peruse anything I could offer to their view. I only run and cried "Holla!" to stop the passengers till I should have a full look at them. They run on, peeping a little behind as I came up, when at last, pleased or perhaps only diverted at my awkward eagerness in the chase, instead of stopping with the Irish intrepidity of the beautiful Miss Gunnings, who bid the mob gaze their fills, you, to my inexpressible satisfaction, reached me a friendly hand, and even bid your Muse herself help to raise me out of that Gulph of Despond in which my very soul was then immersed. She sprung on with reviving energy at the unhoped-for aid, and fluttered a while like a butterfly in winter, who appears all alive and well, but that is soon over with her, and I believe with me too. A thousand anxieties Anguish rebounds upon at this moment tear me to pieces. me from beyond the Indian Ocean. I hear nothing of my dear Anton. His dog, all he had to leave behind him, is suddenly dead. Superstition is ever alive when we are unhappy. Last night his howl alarmed me for his master; to-day his everlasting silence speaks a direful presage to my heart. I have just rent myself from poor Susan, round whom teeming sorrows crowd which I cannot disperse. The commotions of France strike at my peace, and my daughter-inlaw's situation calls me to a divided duty; I cannot say |