NATURE'S LAW.*

A POEM HUMBLY INSCRIBED TO G. H. ESQ.

Great nature spoke, observant man obeyed.

Pope.

LET other heroes boast their scars,

The marks of sturt and strife;
And other Poets sing of wars,
The plagues of human life;
Shame fa' the fun; wi' sword and gun
To slap mankind like lumber!
I sing his name and nobler fame,
Wha multiplies our number.

6

Great Nature spoke, with air benign,
'Go on, ye human race!

This lower world I you resign;
'Be fruitful and increase.

'The liquid fire of strong desire

'I've pour'd it in each bosom;

Here, in this hand, does mankind stand,

6

And there, is Beauty's blossom!'

The Hero of these artless strains,

A lowly Bard was he,

These verses, which were inscribed to Gavin Hamilton, are now printed, for the first time, from a copy in the Poet's own writing, and seem to have been composed soon after Mrs. Burns had presented him with twins.

Who sung his rhymes in Coila's plains
With meikle mirth an' glee;

Kind Nature's care had given his share,
Large, of the flaming current;
And, all devout, he never sought
To stem the sacred torrent.

He felt the powerful, high behest,
Thrill, vital, thro' and thro';
And sought a correspondent breast,
To give obedience due:

Propitious Powers screen'd the young flow'rs,

From mildews of abortion;
And lo! the Bard, a great reward,

Has got a double portion!

Auld, cantie Coil may count the day,

As annual it returns,

The third of Libra's equal sway,

That gave another B[urns]

With future rhymes, an' other times,
To emulate his sire;

To sing auld Coil in nobler style
With more poetic fire.

Ye Powers of peace, and peaceful song,
Look down with gracious eyes;

And bless auld Coila, large and long,

With multiplying joys,

Lang may she stand to prop the land,
The flow'r of ancient nations;

And B[urn]'s spring, her fame to sing,
To endless generations!

THE CATS LIKE KITCHEN.

The following letter from Burns to Mr. Robert Ainslie, which is now for the first time printed from the original, contains some doggerel verses which serve as an excuse for introducing it in this place. It is extremely characteristic, and will be read with interest.

"To Mr. Robert Ainslie, jun. Berrywell, Dunse.

As I gaed up to Dunse

To warp a pickle yarn,
Robin, silly body,

He gat me wi' bairn.'

From henceforth, my dear Sir, I am determined to set off with my letters like the periodical writers, viz. prefix a kind of text, quoted from some classic of undoubted authority, such as the author of the immortal piece of which my text is a part. What I have to say on my text is exhausted in a letter I wrote you the other day, before I had the pleasure of receiving yours from Inverleithing; and sure never was any thing more lucky, as I have but the time to write this, that Mr. Nicol on the opposite side of the table takes to correct a proof sheet of a thesis. They are gabbling Latin so loud that I cannot hear what my own soul is saying in my own skull, so must just give you a matter of fact sentence or two, and end, if time permit, with a verse de rei generatione.

To-morrow I leave Edinburgh in a chaise: Nicol thinks it more comfortable than horse-back, to which I say, Amen; so Jenny Geddes goes home to Ayr-shire, to use a phrase of my mother's, "wi' her finger in her mouth." Now for a modest verse of classical authority:

The cats like kitchen;

The dogs like broo;

The lasses like the lads weel,

And th' auld wives too.

CHORUS.

And we're a' noddin,

Nid, nid, noddin,

We're a' noddin fou at e'en.

If this does not please you, let me hear from you: if you write any time before the first of September, direct to Inverness, to be left at the post office till called for; the next week at Aberdeen; the next at Edinburgh.

The sheet is done, and I shall just conclude with assuring you that I am, and ever with pride shall be, my dear Sir, ROBERT BURNS.

Call your boy what you think proper, only interject Burns. What do you say to a scripture name; for instance, Zimri Burns Ainslie, or Architophel, &c. look your Bible for these two heroes, if you do this, I will repay the compli

ment.

Edinburgh, 23rd August, 1787."

Burns has thus introduced the following lines in one of his manuscripts printed in Cromek's Reliques:

"TRAGIC FRAGMENT.

In my early years nothing less would serve me than courting the tragic muse. I was, I think, about eighteen or nineteen when I sketched the outlines of a tragedy forsooth: but the bursting of a cloud of family misfortunes, which had for some time threatened us, prevented my further progress. In those days I never wrote down anything; so except a speech or two, the whole has escaped my memory. The following, which I most distinctly remember, was an exclamation from a great character-great in occasional instances of generosity, and daring at times in villainies.

He is supposed to meet with a child of misery, and exclaimed to himself,

‹ ALL devil as I am, a damned wretch,

A harden'd, stubborn, unrepenting villain,

Still my heart melts at human wretchedness; ' And with sincere tho' unavailing sighs

'I view the helpless children of distress.

With tears indignant I behold th' oppressor 'Rejoicing in the honest man's destruction, 'Whose unsubmitting heart was all his crime. Even you, ye helpless crew, I pity you;

Ye, whom the seeming good think sin to pity; 'Ye poor, despis'd, abandon'd vagabonds,

• Whom Vice, as usual, has turn'd o'er to Ruin.. O but for kind, tho' ill-requited friends,

'I had been driven forth like you forlorn,

The most detested, worthless wretch among you! 'O injur❜d God! thy goodness has endow'd me With talents passing most of my compeers, 'Which I in just proportion have abus'd As far surpassing other common villains, 'As Thou in natural parts hadst given me more.'

EXTEMPORE.*

PINNED TO A LADY'S COACH.

IF you rattle along like your mistress's tongue, Your speed will out-rival the dart :

But, a fly for your load, you'll break down on the road,

If

your

stuff be as rotten's her heart.

* Printed from a copy in Burns' hand writing.