PETITION OF BRUAR WATER. Enjoying large each spring and well, Would, then, my noble master please The sober laverock, warbling wild, The gowdspink, music's gayest child, The blackbird strong, the lintwhite clear, The mavis mild and mellow; The robin pensive autumn cheer, In all her locks of yellow. This, too, a covert shall insure To shield them from the storm; And coward maukin sleep secure, Here shall the shepherd make his seat, To weave his crown of flowers; Or find a sheltering safe retreat And here, by sweet endearing stealth, Despising worlds with all their wealth The flowers shall vie in all their charms Here haply too, at vernal dawn, lark goldfinch linnet thrush hare 127 Let lofty firs, and ashes cool, And, for the little songster's nest, So may old Scotia's darling hope, Spring, like their fathers, up to prop The grace be- Athole's honest men, TO MR WALKER, BLAIR OF ATHOLE.1 INVERNESS, 5th September 1787. MY DEAR SIR-I have just time to write the foregoing, and to tell you that it was (at least most part of it) the effusion of a half-hour I spent at Bruar. I do not mean it was extempore, for I have endeavoured to brush it up as well as Mr Nicol's chat and the jogging of the chaise would allow. It eases my heart a good deal, as rhyme is the coin with which a poet pays his debts of honour or gratitude. What I owe to the noble family of Athole, of the first kind, I shall ever proudly boast-what I owe of the last, so help me God in my hour of need! I shall never forget. The 'little angel-band!' I declare I prayed for them very sincerely to-day at the Fall of Fyers. I shall never forget the fine familypiece I saw at Blair: the amiable, the truly noble duchess,2 with her smiling little seraph in her lap, at the head of the table-the lovely 'olive plants,' as the Hebrew bard finely says, round the happy mother-the beautiful Mrs Graham; the lovely, sweet Miss Cathcart, &c. I wish I had the powers of Guido to do them justice! My Lord Duke's kind hospitality-markedly kind indeed: Mr Graham of Fintry's charms of conversation: Sir W. Murray's friendship: in short, the recollection of all that polite, agreeable company, raises an honest glow in my bosom. 1 Mr Walker became professor of humanity (Roman literature) in the University of Glasgow. He wrote a poem entitled The Defence of Order, and a life of Burns. He died in 1831. 2 Jane, daughter of Charles, ninth Lord Cathcart. Her Grace did not survive this visit above three years. The little angel-band' consisted of Lady Charlotte Murray, aged twelve, afterwards the wife of Sir John Menzies of Castle-Menzies ; Lady Amelia, aged seven, afterwards Viscountess Strathallan; and Lady Elizabeth, an infant of five months, afterwards Lady Macgregor Murray of Lanrick. MRS GRAHAM OF BALGOWAN. 129 The Mrs Graham and Miss Cathcart whom Burns eulogises in the last letter were daughters of Lord Cathcart, and sisters of the Duchess of Athole. The husband of the first lady was at this time a quiet country gentleman, bearing the appellation of Thomas Graham of Balgowan. Five years after, his lovely wife was snatched from him by death in the very noon of life and beauty. The French war soon after broke out, and Thomas Graham, though in middle life, became a soldier in order to beguile his mind of its sorrows. He commanded the British troops at the battle of Barossa, and was raised to a peerage by the style of Lord Lynedoch. His aged figure on horseback at reviews in Hyde Park in days not yet long gone by, must be fresh in the recollections of many. He died in 1843, at the advanced age of ninety-four. Mr Robert Graham of Balgowan, cousin and heir at law of Lord Lynedoch, possesses a beautiful portrait by Gainsborough, of the lovely woman whom Burns so much admired at Blair. A touching history belongs to it. At the death of his wife, the husband, unable to endure the sight of her counterfeit presentment, caused it to be sent to a picture-frame maker's establishment in London, there to lie till further orders. During the ensuing moiety of a century, he never could make up his mind to behold the image of one so dearly loved and so untimely blighted. He passed his life cheerfully, was fond of society, and had nothing of the monk about him; but he never could look again on this memorial of unutterable WO. It was reserved to his friend and heir Mr Graham to rescue the picture, and bring it once more to the light of day. The younger lady, who had been born in Russia while her father was ambassador there, was now just seventeen years of age, and Professor Walker, in a letter to Burns, relates an anecdote of her bountifulness to a poor cottage female, which places her character in the most amiable light. Sad to tell, this fine young creature was cut off by consumption at four-and-twenty. The whole of these three fair sisters predeceased even our too short-lived poet.] 'Come up the Garry-Falls of Bruar-Dalnacardoch-Dalwhinnie-dine-snow on the hills seventeen feet deep--no corn from Loch-garry to Dalwhinnie-cross the Spey, and come down the stream to Pitnain-straths rich-les environs picturesque— Craigow Hill-Ruthven of Badenoch-barracks--wild and magnificent-Rothemurchie on the other side, and Glenmore-Grant of Rothemurchie's poetry-told me by the Duke of Gordon-Strathspey, rich and romantic--breakfast at Aviemore, a wild spot-dine at Sir James Grant's-Lady Grant, a sweet, pleasant body-come through mist and darkness to Dulsie, to lie [sleep.] 'Tuesday.-Findhorn River-rocky banks-come on to CastleCawdor, where Macbeth murdered King Duncan-saw the bed in which King Duncan was stabbed-dine at Kilravock—Mrs Rose, sen., a true chieftain's wife-Fort-George-Inverness. 'Wednesday.-Loch Ness-Braes of Ness-General's Hut-Fall of Fyers-Urquhart Castle and Strath.' [VERSES WRITTEN WHILE STANDING BY THE FALL OF FYERS, NEAR LOCH NESS. Among the heathy hills and ragged woods, The foaming Fyers pours his mossy floods; Where, through a shapeless breach, his stream resounds. As deep recoiling surges foam below; Prone down the rock the whitening sheet descends, And viewless Echo's ear, astonished, rends. Dim seen, through rising mists and ceaseless showers, In the evening, after returning from his drive to the Fall of Fyers, Burns (accompanied, we presume, by Nicol) dined by appointment with Mr Inglis, the provost, who had a party to meet him. He was enraptured with the Highland scenery, but rather thoughtful and silent than otherwise during the evening.] Thursday.-Come over Culloden Muir-reflections on the field of battle—breakfast at Kilravock '-[He probably was introduced here by Mr Mackenzie, author of the 'Man of Feeling,' who was a near relation of the family by his mother]-old Mrs Rose, sterling sense, warm heart, strong passions, and honest pride, all in an uncommon degree--Mrs Rose, jun., a little milder than the mother; this, perhaps, owing to her being younger—Mr Grant, minister at Calder, resembles Mr Scott at Inverleithen. Mrs Rose and Mrs Grant accompany us to Kildrummie-two young ladies— Miss Rose, who sang two Gaelic songs, beautiful and lovely-Miss Sophia Brodie, most agreeable and amiable-both of them gentle, mild; the sweetest creatures on earth, and happiness be with them!' [In a letter written in the subsequent February to Mrs Rose, BURNS AT GORDON CASTLE. 131 junior, the poet shews a lively and grateful recollection of this happy day. It appears that here also he would have prolonged his stay but for the impatience of Nicol.] 'Dine at Nairn-fall in with a pleasant enough gentleman, Dr Stewart, who had been long abroad with his father in the fortyfive; and Mr Falconer, a spare, irascible, warm-hearted Norland, and a nonjuror-Brodie House to lie. 'Friday [Sep. 7].-Forres-famous stone at Forres-Mr Brodie tells me that the muir where Shakspeare lays Macbeth's witchmeeting is still haunted-that the country folks wont pass it by night. 'Venerable ruins of Elgin Abbey [Cathedral]-a grander effect at first glance than Melrose, but not near so beautiful. Cross Spey to Fochabers-fine palace [Gordon Castle, the seat of the Duke of Gordon]-worthy of the generous proprietor -- dine. Company-Duke and Duchess, Ladies Charlotte and Magdeline,1 Colonel Abercrombie and Lady, Mr Gordon, and Mr a clergyman, a venerable aged figure-the duke makes me happier than ever great man did—noble, princely, yet mild, condescending, and affable; gay and kind-the duchess witty and sensible-God bless them!' [Dr Currie obtained some particulars of Burns's too brief visit to Gordon Castle from Dr Couper of Fochabers. In the course of the preceding winter,' he says, 'Burns had been introduced to the Duchess of Gordon at Edinburgh; and, presuming on this acquaintance, he proceeded to Gordon Castle, leaving Mr Nicol at the inn in the village. At the castle, our poet was received with the utmost hospitality and kindness; and the family being about to sit down to dinner, he was invited to take his place at table as a matter of course. This invitation he accepted, and after drinking a few glasses of wine, he rose up, and proposed to withdraw. On being pressed to stay, he mentioned, for the first time, his engagement with his fellow-traveller; and, his noble host offering to send a servant to conduct Mr Nicol to the castle, Burns insisted on undertaking that office himself. He was, however, accompanied by a gentleman, a particular acquaintance of the duke, by whom the invitation was delivered in all the forms of politeness. The invitation came too late; the pride of Nicol was inflamed into a high degree of passion by the neglect which he had already suffered. He had ordered the horses to be put to the carriage, being determined to proceed on his journey alone; and they found 1 Lady Charlotte, who was now nineteen years of age, afterwards became Duchess of Richmond, and was the mother of the present duke. Lady Madelina married Sir Robert Sinclair of Murkle. |