"THE SCOTTISH LION AS A NATIONAL POSSESSION." By Charles W. Thomson, M.A., B.A., F.E.I.S., Buckie. (Robt. This book is published, Mr Thomson informs us, with the approval of the Scottish Patriotic Association, Glasgow, the inspiring motive being a condemnatory and convincing reply to the Police Circular of March 17th, 1907, prohibiting the private use and exhibition of the Scottish Lion rampant without special permission of the mandarins who keep a myopic official eye on the gewgaw trivialities which they imagine to be part of the " divinity which doth hedge a king." Mr Thomson, in some 50 pages of informative historical references, clearly shows how shallow and untrue is the contention that the people are debarred from using the Lion Flag where and when they choose, unless by the high permission of the nearest policeman. Among his authorities he cites Burns, who refers very seldom to the national emblems, but always in a way, Mr Thomson contends, that puts beyond doubt that he deemed the Red Lion a national and not a royal possession. As a contribution to heraldry alone, Mr Thomson's book is well worth possessing. “UNDER THE RED LAMP-SONGS OF YARROW, &c." By G. W. T. M'Gown, M.A., F.E.I.S. (Selkirk James Lewis.) : We have had previous knowledge of Mr M'Gown's abilities in his handy and concise Primer of Burns, for which we had a highly commending word to say at the date of its publication. The present is a volume of verse, mostly in the vernacular, and redolent of the glamour of Yarrow, which has inspired so many Border singers and prose writers. All the pieces do great honour to the head and heart which conceived them, while his fifteen sonnets at the end of the volume prove him no mean versifier in the English tongue. Its late arrival precluded any notice of its merits in our last issue. NOTES AND QUERIES. A FRAGMENT BY ROBERT BURNS. We (Dumfries Courier) have before us a copy of the poetical works of Mr William Collins, published in London, in 1765. On one of the fly-leaves of the book there is written in pencil, but perfectly legible, To Jean Lorimer, a small but sincere mark of friendship, from in the peculiar upright and rounded hand of the poet. Under this is written in ink, in a very good hand, JANE LORIMER, 1794. Jean Lorimer was the "Chloris " of Burns, and many of his songs were addressed to her-the first, according to Mr Chambers, in September, 1794. She was a remarkably beautiful young woman, then residing with her father at Kemishall, near Dumfries. romantic but truly melancholy story is well known. Her On the first fly-leaf of the book mentioned there are a few lines in the Poet's handwriting, and, like the inscription already mentioned, in pencil. We have deciphered them, with the exception of one line, after some difficulty, and append them, not for their intrinsic merit, but because anything that Burns wrote is regarded with interest, and because they tend to show the same feeling though not the same power which produced the glorious song of Scots wha hae." As far as we know they have never been published. His royal visage seamed with many a scar, That Caledonian reared his martial form; Who led the tyrant-quelling war, When Bannockburn's ensanguined flood, Swelled with mingling hostile blood, Saw Edward's myriads struck with deep dismay, tyrant's band; Oh heavenly joy to free our native land, [The above is a clipping from the Kilmarnock Post of April 14th, 1860. of Bruce's exploits, but it is so elliptical or imperfectly copied that one is inclined to question its authenticity. Can any of our readers give any information regarding this volume of poems perused by the editor of the Dumfries Courier about the date mentioned ?-ED.]. FUSION OF THE LONDON BURNS CLUBS. The Annual Meetings of our Club and the London Burns Club (Scots) were held in separate rooms at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet Street, E.C., on Thursday, May 26th. The following Resolution was passed by each Club separately, by large majorities, and subsequently at a combined meeting presided over by Mr Will:-That the report and recommendations of the Committee with regard to fusion be adopted, and that the London Robert Burns Club (No. 1) and the London Burns Club (Scots) be united under the name and title of "The Burns Club of London (No. 1)," incorporating The London Robert Burns Club (No. 1) and The London Burns Club (Scots), and it was afterwards agreed that the rules framed by the Special Committees of the two Clubs be adopted in toto, and that the following office-bearers be appointed for the ensuing twelve months :-President, Sir William Noble; Vice-President, P. N. M'Farlane; Hon. Secretary, John A. Brown, 38 Vaughan Gardens, Cranbrook Road, Ilford; Hon. Assistant Secretary, S. J. Fraser; Hon. Treasurer, J. Spencer Leslie; Committee (24), to be appointed, 12 from the London Robert Burns Club and 12 from the London Burns Club, and our Members were elected as follows:-Messrs John Anderson, A. T. Bromfield, J. M. Bulloch, W. B. Buyers, T. S. Cockburn, John Douglas, A. P. Florence, H. M'Michael, Geo. Pocock, T. E. Price, W. Williamson, and T. J. Wilson. The above named gentlemen immediately assumed office, and the business of the Burns Club of London was commenced. P. N. M'FARLANE. THE BOHN AUTOGRAPHS. The late Mr Henry G. Bohn, a famous publisher in Victorian days, collected a number of interesting manuscripts and autograph letters, which are to be sold in November in Messrs Knight, Frank & Rutley's Rooms. There are four Burns documents of importance, including the letter to James Smith, of Mauchline, as to the Poet's intended voyage to the West Indies, also the lines written in Glenriddel Hermitage beginning, "Thou whom chance may hither lead," and a holograph of 48 lines entitled, "Nature's Law," a humorous appreciation of being blessed with twins. The fourth manuscript of 16 lines is" Nithsdale's Welcome to Terreagles." 114 THE BURNS-BISHOP FAMILY. The following genealogical table of the descendants of "Dear Bought Bess has been kindly forwarded by Mr Alex. Frugh, Glenshellach, Lochgelly, for publication in the Chronicle as a Burnsiana item worthy of preservation. HERALDRY OF BURNS. To the article in No. XXIX., 1920 Chronicle, there falls to be added the interesting information that Burns had at least one Manual of Heraldry on his shelves. A book bearing the somewhat lengthy title, A Summary View of Heraldry in Reference to the Usages of Chivalry and the General Economy of the Feudal System, with an Appendix respecting such Distinctions of Rank as have place in the British Constitution, was published in Edinburgh in 1795. The author was Thomas Brydson, F.A.S., Edinburgh. This volume was published by subscription, and the list of subscribers is printed at the beginning. The list includes the name of "Mr Robert Burns," together with those of his friends, Mr William Nicol, Patrick Heron of Heron, M.P., Major Logan, Dr Blair, and others. W. M'MILLAN. JESSE COLLINS ON BURNS. In the autobiography of the Rt. Hon. Jesse Collins, of three acres and a cow" fame, the following passage occurs :-' Among the books of poetry I was a close reader of Robert Burns-a master of song describing the joys, sorrows, and feelings of those who labour for their daily bread. His Address to the Unco Guid' is one of the greatest incentives to human charity that was ever written." W. M'MILLAN. A BURNS MANUSCRIPT. 1 Cambridge Villas, The Promenade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, June 2, 1921. DEAR SIR,-Quite recently I have come across the enclosed page of The Illustrated London News for November 17, 1855, which contains an interesting letter from a correspondent concerning a MS. of "Tam o' Shanter." I thought you might like to make use of it in the next volume of The Burns Chronicle. I expect you know where this particular MS. is located at the present time. wonder if it is at Alloway. I No doubt you are aware that there is a Miss Burns still living in Cheltenham, though old and infirm. In the churchyard at Charlton Kings, a village about 2 miles |