stanza forms, and yet Burns uses these in most of his
Epistles. Perhaps Burns himself felt the clash of
form and mood in the Epistles with stanza-form.
"But how the subject-theme may gang

Let time and chance determine;
Perhaps it may turn out a sang,
Perhaps turn out a sermon.

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The truth is that the Epistles, although they mostly show the casualness of manner, the humour, and the intimacy of the Middle Style, are on occasion quite definitely lyrical. Indeed, the Epistle to the Guidewife of Wauchope House" is so wholly and genuinely lyrical as to make an epistle into something very like an ode. The Epistles are frequently mock-odes, their humour depending for success on the adroit manoeuvring of simple contrasts, and always least successful when most robust. Burns may have quite deliberately superimposed upon the homely matter of the Epistles an incongruous elaboration of verse arrangement, so as to give something of the effect of burlesque.

In "Halloween" and "The Holy Fair " we have a series of episodes loosely related, with none of the uncompromising logical sequence of dramatic narrative— literally "one darned thing after another." Hence a double ballad stanza plus a short line (though historically the measure of "Christ's Kirk on the Green ") really grows out of the poetical situation. The short line is the brake applied at the end of a stanza which is self-contained.

I have left" The Cotter's Saturday Night," "The Twa Dogs," the Satires, "The Brigs of Ayr," and a great mass of less important stuff untouched, as it was no part of my intention to be exhaustive. These may provide, even for the reader who would judge his own equipment to be quite elementary, an opportunity to exercise his powers of critical analysis. He may be quite certain that the verse forms in each poem are not accidentally employed.

(3) "Tam o' Shanter."-This, the greatest narrative poem in the language, shows, perhaps more completely than any other poem of Burns, how deliberate his art was at its best, and how carefully motived every phrase he used. Take a couplet at random

"Kirk-Alloway was drawing nigh,

Where ghaists and houlets nightly cry."

This is surely an amazing example of sheer, bare efficiency in the use of words. I might examine passages from the poem as studies in the art of manipulating tempo, or other passages to show with how expert an ear Burns manipulates vowels and consonants in order to make the sound of words enforce their sense; but, if I did so, I should be choosing for exploration only two out of many startling examples of verse technique. In a certain great sense "Tam o'Shanter" will always be a show piece, unique not only because of the happy conjunction of incidents in the narrative, but also because in this poem, as in few others in any literature, the poet's tongue moves in the most perfect accord with his brain.

I beg most respectfully to suggest to the great host of Burns adorers that in his poetry there are whole continents still to be explored. Perhaps in the " style

of Burns we have what we must call more properly a world awaiting investigation.

JAMES H. STEEL,

President, Educational Institute of Scotland.

BURNS MEMORIAL AT MAUCHLINE:

"AULD NANSE TINNOCK'S."

On 24th May, 1924, members of Glasgow and District Burns Association journeyed to the ancient town of Mauchline, there to complete a memorial and a benevolent scheme which they initiated ten years ago. That scheme was begun in 1915 by the purchase and restoration for the accommodation of deserving old peopleof the house in which Robert Burns and Jean Armour began married life together; it was extended in the following year by the acquisition of the adjoining property, known as "Dr. M'Kenzie's House "; and it was completed by the gift from the late Mr. Charles R. Cowie of the building which Burns has immortalised "Auld Nanse Tinnock's."

as

The building which contains the Burns room stands in what is now called Castle Street; in the Poet's day and for many years afterwards that narrow, cobblepaved street was known as the Back Causeway, and was the main street "the common street that passes through the toun." It stands at the heart of Burns associations. Directly opposite is the scene of "The Holy Fair," the parish kirkyard where are laid four of Burns's children, some of his friends and acquaintances, and others remembered now only through their appearance in his writings. On the other side of the little "God's acre" are the Cowgate and Poosie Nansie's, the scene of "The Jolly Beggars." Close at hand are Mauchline Castle and Gavin Hamilton's residence. Adjoining it is a house which during many years was locally spoken of as "the doctor's shop "; and local tradition has it that Dr. John M'Kenzie, medical adviser, patron, and friend of the poet, either resided or had his consulting room there. That tradition may

CASTLE STREET, MAUCHLINE

Showing (left) Burns House and McKenzie House and (right) "Auld Nanse Tinnock's "