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and, above all, the securing, renovating, and maintaining of interesting buildings associated with Burns. To tell of all the good deeds of Mr. Cowie in his various walks of life would not be pleasing to the members of his family (who, I am glad to say, are with us to-day) and might appear fulsome to you. I content myself with a brief notice of the things done here in this ancient town, which is now undoubtedly the principal shrine of Scotia's greatest son. That is an important fact which Mr. Cowie was one of the first to note. Ayr has hardly any part in the Poet's life. Alloway and Mount Oliphant belong to the forgotten days of childhood, and at Lochlea and Tarbolton Burns had not found himself. Here at Mauchline he became his own man, the head of his father's house, the lover, the farmer, the politician, the parish wit and satirist, and the Poet of Scotland and humanity. Here, during one wonderful year (never, unfortunately, to be even approached again), he turned out immortal masterpieces with astonishing ease and in almost incredible profusion. Here he planned his first edition and became Scotland's greatest son. From here he set out on a borrowed nag to discover and delight Edinburgh and the world, and here above all he loved and married a Mauchline lassie, Jean Armour, faithfulest of womankind.

Mauchline, then, is the predominating shrine— the land of promise and brilliant achievement. In 1915 there was reopened the historic house where Burns and Jean Armour began housekeeping, which contains a small but valuable Burns museum in which Mr. Cowie remained interested to the last, and which is always growing in importance. Thereafter the house of Dr. M'Kenzie, one of the Poet's best friends, was similarly purchased and endowed. Only to-day we placed in the museum that worthy man's brass plate, probably used after he left Mauchline for Irvine, there to act as official physician to the then Earl of Eglinton. To-day

we receive a third benefaction, the tavern of Auld Nanse Tinnock, which, like the other two houses, has been completely renovated under the care of Mr. Ninian Macwhannell, architect. All these houses are devoted to the sacred cause of philanthropy-philanthropy without a shade of patronage or condescension. Mr. Cowie gathered together an exceptionally fine collection of manuscripts of Burns, of editions of his works, and of books on his life and achievement. His manuscripts form one of the greatest collections either in this country or abroad. He was keenly interested also in the history of Scotland, and his library includes manuscripts of great interest and value. These treasures Mr. Cowie did not acquire simply for his own gratification; they were always cheerfully placed at the service of students. We have erected a modest memorial to him to-day, and we who knew him are well aware he would not have wished for more. His best memorial will be the three houses themselves and the use to which they are dedicated. Long may his memory be green. We salute his name with feelings of gratitude and hope. Of the record of his long and honourable life we may say with Milton

Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail

Or knock the breast; no weakness, no contempt,
Dispraise, or blame; nothing but well and fair."

It is a sweet consolation to those who mourn him to reflect on his splendid record of earnest service, his stainless manhood, and the inspiration of his example as a true Scottish Christian gentleman.

Mr. John Cowie said that, in rising to acknowledge on behalf of his mother and the members of the family the very kind words spoken by Mr. Jeffrey Hunter in reference to his father, he felt that anything he might say would most inadequately express their thanks for the very great honour which had been done them that day. The Association had erected a tablet as a

memorial of the esteem held for one of its members, and proud was he that he could call that member his father, and that such honour should be shown him from an Association such as this, in which it was not what a man had, but what he was, that counted-a brotherhood whose members were all equal, and equally inspired with the high motives of love of country, its independence, its history, and the welfare of its people, and through that in the welfare of humanity—all those high ideals which found the source of their inspiration in the writings of that great genius of our literature, whose name was embodied in the Association's title. His father was a great lover of his native land—its hills, its rocks, its flowers, its animal life, its history and its literature; he had an intimate knowledge of them all. As in the case of many self-exiled Scotsmen, that love of country, with all its associations, was intensified by his absence from it. It was natural that he who knew and loved his country should be drawn to the writings. of Burns, some of which rang with stern independent patriotism, while others told sweetly of the love of Nature, and others clearly pointed out the duties of man to brother man. His father found much happiness in his connection with this Association, and the friendships he formed in it were a source of great joy to him. He felt proud that as a member of the Association he was able to take part in the preservation of things so intimately connected with Burns, some of which they had seen that day in Mauchline. At the opening of the Burns House his father mentioned that three other aims of the Association-Dr. M'Kenzie's House, a memorial to Gavin Hamilton, and Nanse Tinnock'swere in the lap of the future. The circle had now been completed, and he (the speaker) had to thank them that they had done his mother the honour of asking her to open the latest acquisition. These shrines perpetuating the memory of Burns were a little circle within them

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selves the house where he started married life, the house of the man who ministered and helped both him and his wife when they sorely needed help, the memorial at the grave of him who was such a close friend, and the house where he saw the vision which gave him inspiration to write "The Holy Fair," and in which a reference was made to Dr. M'Kenzie-" Commonsense." The festival of the Holy Fair was no longer part of Nanse Tinnock's, but he thought it could still retain the word "holy," when they knew that the purpose to which it was to be devoted was to give that calm and contentment due to old age, and thus carry out the spirit of Burns, who was the friend of the poor and needy. On behalf of his mother he (Mr. Cowie) thanked Mr. Macwhannell and Mr. Findlay for the key which they had kindly presented to her to add to her other treasures connected with those houses. It was sometimes said that money could buy anything, but he was safe in saying that no amount would induce his mother to part with these. He thought that perhaps this memento of Nanse Tinnock's House-so closely connected as it was with his father's last expression of his admiration of, and gratitude to, Burns-was to her the most valuable of all. He had to thank his father's very close friend, Mr. Ewing, for his kind words in presenting the key, and also Mr. Jeffrey Hunter, and, through him, the Glasgow and District Burns Association, for the honour they had done to his father, and through him to his mother and the members of the family.

Other addresses followed, and votes of thanks were accorded the chairman, the speakers, and the singers. The proceedings terminated with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."

"RIGHT REV'REND OSNABURG."

Of the many monuments to Burns, two, at least, can claim that Royalty helped to raise them-those in Westminster Abbey and at Alloway. The bust erected in the "Poets' Corner" in 1884 was the fruit of a shilling subscription. On this fashion all classes were enabled to contribute, "tho' e'er sae poor." No less deep, however, was the general satisfaction when the sheet circulated by the Earl of Rosebery was headed by him who afterwards became King Edward VII. That the name of the Prince of Wales, later George IV., headed the list of subscribers to the monument at Alloway is likewise matter of common knowledge; but few are aware that a share in the work was taken also by his brother Frederick, Duke of York.

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Thoughts, words, and deeds the Statute blames with

reason;

But surely Dreams were ne'er indicted Treason,"

says Burns, who proceeds under the form and the title of " A Dream" to address King George III. and family in a birthday ode, wholly fresh and unconventional. The monarch's second son has his turn thus

"For you, right rev'rend Osnaburg,
Nane sets the lawn-sleeve sweeter,
Altho' a ribban at your lug
Wad been a dress completer:
As ye disown yon paughty dog
That bears the keys of Peter,
Then swith! an' get a wife to hug,
Or trowth, ye'll stain the mitre
Some luckless day!"

The tale how this member of the Royal Family came to be " right rev'rend" has something of the flavour

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