O selfishness! he owns in his sober moments, that from his own volatility of inclination, the circumstances in which he is situated and his knowledge of his father's disposition,-the whole affair is chimerical-yet he will gratify an idle penchant at the enormous, cruel expence of perhaps ruining the peace of the very woman for whom he professes the generous passion of love! He is a gentleman in his mind and man ners. tant pis! He is a volatile school-boy: The heir of a man's fortune who well knows the value of two times two! Perdition seize them and their fortunes, before they should make the amiable, the lovely the derided object of their purse-proud contempt. -'s I am doubly happy to hear of Mrs. recovery, because I really thought all was over with her. There are days of pleasure yet awaiting her. No. XXII. To MR. MORISON,* WRIGHT, MAUCHLINE. Ellisland, Jan. 22, 1788. MY DEAR SIR, NECESSITY obliges me to go into my new house, even before it be plaistered. I will inhabit the one end until the other is finished. About three weeks more, I think, will at farthest, be my time beyond which I cannot stay in this present house. If ever you wished to deserve the blessing of him that was ready to perish; if ever you were in a situation that a little kindness would have rescued you from many evils; if ever you hope to find rest in future states of untried being;-get these matters of mine ready. My servant will be out in the beginning of next week for the clock. My compliments to Mrs. Morison. I am, after all my tribulation, Dear Sir, yours. * This letter refers to chairs, and other articles of furni ture which the Poet had ordered. No. XXIII. To MR. JAMES SMITH, AVON PRINTFIELD, LINLITHGOW. Mauchline, April 28, 1788. BEWARE of your Strasburgh, my good Sir! Look on this as the opening of a correspondence like the opening of a twenty-four gun battery! There is no understanding a man properly, without knowing something of his previous ideas (that is to say, if the man has any ideas; for I know many who in the animal-muster, pass for men, that are the scanty masters of only one idea on any given subject, and by far the greatest part of your acquaintances and mine can barely boast of ideas, 1.25-1.5-1.75, or some such frac tional matter) so to let you a little into the secrets of my pericranium, there is, you must know, a certain clean-limbed, handsome, bewitching young hussy of your acquaintance, to whom whom I have lately and privately given a matrimonial title to my corpus. "Bode a robe and wear it." Says the wise old Scots adage! I hate to presage ill-luck; and as my girl has been doubly kinder to me than even the best of women usually are to their partners of our sex, in similar circumstances, I reckon on twelve times a brace of children against I celebrate my twelfth wedding day: these twenty-four will give me twenty-four gossippings, twenty-four christenings, (I mean one equal to two) and I hope by the blessing of the God of my fathers, to make them twenty-four dutiful children to their parents, twenty-four useful Members of Society, and twenty-four approven servants of their God! ** * Light's heartsome," quo' the wife when she. was stealing sheep. You see what a lamp I have hung up to lighten your paths, when you are idle enough to explore the combinations and relations of my ideas. 'Tis now as plain as a pike-staff, why a twenty-four gun battery was a› metaphor I could readily employ. Now for business.-I intend to present Mrs. Burns with a printed shawl, an article of which I dare say you have variety: 'tis my first present to to her since I have irrevocably called her mine, and I have a kind of whimsical wish to get her the said first present from an old and much valued friend of hers and mine, a trusty Trojan, on whose friendship I count myself possessed of a life-rent lease. Look on this letter as a "6 beginning of sorrows;" I'll write you till your eyes ache with reading nonsense. Mrs. Burns ('tis only her private designation) begs her best compliments to you. No. XXIV. To MR. ROBERT AINSLIE. MY DEAR FRIEND, I Mauchline, May 26, 1788. AM two kind letters in your debt, but I have been from home, and horridly busy buying and preparing for my farming business; over and |