fears them! I know their worst, and am prepar

ed to meet it.

I'll laugh, an' sing, an' shake my leg,

As lang's I dow.

On Thursday morning, if you can muster as much self-denial as to be out of bed about seven o'clock, I shall see you as I ride through to Cumnock. After all, Heaven bless the sex! I feel there is still happiness for me among them.

O woman, lovely woman! Heaven designed you
To temper man! we had been brutes without you!

No. IV.

To Mr. DAVID BRICE.

DEAR BRICE,

Mosgiel, June 12, 1786.

I RECEIVED your message by G. Paterson, and as I am not very throng at present, I just write to let you know that there is such a worthless,

worthless, rhyming reprobate, as your humble servant, still in the land of the living, though I can scarcely say, in the place of hope. I have no news to tell you that will give me any pleasure to mention or you to hear.

*

And now for a grand cure; the ship is on her way home that is to take me out to Jamaica; and then, farewel dear old Scotland, and farewel dear ungrateful Jean, for never, never will I see

you more.

You will have heard that I am going to commence Poet in print; and to-morrow my works press. go to the I expect it will be a volume of about two hundred pages-it is just the last foolish action I intend to do; and then turn a wise man as fast as possible.

Believe me to be,

Dear BRICE,

Your friend and well-wisher.

No.

No. V.

To GAVIN HAMILTON, Esq. MAUCHLINE.

HONORED SIR,

Edinburgh, Dec. 7, 1786.

I HAVE paid every attention to your commands, but can only say what perhaps you will have heard before this reach you, that Muirkirklands were bought by a John Gordon, W. S. but for whom I know not; Mauchlands, Haugh Miln, &c. by a Frederick Fotheringham, supposed to be for Ballochmyle Laird, and Adamhill and Shawood were bought for Oswald's folks. This is so imperfect an account, and will be so late ere it reach you, that were it not to discharge my conscience I would not trouble you with it; but after all my diligence I could make it no sooner nor better.

For my own affairs, I am in a fair way of becoming as eminent as Thomas a Kempis or John Bunyan ; and you may expect henceforth to see my birth-day inserted among the wonderful events, in the poor Robin's and Aberdeen Almanacks, along with the Black Monday, and the battle of Bothwel bridge.-My lord Glencairn

and

and the Dean of Faculty, Mr. H. Erskine, have taken me under their wing; and by all probability I shall soon be the tenth worthy, and the eighth wise man of the world. Through my lord's influence it is inserted in the records of the Caledonian hunt, that they universally, one and all, subscribe for the 2d. edition. My subscription bills come out to-morrow, and you shall have some of them next post.—I have met in Mr. Dalrymple, of Orangefield, what Solomon emphatically calls, "A friend that sticketh closer than a brother."-The warmth with which he interests himself in my affairs is of the same enthusiastic kind which you, Mr. Aiken, and the few patrons that took notice of my earlier poetic days, shewed for the poor unlucky devil of a poet.

I always remember Mrs. Hamilton and Miss Kennedy in my poetic prayers, but you both in prose and verse.

May cauld ne'er catch you but * a hap,
Nor hunger but in plenty's lap!

* "But" is frequently used for "without;" i. e. with

out cloathing.

E.

*

I NEVER spent an afternoon among great folks with half that pleasure as when, in company with you, I had the honor of paying my devoirs to that plain, honest, worthy man, the professor. I would be delighted to see him perform acts of kindness and friendship, though I were not the object; he does it with such a grace. I think his character, divided into ten parts, stands thus-four parts Socrates-four parts Nathaniel-and two parts Shakespeare's Brutus.

The foregoing verses were really extempore, but a little corrected since. They may entertain you a little with the help of that partiality with

* Professor Dugald Stewart.