unless they were sent to me. * I beg you will enforce this, for the materials in my hands are very scanty, and in many respects defective. The dead Poet, his surviving family, and his living editor, ought to have fair play. With every advantage, the expectations of the public will be disappointed.

“I wish you also to lose no time or fair opportunity in transmitting the remaining materials in your hands, and in collecting, wherever you think you can collect. I have got some things from Dr Moore, and shall get more. Burns corresponded with a Miss Craik, a poetess, and, in one of her replies to him, I see he had given her a critique on Johnson's Lives of the Poets. I wish that letter could be recovered-it would be very curious, even if it contained an opinion only. Can you do anything to get it? If you apply to the lady, your way would be to ask for all the letters of his that she may have.

"In the same way you may perhaps collect other things of value. I will look over his correspondents' letters as soon as I can; and probably I may suggest several things for you to do, from the hints they offer. In the meantime, I submit it to you whether it might not be proper to put an advertisement in the Edinburgh papers, mentioning that a publication of Burns's posthumous Letters and Poems is preparing, for the benefit of the family, and requesting that persons in possession of any such poem, or letters would forward them to A. Cunningham in Edinburgh, or yourself in Dumfries. If necessary, I will get a similar advertisement in the London papers, appointing Dr Moore the receiver. This is all that strikes me at present. If I disgrace myself, my country, and my subject, you but I am fairly embarked.-Yours

will have much to answer for: affectionately,

"MY DEAR SYME,-Though I have, in some degree, anticipated the object of yours of the 1st of August, in a letter which must have reached you about the 2nd or 3rd, and which I am rather surprised not to see noticed in your postscript of the 6th; yet, as it is important at the present moment that we should understand each other, I sit down to reply to it without delay.

First, as to Burns.

If copies had been forwarded me of the printed pieces that are to go into the posthumous publication, or correct copies of any part of his works, as was promised, the printers might have been going on, and the work advancing. But the unaccountable delay of-and-and the accountable delay of your

* These were given up by Thomson in the handsomest manner.

visit here, has rendered it impossible to commence the work. For my own part, I have had, as you know, a confused and undigested mass of sketches and scraps thrown upon me, without explanation, and without dates or arrangement. Several of these are the first rude sketches of songs, correctly printed, but which I have never seen; and though I requested Elphinstone Balfour to apply to Cunningham to send me copies of the printed songs, they are not come in a packet of Scotch publications he has sent me. What is essential, or at least important, is to have all the materials before us—after this, to have the whole examined by one acquainted with their history-then to decide what is to be published-then how, and in what order. All this is not so difficult, if you and I were a few days together, and had the assistance of Roscoe and M'Creery. But then you must bring everything with you that you can lay your hands on, and, among other things, the letters you may have received on the subject from various quarters, my own included; for, among these, hints and suggestions may be found that are important.

"When you come here I have a bed and a private room for you. There I will set you to work, with pen and ink before you ; and I will be with you as much as I can. Till our work is done, you shall not accept a single invitation, nor look at the wonders of Liverpool. You shall be as retired and as abstemious as a hermit ; and you shall rise with the sun, and go to bed as he goes down.

"Your coming, however, is essential; and, that you may understand how much so it is, I declare most solemnly that if you do not come I will write to G. Burns, and publish a manifesto abandoning the work. It is no matter, however, whether you come instantly, or by the 20th or 25th, or the end of the month.

I am very sorry to hear of Heron's undertaking; and I wish he were remonstrated with. It is a scandalous thing for any one to interfere with the family on an occasion like this. For the same reason, I was particularly sorry to see the biography of Burns in the Monthly Magazine, which is very correct, and very circumstantial, and contains almost everything that can be said. I have written to enquire who is the author.

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Why do you make such perpetual apologies about hurry. the excise business, or rather stamp-office business, &c. ? I can assure you that these apologies only remind me of the extent of my obligations for the time you devote to my affairs, and have never once been necessary for any neglect or inattention, or even for any obscurity of composition.

"For my part, I make no apologies, though God knows I am in a perpetual bustle, as you will see.-Very faithfully yours,

"J. CURRIE."

I thank you very much for what you so obligingly say of Burns's life. Considering all my disadvantages, it will not, I hope, disappoint reasonable expectation: but what I wish particularly to know, is the impression I have made on you as to the general effect, and as to the prudence and propriety of my delineations; and as to their correctness. Have I touched the Bard with a

rough, or a lenient hand?

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Many things which might have been said I have been compelled to omit by the circumstances of the times, and by the consideration that I was publishing the Life for the benefit of the widow and children. When you are at leisure, I will expect you to read the volumes with the pen in your hand, and to make your remarks on my errors; or, in fact, on any point that strikes you. And as the booksellers say a second edition will be required early, I wish you to do this as soon as is convenient."

JOHN SYME TO DR CURRIE.

"3rd September, 1800.

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"Now, what can I say respecting Burns's publications ? confess with sorrow that you have had that universe on your shoulders from first to last, and little or no aid have you received. I felt, and I feel so ; but it has been, and continues to be, impracticable to move-and my time is engrossed with such various and desultory attentions that I cannot stick closer to the business. I have the high pleasure of receiving from every quarter the most grateful attestations of the merit of your production. I enclose you one, which is worth a thousand. With regard to the impression which your biographical work has made on me and Mr William Dunbar (Inspector-General of Stamp Duties for Scotland), it is such as we cannot easily describe. I declare to you we never read a piece of writing that does more credit to the author. The meanest fellow here sounds its praise, and that is perhaps a stronger testimony than the trumpet of the literati.”. . . “I have noted some matters and explanations on the margin of the rough copy first sent me; and Gilbert Burns, who is to breakfast with me to-morrow, is to furnish more."

DR CURRIE TO JOHN SYME.

"10th October, 1800.

"MY DEAR SYME,-Having on another sheet of paper discussed my own private affairs, I sit down to say a few words on Burns.

The very kind manner in which you express your opinion of the execution of the task you assigned me, is in a high degree pleasing to me. I pay much deference to your taste, and to your moral feelings; I have entire confidence in your sincerity; and setting aside the partial influence which our friendship may produce on your judgment, you are better qualified to decide on the Life of Burns than any man now alive. That the portrait I have drawn has considerable power and interest, strangers to the subject may perceive; and this, indeed, the world seems disposed to allow. But how far it resembles the original-the most important point in regard to every portrait-those only can judge to whom the original was known; and in this respect your decision, whatever it may be, admits of no appeal. That it is favourable, I am led to infer from your sentiments of general approbation. I am led to presume it, also, from having had the assistance of your observations in the character I formed of Burns. Yet, I wish you to speak to this point particularly-and with your wonted sincerity. The praise

of fine composition, if I might aspire to it, strikes my ear but faintly; but to be able to exhibit to the world the exact lineaments of this great and original genius, is an object of ambition which a greater artist than I am might be proud to attain.

"So much for yourself. Let me thank you also in a particular manner for the letter of Mr Anderson, to whose superior character I am no stranger, and of whose extraordinary attainments I have before heard. The high opinion he expresses of the letters of Burns is, I find, very generally entertained by the best judges. I doubt if English literature contains any compositions of the same nature equal to them. This sentiment has been expressed to me by Dr Aikin, perhaps the best of our living critics. Dr Aikin had prepared a Life of Burns for his biographical work; but he writes to me that, since he saw our work, he has thrown his intended article aside, and is preparing another more worthy of our Poet. Nothing can be more flattering than the very high estimation of Aikin for the genius of Burns, and his entire assent to the character we have given of it. I have received from a great variety of other quarters— from Dugald Stewart, Fraser Tytler, Alison at Edinburgh, from Lady E. Cunningham, &c., very obliging communications; from Moore, Mackintosh, Percival, Ferriar, Sharp, Smyth, Wishaw, Scarlett, and a great number of others in England and Ireland, and though last, not least, from Messrs Cadell and Davies, warm commendations. I am quite satiated with this species of gratification of which, however, from proper quarters, no one can have a better relish. Some of the letters of the persons I mention, and of others, contain general criticisms and valuable reflections. could send you a selection, along with the excellent letter of Mr

I

Anderson, but that your time would scarcely permit you to read them. Among others, I have a valuable communication from Mr Ramsay of Ochtertyre. I will arrange a parcel of these, and send them for your winter evenings' amusement. I have mentioned to you before, the great sale in Liverpool, and indeed over England in general. If I am right in my supposition, our works are likely to get better through the British Critic than I suspected they would. Except the Critical Review, no other periodical work has noticed them. The Critical seems disposed to assign them a large space. Two numbers are occupied by the Life alone-and the critical observations are not touched yet, nor a word said of the writings themselves.

"I am scribbling to you at a late hour of the night-I grow obscure-sleep steals upon me. I must not, however, conclude without acknowledging the very kind interest you take in my son. He is better, and I hope likely to recover.

I will write again to-morrow. In the meantime, adieu.Yours very affectionately,

.. 'JAMES CURRIE,"