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vows to be faithful to each other. They By heedless chance I turn'd mine eyes, parted-never to meet again!

And by the moon-beam, shook, to see “ The anniversary of Mary Campbell's A stern and stalwart ghaist arise, death (for that was her name) awakening Attired as minstrels wont to be. in the sensitive mind of Burns the most

Had a statue been o'stane, lively emotion, he retired from his family,

His darin look had daunted me; then residing on the farm of Ellisland,

And on.his bonnet graved was plain, and wandered, solitary, on the banks of

The sacred posy-Liberty! the Nith, and about the farm yard, in the extremest agitation of mind, nearly the

And frae his harp sic strains did flow, whole of the night. His agitation was so

Might rous'd the slumbering dead to great, that he threw himself on the side of a corn stack, and there conceived his

But oh, it was a tale of wo, sublime and tender elegy-his address

As ever met a Briton's ear! To Mary in Heaven. V. p. 238.

He sang wi' joy the former day, Of his pieces of humour, the tale He weeping wail'd his latter times. of Tam o' Shanter is probably the

But what he said it was nae play,

I winna ventur't in my rhymes.” IV. p. best : though there are traits of infi

344_46. nite merit in Scotch Drink, the Holy

Some verses written for a hermiFair, the Hallow E’en, and several

sound like the best parts of of the songs; in all of which, it is tag very remarkable, that he rises occa

Grongar Hill. The reader may take sionally into a strain of beautiful de. these few lines as a specimen. scription or lofty sentiment, far above “ As thy day grows warm and high, the pitch of his original conception.

Life's meridian Alaming nigh,

Dost thou spurn the humble vale? The poems of observation on life

Life's proud summits would'st thou and characters, are the Twa Dogs,

scale? and the various epistles, all of which Danger's, eagle-pinioned, bold, show very extraordinary sagacity and Soar around each cliffy hold, powers of expression. They are writ

While cheerful peace, with linnet song,

Chants the lowly dells among.” III. p. ten, however, in so broad a dialect,

299. that we dare not venture to quote

There is a little copy of verses any part of them. The only pieces upon a newspaper, at p. 345, of Dr. that can be classed under the head of Currie's 4th volume, written in the pure fiction, are the Two Bridges of

same condensed style, and only wantAyr, and the Vision. In the last, ing translation into English to be there are some vigorous and striking worthy of Swift. lines.

The finest piece, of the strong and There is another fragment, called

nervous sort, however, is undoubta Vision, which belongs to a higher edly the address of Robert Bruce to order of poetry. If Burns had never

his army at Bannockburn, beginning: written any thing else, the power of “ Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled." ,

" description, and the vigour of the The Death-song, beginningwhole composition, would have enti

*6 Farewell, thou fair day, thou green earth tled him to the remembrance of pos.

and ye skies, terity.

Now gay with the bright-setting sun," “ The winds were laid, the air was still, is to us less pleasing,

There are The stars they shot alang the sky; The fox was howling on the hill,

specimens, however, of such vigour And the distant-echoing glens reply.

and emphasis scattered through his The stream adown its hazelly path,

whole works, as are sure to make Was rushing by the ruined wa's,

themselves and their author rememe Hasting to join the sweeping Nith, bered; for instance, that noble de

1 Whase distant roaring swells an' fa's. scription of a dying soldier. The cauld blue north was streaming forth “Nae cauld, faint-hearted doubtings tease Her lights, wi' hissing eerie din ;

him : Athort the lift they start and shift, Death comes; wi' fearless eye he sees

Like fortune's favours, tint as win.

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Wi bluidy hand a welcome gi’es him ; For there, lightly tripping amang the wild An' whan he fa's,

Aowers, His latest draught o' breathin lea’es him A listening the linnet, aft wanders my In faint huzzas.” III. p. 27.

Jean. The whole song of “ For a' that," is Though rich is the breeze in their gay written with extraordinary spirit. The sunny vallies, first stanza ends;

And cauid, Caledonia's blast on the “ For rank is but the guinea stamp; The man's the goud for a' that.”

Their sweet-scented woodlands that skirt -All the songs, indeed, abound with

the proud palace, traits of this kind. We select the

What are they? The haunt o'the tyrant

and slave! following at random.

The slave's spicy forests, and gold-bub. “O woman, lovely, woman fair!

bling fountains, An angel form's faun to thy share,

The brave Caledonian views wi' dis'Twad been o'er meikle to’ve gi’en thee mair,

He wanders as free as the winds of his I mean an angel mind.” IV. p. 330.

mountains, Before concluding upon this sub- Save love's willing fetters, the chains o' ject, we must beg leave to express his Jean.” IV. p. 228–9. our dissent from the poet's amiable If we have beeri able to inspire our and judicious biographer, in what readers with any portion of our own he says of the general harshness admiration for this extraordinary wriand rudeness of his versification. 'ter, they will readily forgive us for Dr. Currie, we are afraid, was the irregularity of which we have not Scotchman enough to

been guilty, in introducing so long prehend the whole prosody of the an account of his whole works, unverses to which he alluded. Most der colour of the additional volume of the Scottish pieces are more care- of which we have prefixed the title fully versified than the English; and to this article. The truth is, howewe appeal to our southern readers, ver, that unless it be taken in conwhether there be any want of harmo- nexion with his other works, the ny in the following stanza.

present volume has little interest, "Wild beats my heart to trace your steps,

and could not be made the subject Whose ancestors, in days of yore, of any intelligible observations. It Through hostile ranks and ruined gaps

is made up of some additional letters, Old Scotia’s bloody lion bore :

of middling.merit-of complete coEven I who sing in rustick lore,

Happy my sires have left their shed, pies of others, of which Dr. Currie And fac'd grim danger's loudest roar,

reason to publish only exBold-following where your fathers led!" tracts; of a number of remarks, by III. p. 233.

Burns, on old Scuttish songs; and The following is not quite English; finally, of a few additional poems but it is intelligible to all readers of and songs, certainly not disgraceful English, and may satisfy them that

to the author, but scarcely fitted to the Scottish song writer was not add to his reputation. The world, habitually negligent of his numbers. however, is indebted, we think, to “ Their groves o’ sweet myrtle let foreign Mr. Cromek's industry for this ad

lands reckon, Where bright-beaming summers exalt

dition to so popular an author ; and the perfume;

the friends of the poet, we are sure, Bar dearer to me yon lone glen o' green

are indebted to his good taste, mobreckan,

deration and delicacy, for having Wi' the burn stealing under the lang confined it to the pieces which are

yellow broom. Far dearer to mé are yon humble broom

now printed. Burns wrote many bowers,

rash, many violent, and many indee Where the blue bell and gowan lurk

cent things; of which we have no lowly unseen;

doubt many specimens must have

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fallen into the hands of so diligent à deeply that they were not attended collector. He has, however, careful- with greater firmness. ly suppressed every thing of this de- “ Shortly after my last return to Ayrscription, and shown that the tender- shire, I married ' my Jean.' This was ness for this author's memory, which

not in consequence of the attachment to

romance, perhaps; but I had a long and is the best proof of the veneration

much-loved fellow-creature's happiness or with which he regards his talents. misery in my determination, and I durst We shall now see if there be any not trifle with so important a deposite. thing in the volume which deserves Nor have I any cause to repent it. If I to be particularly noticed.

have not got polite tattle, modish man

ners, and fashionable dress, I am not sickThe preface is very amiable, and

ened and disgusted with the multiform well written. Mr. Cromek speaks curse of boarding-school affectation ; and with becoming respect and affection I have got the handsomest figure, the of Dr. Currie, the learned biogra- sweetest temper, the soundest constitupher and editor of the poem, and with tion, and the kindest heart in the county. great modesty of his own qualifica- creed, that I am le plus bel esprit, et le

Mrs. Burns believes, as firmly as her tions.

plus honnete homme in the universe; al. “ As an apology,” he

says,

any
de-

though she scarcely ever in her life, exfects of my own that may appear in this pub- cept the scriptures of the Old and New lication, I beg to observe that I am by pro- Testament, and the Psalms of David in fession an artist, and not an author. In

metre, spent five minutes together on the manner of laying them before the either prose or verse. I must except also publick, honestly declare that I have

from this last, a certain late publication done my best; and I trust I may fairly of Scots poems, which she has perused presume to hope, that the man who has

very devoutly; and all the ballads in the contributed to extend the bounds of lite.

country, as she has (o the partial lover! rature, by adding another genuine volume

you will cry) the finest 'wood-note wild to the writings of Robert Burns, has some I ever heard. I am the more particular claim on the gratitude of his countrymen. in this lady's character, as I know she On this occasion, I certainly feel some- will henceforth have the honour of a thing of that sublime and heart-swelling share in your best wishes. She is still at gratification which he experiences, who Mauchline, as I am building my house ; casts another stone on the CAIRN of a for this hovel that I shelter in, while ocgreat and lamented chief.” Pref. p. xi. casionally here, is pervious to every blast xii.

that blows, and every shower that falls ; Of the letters, which оссиру

near- and I am only preserved from being chilly half the volume, we cannot, on the led to death, by being suffocated with whole, express any more favourable smoke. I do not find my farm that pennyopinion than that which we have al

worth I was taught to expect; but I beready ventured to pronounce on the lieve, in time, it may be a saving bargain. prose compositions of this author in laid aside idle eclat, and bind every day

You will be pleased to hear that I have general. Indeed they abound, ra

after my reapers. ther more than those formerly pub- To save me from that horrid situation lished, in ravings about sensibility of at any time going down, in a losing and imprudence; in common swear

bargain of a farm, to misery, I have taken ing, and in professions of love for my excise instructions, and have my com

mission in my pocket for any emergency whiskey. By far the best, are those of fortune. if I could set all before your which are addressed to Miss Chal view, whatever disrespect you, in com. mers; and that chiefly, because they mon with the world, have for this busi

; seem to be written with less effort, ness, I know you would approve of my and at the same time with more re

idea.” V. p. 74, 75. spect for his correspondent. The

We may add the following, for the

sake of connexion. following was written at a most criti

“ I know not how the word exciseman, cal period of his life; and the good

or still more opprobrius, gauger, will feelings and good sense which it dis- sound in your cars. I too, have seen the plays, only make us regret more day when my auditory nerves would have

not

felt very delicately on this subject; but a 135. As nothing is more rare, among wife and children are things which have the minor poets than a candid aca wonderful power in blunting these kind of sensations. Fifty pounds a year

knowledgment of their own inferi

for life, and a provision for widows and or

ority, we think Mr. Bloomfield well phans, you will allow is no bad settlement entitled to have his magnanimity refor a poet. For the ignominy of the pro•

corded. fession, I have the encouragement which " The illustrious soul that has left I once heard a recruiting serjeant give amongst us the name of Burns, has often to a numerous, if not a respectable audi- been lowered down to a comparison with ence, in the streets of Kilmarnock :

me; but the comparison exists more in “ Gentlemen, for your further and better circumstances than in essentials. That man encouragement I can assure you, that

stood up with the stamp of superiour intelour regiment is the most blackguard lect on his brow; a visible greatness: and corps under the crown, and consequently great and patriotick subjects would only with us an honest fellow has the surest Kave called into action the powers of his chance for preferment.” V. p. 99, 100. mind, which lay inactive while he played

It would have been as well if Mr. calmly and exquisitely the pastoral pipe. Cromek had left out the history of

“ The letters to which I have alluded Mr. Hamilton's dissensions with his in my preface to the · Tiural Tales,' parish minister; Burns's apology to

were friendly warnings, pointed with im

mediate reference to the fate of that ex. a gentleman with whom he had a

traordinary man. • Remember Burns,' drunken squabble ; and the anecdote has been the watchword of my friends, of his being used to ask for more li- I do remember Burns; but I am guor, when visiting in the country, Burns! I have neither his fire to fan or to under the pretext of fortifying him- quench!, nor his passions to control!

Where then is my merit, if I make a self against the terrours of a' little wood he had to pass through in going with no mutiny on board ?” V. p. 135, 136.

peaceful voyage on a smooth sea, and home. The most interesting passa- The observations on Scottish songs, ges, indeed, in this part of the vo

which fill nearly 150 pages, are, on lume, are those for which we are indebted to Mr. Cromek himself

. though the exquisite justness of the

the whole, minute and trifling; He informs us, for instance, in a

poet's taste, and his fine relish of note :

“One of Burns's remarks, when he simplicity in this species of compofirst came to Edinburgh, was, that be- sition, is no less remarkable here tween the men of rustick life and the than in his correspondence with Mr. polite world he observed little difference Thomson. Of all other kinds of poe_that in the former, though unpolished try, he was so indulgent a judge,

a by fashion, and unenlightened by science, that he may almost be termed an he had found much observation and much indiscriminate adrnirer. We find, intelligence; but a refined and accomplished woman was a being almost new

too, from these observations, that seto him, and of which he bad forned but veral songs and pieces of songs, a very inadequate idea.” V. p. 68, 69. which he printed as genuine an

He adds also, in another place, tiques, were really of his own comthat “ the poet, when questioned position. about his han its of composition, re- The common-place book, from plied : “ All my poetry is the effect which Dr. Currie had formerly seof easy composition, but of laborious lected all that he thought worth pubcorrection." It is pleasing to know lication, is next given entire by Mr. those things, even if they were real- Cromek. We were quite as well, ly as trifling as to a superficial ob- we think, with the extracts;-at all server they may probably appear. events, there was no need for reThere is a very amiable letter from printing what had been given by Dr. Mr. Murdoch, the poet's early pre- Currie--a remark which is equally ceptor, at p. 111; and a very splen- applicable to the letters of which we dil one from Mr. Bloomfield, at p. bad formerly extracts.

a

of the additional poems which family, and many of their associates, form the concluding part of the vo- who have never emerged from the lume, we have but little to say. We native obscurity of their condition, have little doubt of their authenticity; possessed talents, and taste, and infor, though the editor has omitted, telligence, which are little suspected in almost every instance, to specify to lurk in those humble retreats. the source from which they were de. His epistles to brother poets, in the rived, they certainly bear the stamp rank of farmers and shopkeepers in of the author's manner and genius. the adjoining villages; the existence They are not, however, of his purest of a book society and debating club metal, nor marked with his finest among persons of that description, die. Several of them have appeared and many other incidental traits in in print already; and the songs are, his sketches of his youthful compaas usual, the best. This little lamen- nions; all contribute to show, that tation of a desolate damsel, is tender not only good sense, and enlightened and pretty.

morality, but literature, and talents * My father pat me frae his door,

for speculation, are far more geneMy friends they hae disown’d me a' rally diffused in society than is geneBut í hae ane will tak my part, rally imagined. And that the de. The bonie lad that's far awa.

lights and the benefits of these gene" A pair o'gloves he gave to me, rous and humanizing pursuits, are

And silken snoods he gave me twa; by no means confined to those whom And I will wear them for his sake,

leisure and affluence have courted to The bonie lad that's far awa.

their enjoyment. That much of this “ The weary winter soon will pass,

And spring will cleed the birken-shaw; is peculiar to Scotland, and may be And my sweet babie will be born, properly referred to our excellent And he'll come hame that's far awa.” institutions for parochial education, V. p. 432, 433.

and to the natural sobriety and pruWe now reluctantly dismiss this dence of our nation, may certainly subject. We scarcely hoped, when be allowed: but we have no doubt we began our critical labours, that that there is a good deal of the same an opportunity would ever occur of principle in England, and that the speaking of Burns as we wished to actual intelligence of the lower orders speak of him: and therefore, we feel will be found, there also, very far to grateful to Mr. Cromek for giving exceed the ordinary estimates of their us this opportunity.

superiours. It is pleasing to know, We shall conclude with two gene- that the sources of rational enjoyral remarks—the one national, the ment are so widely disseminated; other critical. The first is, that it is and, in a free country, it is comfortimpossible to read the productions able to think, that so great a proporof Burns, along with his history, tion of the people is able to appreci. without forming a higher idea of the ate the advantages of its condition, intelligence, taste, and accomplish- and fit to be relied on in all emerments of the peasantry, than most gencies where steadiness and intelliof those in the higher ranks are dis- gence may be required. posed to entertain.

Without mean- Our other remark is of a more li. ing to deny that he himself was en- mited application ; and is addressed dowed with rare and extraordinary chiefly to the followers and patrons gifts of genius and fancy, it is evie of that new school of poetry, against dent, from the whole details of his which we have thought it our duty history, as well as from the letters to neglect no opportunity of testifyof his brother, and the testimony of ing. Those gentlemen are outrageMr. Murdoch and others to the cha- ous for simplicity; and we beg leave racter of his father, that the whole to recommend to them the simplici

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