pected, and taunt and scold each other in broad cluded his Dedication to G. H. Esq. discover, Scotch. This conversation, which is certainly like his other writings, the powers of a superior humorous, may be considered as a proper busi- understanding. They display deep insight into ness of the poem. As the debate runs high, aud human nature, a gay and happy strain of reflecthreatens serious consequences, all at once it is tion, great independence of sentiment, and geinterrupted by a new scene of wonders: nerosity of heart. The Halloween of Burns is free from every objection. It is interesting not merely from its humorous description of manners, but as it records the spells and charms used on the celebration of a festival, now, even in Scotland, falling into neglect, but which was once observed over the greater part of Britain and Ireland. These charms are supposed to afford an insight into futurity, especially on the sub "all before their sight A fairy train appear'd in order bright; "The Genius of the Stream in front appears, Next follow a number of other allegorical beings, among whom are the four seasons, Rural Joy, Plenty, Hospitality, and Courage. "Benevolence, with mild benignant air, A female form, came from the tow'rs of Stair: To rustic Agriculture did bequeath The broken iron instrument of Death; At sight of whom our Sprites forgat their kindling wrath." rural life. In the Halloween, a female, in performing one of the spells, has occasion to go out by moonlight to dip her shift-sleeve into a stream running towards the South. It was not necessary for Burns to give a description of this stream. But it was the character of his ardent mind to pour forth not merely what the occasion required, but what it admitted; and the temptation to describe so beautiful a natural object by moonlight, was not to be resisted "Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays, As through the glen it wimpl't; Wi' bickering dancing dazzle; Those who understand the Scottish dialect This poem, irregular and imperfect as it is, will allow this to be one of the finest instances displays various and powerful talents, and may of description which the records of poetry afford. serve to illustrate the genius of Burns. In parIn pastoral, or, to speak more correctly, in ticular, it affords a striking instance of his being rural poetry of a serious nature, Burns excelled carried beyond his original purpose by the pow-equally as in that of a humorous kind, and, using ers of imagination. less of the Scottish dialect in his serious poems, In Fergusson's poem, the Plainstones and he becomes more generally intelligible. It is dif Causeway contrast the characters of the differ-ficult to decide whether the Address to a Mouse ent persons who walked upon them. Burns whose nest was turned up with the plough, should probably conceived, that, by a dialogue between be considered as serious or comic. Be this as the Old and New Bridge, he might form a hu- it may, the poem is one of the happiest and morous contrast between ancient and modern most finished of his productions. If we smile manners in the town of Ayr. Such a dialogue at the "bickering brattle" of this little flying could only be supposed to pass in the stillness of animal, it is a smile of tenderness and pity. night; and this led our poet into a description The descriptive part is admirable: the moral reof a midnight scene, which excited in a high flections beautiful, and arising directly out of the degree the powers of his imagination. During occasion; and in the conclusion there is a deep the whole dialogue the scenery is present to his melancholy, a sentiment of doubt and dread, fancy, and at length it suggests to him a fairy that arises to the sublime, The Address to a dance of aerial beings, under the beams of the Mountain Daisy, turned down with the plough, moon, by which the wrath of the Genii of the is a poem of the same nature, though somewhat Brigs of Ayr is appeased. Incongruous as the different parts of this poem are, it is not an incongruity that displeases; and we have only to regret that the poet did not bestow a little pains in making the figures more correct, and in smoothing the versification. The epistles of Burns, in which may be in inferior in point of originality, as well as in the interest produced. To extract out of incidents so common, and seemingly so trivial as these, so fine a train of sentiment and imagery, is the surest proof, as well as the most brilliant triumph, of original genius. The Vision, in two cantos, from which a beautiful extract is taken by Mr Mackenzie, in the 97th number of the Lounger, is a poem of great and various excellence. The opening, in which the poet describes his own state of mind, retiring in the evening, wearied, from the labours of the day, to moralize on his conduct and prospects, is truly interesting. The chamber, if we may so term it, in which he sits down to muse, is an exquisite painting: "There, lanely, by the ingle cheek, To reconcile to. our imagination the entrance of an aerial being into a mansion of this kind, required the powers of Burns-he, however, succeeds. Coila enters, and her countenance, attitude, and dress, unlike those of other spiritual beings, are distinctly portrayed. To the painting on her mantle, on which is depicted the most striking scenery, as well as the most distinguished characters, of his native country, some exceptions may be made. The mantle of Coila, like the cup of Thyrsis, and the shield of Achilles, is too much crowded with figures, and some of the objects represented upon it are scarcely admissible, according to the principles of design. The generous temperament of Burns led him into these exuberances. In his second edition he enlarged ⚫the number of figures originally introduced, that he might include objects to which he was attached by sentiments of affection, gratitude, or patriotism. The second Duan, or canto of this poem, in which Coila describes her own nature and occupations, particularly her superintendence of his infant genius, and in which she reconciles him to the character of a bard, is an elevated and solemn strain of poetry, ranking in all respects, excepting the harmony of numbers, with the higher productions of the English muse. The concluding stanza, compared with that already quoted, will show to what a height Burns rises in this poem, from the point at which he set out: "And wear thou this-she solemn said, And bound the holly round my head; The polish'd leaves, and berries red, Did rustling play; And, like a passing thought, she fled In light away." In various poems Burns has exhibited the picture of a mind under the deep impressions of real sorrow. The Lament, the Ode to Ruin, Despondency, and Winter, a Dirge, are of this character. In the first of these poems the eighth stanza, which describes a sleepless night from anguish of mind, is particularly striking. Burns often indulged in those melancholy views of the • See the first Idyllium of Theocritus, nature and condition of man, which are so congenial to the temperament of sensibility. The poem entitled Man was made to Mourn, affords an instance of this kind, and The Winter Night is of the same description. The last is highly characteristic, both of the temper of mind, and of the condition of Burns. It begins with a description of a dreadful storm on a night in winter. The poet represents himself as lying in bed, and listening to its howling. In this situation, he naturally turns his thoughts to the ourie Cattle, and the silly† Sheep, exposed to all the violence of the tempest. Having lamented their fate, he proceeds in the following: "Ilk happing bird-wee helpless thing! That in the merry months o' spring, Delighted me to hear thee sing, What coines o' thee? Whare wilt thou cow'r thy chittering wing, Other reflections of the same nature occur to his mind; and as the midnight moon, “muffled with clouds," casts her dreary light on his window, thoughts of a darker and more melancholy nature crowd upon him. In this state of mind, he hears a voice pouring through the gloom, a solemn and plaintive strain of reflection. The mourner compares the fury of the elements with that of man to his brother man, and finds the former light in the balance. "See stern Oppression's iron grip, Or mad Ambition's gory hand, own powers for the execution. Fergusson's man grown," are circumstances of the most inpoem is certainly very beautiful. It has all the teresting kind, which are most happily delineatcharms which depend on rural characters and ed; and after their frugal supper, the represenmanners happily portrayed, and exhibited under tation of these humbler cottagers forming a wider circumstances highly grateful to the imagination. circle round their hearth, and uniting in the The Farmer's Ingle begins with describing the worship of God, is a picture the most deeply afreturn of evening. The toils of the day are over, fecting of any which the rural muse has ever and the farmer retires to his comfortable fire-presented to the view. Burns was admirably side. The reception which he and his men-ser-adapted to this delineation. Like all men of vants receive from the careful house-wife, is genius he was of the temperament of devotion, pleasingly described. After their supper is over, they begin to talk on the rural events of the day. "'Bout kirk and market eke their tales gae on, How Jock woo'd Jenny here to be his bride; And there how Marion for a bastard son, Upon the cutty-stool was forced to ride, The waefu' scauld o' our Mess John to bide. and the powers of memory co-operated in this instance with the sensibility of his heart, and the fervour of his imagination. The Cotter's Saturday Night is tender and moral, it is solemn and devotional, and rises at length in a strain of grandeur and sublimity, which modern poetry has not surpassed. The noble sentiments of patriotism with which it concludes, correspond with the rest of the poem. In no age or country have the pastoral muses breathed such The "Guidame" is next introduced as forming a circle round the fire, in the midst of her grand-elevated accents, if the Messiah of Pope be exchildren, and while she spins from the rock, and the spindle plays on her "russet lap," she is relating to the young ones tales of witches and ghosts. The poet exclaims, "O mock na this my friends! but rather mourn, Ye in life's brawest spring wi' reason clear, Wi' eild our idle fancies a' return, And dim our dolefu' days wi' bairnly fear; The mind's aye cradl'd when the grave is near." In the meantime the farmer, wearied with the fatigues of the day, stretches himself at length on the settle, a sort of rustic couch, which extends on one side of the fire, and the cat and house-dog leap upon it to receive his caresses. Here, resting at his ease, he gives his directions to his men-servants for the succeeding day. The house-wife follows his example, and gives her orders to the maidens. By degrees the oil in the cruise begins to fail; the fire runs low; sleep steals on his rustic group; and they move off to enjoy their peaceful slumbers. The poet concludes by bestowing his blessing on the "husbandman and all his tribe." cepted, which is indeed a pastoral in form only. It is to be regretted that Burns did not employ his genius on other subjects of the same nature, which the manners and customs of the Scottish peasantry would have amply supplied. Such poetry is not to be estimated by the degree of pleasure which it bestows; it sinks deeply into the heart, and is calculated, far beyond any other human means, for giving permanence to the scenes and the characters it so exquisitely describes. Before we conclude, it will be proper to offer a few observations on the lyric productions of Burns. His compositions of this kind are chiefly songs, generally in the Scottish dialect, and always after the model of the Scottish songs, on the general character and moral influence of which, some observations have already been offered. We may hazard a few more particular remarks. Of the historic or heroic ballads of Scotland it is unnecessary to speak. Burns has no where imitated them, a circumstance to be regretted, since in this species of composition, from its admitting the more terrible, as well as the softer This is an original and truly interesting pas-graces of poetry, he was eminently qualified to toral. It possesses every thing required in this have excelled. The Scottish songs which serspecies of composition. We might have perhaps ved as a model to Burns, are almost without said, every thing that it admits, had not Burns written his Cotter's Saturday Night. His other exception pastoral, or rather rural. Such of them as are comic, frequently treat of a rustic The cottager returning from his labours, has courtship, or a country wedding; or they deno servants to accompany him, to partake of his scribe the differences of opinion which arise in fare, or to receive his instructions. The circle married life. Burns has imitated this species, which he joins, is composed of his wife and chil- and surpassed his models. The song beginning dren only; and if it admits of less variety, it af-" Husband, husband, cease your strife," may be fords an opportunity for representing scenes that cited in support of this observation. more strongly interest the affections. The younger children running to meet him, and clambering round his knee; the elder, returning from their weekly labours with the neighbouring farmers, dutifully depositing their little gains with their parents, and receiving their father's blessing and instructions; the incidents of the courtship of Jenny, their eldest daughter, "wo-rustic songs, The dialogues between husbands and their wives which form the subjects of the Scottish songs, are almost all ludicrous and satirical, and in these contests the lady is generally victorious. From the collections of Mr. Pinkerton, we find that the comic muse of Scot land delighted in such representations from very early times, in her rude dramatic efforts, as well as in her comie songs are of equal merit. In the tural¡ maxim of Horace, ut piétard poesis, is faithfulsongs of Scotland, whether humorous or ten ly observed by these rustic bards, who are guidder, the sentiments are given to particular cha-ed by the same impulse of nature and sensibility racters, and very generally, the incidents are which influenced the father of epic poetry, on referred to particular scenery. This last cir-whose example the precept of the Roman poct cumstance may be considered as a distinguish-was perhaps founded. By this means the ima ing feature of the Scottish songs, and on it agination is employed to interest the feelings. considerable part of their attraction depends. When we do not conceive distinctly, we do not On all occasions the sentiments, of whatever sympathize deeply in any human affection; and nature, are delivered in the character of the per- we conceive nothing in the abstract. Abstracson principally interested. If love be described, tion, so useful in morals, and so essential in it is not as it is observed, but as it is felt; and science, inust be abandoned when the heart is the passion is delineated under a particular as-to be subdued by the powers of poetry or of pect. Neither is it the fiercer impulses of de- eloquence. The bards of a ruder condition of sire that are expressed, as in the celebrated ode society paint individual objects; and hence, of Sappho, the model of so many modern songs; among other causes, the easy access they obtain but those gentler emotions of tenderness and af- to the heart. Generalization is the voice of fection, which do not entirely absorb the lover; poets, whose learning overpowers their genius; but permit him to associate his emotions with of poets of a refined and scientific age. the charms of external nature, and breathe the The dramatic style which prevails so much accents of purity and innocence, as well as of in the Scottish songs, whue it contributes greatlove. In these respects the love-songs of Scot-ly to the interest they excite, also shows that land are honourably distinguished from the they have originated among a people in the earmost admired classical compositions of the same lier stages of society. Where this form of comkind; and by such associations, a variety as position appears in songs of a modern date, it well as liveliness, is given to the representation indicates that they have been written after the of this passion, which are not to be found in ancient model.* the poetry of Greece or Rome, or perhaps of The Scottish songs are of very unequal poe any other nation. Many of the love-songs of tical merit, and this inequality often extends to Scotland describe scenes of rural courtship; the different parts of the same song. Those that many may be considered as invocations from are humorous, or characteristic of manners, lovers to their mistresses. On such occasions have in general the merit of copying nature; a degree of interest and realily is given to the those that are serious are tender and often sentiment, by the spot destined to these happy sweetly interesting, but seldom exhibit high interviews being particularized. The lovers powers of imagination, which indeed do not perhaps meet at the Bush aboon Traquair, or on the Banks of Ettrick; the nymphs are invoked to wander among the wilds of Roslin or the Woods of Invermay. Nor is the spot merely pointed out; the scenery often described as well as the character, so as to represent a complete picture to the fancy. Thus the • One or two examples may illustrate this observation. A Scottish song, written about a hundred years ago, begins thus: "On Ettrick Banks, on a summer's night At gloaming, when the sheep drove hame My heart grew light, I ran, I flang The lover, who is a Highlander, goes on to relate the language he employed with his Lowland maid to win her heart, and to persuade her to fly with him to the Highland hills, there to share his fortune. The sentiments are in themselves beautiful. But we feel them with double force, while we conceive that they were addressed by a lover to his mistress, whom he met all alone on a summer's evening, by the banks of a beautiful stream, which some of us have actually seen, and which all of us can paint to our imagination. Let us take another example. It is now a nymph that speaks. Here how she expresses herself "How blythe each morn was I to see My swain come o'er the hill! ture. He skipt the burn, and flew to me, I met him with good will." Here is another picture drawn by the pencil of Nabrook, watching her lover, as he descents the opposite We see a shepherdess standing by the side of a hill, He bounds lightly along: he approaches nearer and nearer; he leaps the brook, and flies into her arms. In the recollection of these circumstances, the surrounding scenery becomes endeared to the fair mourner, and she bursts into the following exclamation: "O the broom, the bonnie bonnie broom, I wish I were with my dear swaiu, Thus the individual spot of this happy interview is pointed out, and the picture is completed. That the dramatic form of writing characterizes productions of an early, or what amounts to the same, of a rude stage of society, may be illustrated by a re ference to the most ancient compositions that we know of, the Hebrew scriptures, and the writings of Homer. The form of dialogue is adopted in the old Scottish ballads, even in narration, whenever the situations described become interesting This sometimes produces a very striking effect, of which an instance may be given from the ballad of Edom o' Gordon, a composition apparently of the sixteenth century. of the ballad is shortly this:-The Castle of Rhodes, in the absence of its ford, is attacked by the robber Edom Gordon. The lady stands on her defence, beats off the assailants, and wounds Gordon, who in his rage orders the castle to be set on fire. That his orders are carried into effect, we learn from the expostulation ot the lady, who is represented as standing on the battle. The story easily find a place in this species of composition. | daining to copy the works of others, he has not, The alliance of the words of the Scottish songs like some poets of great name, admitted into his with the music has in some instances given to descriptions exotic imagery. The landscapes the former a popularity, which otherwise they would never have obtained. he has painted, and the objects with which they are embellished, are, in every single instance, such as are to be found in his own country. In a mountainous region, especially when it is comparatively rude and naked, the most beautiful scenery will always be found in the valleys, and on the banks of the wooded streams. Such scenery is peculiarly interesting at the close of a summer day. As we advance northwards, the number of the days of summer, indeed, dimi The association of the words and the music of these songs with the more beautiful parts of the scenery of Scotland, contributes to the same effect. It has given them not merely popularity, but permanence; it has imparted to the works of man some portion of the durability of the works of nature. If, from our imperfect experience of the past, we may judge with any confidence respecting the future, songs of this de-nishes; but from this cause, as well as from the scription are of all others the least likely to die. mildness of the temperature, the attraction inIn the changes of language they may no doubt creases, and the summer night becomes still suffer change; but the associated strain of sen- more beautiful. The greater obliquity of the timent and of music will perhaps survive, while sun's path in the ecliptic, prolongs the grateful the clear stream sweeps down the vale of Yar-season of twilight to the midnight hours, and row, or the yellow broom waves on the CowdenKnowes. The first attempts of Burns in song-writing were not very successful. His habitual inattention to the exactness of rhymes, and to the harmony of numbers, arising probably from the models on which his versification was formed, were faults likely to appear to more advantage ia this species of composition, than in any other; and we may also remark, that the strength of his imagination, and the exuberance of his sensibility, were with difficulty restrained within the limits of gentleness, delicacy and tenderness, which seem to be, assigned to the love-songs of his nation. Burns was better adapted by nature for following in such compositions the model of the Grecian than of the Scottish muse. By study and practice he however surmounted all these obstacles. In his earlier songs there is some ruggedness; but this gradually disappears in his successive efforts; and some of his later compositions of this kind may be compared, in polished delicacy, with the finest songs in our language, while in the eloquence of sensibility they surpass them all. the shades of the evening seem to mingle with the morning's dawn. The rural poets of Scotland, as may be expected, associate in their songs the expression of passion, with the most beautiful of their scenery, in the fairest season of the year, and generally in those hours of the evening when the beauties of nature are most interesting. To all these adventitious circumstances, on which so much of the effect of poetry depends, great attention is paid by Burns. There is scarcely a single song of his in which particular scenery is not described, or allusions made to natural objects, remarkable for beauty or inte rest; and though his descriptions are not so full as are sometimes met with in the older Scottish songs, they are in the highest degree appropriate and interesting. Instances in proof of this might be quoted from the Lea Rig, Highland Mary, the Soldier's Return, Logan Water, from that beautiful pastoral, Bonnie Jean, and a great number of others. Occasionally the force of his genius carries him beyond the usual boundaries of Scottish song, and the natural objects introduced have more of the character of sublimity. An instance of this kind is noticed by Mr. Syme, and many others might be adduced. The songs of Burns, like the models he followed and excelled, are often dramatic, and for the greater part amatory; and the beauties of rural nature are every where associated with the passions and emotions of the mind. Dis-"Had I a cave on some wild, distant shore, Where the winds howl to the wave's dashing ments and remonstrating on this barbarity. She is interrupted "O then bespake her little son, Sate on his nourice knee; Says 'mither dear, gi' owre this house, "I wad gie a' my gowd, my childe, For ae blast o' the westlin wind, To blaw the reek frae thee." roar; There would I weep my woes, In one song, the scene of which is laid in a winter night, the "wan moon" is described as "setting behind the white waves;" in another, The circumstantiality of the Scottish love-songs, the "storms" are apostrophized, and commandand the dramatic form which prevails so gencrally ined to "rest in the cave of their slumbers." On them, probably arises from their being the descendants and successors of the ancient ballads. In the beautiful several occasions, the genius of Burns loses sight modern song of Mary of Castle Cary, the dramatic entirely of his archetypes, and rises into a strain form has a very happy effect. The same may be said of uniform sublimity. Instances of this kind of Donald and Flora, and Come under my Plaidie, by the same author, Mr. Macniel. appear in Liberty, a Vision, and in his two |