No. 209 PAGE. PAGE. NO. 34. Mr. B. To. Mr. T. With 'By Allan 60. Mr. B. to Mr. T. Recipe for prostream I chanced to rove,' ducing a love-song- Saw ye my Phely-Remarks and anecdotes 'How long and dreary is the night' 35. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With 'Whistle and I'll come to you my lad,' and 'Awa wi' your belles and your beauties,' 36. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With Come let me take thee to my breast,' Dainty Davie,' 37. Mr. B. to Mr. T. 38. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Delighted with the productions of Burns's muse, 39. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With Bruce to his troops at Bannockburn,' 40. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With Behold the hour, the boat arrive,' 41. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Observations on . Thanks and obser 46. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With Deluded ib. ib. 210 Let not woman e'er complain -The Lover's morning Salute to his Mistress'-' The Auld man''Keen blows the wind o'er Donochthead,' in a note, ib. 61. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Wishes he knew the inspiring fair one-Ritson's Historical Essay not interesting-Allan -Maggie Lawder, ib. ib. 211 62. Mr. B. to. Mr. T. Has begun his Anecdotes, &c. My Chloris mark how green the groves'-Love-'It was the charming month of May'Lassie wi' the lint-white locks' History of the air Ye Banks and braes o' bonnie Doon-James Miller-Clarke-The black keys-Instances of the difficulty of tracing the origin of ancient airs, 214 63. Mr. T. to Mr. B. With three copies of the Scottish airs, 212 ib. 64. Mr. B. to Mr. T. WithO Philly happy be that day'-Starting note Contented wi' little and cantie wi' mair'- Canst thou leave me thus, my Katy?'-(The Reply, Stay my Willie, yet believe me,' in a note) -Stock and horn, 215 216 ib. 65. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Praise-Desires more songs of the humorous castMeans to have a picture from The Soldier's return,' 49. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With ' Husband, 50. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Melancholy com- ib. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With For a' that an' a' that' and 'Sweet fa's the eve on Craigie-burn,' ib. 224 225 227 ib. 229 218 66. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With My Nannie's awa,' 230 231 -Mr. Allan has begun a sketch 53. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Does not expect 55. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Criticism, 68. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Thanks, 69. Mr. B. to Mr. T. O lassie, art thou Thanks, 72. Mr. B. to Mr. T. Address to the Woodlark-On Chloris' being ill' Their groves o' sweet myrtle,' &c. "Twas na her bonnie blue e'e,' &c., ib. 73. Mr. T. to Mr. B. With Allan's design from The Cotter's Saturday Night,' ib. 74. Mr. B. to Mr. T. With How cruel 220 are the parents,' and 'Mark yonder pomp of costly fashion,' ib. 75. Mr. B. to Mr. T. ib. 58 Mr. T. to Mr. B. Advising him to write a Musical Drama, 221 59. Mr. T. to Mr. B. Has been examining Scottish collections-Ritson-Difficult to obtain ancient melodies in their original state 222 232 ib. Thanks for Al ib. 233 Compliment, ment in Whistle and I'll come to plored. But the present character of the people was not then formed; the nation then presented features similar to those which the feudal system and the catholic religion had diffused over Europe, modi THOUGH the dialect in which many of the happiest effusions of ROBERT BURNS are composed be peculiar to Scotland, yet his reputation has extended itself beyond the limits of that country, and his poetry has been admired as the offspring of origi-fied, indeed, by the peculiar nature of her nal genius, by persons of taste in every part of the sister islands. The interest excited by his early death, and the distress of his infant family, have been felt in a remarkable manner wherever his writings have been known: and these posthumous volumes, which give to the world his works complete, and which, it is hoped, may raise his widow and children from penury, are printed and published in England. It seems proper, therefore, to write the memoirs of his life, not with the view of their being read by Scotchmen only, but also by natives of England, and of other countries where the English language is spoken or understood." territory and climate. The Reformation, by which such important changes were produced on the national character, was speedily followed by the accession of the Scottish monarchs to the English throne; and the period which elapsed from that accession to the Union, has been rendered memorable, chiefly, by those bloody convulsions in which both divisions of the island were involved, and which, in a considerable degree, concealed from the eye of the historian the domestic history of the people, and the gradual variations in their condition and manners. Since the Union, Scotland, though the seat of two unsuccessful attempts to restore the House of Stuart to the throne, has enRobert Burns was, in reality, what he joyed a comparative tranquillity; and it has been represented to be, a Scottish pea- is since this period that the present chasant. To render the incidents of his hum-racter of her peasantry has been in a ble story generally intelligible, it seems, therefore, advisable to prefix some observations on the character and situation of the order to which he belonged-a class of men distinguished by many peculiarities: by this means we shall form a more A slight acquaintance with the peacorrect notion of the advantages with santry of Scotland will serve to convince which he started, and of the obstacles an unprejudiced observer, that they poswhich he surmounted. A few observa-sess a degree of intelligence not generaltions on the Scottish peasantry will not, ly found among the same class of men in perhaps, be found unworthy of attention the other countries of Europe. In the in other respects; and the subject is, in a very humblest condition of the Scottish great measure, new. Scotland has pro- peasants, every one can read, and most duced persons of high distinction in every persons are more or less skilled in writbranch of philosophy and literature; and ing and arithmetic; and, under the disher history, while a separate and inde- guise of their uncouth appearance, and of pendent nation, has been successfully ex- their peculiar manners and dialect, a great measure formed, though the political causes affecting it are to be traced to the previous acts of her separate legislature. |