direct descendant, in the fourth generation on the male side, of the Graham of Fintry to whom these letters were addressed, and he had very kindly agreed to hand them over on loan to the Trustees of the Burns Cottage. No better example of Scottish patriotism could be shown. The letters were a heritage belonging to Mr. Graham, but they would add to the Burns Cottage and to the collection of Burns manuscripts there something that they never anticipated would be received, and Mr. Graham had laid them under a great obligation to him. After referring to the brilliant condition in which the letters had been kept, Sir James asked those present to join with him in giving Mr. Graham their heartfelt thanks for what he had thus done for the Burns Cottage and for the County of Ayr.

Sir Robert Bruce said he very gladly rose to say a few words expressing the gratitude of the Burns Federation to Mr. Graham for this wonderfully generous action of his, and at the same time he should like to express, on behalf of the Burns Federation, their deep gratitude to the Trustees of the Burns Monument and Cottage for all they had done through these many years to preserve the relics of our great poet. It was just about 100 years ago since the beautiful monument-the first cenotaph that was erected in memory of the poet-came into being. When that cenotaph was erected the Trust was founded, and the Trustees had carried on their trust in a way that would satisfy even such a critic in these matters as their old friend, Sir John MacLeod. About 1880 it was thought expedient that the Cottage should be acquired and preserved as another memorialas interesting a memorial as could ever be found. To Colonel Dunlop's father, the late Mr. W. H. Dunlop of Doonside, they owed great gratitude, for he mainly was responsible for the acquisition of the Cottage, and he, with the Trustees, had transformed that Cottage into what they now knew as the shrine which attracted about

100,000 visitors from all parts of the Empire to Ayrshire every year. The late Mr. Dunlop, who had placed the Burns cult under this great obligation, had the tremendous good fortune to leave a son who had even excelled his own enthusiasm in the great cause, and he (Sir Robert) valued the privilege Sir James Bell had given him that day of saying a few words, because it enabled him to say, on behalf of the Federation of Burns Clubs throughout the world, to Colonel Dunlop that they thanked him. Colonel Dunlop had done more than any other man to bring together in this shrine of shrines those wonderful relics of Robert Burns. The late Mr. Dunlop, like so few men of the day, fortunately for them took long views, and he it was who persuaded the Trustees to acquire the Cottage, and he it was who began to collect those relics and records which money could not purchase nowadays except at a great price, and which could not otherwise be secured, except in a few rare instances, such as to-day, when Mr. Graham came forward and gave them the privilege of housing such relics in the Museum at the Cottage.

Proceeding, Sir Robert Bruce said that in this connection, parenthetically, he should like to commend Mr. Graham's example to a number of other men, whom he would not name, but who were known to have in their possession very great Burns treasures, and who, so far, had not been persuaded to let even the most friendly critics see them. He commended to these men the action of Mr. Graham, and he suggested that if they desired to live in the gratitude of their fellow-men, they should follow Mr. Graham's example. He might mention that in the Cottage Museum could be seen a copy of the first edition of Burns's Poems, uncut and in the original blue paper cover, which the late Mr. Dunlop bought twenty years ago for £1000. Another copy, inferior to that, at a sale last year made nearly twice that sum. Burns's family Bible, which cost £1700, and his second Common

place Book, which was also secured at a high figure, were also housed in the Museum. He wondered what these would bring in the auction-room if, by some tremendous change in the outlook of Burns enthusiasts, they were put on the market. But they never would be.

Whilst expressing, on behalf of the Federation, their great appreciation of Mr. Graham's action in lending these valuable manuscripts to the Cottage, he wanted on this occasion, as it was so seldom they had any opportunity of making any recognition at all of the value of Colonel Dunlop's work, to express to Colonel Dunlop and to the Trustees of the Burns Cottage and Monument how much Burns lovers throughout the world appreciated the wonderful work he was doing in continuing the glorious traditions of his father. There was one other thing they must do, and that was to acknowledge the great hospitality of their host, Sir James Bell. They owed, through Sir James Bell, what was occurring to these manuscripts to-day. But for Sir James Bell they probably should not have got in touch with Mr. Graham and his charming wife. He asked the company to drink with him to the health of Sir James Bell, one of the finest gentlemen of Ayrshire, and he talked from personal experience one of the kindest friends any man could ever wish to have.

Mr. Robert Graham, replying, said that Sir James Bell had very kindly invited Mrs. Graham and himself to meet one or two friends who were interested in these Burns things, but he thought there was something wrong with Sir James's arithmetic. Mrs. Graham and he felt highly honoured to meet them, but he regarded the gathering more as a tribute to the strange power and fascination of Burns. It was originally Sir James Bell's idea to have these manuscripts brought north, for he (Mr. Graham) had written Sir James and asked him about the matter. He and the members of his family had always had the intention that the manuscripts should

come to Scotland, and the whole of his family agreed to that. Through Sir James, he got in touch with the Trustees and all those interested. They had to-day brought these manuscripts up in order to fix up the final arrangements. They had been round the Museum for the first time that day. One thing that struck him was the perfect order of everything, the great state of preservation in which the manuscripts and relics were, and the great care that was taken of the whole collection at the Museum. Having seen that, he had no hesitation in saying "These will be loaned to the Museum." He thanked them for coming there, and he appreciated very highly the honour they had done him.

Mr. James Brown, M.P., one of the Trustees of the Burns Cottage, said he supposed it was by virtue of being a trustee that he had been asked to perform the duty that had been allotted to him. Colonel Dunlop was really the Trustees. One or two others and himself depended upon the fluctuating gale of political popularity. Nevertheless they in Ayrshire were nurtured on Burns. Having read Burns from the time he was a boy, in his own Doric, they might depend upon it that he would be a very poor Scot indeed if he did not take a lively interest in the poet, and if he did not imbibe the sentiment of Burns's poetry. Scotsmen were supposed to have no sentiment, but it only took them to get a glass or two for one to discover where the sentiment lay. He would be a very poor Scot indeed who would not have a great admiration for everything, not only Burns, but Scottish. If they took Ayrshire out of early Scottish history they had nothing left at all. He thanked Mr. and Mrs. Graham for the very kind action they had performed that day. It made the action much greater when it was accompanied by so much kindness and geniality. Graham of Fintry was the stay and the prop of Burns himself. It was to him that the poet wrote in desperation when he was likely to lose his job for his

political opinions. It was Graham of Fintry who befriended him, and it was Graham of Fintry's direct descendant who was placing them under the very greatest obligation that lovers of Burns could be placed in. No words of his (Mr. Brown's) could express their pleasure and gratitude to Mr. Graham for this very friendly action. It would enrich the Museum, and it might do what Sir Robert Bruce had said-it might prove an incentive to others who had been laggards, but with that he had very little to do at the moment. They were all under the very deepest debt of gratitude to Mr. Graham, and he asked every one of them to give him their very heartiest thanks for his very noble and generous action in loaning these very valuable manuscripts to the Museum. He would conclude by wishing for the present Mr. Graham the wish that the poet expressed for Graham of Fintry in his last rhyming epistle to him—

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May bliss domestic smooth his private path,

Give energy to life, and soothe his latest breath,
With many a filial tear circling the bed of death."

Mr. Graham said he regarded it as a duty to deposit these manuscripts-and it was so regarded by all his family-in the Museum at Alloway. It seemed to them, from the way that such things were handled, that it was a privilege to them to be allowed to do so.

NOTE.

Little has been written regarding the 12th Laird of Fintry and his generous patronage of Burns. The Editor of the Burns Chronicle hopes to give in the next issue of the annual a sketch of Graham's life, with special reference to that patronage, and also to print verbatim the text of the letters now on loan at Alloway.