THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ROBERT BURNS 1

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ROBERT BURNS 1

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ROBERT BURNS:

 

 

CONTAINING HIS

 

POEMS, SONGS, AND CORRESPONDENCE.

 

 

[On the title-page of the second or Edinburgh edition, were these

words: "Poems, chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, by Robert Burns,

printed for the Author, and sold by William Creech, 1787." The motto

of the Kilmarnock edition was omitted; a very numerous list of

subscribers followed: the volume was printed by the celebrated

Smellie.]

 

 

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN:

 

A Scottish Bard, proud of the name, and whose highest ambition is to

sing in his country's service, where shall he so properly look for

patronage as to the illustrious names of his native land: those who

bear the honours and inherit the virtues of their ancestors? The

poetic genius of my country found me, as the prophetic bard Elijah did

Elisha--at the PLOUGH, and threw her inspiring mantle over

me. She bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural

pleasures of my native soil, in my native tongue; I tuned my wild,

artless notes as she inspired. She whispered me to come to this

ancient metropolis of Caledonia, and lay my songs under your honoured

protection: I now obey her dictates.

 

Though much indebted to your goodness, I do not approach you, my Lords

and Gentlemen, in the usual style of dedication, to thank you for past

favours: that path is so hackneyed by prostituted learning that honest

rusticity is ashamed of it. Nor do I present this address with the

venal soul of a servile author, looking for a continuation of those

favours: I was bred to the plough, and am independent. I come to claim

the common Scottish name with you, my illustrious countrymen; and to

tell the world that I glory in the title. I come to congratulate my

country that the blood of her ancient heroes still runs

uncontaminated, and that from your courage, knowledge, and public

spirit, she may expect protection, wealth, and liberty. In the last

place, I come to proffer my warmest wishes to the great fountain of

honour, the Monarch of the universe, for your welfare and happiness.

 

When you go forth to waken the echoes, in the ancient and favourite

amusement of your forefathers, may Pleasure ever be of your party: and

may social joy await your return! When harassed in courts or camps

with the jostlings of bad men and bad measures, may the honest

consciousness of injured worth attend your return to your native

seats; and may domestic happiness, with a smiling welcome, meet you at

your gates! May corruption shrink at your kindling indignant glance;

and may tyranny in the ruler, and licentiousness in the people,

equally find you an inexorable foe!

 

I have the honour to be,

 

With the sincerest gratitude and highest respect,

 

My Lords and Gentlemen,

 

Your most devoted humble servant,

 

ROBERT BURNS.

 

EDINBURGH, _April 4, 1787._

 

 

 

 

PREFACE.

 

 

I cannot give to my country this edition of one of its favourite

poets, without stating that I have deliberately omitted several pieces

of verse ascribed to Burns by other editors, who too hastily, and I

think on insufficient testimony, admitted them among his works. If I

am unable to share in the hesitation expressed by one of them on the

authorship of the stanzas on "Pastoral Poetry," I can as little share

in the feelings with which they have intruded into the charmed circle

of his poetry such compositions as "Lines on the Ruins of Lincluden

College," "Verses on the Destruction of the Woods of Drumlanrig,"

"Verses written on a Marble Slab in the Woods of Aberfeldy," and those

entitled "The Tree of Liberty." These productions, with the exception

of the last, were never seen by any one even in the handwriting of

Burns, and are one and all wanting in that original vigour of language

and manliness of sentiment which distinguish his poetry. With respect

to "The Tree of Liberty" in particular, a subject dear to the heart of

the Bard, can any one conversant with his genius imagine that he

welcomed its growth or celebrated its fruit with such "capon craws" as

these?

 

"Upo' this tree there grows sic fruit,

Its virtues a' can tell, man;

It raises man aboon the brute,

It mak's him ken himsel', man.

Gif ance the peasant taste a bit,

He's greater than a lord, man,

An' wi' a beggar shares a mite

O' a' he can afford, man."

 

There are eleven stanzas, of which the best, compared with the "A

man's a man for a' that" of Burns, sounds like a cracked pipkin

against the "heroic clang" of a Damascus blade. That it is extant in

the handwriting of the poet cannot be taken as a proof that it is his

own composition, against the internal testimony of utter want of all

the marks by which we know him--the Burns-stamp, so to speak, which is

visible on all that ever came from his pen. Misled by his handwriting,

I inserted in my former edition of his works an epitaph, beginning

 

"Here lies a rose, a budding rose,"

 

the composition of Shenstone, and which is to be found in the

church-yard of Hales-Owen: as it is not included in every edition of

that poet's acknowledged works, Burns, who was an admirer of his

genius, had, it seems, copied it with his own hand, and hence my

error. If I hesitated about the exclusion of "The Tree of Liberty,"

and its three false brethren, I could have no scruples regarding the

fine song of "Evan Banks," claimed and justly for Miss Williams by Sir

Walter Scott, or the humorous song called "Shelah O'Neal," composed by

the late Sir Alexander Boswell. When I have stated that I have

arranged the Poems, the Songs, and the Letters of Burns, as nearly as

possible in the order in which they were written; that I have omitted

no piece of either verse or prose which bore the impress of his hand,

nor included any by which his high reputation would likely be

impaired, I have said all that seems necessary to be said, save that

the following letter came too late for insertion in its proper place:

it is characteristic and worth a place anywhere.

 

ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.

 

* * * * *

 

TO DR. ARCHIBALD LAURIE.

 

_Mossgiel, 13th Nov. 1786._

 

DEAR SIR,

 

I have along with this sent the two volumes of Ossian, with the

remaining volume of the Songs. Ossian I am not in such a hurry about;

but I wish the Songs, with the volume of the Scotch Poets, returned as

soon as they can conveniently be dispatched. If they are left at Mr.

Wilson, the bookseller's shop, Kilmarnock, they will easily reach me.

 

My most respectful compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Laurie; and a Poet's

warmest wishes for their happiness to the young ladies; particularly

the fair musician, whom I think much better qualified than ever David

was, or could be, to charm an evil spirit out of a Saul.

 

Indeed, it needs not the Feelings of a poet to be interested in the

welfare of one of the sweetest scenes of domestic peace and kindred

love that ever I saw; as I think the peaceful unity of St. Margaret's

Hill can only be excelled by the harmonious concord of the Apocalyptic

Zion.

 

I am, dear Sir, yours sincerely,

 

ROBERT BURNS.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

 

 

THE LIFE OF ROBERT BURNS

 

Preface to the Kilmarnock Edition of 1786

 

Dedication to the Edinburgh Edition of 1787

 

* * * * *

 

 

POEMS.

 

Winter. A Dirge

 

The Death and dying Words of poor Mailie

 

Poor Mailie's Elegy

 

First Epistle to Davie, a brother Poet

 

Second

 

Address to the Deil

 

The auld Farmer's New-year Morning Salutation to his auld Mare Maggie

 

To a Haggis

 

A Prayer under the pressure of violent Anguish

 

A Prayer in the prospect of Death

 

Stanzas on the same occasion

 

A Winter Night

 

Remorse. A Fragment

 

The Jolly Beggars. A Cantata

 

Death and Dr. Hornbook. A True Story

 

The Twa Herds; or, the Holy Tulzie

 

Holy Willie's Prayer

 

Epitaph to Holy Willie

 

The Inventory; in answer to a mandate by the surveyor of taxes

 

The Holy Fair

 

The Ordination

 

The Calf

 

To James Smith

 

The Vision

 

Halloween

 

Man was made to Mourn. A Dirge

 

To Ruin

 

To John Goudie of Kilmarnock, on the publication of his Essays

 

To J. Lapraik, an old Scottish Bard. First Epistle

 

To J. Lapraik. Second Epistle

 

To J. Lapraik. Third Epistle

 

To William Simpson, Ochiltree

 

Address to an illegitimate Child

 

Nature's Law. A Poem humbly inscribed to G.H., Esq.

 

To the Rev. John M'Math

 

To a Mouse

 

Scotch Drink

 

The Author's earnest Cry and Prayer to the Scotch Representatives of

the House of Commons

 

Address to the unco Guid, or the rigidly Righteous

 

Tam Samson's Elegy

 

Lament, occasioned by the unfortunate issue of a Friend's Amour

 

Despondency. An Ode

 

The Cotter's Saturday Night

 

The first Psalm

 

The first six Verses of the ninetieth Psalm

 

To a Mountain Daisy

 

Epistle to a young Friend

 

To a Louse, on seeing one on a Lady's Bonnet at Church

 

Epistle to J. Rankine, enclosing some Poems

 

On a Scotch Bard, gone to the West Indies

 

The Farewell

 

Written on the blank leaf of my Poems, presented to an old Sweetheart

then married

 

A Dedication to Gavin Hamilton, Esq.

 

Elegy on the Death of Robert Ruisseaux

 

Letter to James Tennant of Glenconner

 

On the Birth of a posthumous Child

 

To Miss Cruikshank

 

Willie Chalmers

 

Verses left in the room where he slept

 

To Gavin Hamilton, Esq., recommending a boy

 

To Mr. M'Adam, of Craigen-gillan

 

Answer to a Poetical Epistle sent to the Author by a Tailor

 

To J. Rankine. "I am a keeper of the law."

 

Lines written on a Bank-note

 

A Dream

 

A Bard's Epitaph

 

The Twa Dogs. A Tale

 

Lines on meeting with Lord Daer

 

Address to Edinburgh

 

Epistle to Major Logan

 

The Brigs of Ayr

 

On the Death of Robert Dundas, Esq., of Arniston, late Lord President

of the Court of Session

 

On reading in a Newspaper the Death of John M'Leod, Esq.

 

To Miss Logan, with Beattie's Poems

 

The American War, A fragment

 

The Dean of Faculty. A new Ballad

 

To a Lady, with a Present of a Pair of Drinking-glasses

 

To Clarinda

 

Verses written under the Portrait of the Poet Fergusson

 

Prologue spoken by Mr. Woods, on his Benefit-night, Monday, April 16,

1787

 

Sketch. A Character

 

To Mr. Scott, of Wauchope

 

Epistle to William Creech

 

The humble Petition of Bruar-Water, to the noble Duke of Athole

 

On scaring some Water-fowl in Loch Turit

 

Written with a pencil, over the chimney-piece, in the parlour of the

Inn at Kenmore, Taymouth

 

Written with a pencil, standing by the Fall of Fyers, near Loch Ness

 

To Mr. William Tytler, with the present of the Bard's picture

 

Written in Friars-Carse Hermitage, on the banks of Nith, June, 1780.

First Copy

 

The same. December, 1788. Second Copy

 

To Captain Riddel, of Glenriddel. Extempore lines on returning a

Newspaper

 

A Mother's Lament for the Death of her Son

 

First Epistle to Robert Graham, Esq., of Fintray

 

On the Death of Sir James Hunter Blair

 

Epistle to Hugh Parker

 

Lines, intended to be written under a Noble Earl's Picture

 

Elegy on the year 1788. A Sketch

 

Address to the Toothache

 

Ode. Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Oswald, of Auchencruive

 

Fragment inscribed to the Right Hon. C.J. Fox

 

On seeing a wounded Hare limp by me, which a Fellow had just shot

 

To Dr. Blacklock. In answer to a Letter

 

Delia. An Ode

 

To John M'Murdo, Esq.

 

Prologue, spoken at the Theatre, Dumfries, 1st January, 1790

 

Scots Prologue, for Mr. Sutherland's Benefit-night, Dumfries

 

Sketch. New-year's Day. To Mrs. Dunlop

 

To a Gentleman who had sent him a Newspaper, and offered to continue

it free of expense

 

The Kirk's Alarm. A Satire. First Version

 

The Kirk's Alarm. A Ballad. Second Version

 

Peg Nicholson

 

On Captain Matthew Henderson, a gentleman who held the patent for his

honours immediately from Almighty God

 

The Five Carlins. A Scots Ballad

 

The Laddies by the Banks o' Nith

 

Epistle to Robert Graham, Esq., of Fintray, on the close of the

disputed Election between Sir James Johnstone, and Captain Miller, for

the Dumfries district of Boroughs

 

On Captain Grose's Peregrination through Scotland, collecting the

Antiquities of that kingdom

 

Written in a wrapper, enclosing a letter to Captain Grose

 

Tam O' Shanter. A Tale

 

Address of Beelzebub to the President of the Highland Society

 

To John Taylor

 

Lament of Mary Queen of Scots, on the approach of Spring