THE

COMPLETE WORKS

OF

ROBERT BURNS:

 

 

CONTAINING HIS

POEMS, SONGS, AND CORRESPONDENCE.

 

WITH

A NEW LIFE OF THE POET,

AND

NOTICES, CRITICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL,

 

 

BY ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.

 

ELEGANTLY ILLUSTRATED.

 

 

 

BOSTON:

PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, AND COMPANY.

NEW YORK: J.C. DERBY.

1855

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TO

ARCHIBALD HASTIE, ESQ.,

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR PAISLEY

THIS

EDITION

OF

THE WORKS AND MEMOIRS OF A GREAT POET,

IN WHOSE SENTIMENTS OF FREEDOM HE SHARES,

AND WHOSE PICTURES OF SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE HE LOVES,

IS RESPECTFULLY AND GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED

 

BY

 

ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.

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DEDICATION.

 

 

TO THE

NOBLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN

OF THE

CALEDONIAN HUNT.

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[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.

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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?

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

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.

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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.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE The Life of Robert Burns xxiii Preface to the Kilmarnock Edition of 1786 lix Dedication to the Edinburgh Edition of 1787 vii

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POEMS.

PAGE Winter. A Dirge 61 The Death and dying Words of poor Mailie 61 Poor Mailie’s Elegy 62 First Epistle to Davie, a brother Poet 63 Second 65 Address to the Deil 65 The auld Farmer’s New-year Morning Salutation to his auld Mare Maggie 67 To a Haggis 68 A Prayer under the pressure of violent Anguish 69 A Prayer in the prospect of Death 69 Stanzas on the same occasion 69 A Winter Night 70 Remorse. A

Fragment 71 The Jolly Beggars. A Cantata 71 Death and Dr. Hornbook. A True Story 76 The Twa Herds; or, the Holy Tulzie 78 Holy Willie’s Prayer 79 Epitaph to Holy Willie 80 The Inventory; in answer to a mandate by the surveyor of taxes 81 The Holy Fair 82 The Ordination 84 The Calf 86 To James Smith 86 The Vision 88 Halloween 92 Man was made to Mourn. A Dirge 95 To Ruin 96 To John Goudie of Kilmarnock, on the publication of his Essays 97 To J. Lapraik, an old Scottish Bard. First Epistle 97 To J. Lapraik. Second Epistle 99 To J. Lapraik. Third Epistle 100 To William Simpson, Ochiltree 101 Address to an illegitimate Child 103 Nature’s Law. A Poem humbly inscribed to G.H., Esq. 103 To the Rev. John

M’Math 104 To a Mouse 105 Scotch Drink 106 The Author’s earnest Cry and Prayer to the Scotch Representatives of the House of Commons 107 Address to the unco Guid, or the rigidly Righteous 110 Tam Samson’s Elegy 111 Lament, occasioned by the unfortunate issue of a Friend’s Amour 112 Despondency. An Ode 113 The Cotter’s Saturday Night 114 The first Psalm 117 The first six Verses of the ninetieth Psalm 118 To a Mountain Daisy 118 Epistle to a young Friend 119 To a Louse, on seeing one on a Lady’s Bonnet at Church 120 Epistle to J. Rankine, enclosing some Poems 121 On a Scotch Bard, gone to the West Indies 122 The Farewell 123 Written on the blank leaf of my Poems, presented to an old Sweetheart then married 123 A Dedication to Gavin Hamilton, Esq. 123 Elegy on the Death of Robert Ruisseaux 125 Letter to James Tennant of Glenconner 125 On the Birth of a posthumous Child

tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">126 To Miss Cruikshank 126 Willie Chalmers 127 Verses left in the room where he slept 128 To Gavin Hamilton, Esq., recommending a boy 128 To Mr. M’Adam, of Craigen-gillan 129 Answer to a Poetical Epistle sent to the Author by a Tailor 129 To J. Rankine. “I am a keeper of the law.” 130 Lines written on a Bank-note 130 A Dream 130 A Bard’s Epitaph 132 The Twa Dogs. A Tale 132 Lines on meeting with Lord Daer 135 Address to Edinburgh 136 Epistle to Major Logan 137 The Brigs of Ayr 138 On the Death of Robert Dundas, Esq., of Arniston, late Lord President of the Court of Session 141 On reading in a Newspaper the Death of John M’Leod, Esq. 141 To Miss Logan, with Beattie’s Poems 142 The American War, A fragment 142 The Dean of Faculty. A new Ballad 143 To a Lady, with a Present of a Pair of Drinking-glasses 144

tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">To Clarinda 144 Verses written under the Portrait of the Poet Fergusson 144 Prologue spoken by Mr. Woods, on his Benefit-night, Monday, April 16, 1787 145 Sketch. A Character 145 To Mr. Scott, of Wauchope 145 Epistle to William Creech 146 The humble Petition of Bruar-Water, to the noble Duke of Athole 147 On scaring some Water-fowl in Loch Turit 148 Written with a pencil, over the chimney-piece, in the parlour of the Inn at Kenmore, Taymouth 149 Written with a pencil, standing by the Fall of Fyers, near Loch Ness 149 To Mr. William Tytler, with the present of the Bard’s picture 150 Written in Friars-Carse Hermitage, on the banks of Nith, June, 1780. First Copy 150 The same. December, 1788. Second Copy 151 To Captain Riddel, of Glenriddel. Extempore lines on returning a Newspaper 152 A Mother’s Lament for the Death of her Son 152 First Epistle to Robert Graham, Esq., of Fintray 152 On the Death of Sir James Hunter Blair 153 Epistle to Hugh Parker 154 Lines, intended to be written under a Noble Earl’s Picture 155 Elegy on the year 1788. A Sketch 155 Address to the Toothache 155

href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@18500@[email protected]#XCIX" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Ode. Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Oswald, of Auchencruive 156 Fragment inscribed to the Right Hon. C.J. Fox 156 On seeing a wounded Hare limp by me, which a Fellow had just shot 157 To Dr. Blacklock. In answer to a Letter 158 Delia. An Ode 159 To John M’Murdo, Esq. 159 Prologue, spoken at the Theatre, Dumfries, 1st January, 1790 159 Scots Prologue, for Mr. Sutherland’s Benefit-night, Dumfries 160 Sketch. New-year’s Day. To Mrs. Dunlop 160 To a Gentleman who had sent him a Newspaper, and offered to continue it free of expense 161 The Kirk’s Alarm. A Satire. First Version 162 The Kirk’s Alarm. A Ballad. Second Version 163 Peg Nicholson 165 On Captain Matthew Henderson, a gentleman who held the patent for his honours immediately from Almighty God 165 The Five Carlins. A Scots Ballad 167 The Laddies by the Banks o’ Nith 168 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 169 On Captain Grose’s Peregrination through Scotland, collecting the Antiquities of that kingdom 170 Written in a wrapper, enclosing a letter to Captain Grose 171 Tam O’ Shanter. A Tale 171 Address of Beelzebub to the

President of the Highland Society 174 To John Taylor 175 Lament of Mary Queen of Scots, on the approach of Spring 175 The Whistle 176 Elegy on Miss Burnet of Monboddo 178 Lament for James, Earl of Glencairn 178 Lines sent to Sir John Whitefoord, Bart., of Whitefoord, with the foregoing Poem 179 Address to the Shade of Thomson, on crowning his Bust at Ednam with bays 179 To Robert Graham, Esq., of Fintray 180 To Robert Graham, Esq., of Fintray, on receiving a favour 181 A Vision 181 To John Maxwell, of Terraughty, on his birthday 182 The Rights of Women, an occasional Address spoken by Miss Fontenelle, on her benefit-night, Nov. 26, 1792 182 Monody on a Lady famed for her caprice 183 Epistle from Esopus to Maria 184 Poem on Pastoral Poetry 185 Sonnet, written on the 25th January, 1793, the birthday of the Author, on hearing a thrush sing in a morning walk 185 Sonnet on the death of Robert Riddel, Esq., of Glenriddel, April, 1794 186 Impromptu on Mrs. Riddel’s birthday 186 Liberty. A Fragment 186 Verses to a young Lady 186

tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">The Vowels. A Tale 187 Verses to John Rankine 187 On Sensibility. To my dear and much-honoured friend, Mrs. Dunlop, of Dunlop 188 Lines sent to a Gentleman whom he had offended 188 Address spoken by Miss Fontenelle on her Benefit-night 188 On seeing Miss Fontenelle in a favourite character 189 To Chloris 189 Poetical Inscription for an Altar to Independence 189 The Heron Ballads. Balled First 190 The Heron Ballads. Ballad Second 190 The Heron Ballads. Ballad Third 192 Poem addressed to Mr. Mitchell, Collector of Excise, Dumfries, 1796 193 To Miss Jessy Lewars, Dumfries, with Johnson’s Musical Museum 193 Poem on Life, addressed to Colonel de Peyster, Dumfries, 1796 193

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