THE

WORKS

OF

ROBERT BURNS:

WITH

An Account of his Life,

AND

CRITICISM ON HIS WRITINGS

TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHARACTER AND CONDITION OF
THE SCOTTISH PEASANTRY.

BY JAMES CURRIE, M.D.

INCLUDING

ADDITIONAL POE M S,

EXTRACTED FROM THE LATE EDITION EDITED BY
ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.

PHILADELPHIA :

PUBLISHED BY CRISSY & MARKLEY,

GOLDSMITH'S HALL, LIBRARY ST.

AND THOMAS, COWPERTHWAIT & CC.

253 MARKET STREET.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

OF

THE AUTHOR.

ROBERT BURNS was born on the 29th day of | January, 1759, in a small house about two miles from the town of Ayr in Scotland. The Family name, which the poet modernized into Burns, was originally Burnes or Burness. His father, William, appears to have been early nured to poverty and hardships, which he bore with pious resignation, and endeavoured to alleviate by industry and economy. After various attempts to gain a livelihood, he took a lease of seven acres of land, with a view of commencing nurseryman and public gardener; and having built a house upon it with his own hands (an instance of patient ingenuity by no means uncommon among his countrymen in humble life,) he married, December 1757, Agnes Brown. The first fruit of his marriage was Robert, the subject of the present sketch.

In his sixth year, Robert was sent to a school, where he made considerable proficiency in reading and writing, and where he discovered an inclination for books not very common at so early an age. About the age of thirteen or fourteen, ho was sent to the parish school of Dalrymple, where he increased his acquaintance with English Grammar, and gained some knowledge of the French. Latin was also recommended to him; but he did not make any great progress in it.

The far greater part of his time, however, was employed on his father's farm, which, in spite of much industry, became so unproductive as to involve the family in great distress. His father having taken another farm, the speculation was yet more fatal, and involved his affairs in complete ruin. He died, Feb. 13, 1784, leaving behind him the character of a good and wise man, and an affectionate father, who, under all his misfortunes, struggled to procure his children an excellent education; and endeavoured, both by precept and example to form their minds to religion and virtue.

This excellent woman is still living in the family of her son Gilbert. (May, 1813.)

It was between the fifteenth and sixteenth year of his ago, that Robert first "committed the sin of rhyme." Having formed a boyish affection for a female who was his companion in the toils of the field, he composed a song, which, however extraordinary from one at his age, and in his circumstances, is far inferior to any of his subsequent performances. He was at this time "an ungainly, awkward boy," unacquainted with the world, but who occasionally had picked up some notions of history, literature, and criticism, from the few books within his reach. These he informs us, were Salmon's and Guthrie's Geographical Grammars, the Spectator, Pope's Works, some plays of Shakspeare, Tull and Dickson on Agriculture, the Pantheon, Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding, Stackhouse's History of the Bible, Justice's British Gardener's Works, Taylor's Scripture Doctrine of OriDirectory, Boyle's Lectures, Allan Ramsay's ginal Sin, a select Collection of English Songs, and Hervey's Meditations. Of this motley assemblage, it may readily be supposed, that some would be studied, and some read superficially. There is reason to think, however, that he perused the works of the poets with such attention as, assisted by his naturally vigorous capacity, soon directed his taste, and enabled him to discriminate tenderness and sublimity from affectation and bombast.

It appears that from the seventeenth to the twenty-fourth year of Robert's age, he mado no considerable literary improvement. His accessions of knowledge, or opportunities of reading, could not be frequent, but no external circumstances could prevent the innate peculiarites of his character from displaying themselves. He was distinguished by a vigorous understanding, and an untameable spirit. His resentments were quick, and, although not durable, expressed with a volubility of indignation which could not but siience and overwhelm his humble and illiterate asso.. ciates; while the occasional effusions of his muse on temporary subjects, which were hand

ed about in manuscript, raised him to a local
superiority that seemed the earnest of a more
extended fame. His first motive to compose
verses, as has been already noticed, was his
early and warm attachment to the fair sex.
His favourites were in the humblest walks of
life;
but during his passion, he elevated them
to Lauras and Saccharissas. His attach-
ments, however, were of the purer kind, and
his constant theme the happiness of the mar-
ried state; to obtain a suitable provision for
which, he engaged in partnership with a flax-
dresser, hoping, probably, to attain by degrees
the rank of a manufacturer. But this specu-
lation was attended with very little success,
and was finally ended by an accidental fire.

On his father's death he took a farm in conjunction with his brother, with the honourable view of providing for their large and orphan family. But here, too, he was doomed to be unfortunate, although, in his brother Gilbert, he had a coadjutor of excellent sense, a man of uncommon powers both of thought and expression.

was now encouraged to go to Edinburgh and superintend the publication of a second edition.

In the metropolis, he was soon introduced into the company and received the homage of men of literature, rank, and taste; and his appearance and behaviour at this time, as they exceeded all expectation, heightened and kept up the curiosity which his works had excited. He became the object of universal admiration and was feasted, and flattered, as if it had been impossible to reward his merit too highly. But what contributed principally to extend his fame into the sister kingdom, was his fortunate introduction to Mr. Mackenzie, who, in the 97th paper of the Lounger, recommended his poems by judicious specimens, and generous and elegant criticism. From this time, whether present or absent, Burns and his genius were the objects which engrossed all attention and all conversation.

It cannot be surprising if this new scene of life, produced effects on Burns which were the source of much of the unhappiness of his During his residence on this farm he formed future life: for while he was admitted into a connexion with a young woman, the con- the company of men of taste, and virtue, he sequences of which could not be long con- was also seduced, by pressing invitations into cealed In this dilemma, the imprudent couple the society of those whose habits are too sucial agreed to make a legal acknowledgment and inconsiderate. It is to be regretted that he of a private marriage, and projected that she had little resolution to withstand those attenshould remain with her father, while he was tions which flattered his merit, and appeared. to go to Jamaica "to push his fortune." This to be the just respect due to a degreo of supeproceeding, however romantic it may appear, riority, of which he could not avoid being con would have rescued the lady's character, ac-scious. Among his superiors in rank and cording to the laws of Scotland, but it did not satisfy her father, who insisted on having all the written documents respecting the marriage cancelled, and by this unfeeling measure, he intended that it should be rendered void. Divorced now from all he held dear in the world, he had no resource but in his projected voyage to Jamaica, which was prevented by one of those circumstances that in common cases, might pass without observation, but which eventually laid the foundation of his future fame. For once, his poverly stood his friend. Had he been provided with money to pay for his passage to Jamaica, he might have set sail, and been forgotten. But he was destitute of every necessary for the voyage, and was therefore advised to raise a sum of money by publishing his poems in the way of subscription. They were accordingly printed at Kilmarnock, in the year 1786, in a small volume, which was encouraged by subscriptions for about 350 copies.

It is hardly possible to express with what eager admiration these poems were every where received. Old and young, high and low, learned and ignorant, all were alike delighted. Such transports would naturally find their way into the bosom of the author, especially when he found that, instead of the necessity of flying from his native land, he

merit, his behaviour was in general decorous and unassuming; but among his more equal or inferior associates, he was himself the source of the mirth of the evening, and repaid the at tention and submission of his hearers by sallies of wit, which, from one of his birth and education, had all the fascination of wonder. His introduction, about the same time, into certain convivial clubs of higher rank, was an injudicious mark of respect to one who was destined to return to the plough, and to the simple and frugal enjoyments of a peasant's life.

During his residence at Edinburgh, his finances were considerably improved by the new edition of his poems; and this enabled him to visit several other parts of his native country. He left Edinburgh, May 6, 1787, and in the course of his journey was hospitably received at the houses of many gentlemen of worth and learning. He afterwards travelled into England as far as Carlisle. In the beginning of June he arrived in Ayrshire, after an absence of six months, during which he had experienced a change of fortune, to which the hopes of few men in his situation could have aspired. His companion in some of these tours was a Mr. Nicol, a man who was endeared to Burns not only by the warmth of his friendship, but by a certain congeniality of