226 Burns [CH.
on its behalf, he was influenced partly by the desire to help * a
good, worthy, honest fellow* in a patriotic undertaking, the
lucrative character of which was very doubtful, and which,
without his guidance and help, seemed almost certain to collapse.
But to assist in it was, besides, a pure delight: he confided to the
poet Skinner that he had 'been absolutely crazed about the
project,' and was 'collecting stanzas and every information
respecting their origin, authors, etc.* Most of this did not
involve any protracted mental effort. He could amend songs
with easy facility, and he could even partly compose others during
his labours on the farm, or in the course of his excise excursions,
which, also, supplied him with opportunities for obtaining old
songs and airs from tradition.
While Burns was still busy assisting Johnson, George Thomson
—a government clerk in Edinburgh and an amateur musician—
invited him, in September 1792, to contribute songs to his Scottish
Airs with Poeti-y, to which Pleyel had promised accompaniments;
and, without remitting his diligence in assisting Johnson, he could
not resist immediately informing Thomson how delighted he was
with his proposal, which, he said, ' will positively add to my enjoy-
ment in complying with it.' But, though Thomson, also, mentioned
that he would pay him any reasonable price he might demand for
his contributions, Burns replied: * As to remuneration, you may
think my songs either above or below price, for they shall
absolutely be the one or the other/ In his difficult worldly
circumstances, it was a noble, though almost Quixotic, resolve;
but, apart from the fact that he was not receiving any
remuneration from Johnson, he was determined to be influenced
by no other considerations than love of his art, and to be
perfectly free and independent in the exercise of it He did not
object to change lines and words when he thought that, while
satisfying his own judgment, he might better meet the wishes of
Thomson; he did not resent even Thomson's most absurd sug-
gestions; but he was adamant when convinced that any alterations
would be for the worse, though he told Thomson repeatedly, and
evidently with perfect candour, that he would not be in any degree
offended by Ms rejection of any songs that did not please him.
The prosecution of his art, even in this circumscribed fashion,
became, to Burns, the sheet-anchor of his life, and his main solace
during the troubles and frustrations of his later years. On the
whole, the best of his work was that which he did for Johnson.
He began it when hope was still high within him, and here he was,