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CONTENTS. 


A  Sketch  of  Scottish  Literature  from  the  Earliest  Times 

■ — IV///.  APIlwrailh         ------  5 

Robert   Burns,   Burgess  of  Sanquhar,  and  some  of  his 

Brother  Freemen — Tom  Wilson  -  -  -  -  34 
Burns  Interpreted  in  the  light  of  his  own  times — Andrew 

M^Caliiiin       --------  44 

The  First  Edition  and  its  recent  Reproduction — Editor  72 

"  Honest  Allan  " — Edward  Pinnington           -         -         -  78 

Robert  Burns— yi?/^;/  Hose     -         -                  -         -         -  89 

Highland   Mary  :   A  Summation — Editor                           -  90 

Chair  of  Scottish  History      -         -         -         -         -         -  101 

The  Heroine  of  "Sweet  Afton  "— Z^aw^  Z.  Murdoch  -  104 
Death  of  Mrs  Sarah  Burns  Hutchinson,  Grand-daughter 

of  the  Poet— y!  Leiper  Gemmiil      -         -                  -  106 

Foreign  Tributes  to  Burns— ^.  C.  White       -         -  113 

Reviews          -         -          -         -         -         -         -          -         -  i  19 

Indexes  of  Illustrations  in  Annual  Burns  Chronicle-         -  124 

Club  Notes   -         -         -         -                            -         -  129 

Notes  and  Queries         ------  147 

Annual  Meeting  of  Federation       -                                     -  163 

Club   Directory       -                   -                   -                   -          '  *7^ 


PREFACE. 


The  sustained  success  of  the  Chronicle,  since  the  responsibiMty 
of  its  publication  was  taken  over  by  the  Federation,  has  been  so 
gratifying  as  to  warrant  the  conckision  that  its  usefulness  could 
be  still  further  increased  through  the  C^lubs  taking  a  more  active 
interest  in  its  management,  and  by  increasing  the  amount  of  the 
guarantee  fund  which  represents  the  measure  of  that  interest. 

In  the  present  issue  more  space  has  been  allotted  to  "Notes 
and  Queries,"  which,  for  unavoidable  reasons,  had  fallen  into 
arrear.  We  again  thank  all  who  have  assisted  us,  and  trust  the 
present  issue  will  meet  with  approval. 

D.  M'NAUGHT, 

Editor. 


Benrig,  Kii.maurs, 

December  22nd,  1909. 


A  SKETCH  OF  SCOTTISH   LITERATURE 
FROM    THE    EARLIEST    TIMES. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY. 

IN  some  respects  Dr  Grainger  may  scarcely  be  reckoned  a 
poet  of  sufficient  merit  with  which  to  begin  a  chapter  which 
must  necessarily  include  writers  of  infinitely  greater  powers. 
Grainger's  literary  associations,  however,  were  extensive,  and  his 
poetry  and  translations  appealed  not  only  to  his  own  countrymen, 
but  to  a  much  wider  circle.  Indeed,  his  works 
Ur  Grainger,  ^^^^^^  ^j-  g^j^cient  merit  to  secure  him  admission 
'^  '  into  the  fellowship  of  that  distinguished  brother- 
hood of  wits,  poets,  and  philosophers  over  which  Dr  Samuel 
Johnson  was  in  the  habit  of  presiding.  James  Grainger  was  born 
at  Dunse,  m  Berwickshire,  in  1724.  By  birth  and  education  he 
was  a  Scotsman ;  but,  as  his  name  indicates,  he  was  of  English 
descent.  His  father,  John  Grainger,  Esq.,  was  once  the  owner  of 
Houghton  Hall,  Cumberlandshire  ;  but  owing  to  unsuccessful 
speculations  in  mines  he  was  compelled  to  sell  his  estate  and 
migrate  to  Scotland,  where  he  secured  a  situation  in  the  Excise, 
and  was  stationed  at  Dunse  when  our  author  was  born. 

When  a  mere  youth  he  lost  his  father,  but  by  the  generosity 
of  his  elder  brother,  who  had  a  good  position  as  a  writing-master 
in  Edinburgh,  he  was  sent  to  the  University  of  that  city,  where  he 
completed  his  education,  and  finally  qualified  in  medicine.  By 
the  time  he  attained  his  majority  he  was  appointed  surgeon  to  a 
Regiment  of  Foot,  and  during  the  Rebellion  of  1745  saw  some 
active   service  ;    subsequently   going  to    Germany,  where   he  dis- 


tinguished  himself  by  his  devotion  to  duty.  When  the  peace  of 
Aixla-Chapelle  was  concluded  in  1748,  (Irainger  severed  his 
connection  with  the  army  and  returned  to  Edinburgh,  where  the 
degree  of  M.D.  was  conferred  upon  him.  He  afterwards  went  to 
London,  where  he  had  a  prolonged  struggle  with  adverse  circum- 
stances, which  entailed  many  hardships.  To  his  credit  be  it  said 
that  he  maintained  a  brave  fight,  turning  his  hand  to  anything  to 
earn  an  honest  penny,  though  it  is  insinuated  by  Smollett  that  he 
had  to  engage  in  the  meanest  literary  work  among  the  hacks  of 
Grub  Street.  Smollett's  testimony,  however,  must  be  taken 
cum  gr a  no  salis,  as  he  had  a  strong  prejudice  against  Grainger  on 
account  of  his  ability  and  learning,  and  Smollett  in  his  day  was 
something  of  a  literary  autocrat. 

The  first  publication  Grainger  issued  with  his  real  name 
attached  was  a  volume  written  in  Latin,  entitled  "  Historia  Febris  : 
anomalcB  Bahivcs,  annorum  1746,  1747,  1748,  &c."  ;  but  it  did 
not  attract  the  attention  it  deserved,  for  the  reason  that  most  of 
his  observations  had  been  anticipated  by  Sir  John  Pringle,  who 
had  previously  published  a  work  entitled  Observations  on  the 
Diseases  of  the  Army.  In  his  next  literary  venture  he  was  more 
fortunate,  it  being  estimated  highly  both  by  the  critics  and  the 
public.  "  An  Ode  on  Solitude,"  as  it  was  called,  first 
appeared  in  Dodsley's  Collection,  published  in  1755,  and  by  this 
composition  Grainger's  fame  assumed  some  importance.  For  one 
thing,  it  secured  him  a  position  among  the  leading  literary  lights 
of  London  society,  which  resulted  in  his  appointment  as  tutor  to  a 
young  gentleman  of  fortune.  His  services  were  so  well  appreci- 
ated that  when  parting  from  this  gentleman  he  settled  upon  him 
an  annuity  for  life.  This  did  not  interfere  with  his  productive 
activity,  for  in  1758  he  published,  in  two  volumes,  a  translation  of 
the  Elegies  of  Tibu/tus,  and  also  the  poems  of  Sulpicia,  with  the 
original  text,  and  notes  critical  and  explanatory.  This  work  was 
the  subject  of  a  bitter  attack  in  the  Critical  Review,  then  under 
the  direction  of  Smollett.  The  two  great  rival  monthlies  published 
at  the  time  were  the  Critical  Revieiv  and  the  Monthly  Revietv, 
and  their  attitude  towards  each  other  was  distinguished  by  the 


bitterest  and  most  acrimonious  spirit  possible  in  the  competition 
•of  letters.  Amongst  the  writers  to  the  Critical  Review  there  was  a 
suspicion  that  Grainger  was  connected  in  some  way  with  the 
Monthly  Review.  This,  combined  with  Smollett's  jealousy  of 
Crainger's  talents,  prompted  the  attack  and  neutralised  its  bitter- 
ness. Grainger,  fired  with  indignation,  wrote  an  open  letter  to 
Tobias  Smollett,  in  which  he  successfully  exposed  the  malice  and 
misrepresentation  of  the  critical-  article  in  his  periodical.  Grainger 
unwisely  pursued  his  enemy  beyond  the  point  of  honourable 
victory,  for  he  was  no  match  for  Smollett  in  vituperation  and 
vulgar  abuse.  The  following  is  an  example  of  Smollett's  attack  : — ■ 
"One  of  the  owls  belonging  to  the  proprietor  of  the  Monthly 
Review,  which  answers  to  the  name  of  Grainger,  hath  suddenly 
broken  from  his  mew,  where  he  used  to  hoot  in  darkness  and 
peace,  and  now  screeches  openly  in  the  face  of  day.  We  shall 
take  the  first  opportunity  to  chastise  this  troublesome  owl  and 
drive  him  back  to  his  original  obscurity."  In  his  "Ode  to 
Solitude,"  Grainger  mentions  the  owl  in  the  following  random 
allusion  : — 

"  Where  the  owl,  still  hooting,  sits." 

The  assumption  is  that  this  is  the  line  that  beguiled  Smollett 
into  the  foregoing  poor  attempt  at  wit,  which  is  too  obvious  to 
conceal  the  bitterness  and  scorn  he  cherished  for  his  rival.  By 
this  time,  however,  the  reading  public  had  become  disgusted  with 
the  vulgar  and  aggressive  criticism  in  which  Smollett  and  his 
myrmidons  indulged  towards  almost  every  new  aspirant  in  litera- 
ture, and  the  censures  of  the  Critical  Review  left  the  reputation 
of  Grainger  unhurt.  Not  only  did  the  translations  of  Tibullus 
and  Sulpicia  secure  general  admiration  in  the  author's  own  day, 
but  anyone  who  takes  the  trouble  to  compare  the  translations 
of  Eton,  Otway,  and  Hammond  with  Grainger's  will  be  influenced 
in  Grainger's  favour,  though  perhaps  not  in  entire  agreement  with 
the  estimate  of  his  contemporary  critics. 

Book  IV.  of  the  Translations  of  Tibullus  is  composed  of 
elegies  assigned  to  Sulpicia  and  Cerinthus,  of  which  the  following 
lines  may  be  given  as  a  specimen  : — 


*'  If  from  the  botloiii  of  my  love-sick  heart, 
Of  last  night's  coyness  I  do  not  repent, 
May  I  no  more  your  tender  anguish  hear, 
No  longer  see  you  shed  th'  impassioned  tear  ; 
Vou  grasp"d  my  knees,  and  yet  to  let  you  part  — 
Oh,  night — more  happy  with  Cerinthus  spent  ! 
My  flame  with  coyness  to  conceal  I  thought, 
But  this  concealment  was  too  dearly  bought." 

The  only  poetical  work  by  Sulpicia  of  which  a  correct  critical 
judgment  can  approve  is  entitled  Sulpicke  Satira,  comprising  about 
seventy  hexameters,  believed  to  have  been  written  after  the  exile 
of  the  Philosophers  by  Domitian  in  94  a.d.  Moreover,  it  is 
supposed  that  both  the  third  and  fourth  books  of  Tibullus  are 
the  works  of  inferior  poets,  and  with  which  neither  Tibullus  nor 
Sulpicia  had  much  to  do.  Almost  immediately  after  the  publica- 
tion of  Tilnillus,  Dr  Grainger  was  induced  to  accept  an  appoint- 
ment in  the  island  of  St.  Christopher,  where  he  married  one  of 
the  daughters  of  the  Governor,  which  alliance  was  of  great 
advantage  to  him  professionally.  In  1763,  after  peace  was  pro- 
claimed, Grainger  returned  to  England,  where  he  remained 
nearly  two  years,  bringing  with  him  a  poem,  designated  "The  Sugar 
Cane,"  written  during  his  stay  in  the  West  Indies.  The  poem  was 
read  from  the  manuscript  at  the  house  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds, 
where  the  title  and  various  allusions  in  the  poem  were  a  source  of 
much  amusement  to  the  wits  there  assembled.  It  was  generally 
approved,  however,  and  he  was  induced  to  publish  it  in  a  quarto 
volume  in  1764.  While  in  England,  Grainger  supplied  Dr  Percy 
with  the  ballad  "  Bryan  and  Pereene,"  which  was  published  in 
the  first  volume  of  Reliques  of  English  Poetry.  The  ballad  was 
founded  on  a  real  incident  which  happened  in  the  island  of  St. 
Christopher,  and  is  of  a  most  touching  and  romantic  character. 

In  1765  Grainger  returned  to  St.  Christopher,  and  resumed 
his  medical  practice,  but  only  for  a  brief  period.  He  died  of 
fever  at  Basse-Terre  two  years  afterwards,  in  the  forty-third  year  of 
his  age.  Piy  all  who  knew  him  he  was  highly  esteemed,  both  as 
a  man  and  an  author.  Dr  Percy  says  of  him,  that  "  he  was  not 
only  a  man  of  genius  and  learning,  but  had  many  excellent 
virtues,  being  one  of  the  most  generous,  friendly,  and  benevolent 


men  he  ever  knew."  His  poetry  has  been  rather  over  than  under- 
estimated, which,  perhaps,  might  be  accounted  for  by  his  fasci- 
nating personality.  Plis  "  Ode  on  SoHtude  "  is  an  imitation,  and 
a  successful  one,  of  Milton's  "  Allegro  "  and  "  Penseroso,"  and 
has  generally  been  regarded  as  his  ablest  production.  Finally, 
his  works  were  edited  and  published  by  Dr  Anderson.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  pieces  already  alluded  to,  "  Translations  from  Ovid," 
"  Heroic  Epistles,"  and  a  "  Fragment  of  Capua  :  A  Tragedy  " 
which  he  left  in  manuscript,  were  also  included  in  Dr  Anderson's 
edition. 

In  Caleb  Whitefoord,   1 734-1810,  we  have  a  man  who  was 
more  distinguished  in  his  own  day  for  his  social  qualities  than  his 

literary    achievements,    although,     by    a    little 
Caleb  Whitefoord,  ^^^^  assiduous  cultivation  of  his  natural  gifts 
1734-1810.  ^ 

he  would  assuredly  have  left  a  greater  reputa- 
tion. The  Whitefoord  Papers^  edited  by  Professor  Hewins,  and 
pubished  by  the  Clarendon  Press  in  189S,  shows  the  wide  range 
of  Caleb  Whitefoord's  literary  and  artistic  associations,  comprising, 
as  they  did,  such  men  as  Dr  Johnson,  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds,  Gold- 
smith, Garrick,  Foote,  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  many  other 
celebrities  of  the  day.  He  was  the  only  son  of  Colonel  Charles 
Whitefoord  of  the  Fifth  Regiment  of  Foot,  and  was  born  at  Edin- 
burgh in  1734.  At  an  early  age  he  attended  James  Mundell's 
school,  where,  among  his  fellow-scholars,  were  the  Earl  of  Buchan, 
Lord  Balmuto,  and  Dr  Andrew  Hunter.  In  March,  1748,  he 
matriculated  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  where  he  rapidly 
became  distinguished  for  his  knowledge  of  classical  literature. 
The  intention  of  Caleb's  father  was  that  his  son  should  enter  the 
Church,  but  as  he  showed  a  strong  dislike  to  the  clerical  profes- 
sion the  idea  was  abandoned,  and  he  was  sent  to  London  and 
placed  in  the  counting-house  of  Archibald  Stewart,  a  wine 
merchant  in  a  large  way  of  business.  While  in  this  situation  his 
father  died,  leaving  to  Caleb  and  his  sister  the  greater  portion  of 
his  fortune.  With  the  view  of  adding  to  his  knowledge  and 
■experience  of  the  world  Caleb  went  to  France,  where  he  remained 
two  years,  after  which  he   returned  to  England  and  invested  the 


10 

greater  portion  of  his   money  in   the   wine   trade  as  partner  with 
Thomas   Brown.      He  became  a  society  man,   and   man  of  the 
world.      In  spite  of  his  natural  talents  for  wit,  learning,  and  the 
refined  arts,  Whitefoord  had  little  or  no  ambition  to  employ  them 
in    the   cause    of  literature.       Indeed,    had    he    not    made    the 
acquaintance  of  W.  Woodfall,  the  popular  journalist  and  publisher, 
he  might  never  have  exercised  his  pen  for  the   instruction  and 
amusement  of  the  public,  for  which  he  was  so  eminently  qualified. 
The  numerous  essays,   poems,   and  epigrams  Whitefoord  wrote 
were  published  in  the  Public  Advertiser,  the  St.  James's  Chronicle, 
and  other  periodicals,  and  were  greatly  appreciated  by  the  reading 
public.     From  the   moment  his  contributions  left  his  pen,  how- 
ever,   they   gave    him    no   further   concern,    and    he    was   quite 
indifferent  about  the  reputation  they  brought  him.     For  anything 
he  cared  they  would  have  been  lost  and  forgotten  had  they  not  been 
searched  out  and  collected  by  Almon  and  Debrett,  who  thought 
them  worthy  of  a  place  in  the   "  Foundling  Hospital  for  Wit." 
Among  the  most  interesting  papers  in  the  Whitefoord  collection 
are  "  John  Croft's  Letters  to  Caleb  Whitefoord  "  and  "  Anecdotes 
of  Laurence  Sterne,"  which  he  supplied  to  Croft.    Valuable  infor- 
mation here  reposes  which  would  form  important  material  for  a 
Life  of  that  eccentric  genius.     Another  important  epistle  is  from 
Whitefoord  to  his  partner,  Thomas   Brown,  dated  from    Lisbon, 
where  he  arrived  immediately  after  the  great  earthquake  in  August, 
1756.      The  description  he  gives  of  the  disaster  to  the  city  is 
graphic  and  interesting.     "  There  are  not  three  houses,"  he  says, 
"  left  entire  in  the  whole  city  of  Lisbon,  and  the  one  from  which 
I  write  stands  like  a  lame  beggar  propt  up  on  crutches."    There  is 
also  an  interesting  letter  to  Caleb  Whitefoord  from  the  ill-starred 
Andrew  Erskine,  advocating  the  claims  of  George  Thomson,   the 
friend  of  Robert  Burns,  who  was  going  to  put  in  execution  a  plan 
of  giving  the  public  the  Scottish  melodies  in  a  new  and  superior 
style  to  what  had  yet  been  done.      In  the  course  of  this  letter 
Erskine  says— "I   have  turned   poet  on  the  occasion,  and  have 
wrote  seven  love-songs  for  him  ;  at  fifty-two,  I'm  afraid,  we  write 
on    these   subjects    more   from    recollection    than    our    present 
feelings." 


11 

The  numerous  friends  Whitefoord  could  reckon  amongst 
people  of  nearly  every  intellectual  degree  and  social  status  show 
how  widely  he  was  known  and  how  much  he  was  appreciated.  By 
his  wit  and  good-humoured  satire  he  not  only  amused  and 
instructed  his  readers,  but  he  was  instrumental  in  delivering  the 
daily  press  from  the  dulness  and  insipidity  with  which  it  had  been 
trammelled  and  oppressed.  His  satire  partook  so  much  of  a 
sportive  character  that  it  offended  no  one,  though  in  less  judicious 
hands  his  power  of  satire  might  easily  have  become  a  dangerous 
weapon.  Adam  Smith  said  of  him  "  that  although  the  Junto  of 
wits  and  authors  hated  one  another  heartily,  they  had  all  a  sincere 
regard  for  Mr  Whitefoord,  who,  by  his  conciliatory  manners  and 
happy  adaptation  of  circumstances,  kept  his  circle  together  in 
amity  and  good  humour."  Whitefoord  was  a  popular  member  of 
the  famous  literary  Club  founded  by  Dr  Johnson,  and  though  he 
cannot  be  ranked  among  its  ablest  members,  no  one  was  held  in 
higher  esteem.  From  the  time  he  first  settled  in  London,  he 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  political  questions  of  the  day,  becoming 
a  convert  to  American  Independence.  He  acted  as  secretary  to 
Lord  St.  Helens,  the  Minister  entrusted  to  negotiate  treaties  of 
peace  with  the  United  States.  Several  of  the  treaties  drawn  up  at 
this  juncture  on  American  affairs  are  in  the  handwriting  of  Caleb 
Whitefoord.  Withdrawing  from  all  other  business,  he  remained 
in  Paris  some  thirteen  months,  where  he  acted  as  sole  secretary  to 
the  Commission  for  the  negotiation  of  the  Preliminary  Treaty  of 
Peace,  which  was  begun  in  1782.  Notwithstanding  the  import- 
ance of  Whitefoord's  diplomatic  services,  the  Government  suggested 
no  reward,  and  it  was  not  till  after  his  case  was  brought  to  the 
notice  of  the  King  that  he  was  rewarded  with  a  small  pension. 
Although  the  State  was  slow  to  recognise  his  talents  and  accom- 
plishments, he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Royal  Society  of 
London  for  his  literary  and  scientific  acquirements,  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh,  the  Society  of  Antiquaries,  and 
the  Philosophical  Society  of  Philadelphia.  Outside  the  artists' 
profession  he  was  unrivalled  as  a  connoisseur  of  art,  and  he  had  a 
fine  collection  of  specimens  of  distinguished  artists  to  the  number 


12 

of  two  hundred  and  twenty-six,  which  were  sold  at  Christie's  after 
his  death  in  iSio.  In  addition  to  the  honours  already  referred  to, 
the  Society  for  the  Improvement  of  Arts,  Manufactures,  and 
Commerce  elected  him  Chairman  of  their  Committee  in  1786,  and 
Vice-chairman  of  the  Society  in  iSoo — a  position  which  had 
usually  been  conferred  on  persons  of  the  highest  rank  only.  The 
circumstances  of  Oliver  Goldsmith's  "  Retaliation  "  are  too  well 
known  to  need  a  detailed  reproduction,  except  to  state  that  the 
epitaph  on  Whitefoord  was  published  in  the  fourth  and  subsequent 
editions  of  Goldsmith's  Poems,  and  is  worth  quoting  :  — 

"  Here  Whitefoord  reclines,  and  deny  it  who  can, 
Though  lie  merrily  liv'd,  he  is  now  a  grave  man. 
Rare  compound  of  oddity,  frolic,  and  fun. 
Who  relish 'd  a  joke,  and  rejoiced  in  a  pun  ; 
Whose  temper  was  generous,  open,  sincere, 
A  stranger  to  flatt'ry,  a  stranger  to  fear  ; 
Who  scalter'd  wit  and  humour  at  will, 
Whose  daily  bon  )iiots  half  a  column  might  fill ; 
A  Scotsman  from  pride  and  from  prejudice  free ; 
A  scholar,  but  surely  no  pedant  was  he." 

Previous  to,  and  contemporary  with,  Robert  Fergusson,  there 
was  quite  a  dynasty  of  small  poetasters  who  did  not  write  much, 
but  yet  were  the  authors  of  songs  which  were  memorable  for  their 
popularity.  For  instance,  there  was  Dr  Austin,  1726-17  76,  the 
author  of  "  For  Lack  of  Gold,"  who  made  his  name  in  Edinburgh 
in  medicine  and  only  appears  to  have  been  once  inspired,  and 
then  owing  to  a  disappointment  in  love.  It  appears  that  the  lady 
was  Miss  Jean  Drummond,  who,  in  1749,  married  the  Duke  of 
Athole,  leaving  her  earlier  lover  to  lament  that 

"  A  star  and  garter  have  more  art 

Than  youth,  a  true  and  faithful  heart." 

After  the  fashion  of  human  kind,  the  wound  ultimately  healed; 
nor  did  he  carry  out  his  threat  to  rove  henceforth  in  distant 
climes,  nor  yet  the  other  resolution  thus  expressed  : — 

"  No  cruel  fair  shall  ever  move 
My  injured  heart  again  to  love." 

Then  there  is  "  Roy's  Wife  of  Aldivalloch,"  which  was  for  some 


13 

time  attributed  to  Mrs  Grant  of  Laggan,  the  celebrated  authoress 
of  Letters  from  the  Mountains,  Essays  on  the  Superstitions  of  the 
Highlands  of  Scotland,  a  volume  of  Poems,  ^:c. ;  but  it  was  written 
by  Mrs  Grant  of  Carron,  a  native  of  Banffshire,  who  was  born 
1745,  and  married  for  her  second  husband  Dr  Murray,  of  Bath, 
where  she  died  in  18 14.  According  to  tradition,  Roy  of  Aldival- 
loch  distinguished  himself  in  one  of  the  risings  of  the  clans  by 
holding  a  small  island  in  the  Firth  of  Forth  with  a  mere  handful 
of  men.  The  Balloch  mentioned  in  the  still  popular  song  is 
situated  at  the  foot  of  Loch  Tay,  and  is  now  known  as  Tay 
Mouth. 

"  The  Nabob  "  and  "  Ye  shall  Walk  in  Silk  Attire  "  are  also 
deservedly  popular  songs,  and  were  written  by  Susanna  Blamire 
(1747-1794),  who  was  not  born  in  Scotland,  but  at  Cardew  Hall, 
near  CarHsle,  and  was  the  daughter  of  the  laird  of  the  Oakes,  in 
Cumberland.  While  very  young  she  lost  her  mother,  and  was 
brought  up  by  a  wealthy  aunt  named  Mrs  Simpson  of  Thaek- 
wood.  In  Scotland  much  of  her  life  was  spent,  and  she  became 
greatly  attached  to  its  history  and  traditions.  It  is  true  she  wrote 
a  number  of  English  pieces,  but  her  reputation  as  an  author  is 
due  to  her  Scottish  songs.  She  was  most  happy  in  the  expression 
of  her  sentiments  through  the  medium  of  the  Scots  vernacular. 
Her  longest  poem  is  entitled  "  Stocklewath,  or  the  Cumbrian 
Village."  For  a  considerable  time  her  songs  and  poems  were 
circulated  among  her  friends  and  acquaintances  in  manuscript 
form,  but  ihey  were  published  in  Edinburgh  in  1842,  forty-eight 
years  after  her  death,  the  authoress  being  designated  on  the  title 
page,  "  The  Muse  of  Cumberland." 

In  this  connection  the  song  of  "  Roslin  Castle  "  may  also 
be  mentioned,  as  it  was  so  highly  appreciated  by  the  poet  Burns, 
whose  judgment  on  the  qualities  of  a  song  is,  of  course,  entitled 
to  a  hearing.  As  to  the  author,  Richard  Hewitt,  little  is  known, 
except  that  when  a  lad  he  was  employed  to  take  Dr  Blacklock, 
the  blind  poet,  from  place  to  place  during  his  residence  in  Cum- 
berland. In  addition  to  this  he  acted  as  his  amanuensis,  subse- 
quently becoming  Secretary  to    Lord    Milton,    then    Lord  Justice 


u 

Clerk,  and  Sub-Minister  for  Scotland  under  Archibald,  Duke  of 

Argyle,  but  his  health  gave  way  under  the  pressure  of  work,  and 

he   died  in    1764.      The   air  to   "  Roslin  Castle"  was   formerly 

known  as  "  The  House  of  Clamniis." 

A   far  better-known  nanit;    than   Ricliard    Hewitt  is  that  of 

James  Tytler,  a  man  who  played  many  parts,  and  yet  his  talents 

were  vastly  underrated.      The  son  of  a  Brechin 

James     >ier,      minister,  he  was  originally  educated  with  a  view 
1 747- 1805.  '  ^        ^ 

to  the  Church,  but  subsequently   changed  his 

mind,  entering  the  medical  profession,  which  he  could  easily  have 
adorned  had  he  made  that  his  aim,  but  he  had  too  keen  a  desire 
for  travel  and  adventure  to  make  an  indelible  mark  in  any  one 
walk  in  life.  As  an  instance  of  his  adventurous  spirit,  he  was  the 
first  person  in  Scotland  to  make  a  balloon  ascent,  in  face  of  much 
opposition  and  a  wide-spread  belief  that  such  an  adventure  was  a 
temptation  of  Providence,  which  it  was  wicked  to  incur,  and 
which  earned  him  the  soubriquet  of  "  Balloon  Tytler  "  In  the 
course  of  his  life  he  devoted  much  time  to  general  literature,  to 
which  he  added  chemical  investigation.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  he  was  editor  and  principal  compiler  of  the  original 
EncyclopcBdia  Britamiica^  which  now  holds  so  important  a  place 
an)ong  books  of  reference.  Besides  his  other  literary  gifts  he  had 
the  faculty  of  rhyming,  and  left  at  least  three  well-known  songs  to 
further  enrich  the  poetry  of  Scotland — "Loch  Errock  Side,"  which 
derives  its  name  from  a  lake  in  Perthshire;  "The  Bonnie  Bruckit 
Lassie,"  and  "  Lass,  gin  ye  Lo'e  Me,"  the  last  of  which  was  pro- 
bably suggested  to  the  author  by  an  old  fragment  which  was 
published  by  Herd.  After  a  life  of  much  activity  and  adventure 
Tytler  died  at  Massachusetts,  in  1805,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight. 

Another    well-known     name — at    all    events     a    name    that 

deserves  to  be  known — is  that  of  Elizabeth  Hamilton,  who,  though 

born  in  Belfast,  was  of  Scottish  parentage,  and 

Elizabeth  Hamilton,    ^         ^j^^^  ^^^  inherited  strong  Scottish  sym- 

1758-1816.  .  ^  ^ 

pathies,    which    were   no   doubt  strengthened 

from   the  fact  that  she  spent  much  of  her  life  in  Scotland.     She 

was  a  versatile  writer,  and  her  works  comprise  Letters  of  n  Hindoo 


15 

Rajah,  which  appeared  in  1796  ;  Alenwirs  of  Modern  Philosophers, 

1800  ;  Letters  on  Education,  1802  ;  Life  of  Agrippina,  1804  ;  and 

Letters  on  the  Moral  and  Religious  Principle,  1806.     The  work  by 

which    she   is   now    best  known,    however,    is  the    Cottagers   of 

Glenburnie.     Briefly,  it  is  a  vivid  and  realistic  representation  of 

rural  life  in  Scodand  a  century  ago,  and  is  valuable  owing  to  its 

historical  side-lights.     For  nearly  a  century  it  was  to  be  found  on 

the  shelves  of  almost  every   cottage  library  in   Scotland.     The 

Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  Agrippina  is  a  fascinating  and  interesting 

sketch.     Although  the  authoress  does   not  claim  to  be  a  Latin 

scholar,  but  frankly  acknowledges  her  indebtedness  to  Murphy's 

Translation  of  the  Annals  of  Tacitus,  Adams  on  Roman  Antiquities, 

and  other  sources,  she  seems  to  have   grasped  the  Roman  spirit 

in  a  thorough  and  sympathetic  manner.     We  are  also  indebted  to 

her  for  that  popular  Scots  song,  "  My  Ain  Fireside,"  which  will 

be  readily  recalled  by  the  first  few  lines  : — 

"  I  ha'e  seen  great  anes,  an'  sat  in  great  ha's, 
'Mang  lords  and  fine  ladies  a'  covered  wi'  braws  ; 
At  feasts  made  for  princes,  wi'  princes  I've  been 
Whare  the  grand  sheen  o'  splendour  has  dazzled  my  een  ; 
But  a  sight  sae  delightfu',  I  trow,  I  ne'er  spied 
As  the  bonnie  blithe  blink  o'  mine  ain  fireside." 

Another   well-known    ballad    is    popular    in    Galloway — the 

author's    native    place — "  Mary's    Dream,"    which    is   deservedly 

popular  throughout  the  whole  of  Scotland  ;  and 

John  Lowe,  entitled,   "  A  Morning   Poem."     Both 

1750-1798.  ^  '  ^       .  , 

are  by  John  Lowe,  who  was  born  m    1750  and 

died  in  1798.     The  latter  composition  is  characterised  by  a  kind 

of  weird  pathos,  with  a  fine  admixture  of  natural  light  and  shade, 

the  opening  scene  being  vividly   before  the   author's   mind's-eye 

when  he  wrote  : — 

"  The  moon  had  climbed  the  highest  hill 
Which  rises  o'er  the  source  of  Dee, 
And  from  the  eastern  summit  shed 
Her  silvery  light  on  tower  and  tree." 

The  author  was  the  son  of  a  gardener  at  Kenmure  Castle,  New- 
Galloway.  He  acquired  the  rudiments  of  a  classical  education  at 
the  Parish  School  of  Kells,  which  fired  his  ambition  for  still  more 


16 

extensive  knowledge.  In  his  ardent  desire  to  become  a  scholar 
worthy  of  the  name,  he  was  induced  to  engage  in  the  teaching  of 
sacred  music  and  the  violin  during  his  spare  hours  from  weaving, 
to  which  he  had  been  apprenticed.  He  was  thus  enabled  to 
secure  the  advantages  of  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  to  which 
he  betook  himself  in  1771,  entering  the  Divinity  Classes.  While 
at  Edinburgh  he  was  made  tutor  to  the  family  of  Mr  M'Ghie  of 
Airds,  a  gentleman  of  limited  means,  a  good  reputation,  and  a 
large  family.  Lowe  ultimately  went  to  reside  with  the  M'Ghie's, 
whose  estate  was  situated  in  the  peninsula  where  meet  and  blend 
the  rivers  Dee  and  Ken. 

Here,  amidst  congenial  surroundings,  his  poetical  talent  was 
first  manifested,  and  he  composed  the  verses  which  have  preserved 
his  name- till  the  present  time.  His  other  most  popular  piece  is 
entitled  "  A  Morning  Poem,"  and  is  of  a  descriptive  and  pastoral 
character,  while  "  Mary's  Dream "  is  pathetic  and  sentimental, 
bearing  evidence  of  having  been  inspired  by  a  painful  incident. 
During  the  time  he  was  tutor  in  the  M'Ghie  family,  Alexander 
Miller,  a  young  and  promising  surgeon,  the  betrothed  lover  of 
Mary  M'Ghie,  was  drowned  at  sea,  and  the  sad  incident  supplied 
the  subject  of  the  poem.  The  gist  of  the  poem  is  that  a  spirit 
appeared  to  Mary  in  a  dream,  which  can  best  be  conveyed  by 
the  concluding  four  lines  : — 

"  Loud  crow'd  the  cock,  the  shadow  fled, 
No  more  of  Sandy  could  she  see  ; 
But  soft  the  passing  spirit  said— 

'  Sweet  Mary,  weep  no  more  for  me.'  " 

It  was  Lowe's  intention  to  enter  the  Church  of  Scotland,  for 
which  he  was  fully  qualified,  but  seeing  no  immediate  prospect 
he  emigrated  to  America,  and  subsequently  became  tutor  in  the 
family  of  the  brother  of  the  illustrious  George  Washington,  He 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Virginia,  where  he  forgot  Jessie  M'Ghie, 
the  girl  he  left  behind  him  in  Scotland,  marrying  a  Virginian 
lady,  with  whom  he  lived  unhappily.  Although  he  became  a 
clergyman  in  an  Episcopal  Church  in  Virginia,  his  ill-assorted 
marriage  appears  to  have  changed  his  whole  outlook  on  life,  and 


17 

he  became  dissolute  in  his  habits.  Finally,  overtaken  with 
poverty  and  disgrace,  he  is  said  to  have  died  from  an  overdose  of 
opium  in  1798,  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  Lowe  is  said 
to  have  written  one  of  the  airs  which  is  set  to  his  popular 
ballad  in  Johnsoti's  Musical  Museum,  and  he  is  also  credited  with 
the  authorship  of  a  song  entitled  "  Pompey's  Ghost." 

The  name  of  Robert  Graham  of  Gartmore  is  suggestive  of 

days  long  past  and  gone.      His  best  known  song  has  so  much  of 

the  spirit  of  the  old  cavalier  that  in  reading  it 

Robert  Graham,    ^^^  j^  forcibly  reminded  of  the  spirited  effusions 

1750-1797. 

of  the  Marquis  of  Montrose.      As  a  matter  of 

fact,    the    "  Cavalier    Song "    was    for   some    time   attributed    to 

Montrose  by  no  less  an  authority  than   Sir    Walter  Scott,    and 

when  its  true  authorship  was  discovered  it  earned  for  its  author 

the  title  of  "  The  last  of  the  Cavalier  Poets."    The  author,  Robert 

Graham,  was  the  son  of  Nichol  Graham  of  Gartmore,  and  Lady 

Margaret,  daughter  of  the  twelfth  Earl  of  Glencairn.     Early  in  life 

he  went  abroad  and  became  a  planter  in  Jamaica,  where  he  met 

his  first  wife,  who  is  reported  to  have  brought  him  a  considerable 

fortune.      In  1785  he  was  chosen  Rector  of  Glasgow  University, 

in  opposition  to  Burke,  and  two  years  before  his  death  he  sat  as 

Member   of  Parliament   for  Stirlingshire.     On  the  death  of  the 

fifteenth,   and  last,   Earl  of  Glencairn   he  inherited  some  of  his 

estates,  taking  the  name  of  Cunningham  as  a  prefix  to  his  own. 

Unfortunately,  Graham  did  not  long  enjoy  either  his  new  title  or 

the  acquisition  to  his  fortune,  for  he  died  in  the  following  year  at 

the     comparatively     early     age     of    forty-seven.       Besides    the 

"  Cavalier's  Song  "  our  author  wrote  a  number  of  lyrics  by  no 

means  void  of  merit,    though  none  of  them  show  the  spirit  and 

ability  of  the  "  Cavalier's  Song." 

Passing  to  the  well-known  song,  "  Auld  Robin  Gray,"  which 

has  been  designated  "The  king  of  Scottish  ballads,"  and  yet  is  the 

only  piece  that  has  come  from  the  pen  of  its 

Lady  Ann  Lindsay,  ^uthoress  which  at  all  entitles  her  to  fame.     For 
1750-1825. 

at  least  half-a-century  its  authorship  remained  a 

secret,  thus  making  it  the  subject  of  frequent  dispute,  but  it  is 


18 

«o\v  definitely  assigned  to  Lady  Anne  Lindsay,  the  eldest  daughter 
of  the  Earl  of  Balcarres.  She  was  born  at  Balcarres  in  1750,  and 
was  married  to  Sir  Andrew  Barnard,  private  secretary  to  the 
Oovernor  of  Cape  Colony,  in  1793,  and  died  at  her  London  resi- 
dence in  1825.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  authorship  of  this 
famous  ballad  was  kept  a  secret  so  long,  Lady  Anne  Lindsay 
afterwards  went  to  much  trouble  to  furnish  to  the  public  all  the 
particulars  connected  with  its  composition,  and  this  created  some 
scepticism  with  regard  to  the  genuineness  of  her  claim.  "  Auld 
Robin  Gray  "  is  usually  sung  to  the  air  composed  for  it  by  the 
Rev.  William  Leeves,  about  177 1,  who  was  then  Rector  of  Wring- 
ton,  in  Somersetshire.  For  the  full  exposition  of  the  English  air 
it  requires  two  of  the  four-line  stanzas,  while  the  Scots  air  only 
requires  one.  To  provide  for  the  exigencies  of  the  English  air  the 
first  four  lines  of  the  poem  beginning  "  When  the  sheep  are  in 
^he  fauld  "  are  generally  left  out.  In  Scotland  few  songs  have 
been  more  popular  than  "  Auld  Robin  Gray,"  although  its  popu- 
larity has  by  no  means  been  confined  to  Scotland.  It  has  been 
translated  into  many  languages,  and  has  been  the  subject  of  many 
plays  and  pictures  which  could  not  have  entered  into  the  concep- 
tion of  the  authoress  when  she  penned  it.  The  revelations  of 
the  motive  of  the  poem  as  given  by  the  authoress,  alluded  to 
above,  does  not  enhance  its  romantic  features,  and  would  have 
been  better  kept  in  the  background. 

In  the  same  category  as  Lady  Lindsay  may  be  placed 
William  Dudgeon,  1753-1815,  who  was  also  the  author  of  one 
well-known  piece,  entitled  "The  Maid  that  Tends  the  Goats." 
This  one  piece  has  been  sufficient  to  perpetuate  his  name,  while 
many  an  author  with  a  larger  output  has  been  long  since  forgotten. 
Dudgeon  was  born  in  1753,  at  Tyningham,  Haddingtonshire,  six 
years  before  the  Poet  Burns,  and  was  the  son  of  a  farmer,  which 
occupation  he  also  followed  with  much  success.  When  Burns 
was  making  his  Border  tour  he  was  introduced  to  him,  and 
the  greater  Poet  thought  him  worthy  of  a  note  in  his  journal 
to  the  following  effect  :  "  Dudgeon,  a  poet  at  times  ;  a  worthy, 
remarkable  character ;  natural  penetration,  a  good  deal  of  informa- 


19 

tion,  some  genius,  and  extreme  modesty."  This  may  explain  why 
one  who  could  write  so  creditably  (and,  as  Burns  says,  with  some 
genius)  did  not  take  the  public  into  his  confidence  more 
frequently  than  he  did.  Among  the  author's  other  virtues,  if 
virtues  they  can  be  called,  we  are  informed  that  he  was  a  shy, 
well-conducted,  Puritanic  person — a  poet,  and  writer  of  sermons. 
Yet  the  only  specimen  of  his  poetic  genius  which  has  been 
handed  down  to  us  is  the  one  we  have  mentioned.  This  song,  it 
would  appear,  was  sung  into  public  notice  through  the  medium  of 
the  stage — a  path  to  popularity  which  could  scarcely  be  appre- 
ciated by  its  Puritanic  author  if  he  was  in  any  way  a  reflex  of  his 
time.  The  melody  is  taken  from  the  Rev.  Patric  Macdonald's 
Highland  Airs,  showing  that  the  Highland  laird  who  composed 
the  air  was  technically  correct  according  to  the  modern  theory 
of  music. 

Notwithstanding   the    many    poets    and    authors,    great  and 

small,   already  mentioned   in   the  course  of  this  sketch,   Robert 

Fergusson   falls   to  be  placed   among   the  first 

Robert  Fergusson,   ^^^^^    ^^   Scotland's    more    modern    and     truly 

1 750- 1 774. 

national    poets.       More     than     half-a-century 

intervened  between  the  birth  of  Ramsay  and  Fergusson,  yet  the 
latter  must  rank  as  Ramsay's  immediate  successor,  for  he  is  the 
connecting  link  between  Ramsay  and  Burns.  It  is  not  so  much 
the  bulk  of  Fergusson's  work  that  must  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion— for  he  passed  away  from  the  scene  of  his  labours  at  an  age 
when  few  poets  have  commenced  to  write  at  all — as  the  fact  that 
he  struck  the  vernacular  keynote  which  was  to  set  vibrating  the 
more  tuneful  lyre  of  Burns.  Indeed,  we  have  it  on  the  authority 
of  Burns  himself  that  when  a  very  young  man  he  had  all  but 
abandoned  poetry  in  despair,  till  on  reading  Fergusson's  Scottish 
poems  he  "  strung  anew  his  wildly-sounding  lyre  with  emulating 
vigour."  There  can  be  no  two  opinions  of  the  impression  those 
poems  made  upon  Burns.  When  he  first  visited  Edinburgh  he 
found  only  a  green  mound  and  scattered  gowans  above  the  spot 
where  the  remains  of  this  wayward  genius  lay  buried.  He  was 
moved  to  the  depths  of  his  soul,  and  when  he  recalled  the  brief 


20 

and  painful  past  of  his  unfortunate  brother  bard  he  uncovered  his 
head  and  wept  over  his  last  resting-place  with  all  the  fervour  of  the 
Poet's  soul.    Nor  was  it  a  spasmodic  or  transitory  emotion.    What 
better   proof  can    be   given  of  the  depth  and  sincerity  of  that 
emotion  than  the  fact  that  Burns  at  once  sought  leave  to  erect 
the  humble  monument  in  the  Canongate  Churchyard  which   still 
marks    the    spot?     Robert    Fergusson  was    born    at   Edinburgh, 
September  5,  1750,  where  his  father  held  the  office  of  accountant 
to  the  British  Linen  Hall,  which,  though  respectable,  was  poorly 
paid.      Like  his  son,  he  had  poetic  gifts  ;  but  with  a  small  salary, 
and  a  family  of  five  children  to  provide  for,  he  had  not  the  leisure 
or  freedom  from  anxiety  necessary  to  cultivate  the  gift  of  poetry. 
It  is  evident  from  some  of  the  letters  he   wrote  to  his  brother 
that    the   family    were    frequently    in    straitened    circumstances. 
When   Robert  was  first  put  to  school,  his  father's  income  was 
scarcely  more  than  twenty  pounds  per  annum,  and  yet  out  of  that 
small  annual  aggregate  he  expended  35s  for  the  schooling  of  his 
son,  which  is  but  another  of  many  instances  that  might  be  given 
to  illustrate  the  value  the  people  of  Scotland  have   always  put 
upon  education.     When  about  six  years  of  age,  Robert  Fergusson 
was  sent  to  school,  but  his  mother,  who  was  a  woman  of  most 
excellent  parts,  had  not  left  his  mind  uninstructed.     After  having 
attended  the  High  School  of  Edinburgh    the  usual  term  of  four 
years,   he   was   transferred   to  the   Grammar  School  of  Dundee, 
which    was   distinguished    as    an  efficient  educational  institution 
even  in  Fergusson's  time.     In  1762  Fergusson  earned  a  bursary, 
or  exhibition,  of  the  annual  value  of  ;^io  for  four  years  at  the 
University  of  St.  Andrews,  where  he  soon  distinguished  himself  as 
a   student   of  more   than   ordinary   gifts.     His  case   is  the   oft- 
repeated  story  in  connection  with  the  youth  of  Scotland  in  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries — he  entered  the  University 
with  the  view  of  going  into  the  Church,  and  he  matriculated  in 
1765.     This  was  rather  the  desire  of  his  parents,  however,  than 
freedom  of  choice  on  his  part ;  but  he  appears  to  have  willingly 
acquiesced,  for  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  inscribed  his  name  in  his 
class-book,  "  Robert  Fergusson,  Student  of  Divinity."     As  it  had 


been  at  the  High  School  of  Edinburgh,  he  entered  the  University 
with  the  highest  promise  of  rapid  progress  ;  but  though  this  was 
the  case  it  does  not  appear  that  he  devoted  himself  to  a  deep 
study  of  the  classics,  which  were  then  thought  so  essential.  On 
the  authority  of  Ruddiman,  it  is  stated  that  Virgil  and  Horace 
were  the  only  Latin  authors  be  took  much  interest  in.  In  spite  of 
his  natural  bias  for  poetry,  he  does  not  seem  to  have  shown  any 
marked  predilection  for  Greek  literature.  We  are  informed  that 
on  the  fly-leaf  of  his  copy  of  Xenophon's  Anabasis  is  written  in 
his  own  hand,  "  Ex  libris  Robert  Fergusson,"  and  underneath  a 
rude  drawing  of  a  harp.  Before  Fergusson  had  been  long  at  the 
University  his  fellow-students  recognised  that  he  was  "  a  fellow  of 
infinite  jest  "  and  excellent  fancy,  the  very  qualities  which  were 
instrumental  in  hastening  his  ultimate  ruin.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
his  great  natural  gifts  gradually  drew  him  into  gay  and  reckless 
company,  and  he  became  noted  among  his  companions  as  a  wit, 
a  songster,  a  mimic,  a  viveier — in  short,  a  man  who  rejoiced  to 
live  his  life.  But  his  moral  sense  had  too  keen  an  edge  to  allow 
him  to  long  play  the  buffoon,  and  he  paid  for  his  folly  by  the 
bitterest  pangs  of  remorse  and  religious  despondency,  which  ended 
in  reason  being  hurled  from  her  throne.  Soon  there  was  a  vacant 
chair  in  the  circle  of  his  jovial  companions,  and  they  might  have 
soliloquised  over  the  remains  of  the  unfortunate  youth  whom 
they  had  undone  by  their  flattery  and  empty  compliments,  as  did 
Hamlet  over  the  skull  of  poor  Yorick  when  he  exclaimed  with 
pathetic  irony,  "  Where  be  thy  jibes  now,  thy  gambols,  thy  songs 
of  merriment  which  were  wont  to  set  the  table  in  a  roar  ?" 

From  all  that  is  known  of  Fergusson's  life  and  character  it 
must  not  be  assumed  that  he  was  more  dissipated  than  the 
average  young  man  of  the  day  ;  but  owing  to  his  delicate  constitu- 
tion and  susceptible  mental  temperament  he  was  soon  vanquished, 
physically  and  mentally,  while  some  of  his  more  robust  companions 
were  permitted  farther  to  play  the  rebel  against  Nature.  From 
time  to  time  there  have  been  two  statements  preferred  against 
Fergusson,  but  they  are  scarcely  worth  serious  attention.  The 
one  is  that  he  was  disobedient  and  refractory  at  college,  and  was 


disgraced  for  satirising  the  University  professors  ;  and  the  other 
is  that  he  had  neither  perseverance  nor  application  for  the  study 
of  law  ur  divinity,  which  left  him  no  alternative  but  the  drudgery 
of  a  copying  clerk.  With  respect  to  the  first,  it  does  not  appear 
that  the  satires  were  other  than  innocent,  playful,  and  void  of 
offence.     In  the  lines  of  Burns,  the  charge  may  well  be  disposed 

of:— 

"  The  cleanest  corn  thai  e'er  was  diglu 
May  hae  some  piles  o'  caff  in, 
Sae  ne'er  a  fellow- mortal  slight 
Fcr  random  fits  o'  daffin." 

Then  with  regard  to  the  charge  of  lack  of  application  and  perse- 
verance, it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  when  his  father  died  he  was 
without  means  to  pursue  the  study  of  divinity  or  take  up  the 
profession  of  the  law,  and  had  consequently  to  devote  himself  to 
the  transcription  of  law  papers  for  his  daily  bread.  What  wonder 
if  he  became  restive  under  this  yoke,  and  yearned  for  conviviality, 
summing  up  the  position  in  one  of  his  own  lines  : — 
"  Tir"d  o"  the  law  and  a'  its  phrases." 

He  commenced  to  contribute  occasional  English  poems  to 
the  IVeck/y  Magazine,  or  Edinburgh  Aniusetnent,  in  1771,  which 
had  been  started  by  the  brothers  Ruddiman  three  years  previously. 
His  first  contributions  were  three  Pastorals  entitled  respectively 
"Morning,"  "Noon,"  and  "Night;"  and  though  they  are  by  no 
means  void  of  merit,  the  English  in  which  they  are  written  is 
halting  and  artificial,  and  bears  evident  marks  of  the  influence  of 
Pope  and  Gay,  who  were  still  factors  in  English  poetry.  In  spite 
of  these  defects,  however,  which  are  probably  more  apparent  to  a 
later  generation  than  they  were  at  the  time,  Fergusson's  contribu- 
tions greatly  increased  the  reputation  of  the  Weekly  Magazine, 
which  was  eagerly  read  in  the  Coffee  Rooms,  and  the  publishers 
received  letters  of  congratulation  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  It 
was  when  Fergusson  had  recourse  to  his  homely  vernacular  for 
the  exercise  of  his  poetic  fancy  that  his  true  success  began. 
Immediately  his  new-found  strength  found  expression  in  a  little 
poem,   which   was   sent  from  Glasgow  to  his  publishers,  entitled 


23 

the  "  Muse's  Choice,"  which  straightway  ranked  Fergusson  next 
to  Ramsay,  and  this  when  his  Muse  had  only  sounded  its  first 
notes.  In  due  course  he  essayed  loftier  flights,  for  the  "  Farmer's 
Ingle,"  '■  Leith  Races,"  "  Odes  to  the  Bee,"  and  the  "  Gowdspink  " 
soon  followed.  His  compositions  exercised  a  potent  influence 
over  Burns,  which  must  be  regarded  as  the  highest  tribute  that 
can  be  paid  to  their  merit. 

It  may  be  here  remarked  that  it  does  appear  to  critics  of  a 
later  day  that  Burns  over-estimated  his  indebtedness  to  Fergusson. 
If  he  did  exaggerate  Fergusson's  poetical  claims  to  the  ranks  of 
fame  this  was  probably  due  to  his  modesty  and  generous  disposi- 
tion. There  was  much  in  common  between  Burns  and  Fergusson 
in  temperament  and  natural  disposition.  Like  Burns,  Fergusson 
could  fascinate  his  friends  by  his  conversational  powers  and  ready 
wit,  which  were  enhanced  by  a  child-like  gaiety  and  artlessness  of 
manner,  a  kind  and  genial  disposition.  These,  with  his  poetic 
gifts  and  excellent  vocal  powers  in  the  rendering  of  a  Scots  song, 
endeared  him  to  the  coterie  of  associates,  who  did  him  much 
moral  harm,  and  the  giddy  youth  was  gradually  plunged  into  a 
course  of  life  which  unfitted  him  for  sustained  effort  and  the  dis- 
charge of  his  daily  duties.  In  1773,  when  he  was  twenty-three 
years  of  age,  his  contributions  to  the  Weekly  Magazine  were 
collected  into  a  small  volume  and  published  by  W.  &  T.  Ruddi- 
nian,  which  was  much  appreciated  by  the  public,  and  resulted  in 
a  profit  of  ^50  to  the  author.  To  one  who  had  been  in  the 
straitened  circumstances  to  which  Fergusson  had  been  so  long 
accustomed  fifty  pounds  was  a  little  fortune,  which  had  the  effect 
of  turning  his  head.  From  the  time  of  Allan  Ramsay  many  able 
poetical  productions  had  appeared,  among  which  might  be  named 
Ross's  "  Helenore,"  Falconer's  "  Shipwreck,"  and  Beattie's 
'•'■  Minstrel."  But  there  was  an  intense  yearning  for  the  lyre  of  a 
more  homely  muse,  and  Fergusson  appears  to  have  supplied  the 
want.  This  is  plainly  indicated  by  Dr  Toshack,  of  Perth,  who 
wrote  under  the  nom  de  plmne  of  Andrew  Gray,  and  from  whom 
the  following  lines  may  be  cited  :  — 


24 

"  Ve've  ?>nglish  plain  enough,  n;ie  doulu. 
And  Latin  too  ;  hut  ye  do  suit 
Your  lines  to  folk  that's  out  about 

'Mang  hills  and  braes — 
That's  the  thing  that  gars  me  shout 

Sae  loud  your  praise." 

Immediately  after  the  small  volume  by  Rtiddiman  appeared,  in 
1772-3,  P'ergusson's  poetical  faculty  appears  to  have  increased  in 
productiveness  and  vigour,  for  "  The  Address  to  the  Tron  Kirk 
Bell,"  "  Caller  Water,"  "  Plainstanes  and  Causeway,"  "  The  Rising 
and  Sitting  of  the  Session,"  "  Ode  to  the  Bee  and  Gowdspink," 
"  The  Farmer's  Ingle,"  "  Leith  Races,"  with  a  number  of  less 
important  pieces,  were  thrown  from  his  pen  with  marvellous 
rapidity,  all  adding  to  his  reputation  in  the  estimation  of  the 
Edinburgh  public.  Some  of  these  pieces,  such  as  "  Plainstanes 
and  Causeway,"  "  The  Rising  and  Sitting  of  the  Session,"  and 
Leith  Races,"  sparkled  with  allusions  and  incidents  with  which 
the  Edinburgh  people  were  familiar.  It  may  be  truly  said  that 
Fergusson  is  the  poet  of  city  life.  But  he  was  not  exclusively 
acquainted  with  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  city  ;  he  was 
surprismgly  happy  in  the  portrayal  of  rustic  life.  Where  is  the 
peasant  who  could  not  re-echo  his  sentiments  in  wishing? — 

"  Peace  to  the  husbandman  an'  a'  his  tribe, 

Whase  care  fells  a'  our  wants  frae  year  to  year  ; 
Lang  may  his  sock  and  couler  turn  the  gleyb, 
And  banks  o'  corn  bend  down  wi'  laded  ear." 

He   gives    further   proof  of  how   well   he  grasped  the   spirit  and 
advantages  of  rural  life  in  "  Home  Content,"  where  he  says  :  — 

"  When  the  dog-day  heats  Ijegin 
To  birstle  and  to  peel  the  skin, 
May  I  lie  streekit  at  my  ease, 
Beneath  the  cauler  shady  trees, 
Far  frae  the  din  o'  borrow  toon, 
Whare  water  plays  the  haughs  bedown  ; 
To  jouk  the  summer's  rigour  there, 
And  breathe  awhile  the  cauler  air, 
'Mang  herds  and  honest  cottar  fouck. 
That  till  the  farm  and  feed  the  flock, 
Careless  o'  mair." 


25 

And  again  : — 

"  O  Nature  !  canly,  blithe,  and  free, 
Whare  is  there  keekin'  glass  like  thee  ?" 

How  frequently  we  have  in  Fergusson's  poems  the  humorous 
and  the  pathetic  blended  in  that  ingenuous  and  rollicking  fashion 
so  characteristic  of  the  Scot  of  that  day,  who  was  as  much  afraid  of 
being  thought  too  serious  as  of  being  thought  too  effeminate. 
An  example  is  afforded  by  the  following  lines  from  the  "  Gowd- 
spink,"  which  is  only  one  of  many  illustrations  that  might  be 
given  :  — 

"Now  steekit  frae  the  gowan  field, 

Frae  ilka  fav'rite  houff  and  bield  ; 

But  mergh,  alas  !  to  disengage, 

Your  bonny  boucke  frae  fettering  cage. 

Your  free-born  bosom  beats  in  vain, 

For  darling  liberty  again  ; 

In  window  hung,  how  aft  we  see 

Thee  keek  about  at  warblers  free. 

That  carol  saft,  and  sweetly  sing, 

Wi'  a'  the  blythness  o'  the  spring ; 

Like  Tantalus  they  hing  you  here. 

To  spy  the  glories  o'  the  year." 

It   may  be  claimed  for  Fergusson   that  he   was  not  only  a  keen 

observer  of  the  men  and  manners  of  his  time,  but  he  was  familiar 

with  the  historical  conditions  of  his  country,  as  may  be  gathered 

from   scattered   allusions   in  many  of  his   pieces.     Among  other 

things  he  marked  the  decline  of  Scottish  music  which  supervened 

with  the  Reformation,  compared  with  the  time  when  savants  from 

many  parts  of  Europe  flocked  to  the  north  to  study  at  the  Sang 

Schule    of  Aberdeen.     The    following    lines    will   suffice    as   an 

illustration  : — 

"  On  Scotia's  plains  in  days  of  yore, 
When  lads  and  lasses  tartan  wore, 
Saft  music  rang  on  ilka  shore, 

In  homely  weed, 
But  harmony  is  now  no  more, 

And  music  dead. 


!G 


O  ScolUind,  ihal  could  aince  afi'oid 
To  bang  the  piih  of  Roman  sword, 
Winna  your  sons  \vi'  joint  accord 

To  bailie  speed. 
And  fight  till  music  be  rcstor'd, 

Which  now  lies  dead?' 


It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  although  Fergusson  was  a 
great  lover  of  music,  and  possessed  exceptional  vocal  powers,  he 
did  not  contribute  anything  of  importance  to  the  lyrical  poetry  of 
his  country.  As  a  song  writer  lie  is  far  inferior  to  Burns, 
Tannahill,  and  Lady  Nairne. 

Though  it  is  apparent  that  he  was  qualified  by  education  and 
poetic  gifts  to  imp  his  wing  for  boldest  flights  into  the  sublime, 
he  was  content  to  confine  himself  to  those  homely  themes  which 
appealed  to  the  tastes  of  those  in  the  humblest  walks  of  life. 
Nor  can  it  be  disputed  that  this,  to  a  large  extent,  was  the  province 
of  Robert  Burns — thus  we  can  more  easily  understand  why  he  was 
encouraged  to  "  string  anew  his  wildly  sounding  lyre  "  on  reading 
Fergusson's  poems. 

Even  in  Burns's  versification  the  influence  of  Fergusson  is  quite 
apparent.  The  "  Cottar's  Saturday  Night "  may  be  read  in  the 
light  of  the  "  Farmer's  Ingle,"  while  "  Leith  Races  "  has  also 
exercised  a  considerable  influence  in  the  inspiration  of  the  "  Holy 
Fair."  The  opening  verse  of  "  Leith  Races,"  which  is  only  one 
of  several   that   might   be  quoted   to    show   the   similarity,   is   as 

follows  : — 

"  In  July  month,  ae  bonny  morn, 

Whan  Nature's  rokelay  green 

Was  spread  o'er  ilka  rig  o'  corn 

To  charm  our  roving  een, 
Glouring  about  I  saw  a  queen. 

The  fairest  'neath  the  lift ; 
Her  een  were  o'  the  siller  sheen. 
Her  skin  like  snawy  drift, 

Sae  white  that  day." 

That  of  the  "  Holy  Fair  "  is  as  follows  : — 

"  Upon  a  summer  Sunday  morn. 
When  Nature's  face  is  fair, 
I  walked  forth  to  view  the  corn. 
An'  snuff  the  caller  air. 


27 

The  rising  sun,  owre  Galston  Muirs, 

Wi'  glorious  light  was  glintin'  ; 
The  hares  were  hirplin'  down  the  furrs, 

The  lav'rocks  they  were  chantin' 
Fu'  sweet  that  day." 

In  some  instances  Fergusson  equals  Burns  ;  but  it  is  the 
exception,  for  he  had  not  the  same  capacity  for  sustained  effort. 
What  has  been  said  of  Shakespeare  might  be  said  of  Burns,  viz., 
that  he  improved  and  beautified  everything  that  he  touched,  and 
it  was  no  mean  compliment  to  the  genius  of  Fergusson  that  it 
had  so  large  a  share  in  quickening  and  vitaHsing  the  genius  and 
talent  of  the  greater  Poet.  When  we  remember  that  Fergusson 
passed  away  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-four,  before  the  poetical 
faculty  in  the  ordinary  way  is  sufificiently  matured  to  gather 
inspiration  from  its  native  environment,  it  is  well-nigh  incompre- 
hensible why  he  should  have  left  so  indelible  a  mark  on  the 
poetry  of  his  country.  By  a  different  course  of  life,  and  a  riper 
and  more  varied  experience  of  human  character,  it  is  impossible 
to  predict  the  poetic  eminence  to  which  Fergusson  might  have 
attained.  So  many  of  the  scenes  and  incidents  which  subse- 
quently found  a  fuller  echo  in  Burns  had  kindled  the  poetic  fire 
of  Fergusson  that  it  seems  as  if  the  Fates  had  decreed  that  the 
one  Poet  should  be  the  complement  and  forerunner  of  the  other, 
When  Fergusson  visited  Dumfries,  which  but  a  few  years  after- 
wards was  to  play  so  important  a  part  in  the  life  and  poetry  of 
Burns,  he  paid  a  flattering  tribute  to  the  place  where  the  greater 
Poet  ended  his  life  and  work.  In  what  a  different  spirit  were  the 
verses  conceived  from  those  with  which  he  commemorated  his 
visit  to  Fife.  Indeed,  one  of  the  natives  of  the  ancient  kingdom 
was  so  incensed  at  the  verses  that  he  challenged  the  Poet  to  a 
duel.  Fergusson,  though  confident  in  his  ability  to  wield  the  pen, 
was  not  so  sanguine  about  successfully  wielding  the  sword,  and  so 
ignored  the  challenge.  Fergusson,  in  the  company  of  his  friend 
Lieutenant  Wilson,  walked  from  Edinburgh  to  Dumfries  to  visit 
Charles  Salmon,  a  brother  poet  and  native  of  Edinburgh,  who 
was  well  known  for  his  Jacobite  effusions,  the  best-known  of 
which  is  the  "  Royal  Oak  Tree."     In  this  poem  Salmon   makes  a 


28 

distinct  reference  to  King  Charles'  Oak  at  Boscobel,  as  we  gather 
from  the  following  lines  :— 

"  Old  Pendril,  the  mlllL-r,  ut  the  ri^k  of  his  blood, 
Hid  the  King  of  our  Isle  in  the  King  of  the  Wood." 

Since  Salmon's  day  Boscobel  and  its  associations  has  l)een  a 
fertile  theme  for  quite  a  nutnber  of  writers,  one  of  the  best-known 
being  Harrison  Ainsworth's  fascinating  historical  romance  entitled 
Boscobel.  Fergusson's  friend  Salmon  had  come  to  Dumfries  to  a 
situation  in  a  printing  concern,  the  first  of  the  kind  established  in 
that  place.  Previous  to  P'ergusson  starting  on  his  return  journey 
to  Edinburgh  he  was  requested  to  leave  some  memorial  of  his 
visit  to  Nithsdale,  and  he  at  once  wrote  the  spirited  little  poem  in 
which  he  says  :  — 

"  The  gods,  sui-e  in  some  canny  hour 
To  bonny  Nith  ha'e  ta'en  a  tour, 
Where  bonny  blinks  the  caller  llow'r. 

Beside  the  stream, 
And  sportive  there  ha'e  shawn  tiieir  |iovv'r 

In  fairy  dream. 

Had  Horace  liv'd,  tiial  pleasant  sinner, 
Wha  lov'd  gude  wine  to  synd  his  dinner, 
His  Muse,  though  dowf,  the  deil  be  in  her, 

Wi'  blithest  sang. 
The  drink  wad  round  Parnassus  rin  her 

Ere  it  were  lang, 

Nae  niair  he'd  sung  to  auld  Mitcenas 
The  blinking  een  o'  bonny  Venus, 
His  leave  ai  ance  he  wud  ha'e  ta'en  us. 

For  claret  here, 
Which  Jove  and  a'  his  gods  sill  rain  us, 

Frae  year  to  year." 

It  is  greatly  to  be  deplored  that  one  who  had  given  so  rich  a 
promise  of  rare  natural  gifts  should  have  ended  life  so  sadly. 
When  Fergusson  lost  his  mental  balance,  his  mother  was  in  such 
extreme  poverty  that  she  had  no  other  way  of  disposing  of  him 
except  to  send  him  to  the  asylum,  and  a  momentary  awakening 
to  his  painful  position  plunged  him  deeper  into  darkness  and 
despair.     On  his  first  crossing  the  thresliold  of  the   receptacle  for 


29 

the  insane,  by  a  flash  of  consciousness  the  hopelessness  of  his 
fate  was  revealed  to  him  in  all  its  naked  reality,  and  he  uttered  a 
wild  cry  of  despair  which  was  at  once  responded  to  by  a  chorus  of 
howls  from  the  inmates  of  the  asylum,  among  whom  this  young 
and  gifted  genius  was  to  end  his  short  and  chequered  career. 
This  incident  left  an  impression  on  the  friends  who  attended  him 
of  inexpressible  horror  which  haunted  them  till  the  end  of  their 
days.  For  some  time  before  Fergusson  finally  lost  his  mental 
balance  he  was  subject  to  fits  of  gloom  and  despondency  that 
were  obviously  due  to  the  highly-strung  nervous  constitution  and 
artistic  temperament  which  are  frequently  so  closely  identified 
with  poetic  genius. 

Marvellous  powers  of  observation  were  united  in  Fergusson 
with  quickness  of  impression  and  richness  of  fancy;  his  sensitive 
being  vibrated  to  the  ebb  and  flow  of  external  circumstances  in 
an  uncommon  degree.  When  he  surveyed  the  face  of  Nature,  it 
appears  as  if  the  whole  image  was  impressed  upon  his  soul  with 
lightning  speed.  When  he  turned  his  eye  upon  mankind,  he 
could  penetrate  to  the  innermost  depths  of  human  nature,  gauging 
their  every  peculiarity  with  amazing  exactness  for  one  of  his  age 
and  experience.  As  a  scholar,  he  could  draw  inspiration  from 
the  perennial  fountain  of  ancient  genius  which  education  and 
circumstances  had  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  his  great  successor, 
Robert  Burns.  Let  not  Fergusson  be  judged  by  the  limited 
extent  of  his  poetical  work,  or  his  unproductiveness  in  the  purely 
lyrical  sphere,  but  by  the  potent  force  which  can  be  so  clearly 
discerned  in  embryo.  By  his  early  death  he  was  cut  off  before 
the  flower  of  his  natural  genius  had  put  forth  its  leaves. 

Between    Fergusson    and    Burns   several  minor  poets  come 

within   the  range  of  our  survey  who  contributed  to  the  general 

bulk    of   Scottish    song.        John     Dunlop    was 

J  un  op,       among  that  number,  and  one  of  the  sweetest  of 

1755-1820^  ^ 

the  smaller  fry,  though  now  scarcely  known.    He 

was  born  in  1755,  at  Carmyle  House,  the  residence  of  his  father, 

in  the  parish  of  Old   Monkland,  near  Glasgow,  of  which  city  he 

subsequently  became  Lord    Provost.      He   was  not   only   a   poet, 


30 

but  a  vocalist,  and  his  powers  were  known  and  appreciated  by  his 
friends  and  acquaintances.  He  was  the  author  of  a  considerable 
quantity  of  verse,  two  volumes  of  which  were  printed  in  1817  for 
private  circulation,  and  it  is  stated  that  he  left  four  volumes  of 
poetry  in  manuscript.  His  literary  instincts  were  carried  in  his 
son  to  a  higlier  degree,  wlio  wrote  A  History  of  Fiction,  also 
A  History  of  Rinnan  Literature  from  the  earliest  period  to  the 
close  of  the  Augustan  age.  In  the  capacity  of  Scottish  Advocate 
and  Sheriff  of  Renfrewshire  he  found  much  time  for  literary  pur- 
suits, and  printed  privately  a  small  collection  of  his  father's 
writings  in  1836.  This  collection  is  now  scarce,  but  the  best- 
known  songs  in  it  are,  "  O  dinna  ask  me  gin  I  lo'e  thee " 
and  "  The  Year  that's  Awa."  Four  of  Dunlop's  songs  are 
included  in  the  Modern  Scottish  Minstrel  of  Dr  C.  Rogers,  which 
appeared  in  1857. 

But  a  much  better  known   name   than  that  of  John  Dunlop 
is  Mrs  Grant  of  Laggan,  whose  maiden  name  was  M'Vicar.     Her 
father  was  connected  with  the  army,  and  was 
Mrs  Grant  of  Laggan,  ^        -^^  ^  Highland  regiment  which   was 

sent  to  assist  m  the  conquest  of  Canada. 
From  ill-health  he  was  compelled  to  resign  his  commission,  and 
returned  to  Scotland  in  1768  with  the  view  of  ending  his  days  in 
retirement  ;  but  to  his  great  misfortune  he  was  deprived  of  his 
estate  by  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  had  to 
take  the  office  of  barrack-master  at  Fort  Augustus,  in  Glenmore. 
His  daughter  Anne  was  married  to  the  Rev.  James  Grant, 
military  chaplain,  in  1779.  After  his  marriage  Grant  became 
incumbent  of  the  parish  of  Laggan,  near  Fort  Augustus,  where  he 
remained  till  his  death  in  180 1.  By  the  death  of  her  husband 
Mrs  Grant  was  left  with  eight  children,  and  many  debts,  which 
she  determined  to  pay.  Actuated  by  this  high  sense  of  honour, 
she  first  took  a  farm,  and  afterwards  published  a  volume  of  poems 
in  1803,  which  enabled  her  to  pay  her  deceased  husband's  debts. 
Released  of  this  incubus,  she  removed  to  Stirling,  and  sub- 
sequently to  Edinburgh,  where  she  devoted  herself  entirely  to 
literature.     Her   house    became   the  favourite   resort   of  men   of 


31 

letters,  amongst  whom  were  Lord  Jeffrey,  Henry  Mackenzie,  and 
Sir  Walter  Scott.  Nor  did  she  confine  herself  to  poetry.  In 
1806  she  published  a  collection  of  letters  which  were  entitled 
Letters  fro7n  the  Mountains  which  gained  her  a  considerable 
reputation.  This  work  was  succeeded  by  Memoirs  of  an 
American  Lady,  in  1808,  and  Essays  on  the  Superstitions  of 
the  Highlands,  in  181 1.  In  1825  she  received  a  pension  of  one 
hundred  pounds,  which  was  ultimately  augmented  by  several 
legacies  from  friends,  added  to  which  her  prolific  pen  procured 
her  a  position  of  independence.  No  one  among  all  the  litterati  of 
Edinburgh  at  that  time  had  a  more  accurate  knowledge  of  High- 
land customs,  Highland  character  and  legends,  or  wielded  a  more 
facile  pen  in  depicting  them.  Indeed,  it  was  believed  for  some 
time  that  Waverley  and  Rob  Roy  were  the  products  of  her  pen. 
Her  two  most  popular  songs  are  "  O  where,  tell  me  where,  is 
your  Highland  Laddie  Gone?"  and  "Could  I  find  a  Bonnie 
Glen."  The  former  of  the  two  songs  has  not  only  had  a  great 
vogue  in  Scotland  but  it  has  long  been  a  favourite  in  England. 

"  O'er  the  Muir  amang   the  Heather  "  appears  to  be  the  only 

production  of  its  authoress,  Jean  Glover,  and  its   popularity  has 

always  been  great.  Of  its  authoress  comparatively 

■^^^"^^r^"^'        little  is  known,  except  that  she    was   born    at 
1758-1801.  .  ^ 

Townhead,  Kilmarnock,  and  came  of  a  respect- 
able family.  From  the  little  that  is  known  of  her,  however,  the 
assumption  is  that  she  was  one  of  those  sympathetic,  impression- 
able creatures  who  are  but  too  apt  to  fall  into  those  errors  of  life 
which  usually  end  in  misfortune  and  misery.  Naturally  romantic, 
with  a  strong  inclination  for  the  stage,  she  attended  the  perform- 
ance of  some  strolling-players  who  visited  Kilmarnock.  Jean 
became  enamoured  of  one  of  the  sleight-of  hand  performers  of  the 
company,  and  eloped  with  him,  rapidly  adapting  herself  to  a 
vagrant  life,  with  its  excitement  and  its  irregularities,  and  spent 
the  rest  of  her  days  travelling  the  country  with  her  Lothario. 
The  song  was  taken  down  by  Burns  from  the  singing  of  its 
authoress.  Her  character  Burns  does  not  attempt  to  shield,  evidently 
not  from  lack  of  charity  towards  his  erring  sister  woman,  but  out 


32 

of  contempt  of  the  sleight-of-hand  blackguard  who  had  stolen 
away  this  charming  Kilmarnock  belle,  who  had  the  reputation  of 
being  exceptionally  handsome.  In  addition  to  being  the  composer 
of  this  popular  song,  Jean  Glover  had  fine  natural  vocal  gifts,  and 
the  song  she  was  said  to  have  sung  with  most  effect  was  "  Green 
Grow  the  Rashes."  After  a  life  of  many  vicissitudes  and  trials 
she  died  at  Letterkenny,  in  Ireland,  in  1801,  leaving  this  solitary 
lyric  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  her  sad  and  roving  life.  Origin- 
ally, the  tune  appeared  about  1764  as  a  reel  in  Bremner's 
collection,  and  another  version  was  published  in  Johnson's 
Mifseufn. 

The  concluding  author  of  this  chapter  has  usually  met  with 

but    scant   justice    at    the    hands    of   his    critics,    and    yet    John 

Pinkerton  has  contributed  his  fair  share  to  the 

Jolm   Pinkerton,     lit^j-.^ture   of  the   country,  if  not   as   a   poet,  at 


1758-1S26. 


least   as   an    antiquarian    and     historian. 


His 


twenty-four  works  cover  a  vast  range,  and  show  him  to  have  been  a 
writer  of  accurate  knowledge  and  discriminating  power,  which 
scarcely  justifies  the  partial  oblivion  which  now  is  his.  Born  in 
Edinburgh,  and  almost  self-educated,  first  studying  law,  then 
literature,  he  became  a  shrewd,  though  somewhat  acrid  critic,  and 
this  seems  to  have  marred  his  reputation  in  the  eyes  of  certain 
writers  who  have  had  occasion  to  refer  to  his  work.  Moreover,  he 
was  detected  in  literary  deception  in  claiming  that  he  had  taken 
down  the  second  part  of  the  poem  "  Hardyknute  "  from  a  Lanark- 
shire lady,  who  gave  it  from  memory  as  an  ancient  production, 
though  he  afterwards  acknowledged  the  same  to  be  his  own.  After 
the  slashing  and  unmerciful  attack  he  had  made  on  Macpherson's 
"  Ossian  "  this  did  him  much  harm.  In  his  Se/ecl  Scottish  Ballads, 
too,  he  endeavoured  to  give  the  words  of  "  Both  well  Bank  "  an 
antiquarian  flavour  by  adopting  an  old  form  of  spelling.  In  spite 
of  those  defects  of  character,  however,  he  wrote  and  published  a 
considerable  amount  of  good  original  poetry,  the  merits  of  which 
were  duly  appreciated  by  Dr  Bealtie.  As  a  painstaking  historian 
and  antiquarian  he  ranks  far  above  the  average,  and  as  such  he 
was  highly  esteemed  by  Gibbon,  who  desired  him  as  a  colleague 


33 

in  editing  the  British  historians.  He  was  also  in  close  correspon- 
dence with  the  most  famous  men  of  letters  in  his  day.  In  the 
appreciation  of  Pinkerton's  poetry  Beattie  stood  not  alone,  for  his 
admirers  included  Dr  Percy  and  the  fastidious  Horace  Walpole. 
His  writings  are  of  a  miscellaneous  character,  and  include 
Letters  on  Literature^  which  contains  a  fund  of  valuable  informa- 
tion, Scottish  Tragic  Ballads^  Select  Scottish  Ballads,  and  Ancient 
Scottish  Poems.  He  also  wrote  a  History  of  Scotland,  which  is 
marked  by  much  critical  insight  and  originality.  His  life  was 
exclusively  that  of  the  indefatigable  literary  man,  and  his  career 
was  consequently  not  an  eventful  one.  It  is  said  that  in  youth 
he  wrote  for  his  own  pleasure  and  gratification,  and  in  age  for  his 
daily  bread,  which  appears  to  have  been  the  extent  of  his  material 
reward.  He  died  in  Paris  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age  in  a 
state  of  poverty  and  neglect. 

WiM.   M'lLWRAITH. 


rohi-:rt    iumn^xs,    burgess   of    san- 
quhar,   and  some  of   his 

H RO  r H  E  R    FREE M E iN. 


IT  is  well  known  to  those  familiar  with  the  life  of  Robert  Burns 
that  he  was  a  frequent  visitor  to  the  ancient  Royal  Burgh  of 
Sanquhar,  and  that  he  was  also  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  some 
of  its  leading  citizens.  The  town  and  parish  were  included  in  the 
district  covered  by  him  as  an  Exciseman,  and,  being  at  its  western 
extremity,  he  was  often  obliged  to  remain  there  overnight  ;  and 
he  conferred  an  abiding  distinction  on  the  burgh  by  dubbing  it 
"  Black  Joan  "  in  his  ballad  of  "  The  Five  Carlines."  But  few 
are  aware  that  Burns  had  any  closer  connection  with  the  town. 
He  was,  however,  admitted  a  burgess  and  freeman  of  the  Royal 
Burgh  upon  Tuesday,  the  23rd  day  of  December,  1794.  The 
fact  of  Burns's  admission  to  the  freedom  of  Sanquhar  had  long 
been  lost  sight  of,  and  how  the  knowledge  of  it  was  again  brought 
to  light  is  worth  retailing.  No  regular  roll  of  burgesses  appears 
ever  to  have  been  kept  in  Sanquhar,  and  it  v^as  while  endeavour- 
ing to  supply  this  want  that,  in  September,  1907,  I,  not  quite 
unexpectedly,  came  across  the  entry  of  the  Poet's  admission  to 
all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  a  freeman.  To  obtain  a  list  of  the 
burgesses  I  had  to  search  the  Town  Council  minutes,  vouchers 
and  accounts,  records  of  incorporated  trades,  and  other  papers 
preserved  among  the  burgh  archives.  It  was  tedious  work, 
carried  on  intermittently  ;  but  a  list  of  burgesses,  so  far  as  can  be 
extracted  from  such  sources,  has  now  been  compiled,  commencing 
in  1 7 14  (previous  to  which  year  all  the  burgh's  papers  were 
accidently  destroyed  by  fire)  and  bringing  the  burgess  roll  down 
to  1835.  In  my  research  I  received  much  valuable  assistance 
from  Mr  William  Forsyth,  the  town  clerk  of  Sanquhar,  who  gave 
me  every  facility  for  consulting  the  burgh  records. 


35 

The  entry  of  Burns  as  a  burgess  of  Sanquhar  is  given  in  a  list 
drawn  up  by  John  Crichton,  the  town  clerk  of  the  time,  being  a 
"  Note  of  burgess  tickets  given  out  by  the  town  from  8th  Novem- 
ber, 1794,  to  Michaelmas,  1796,"  and  had  been  given  in  by  him 
at  the  settling  of  the  burgh  accounts  at  Michaelmas,  1796,  as 
evidence  of  the  town's  indebtedness  to  him — for  the  town  clerk 
was  allowed  a  fee  of  a  shilling  for  each  ticket  he  made  out.  The 
list  embraces  twenty-six  names,  and  in  the  balance  sheet  of 
Thomas  Barker,  the  treasurer,  it  is  shown  that  John  Crichton 
was  paid  twenty-six  shillings  for  writing  the  tickets.  In  the  entry, 
opposite  the  date,  23rd  December,  1794,  the  Poet  is  described 
simply  as  "  Mr  Robert  Burns,  Dumfries." 

Needless  to  say,  it  was  very  gratifying  to  me  when  I  came 
across  such  an  interesting  and  historic  document.  My  father  had 
told  me  long  before  that  Burns  was  a  burgess  of  Sanquhar,  but 
lack  of  documentary  proof  had  made  many  people  sceptical,  who 
otherwise  would  have  been  proud  to  connect  the  Poet  by  such  a 
close  link  with  the  ancient  burgh.  The  people  of  Sanquhar  were 
greatly  delighted  when  undeniable  testimony  was  produced,  and 
the  knowledge  that  Robert  Burns  had  actually  been  a  freeman  of 
their  "  ain  auld  grey  toun  "  seemed  to  make  some  of  the  citizens 
hold  their  heads  "a  wee  thocht  "  higher.  The  list  of  burgesses 
as  it  stands  shows  an  array  of  many  men  who  were  famous  in 
their  day  and  generation,  in  honouring  whom  the  ancient  burgh 
did  greater  honour  to  herself,  and  in  no  instance  more  so  than  in 
thus  showing  its  respect  for  and  admiration  of  the  National  Bard. 
The  list  of  burgesses  contains  a  surprising  number  of  the  names 
of  intimate  friends  of  the  Poet  and  others  who  are  referred  to  in 
his  works,  or  mentioned  in  connection  with  him — names  familiar 
to  every  Burns  student.  And  believing  that  a  list  of  these  names 
will  interest  many  readers  I  give  them  below. 

It  was  during  the  Provostship  of  his  friend,  Edward 
Whigham,  the  landlord  of  the  Queensberry  Arms  Inn,  that  Burns 
became  a  freeman  of  Sanquhar,  and  it  is  interesting  to  know  who 
formed  the  Town  Council  of  the  time.  They  were  : — Provost, 
Edward   Whigham,    innkeeper ;    Dean  of  Guild,  John  Crichton, 


36 

Iieritor,  Sanquhar  :  First  Bailie,  Edward  Wilhcrington,  heritor, 
Sanquhar;  Second  Hailie,  Robert  M'Malh,  heritor,  Sanquhar; 
Third  Baihe,  John  Henderson,  schoohnaster,  Sanquhar; 
Treasurer,  Thomas  Barker  at  Newark.  Councillors — John 
M'Murdo,  Drumlanrig  ;  William  Johnston  of  Roundstonefoot ; 
John  Taylor  at  Castle  Mains  ;  William  Hutchinson  at  Rig  ; 
Jolin  Bra m well,  overseer,  Wanlockhead  ;  Robert  Hunter,  wright 
in  Sancjuhar  ;  Thomas  Bradfute,  tailor  in  Santjuhar  ;  James 
M'Millan,  shoemaker,  Sanquhar  :  W^illiam  Whigham,  weaver, 
Sanquhar  ;  William  Lorimer,  clerk  at  Wanlockhead  ;  John 
Crichton,  writer  in  Sanquhar.  Of  course  all  the  above  members 
of  the  Town  Council  were  de  facto  burgesses  and  freemen. 

The  following  are  intimates  of  Robert  Burns,  whose  names  are 
on  the  burgess  roll,  with  the  dates  of  their  admission  : — Robert 
Whigham,  shoemaker  in  Sanquhar,  September  7,  1758;  Alex. 
Fergusson,  Esq.  of  Craigdarroch,  July  22,  1760;  John  Maxwell, 
Esq.  of  Terraughtie,  1766;  William  Maxwell,  second  son  of  the 
above,  1776  ;  His  Grace  William,  Duke  of  Queensberry,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1779:  William  Purdie,  surgeon  in  Sanquhar,  September 
30,  1782  :  Patrick  Miller,  Escj.,  younger  of  Dalswinton,  October 
5,  1789;  Robert  Riddell,  Esq.  of  Glenriddell,  November  12, 
1789;  Charles  Maxwell  of  Carruchan,  November  12,  1789;  John 
Rigg,  Crawick  Forge,  February  22,  1790;  William  Wallace, 
writer,  Dumfries,  October,  1790;  (juintin  M'Adam,  Esq.  of 
Waterside,  January  22,  1791;  Francis  Shortt,  town  clerk  of  Dum- 
fries, June  2,  1792;  Mr  Hamilton,  writer  in  Dumfries,  April, 
1793  ;  Mr  Blair,  late  Provost  of  Dumfries,  Septen)ber,  1793  ;  Mr 
Laidlaw,  writer  in  Dumfries,  September  9,  1793  ;  Alexander 
Findlater,  supervisor  of  Excise,  July  i,  1794  ;  Quintin  M'Adam 
of  Craigingillan,  January  19,  1795  ;  David  Newall  of  Bushyhank, 
October  15,  1795  ;  John  Whigham,  son  of  Provost  Whigham, 
September  30,  1799;  Crawford  Tait,  W.S.,  of  Harvieston, 
October  5,  1801. 

Of  the  members  of  the  Town  Council  as  above  Burns  was  on 
particularly  friendly  terms  with  Provost  Whigham,  Mr  Barker,  Mr 
M'Murdo,   Mr  Johnston,   and   Mr  Taylor.      The   following  brief 


notes  concerning  them  and  some  of  the  burgesses  named  may  not 
be  out  of  place  : — 

Provost  Edward  Whigham  was  the  landlord  of  the  Queens- 
berry  Arms  Inn,  where  Burns  stayed  when  in  Sanquhar.  He 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  town,  and  was  Provost 
from  1793  till  1800.      He  was  a  great  reader,  and  possessed  an 


Queensberry  Arms  Hotel — Burns's  Howff  at  Sanquhar. 


excellent  library.  Burns,  on  his  first  journey  into  Nithsdale, 
made  the  acquaintance  of  the  host  of  the  "  Queensberry  Arms," 
and  the  warmest  friendship  resulted.  The  Poet  was  a  frequent 
inmate  of  the  hostelry.  He  wrote  verses  upon  its  window  panes 
— "  Ye  gods,  ye  gave  to  me  a  wife,"  and  "  Envy,  if  thy  jaundice 
eye."  Here  one  evening  he  recited  to  a  group  of  admirers  his 
popular  song,   "  Of  a'    the  airts  the  win'   can    blaw,"    which    he 

3 


38 

had  composed  during  the  day  while  looking  westward  to  Ayr- 
shire, and  thinking  of  his  wife,  15onnie  Jean.  He  had  to  take  his 
departure  from  its  comfortable  shelter  one  wintry  night  to  make 
room  for  the  funeral  cortege  of  Mrs  Oswald  of  Auchencruive,  an 
occasion  that  gave  rise  to  the  bitter  ode,  "Dweller  in  yon  dungeon 
dark."  In  the  inn  a  drinking  contest  similar  to  the  famous  bout 
at  Friars'  Carse  took  place  a  few  days  after  the  latter,  when  Burns 
had  the  celebrated  "  Whistle  "  on  loan  from  Fergusson  of  Craig- 
darroch.  The  contestants  were  the  Poet,  Provost  Whigham,  Mr 
William  Johnston,  Mr  Thomas  Barker,  Mr  John  Rigg,  and  Mr 
John  King,  a  peripatetic  music-teacher — the  victor  being  Mr 
William  Johnston.  Mr  Whigham  was  presented  by  Burns  with 
a  copy  of  the  first  edition  of  his  Poems,  the  valuable  book  being 
now  in  the  possession  of  Mr  J.  R.  Wilson,  solicitor,  Sanquhar. 
He  also  received  from  the  Poet  manuscript  copies  of  several 
songs,  one  of  which,  "  Muirland  Meg,"  a  lilt  of  the  "  Merry 
Muses "  type,  is  also  in  Mr  Wilson's  possession.  Provost 
Whigham  died  3rd  October,  1823,  aged  73  years. 

Mr  Thomas  Barker  was  the  lessee  of  certain  coal-fields  in 
Sanquhar.  He  was  a  son-in-law  of  Mr  Johnston,  the  laird  of 
Roundstonefoot.  In  Burns's  time  he  held  the  farm  of  Newark, 
but  latterly  he  removed  to  Bridge-end,  Crawick.  He  was  long 
connected  with  the  Town  Council,  as  was  his  father  before  him, 
and  at  various  times  held  the  offices  of  Dean  of  Guild,  Bailie, 
and  Treasurer.  One  of  his  daughters,  Susan  (afterwards  Mrs 
James  Otto),  was  the  sweetheart  of  James  Hyslop,  author  of 
"  The  Cameronian's  Dream."  Mr  Barker  died  30th  October, 
1825,  aged  65  years. 

Mr  John  M'Murdo  was  chamberlain  to  the  Duke  of  Queens- 
berry,  and  was  resident  at  Drumlanrig,  and  latterly  at  Dumfries. 
He  had  a  long  connection  with  Sanquhar  burgh,  having  been  a 
member  of  the  Town  Council  from  1780  to  1796.  From  his 
first  coming  into  Nithsdale,  Burns  was  ever  a  welcome  guest  at 
Drumlanrig.  He  held  "  Factor  John  "  and  his  "  lovely  spouse  " 
in  high  esteem,  and  in  praise  of  their  daughters,  Jean  and  Phillis, 
he  wrote  some  beautiful  songs,  among  which   may  be  mentioned 


39 

''  There  was   a   lass,  and  she  was  fair,'    "  Phillis,  the  Fair,"  and 
"  Adown  winding  Nith." 

Mr  William  Johnston,  the  laird  of  Roundstonefoot,  in  Upper 
Annandale,  held  the  extensive  sheep  farm  of  Clackleith,  and 
latterly  Blackaddie  farm,  both  in  the   parish  of  Sanquhar.     He 


Provost  William  Johnston. 

From  the  painting  in  possession  of  his  great-grandson,  T.  B.  Steuart, 
Esq.  of  Pennjland,  Sainiuhar.      (.J.  M.  Laing,  Photographer.) 

was  a  talented  classical  scholar  and  an  accomplished  musician, 
and  Burns  enlisted  his  aid  in  the  collection  of  the  traditionary 
music  of  the  country.  Mr  Johnston  was  the  "trusty  auld  worthy, 
Clackleith,"  of  the  Postscript  to  "The  Kirk's  Alarm,"  and  in  a 
note  to  Provost  Edward  VVhigham,  Burns  refers  to  him  as  "  that 
worthy  veteran   of  original   wit  and  social  iniquity."     He   had  a 


40 

long  connection  with  Sanquhar's  municipal  affairs,  and  was 
Provost  1791-93.  Provost  U'illiam  Johnston  died  7th  October, 
1820,  aged  87  years. 

Mr  John  Taylor  was  the  overseer  of  the  lead  mines  at  Wan- 
lockhead,  and  it  was  by  his  permission  and  direction  that  Burns 
got  his  horse's  shoes  "frosted"  on  the  memorable  occasion  of  his 
journey  up  Mennock  Pass  on  a  winter  day,  when,  with  his  friend 
Mr  Sloan,  he  sat  down  in  Ramage's  Inn  at  Wanlockhead  and 
penned  the  lines  beginning  "  With  Pegasus  upon  a  day."  I.atterly 
Mr  Taylor  became  the  tenant  of  Castle  Mains  farm,  Sanquhar. 
He  had  a  brother,  James  Taylor,  whose  name  is  associated  with 
that  of  William  Symington,  of  Leadhills,  in  the  invention  of  the 
steamboat.  John  Taylor  died  14th  October,  1806,  aged  53 
years. 

Mr  Robert  Whigham  was  a  man  of  great  energy,  sound 
judgment,  and  undoubted  probiLy.  He  was  much  respected  by 
the  townspeople  of  Sanquhar,  was  very  successful  in  business, 
and  became  the  principal  merchant  in  the  burgh.  He  w^as 
Provost  for  the  long  period  of  17  years — from  1772  till  1789.  He 
died  7th  January,  18 15,  aged  77  years. 

Alexander  Fergusson,  Esq.  of  Craigdarroch,  an  eminent 
advocate,  was  the  son  of  James  Fergusson  of  Craigdarroch,  cham- 
berlain to  the  Duke  of  Queensberry,  a  gentleman  who  had  been 
a  member  of  Sanquhar  Town  Council  for  29  years,  viz.,  from 
1743  till  1772,  during  which  period  he  sat  twelvemonths  as  a 
Bailie — 1746-47,  and  15  years  as  Burgh  Treasurer,  1745-46  and 
1748-62.  Alexander  Fergusson  was  a  member  of  the  Council  in 
1772-73  and  irC 1 790-94.  Burns  described  him  as  being  "famous 
for  wit,  worth,  and  law."  It  was  upon  the  death  of  his  son 
James  that  the  Poet  wrote  "The  Mother's  Lament." 

John  Maxwell,  Esq.  of  Terraughtie,  was  treasurer  of  Sanquhar 
Burgh  from  1766  till  Michaelmas,  1780.  He  is  the  "  Teuch 
Johnnie"  of  the  second  of  the  "  Heron  Election  Ballads,"  and  to 
him  Burns  indited  a  poem  on  his  71st  birthday.  He  died  25th 
January,  1814,  in  his  94th  year. 


41 

Mr  William  Maxwell,  second  son  of  the  laird  of  Terraughtie, 
was  a  member  of  the  Town  Council  from  1776  till  1780. 

His  Grace  William  Duke  of  Queensberry,  the  notorious 
*'  Old  Q,"  was  responsible  for  the  braes  of  Upper  Nithsdale 
being  stripped  of  their  trees,  a  piece  of  vandalism  that  gave  occa- 
sion for  Burns  to  write  the  poem  beginning,  "As  on  the  banks  o' 
winding  Nith."  The  destruction  of  the  trees  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nith  was  prompted  purely  by  the  Duke's  vicious  sentiments 
towards  the  Scotts  of  Buccleuch,  who  succeeded  the  Douglases  in 
the  Dukedom.  "  Old  Q  "  meant  to  have  swept  off  all  the  fine 
ornamental  trees  round  Drumlanrig  Castle  as  well  as  the  timber 
on  Nithside,  and  they  were  actually  put  up  to  public  auction  and 
sold.  But  the  county  men  around  clubbed  together  to  save  them. 
By  a  clause  in  the  articles  of  sale  the  purchaser  was  bound  to 
cut  all  the  trees  within  a  year  from  the  date  of  the  purchase. 
The  first  purchaser  was  Mr  Menteith,  afterwards  Sir  Charles 
Menteith  of  Closeburn.  When  his  term  of  grace  was  drawing  to 
a  close  he  sold  it  to  another  man,  and  the  same  thing  was 
repeated  from  year  to  year  until  the  old  Duke  died,  when  the 
Buccleuch  family  refunded  the  purchase  money.  Thus  were  the 
Drumlanrig  woods  saved.  "Old  Q"  died  23rd  December, 
1810,  in  his  86th  year. 

Dr  William  Purdie  was  a  native  of  Calder,  in  Midlothian. 
He  practised  as  a  surgeon  and  accoucheur  in  Sanquhar  and 
district  for  the  long  period  of  52  years.  Along  with  a  friend  he 
was  in  the  company  of  Burns  in  the  inn  at  Brownhill  on  the 
occasion  when  the  story  of  a  wayworn  soldier  inspired  the  Poet  to 
write  the  well-known  and  ever-popular  song,  "  When  wild  war's 
deadly  blast  was  blawn."  He  was  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council  for  three  years,  1782-85.  Dr  Purdie  died  at  Edinburgh 
oti  the  7th  March,  1831,  in  his  78th  year. 

Patrick  Miller,  Esq.,  younger  of  Dalswinton,  a  Captain  in 
the  Army,  was  the  son  of  Burns's  landlord.  He  is  the  hero  of  the 
"  Five  Carlines "  ballad,  where  our  ancient  burgh  is  dubbed 
^' Black  Joan,"  and  in  the  election  in  1790,  which  gave  rise  to  the 


ballad,  he  defeated  the  sitting  Member,  Sir  James  Johnstone  of 
Westerhall,  and  represented  the  Dumfries  Burghs  till  1796. 

Robert  Riddell,  Esq.  of  Cilenriddell,  at  whose  residence  of 
Friars'  Carse  the  celebrated  "  Whistle  "  contest  took  place  on 
October  i6th,  1789.  He  was  an  eminent  antiquary,  and  wrote 
much  upon  the  arch;v;ology  of  the  South  of  Scotland.  He  died 
2 1  St  April,  1794. 

Mr  Jolin  Rigg  of  Crawick  Forge  was  one  of  Burns's  earliest 
and  most  intimate  acquaintances  in  Upper  Nithsdale,  and  when 
the  Poet  entered  upon  the  farm  of  Ellisland  he  sup[)lied  him  with 
a  stock  of  farming  implements.  Mr  Rigg  was  wont  to  relate  how 
he  and  the  Bard  came  to  know  each  other.  It  came  about  in 
this  fashion.  He  was  the  owner  of  a  copy  of  Burns's  Poems,  and 
one  day,  after  dinner,  he  was  deeply  absorbed  in  the  book  and 
failed  to  notice  the  entrance  of  a  stranger,  who  remained  perfectly 
still,  for  he  knew  the  book,  and  marked  the  evident  gratification 
it  afforded  the  reader.  The  stranger  was  Robert  Burns.  He 
asked  of  Rigg  what  was  the  nature  of  the  book  that  seemed  to 
take  such  a  deep  hold  upon  him.  Rigg,  after  an  apology  for 
keeping  a  stranger  waiting,  replied  that  he  had  been  reading  the 
"  Poems  of  a  fellow  called  Burns.  They're  very  clever,"  he 
added,  "  and  if  I  had  the  man  here  who  wrote  them  I  would  like 
to  shake  him  by  the  hand  and  stand  him  a  good  drink."  Burns 
made  himself  known,  and  a  lasting  friendship  was  the  result. 
John  Rigg  was  a  member  of  Sanrjuliar  Town  Council  1796-98, 
and  (cr  many  years  took  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Incor- 
porated Trades,  being  convener  1797  98,  and  returned  Deacon  of 
the  Hammermen  at  nineteen  of  the  annual  elections.  He  died 
ist  April,  1833,  in  the  83rd  year  of  his  age. 

The  remaining  names  on  the  list  will  be  more  or  less  known 
to  those  familiar  with  the  life  of  the  Poet ;  but,  as  having  a  more 
close  connection  with  Sanquhar  burgh,  I  may  add  that  "  David 
Blair,  Esq.,  late  Provost  of  Dumfries,"  was  a  member  of  the 
Town  Council  from  September  30,  1793,  to  September  29,  1794, 
and  that  Mr  Crawford  Tait  was  on  tiie  Council  for  the  twelve 
months  from  Michaelmas,  1801,  till  Michaehrias,  1802. 


43 

John  Whigham,  the  eldest  son  of  Provost  Edward  Whigham, 
was  the  last  survivor  of  Sanquhar  burgesses  who  were  acquainted 
with  Burns.  He  remembered  the  Poet  well,  and  my  father  has 
told  me  that  John  would  recount  with  .pride  how,  when  a  boy,  he 
had  received  a  present  of  an  orange  from  Burns.  He  died  19th 
Se])tember,   1857. 

TOM  WILSON. 


BURNS    INTERPRKTI{I)    IN    THE    LIGHT 
OF    HIS    OWN    TIMES. 


DISCUSSING  the  Works  of  Bums  some  lime  ago  with  a 
gentleman,  whom  I  supposed  to  be  fairly  intelligent,  I 
quoted  the  two  following  lines  from  "  A  Man's  a  Man  for  a' 
that  "  :— 

"  The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gowd  for  a'  that  " — 

and,  without  thinking  much  about  the  question,  asked  him  if  he 
knew  what  they  meant  ?  To  my  surprise  he  did  not.  He  had 
often  read  the  lines,  and  heard  them  quoted  hundreds  of  times, 
and  he  thought  that  he  understood  their  meaning.  He  was 
ignorant  of  his  ignorance  until  my  question  was  accidentally  put  to 
him.  I  had  to  tell  him  that  the  guinea  was  a  gold  coin,  worth 
21/-,  current  in  the  days  of  Burns,  who  had  taken  his  illustration 
of  the  worth  of  man,  compared  with  his  rank,  from  the  process  of 
minting.  What  Burns  meant  was,  that  as  the  value  of  a  guinea 
was  the  gold  of  which  it  was  composed,  and  not  merely  the  super- 
scription giving  its  value  which  was  stamped  upon  it,  so  it  was  by 
the  possession  of  the  essential  qualities  of  manhood,  and  not  by 
social  position,  that  the  worth  of  a  man  was  to  be  estimated. 

There  must  be  few  people  so  ill-informed  in  this  particular 
respect  as  the  gentleman  to  whom  I  have  referred,  but  at  the 
same  time  there  must  be  a  vast  number  of  others,  not  at  all 
ignorant  of  Burns,  who  do  not  understand  many  lines  and  verses 
in  his  Works,  because  of  a  lack  of  eighteenth  century  knowledge. 
For  example.  Burns  claimed  to  possess  the  spirit  of  independence, 
and  he  voiced  that  claim  both  in  verse  and  prose  ;  but  how  can 
this  attitude  be  reconciled,  on  a  first  reading  at  any  rate,  with 
what  he  says  in  his  "  Epistle  to  Davie  "  ? — 

"  The  last  o"l,   the  warst  o't, 
Is  onl_\-  but  to  heg." 


45 

This,  by  the  way,  was  not  the  only  time  that  Burns  expressed 
himself  in  this  fashion.  There  is  the  couplet  in  the  "  Dedica- 
tion "  of  his  Poems  to  Gavin  Hamilton  : — 

"  And  when  I  downa  yoke  a  naig, 

Then,  Lord  be  thankit,  I  can  beg." 

In  the  context  of  the  lines  first  quoted  we  are  faced  with  a  seem- 
ing contradiction,  a  declaration  of  independence  combined  with 
a  willingness  to  descend  without  protest  to  what  we  regard  as  one 
of  the  meanest  of  occupations,  viz.,  that  of  a  beggar.  If  that  is 
our  reading  of  the  lines  perhaps  we  are  wrong  ;  and  it  may  be 
found  on  a  closer  acquaintance  with  their  meaning  that  there  was 
nothing  inconsistent  in  this  attitude  of  Burns.  If  we  know  how 
beggars  were  regarded  in  the  eighteenth  century  we  will  not 
'  marvel  at  the  declaration  of  the  Poet. 

Readers  of  The  Antiquary  may  remember  what  Sir  Walter 
Scott  had  to  say  about  beggars  of  bygone  generations,  and  as  his 
words  express  what  I  want  to  be  at,  they  may  be  quoted  here. 
^'  The  old-remembered  beggar,  even  in  my  own  time,  like  the 
baccoch,  or  travelling  cripple  of  Ireland,  was,"  says  Scott,  "  ex- 
pected to  merit  his  quarters  by  something  beyond  an  exposition 
of  his  distresses.  He  was  often  a  talkative,  facetious  fellow, 
prompt  at  repartee,  and  not  withheld  from  exercising  his  power 
that  way  by  any  respect  of  persons,  his  patched  cloak  giving  him 
the  privilege  of  the  ancient  jester.  To  be  a  guid  cracker — that  is, 
to  possess  talents  for  conversation — was  essential  to  the  trade  of  a 
'  puir  body '  of  the  more  esteemed  cla«s  ;  and  Burns,  who 
delighted  in  the  amusement  their  discourses  afforded,  seems  to 
have  looked  forward  with  gloomy  firmness  to  the  possibility  of 
himself  becoming  one  day  or  other  a  member  of  their  itinerant 
society.  .  .  .  As  the  life  of  a  Scottish  mendicant  of  the  eighteenth 
century,"  adds  Scott,  "  seems  to  have  been  contemplated  without 
much  horror  by  Robert  Burns,  the  author  can  hardly  have  erred  in 
giving  to  '  Edie  Ochiltree  '  something  of  poetical  character  and 
personal  dignity  above  the  more  abject  of  his  miserable  calling." 
These  words  of  Scott  give  us  a  different  idea  of  the  mind  of 
Burns.     We  see  now  that  if  he  had  become  so  far   reduced  as  to 


46 

need  to  beg  he  would  have  been  able  to  give  full  value  from 
his  stores  of  wit  and  knowledge  for  the  alms  he  received,  so  that 
it  would  be  as  much  worth  the  while  of  the  people  to  assist  him 
as  it  would  be  for  him  to  ask  their  help.  In  short,  to  the  last 
Burns  would  be  independent.  The  necessity  of  Burns  being 
interpreted  is  thus  apparent,  and  this  necessity  will  become  all 
the  greater  the  further  we  are  removed  from  the  period  in  which 
he  lived.  It  is  with  a  view  to  elucidating  some  of  the  passages 
in  Burns  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  unacquainted  with 
things  as  they  were  in  the  eighteenth  century  that  the  following 
notes,  which  do  not  quite  exhaust  the  subject,  have  been  pre- 
pared. 

Burns  was  a  son  of  the  soil,  and  it  is  appropriate  that  we 
should  begin  with  those  things  with  which  he  was  earliest 
acquainted,  and  with  which  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  he 
was  closely  associated.  There  is  a  good  deal  about  agriculture  in 
the  poems  of  Burns,  which  can  only  he  understood  by  a  know- 
ledge of  the  conditions  of  that  industry  in  the  eighteenth  century. 
Those  conditions  were  vastly  different,  of  course,  from  what  they 
are  to-day,  agriculture  having  shared  in  the  progress  which  has 
taken  place  in  all  our  industries  within  the  past  century  and  a 
quarter.  If  it  were  possible  for  Burns  to  return  to  Scotland 
to-day  he  would  see  little  connection  between  the  system  in  vogue 
now,  and  the  methods  which  he  and  his  fellow-farmers  followed. 
He  would  be  unable  to  see  the  relationship  between  a  band  of 
shearers,  with  their  sickles,  slowly  but  cheerfully  working  in  the 
corn-field,  and  the  American  self-binder,  which  mows  down  more 
grain  in  an  hour  than  a  band  of  shearers  would  do  in  a  day,  and 
reduces  the  employees  to  a  few  men — one  who  drives  the  horses 
and  attends  to  the  reaper,  and  another  one  or  two  who  put  the 
bound  sheaves  into  stooks.  But  let  us  deal  first  with  the  plough. 
The  old  Scots  plough  was  a  very  clumsy  implement,  and  under 
no  possible  circumstances  could  be  drawn  by  two  horses,  like  the 
ploughs  of  to-day.  It  was  constructed  of  wood,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  coulter  and  share,  which  were  the  only  iron  parts, 
whereas  the  plough  of  today  is  entirely  made  of   iron  unless — • 


47 

and  this  is  not  always  the  case — the  handles,  which  are  covered 

with  wood  for  the  comfort  of  the  ploughman  in  cold  weather. 

The  late   Rev.  Henry  Grey  Graham,. in  his  admirable  work 

on  the  Social  Life  of  Scotla?id  in  the  Eighteenth   Ce?itiiry,  gives  a 

description,  which  is  worth  quoting,  of  how  the  plough  was  worked. 

"  Each  plough,"  he  says,  "  was  drawn    by  four  or  six  meagre  oxen 

and  two  horses,  like  shelties,  or  even  by  twelve  oxen,  one  or  three 

or  four  abreast.     As  they  dragged  it  along,  a  whole  band   of  men 

attended  to  keep  them  going.     One   man,  who  held  the  plough, 

required  to  be  strong  enough  to  bear  the  shock  of  collision  with 

'  sit-fast '  stones  ;  another   led    the  team,   walking   backwards   in 

order   to   stop    the    cattle    when    the   plough    banged  against   a 

frequent  boulder ;  a  third  went  in  front  with  a  triangular  spade  to 

'  mend  the  land  '  and  fill  up  the  hollows ;  and  yet  a  fourth,  as 

'gaudsman,'  was  armed  with   a  long   pole  with   a  sharp   point  to 

goad  the  lagging  beasts,  and  was  required  to  exercise  his  skill  of 

loud,  dear,   tuneful   whistling  to   stimulate   them  to   their  work. 

With  all  this  huge  cortege  a  plough  scratched  half  an  acre  a  day, 

and  scratched  it  very  poorly."     This  statement  of  Graham's  with 

regard  to  the  number  of  animals  required  to   draw  a  plough   is  a 

general   one,  and  was  not   applicable   to  the  farm   of  Mossgiel. 

Burns,  as  we  learn  of  his  stock  from   "The  Inventory  "  addressed 

to  Mr  Aiken,  the  surveyor  of  taxes  in  Ayr,  used  four  horses  : — 

"  For  carriage  cattle, 
I  have  four  brutes  o'  gallant  mettle 
As  ever  drew  before  a  pettle  ; 
My  Ian'  afore's  a  guid  auld  has-been, 
And  wight  and  wilfu'  a'  his  days  been. 
My  Ian'  ahin's  a  weel  gaun  fillie 
That  aft  has  borne  me  hame  frae  Killie, 
My  fur  ahin's  a  wordy  beast 
As  e'er  in  tug  or  tow  was  traced  : 
The  fourth's  a   Highland  Donald  beastie, 
A  d red-wud  Kilburnie  blastie." 

The  particular  names  which  the  Poet  gives  to  the  horses,  which 
were  driven  two  a-breast,  indicate  their  places  at  the  plough. 
The  right-hand  horse  of  the  back  pair  was  the  fur  ahin,  and  its 
neighbour  was  the  Ian'  ahin,  or  fittie  Ian',*  which  was  the  hardest 

Because  it  trort  on  the  •'  Ian',"  not  in  the  "  fur  "  or  furrow.— Ed. 


48 

worked  of  the  team,  and  this  statement  gives  significance  to  two 
of  the  lines  in  "The  Auld  Farmer's  New-Year's  Morning  Saluta- 
tion to  his  Auld  Mare,  Maggie  "  : — 

"  Thou  was  a  noble  fittie  laiv 

As  e'er  in  tug  or  low  was  drawn." 

Bums  does  not  specify,  probably  because  of  the  exigencies  of 
verse,  the  name  of  the  right-hand  horse  of  the  front  pair  ;  but  I 
learn  that  it  was  called  the  fur  afore,  while  the  other  horse  was 
the  Ian'  afore.     "  My  pleugh  "  also,  says  the  auld  farmer, 

"  is  now  thy  l)airn   time  a", 
Four  gallant  brutes  as  e'er  did  draw," 

and  by  that  he  meant  that  his  four  plough  horses  were  all  the 
progeny  of  Maggie. 

While  Burns  used  only  horses  for  ploughing,  it  was  the 
custom  in  Ayrshire,  as  in  Scotland  generally,  to  put  oxen  in  the 
team,  and  this  explains  certain  allusions  which  we  find  in  his 
songs.  Thus,  in  the  song  "  Guid  Ale  keeps  the  Heart  Aboon,' 
we  read  : — 

"I  had  sax  owscn  in  a  pleugh, 
.And  they  a'  drew  weel  aneugh  ;" 

and  in  the  opening  lines  of  the  better  known,  "  iMy  ain  Kind 
Dearie,"  we  have  another  reference  to  the  same  custom  : — 

"  When  o'er  the  hill  the  eastern  star 
Tells  bughtin'  time  is  near,   my  Jo, 
And  owsen  frae  the  furrowed  field 
Return  sae  dowff  and  weary,  O." 

Buglilin'  time,  it  may  be  said  here,  will  also  probably  need  to 
be  interpreted  to  some  [)eople.  It  referred  to  the  hour,  morning 
or  evening,  when  the  ewes  were  milked,  and  many  references  to 
it  are  to  be  found  in  old  Scottish  song.  This,  for  example,  is  the 
opening  verse  of  an  old  song  by  an  unknown  author  : — 

"  The  yellow-haired  laddie  sat  on  yon  burn  brae, 
Cries  '  Milk  the  ewes,  lassie,  let  nane  of  them  gae.' 
And  aye  she  milked,  and  aye  she  sang, 
'  The  yellow-haired  laddie  shall  be  my  guid  man.'  " 


49 

One  of  Lady  Grizel  Baillie's  songs  begins  :— 

"  O  the  ewe  bughtin's  bonnie,  both  e'ening  and  morn, 

When  our  blythe  shepherds  play  on  the  bog-reed  and  horn  ; 
While  we're  milking  they're  lilting,  baith  pleasant  and  clear, 
But  my  heart's  like  to  break  when  I  think  on  my  dear." 

Then,  there  are  few  but  know  the  verses  in  Jean  EUiot's  plaintive 
song  :— 

"  I've  heard  the  lilting  at  our  ewe  milking, 
Lassies  a-lilting  before  the  dawn  of  day  ; 
But  now  they  are  moaning  on  ilka  green  loaning — 
'  The  flowers  of  the  forest  are  a'  wede  away. ' 

At  buchts  in  the  morning  nae  blythe  lads  are  scorning. 

The  lassies  are  lonely  and  dowie  and  wae  ; 
Nae  daffin',  nae  gabbin',  but  sighing  and  sabbing. 

Ilk  ane  lifts  her  leglen*  and  hies  her  away." 

But,  to  return  to  the  main  theme,  the  statement  of  Grey- 
Graham  with  regard  to  the  amount  of  ploughing  done  is  a  general 
one.  Some  farmers  did  more,  others  less,  according  to  the 
quality  of  the  soil.  That,  of  course,  is  the  case  to-day  as  well  as 
in  the  eighteenth  century.  Burns  and  his  team  ploughed  more 
than  half  a  Scots  acre  a  day.     "  Aft  thee  and  I,"  to  quote  again 

from  the  auld  farmer, 

"  in  aught  hours  gaun, 
On  guid  March  weather, 
Hae  turned  sax  rood  beside  our  haun, 
For  days  thegither. 

From  this  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  Burns  could  plough  an  acre 
and  a  half  a  day,  which,  says  Mr  A.  B.  Todd,  "is  no  exaggera- 
tion, as  in  our  younger  days  we  had  it  from  the  mouths  of  those 
who  were  contemporaries  of  Burns,  my  own  father  being  only 
nine  years  his  junior,  as  well  as  acquainted  with  him.  The 
plough  was  driven  at  great  speed,  especially  when  being  worked 
on  stubble  land,  and  turned  over  a  furrow  twenty  inches  or  two 
feet  broad."  Mr  Todd,  it  is  interesting  to  note,  also  says  that 
"  although  Burns  never  succeeded  well  as  a  farmer  he  had  a 
perfect  knowledge  of  the  best  methods  then  in  use,  and  never 
once  have  we  found  him  in  error  when  writing  on  any  agricultural 
subject." 

*  Pail  or  milk-cog.— Ed. 


50 

From  "  The  Inventory "  we  also  learn  the  number  of  men 
servants  Burns  had  about  his  farm,  and  the  work  which  it  was 
their  duty  h)  i)erform  : — 

"  For  men,  I've  three  mischievous  boys, 
Run  deils  for  rantin'  an'  for  noise  ; 
A  i^audsman  ane,  a  thresher  t'other, 
Wee  Davock   hauds  the  nowt  in  fother." 

The  gaudsman  was  John  Blane,  who  must  always  interest  us, 
because,  but  for  his  impulse  to  kill  the  mouse  which  the  plough 
turned  out  of  its  nest,  one  of  the  most  charming  poems  of  Burns 
might  not  have  been  written.  Grey  Graham's  statement  that  the 
gaudsman,  besides  having  to  goad  on  the  horses  or  oxen  that 
pulled  the  plough,  "  was  required  to  exercise  his  skill  of  loud, 
clear,  tuneful  whistling  to  stimulate  them  to  their  work  "  is  illus- 
trated by  a  song  of  Burns  which  I  shall  pardy  quote  : — 

"  Young  Jockey  was  the  blythest  lad 
In  a'  our  town  or  here  awa' ; 
Fu'  blythe  he  whistled  at  the  gaud, 
Fu'  lightly  danced  he  in  the  ha'. 

My  Jockey  toils  upon  the  plain, 

Through  wind  and  weet,  and  frost  and  snaw  ; 

And  o'er  the  lea  I  look  fu'  fain 

When  Jockey's  owsen  hanieward  ca'.  " 

This  musical  part  of  the  gaudsman's  duty,  it  may  be  remarked  in 
passing,    gave    rise    to   a    north-east   country   saying — "  Muckle 

whistlin'  and  little  red  Ian'." 

It  may  be  also  mentioned  at  this  point  that  the  land  was 
cultivated  in  ridges  or  rigs  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  broad,  each 
alternate  ridge  belonging  to  a  different  tenant,  and  "  half  of  the 
width  of  the  ridges  and  the  ground  between  them,"  to  quote 
again  from  Grey  Graham's  book,  "  were  taken  up  with  huge  baulks 
or  open  spaces  filled  with  briars,  nettles,  stones,  and  water."  In 
Chambers's  edition  of  Burns,  edited  by  Dr  Wallace,  "  baulk  "  is 
interpreted  as  "an  open  space  in  a  corn-field,"  while  Scott 
Douglas  less  accurately  describes   it  as   "  a  thorn  fringed  footpath 


51 

through  a  cultivated  field."  This  may  be  the  baulk  to  which  the 
Poet  refers  in  the  song  beginning  : — 

"  A  rose-bud   by  my  early  walk 
Adown  a  corn-enclosed  baulk, 
Sae  gently  bent  its  thorny  stalk 
All  on  a  dewy  morning." 

The  old  Scots  rigs  were  "gathered  "  at  the  "  crown,"  the  "  furs  " 
between  being  used  for  drainage  and  also  as  receptacles  for  stones 
and  rubbish.  Between  each  "  rig "  there  was  consequently  a 
space  not  sown,  upon  which  the  natural  grass  grew.  This  was 
called  a  "  baulk,"  up  which  the  cows  were  occasionally  driven 
tethered  by  the  horns,  each  in  charge  of  a  boy,  who  checked  them 
by  the  rope  if  they  attempted  to  snatch  a  mouthful  of  the  growing 
corn. 

This  style  of  agriculture  was  abandoned  long  ago.  Farmers 
may  be  fond  enough  of  roses  ;  but  up-to-date  methods  of  agricul- 
ture do  not  permit  of  such  a  waste  of  corn  acreage,  and  so  the 
old  Scots  "  rigs  "  have  been  levelled  in  most  localities. 

In  two  of  the  quotations  which  I  have  just  given  the  phrase 
"  tug  or  tow  "  occurs,  and  I  think  it  needs  to  be  interpreted  to 
most  readers  of  Burns.  It  means  that  the  traces  were  made  of 
raw  hide  and  rope,  leather  harness  not  coming  into  use  till  the 
century  was  pretty  far  advanced. 

One  who  had  only  knowledge  of  the  most  modern  methods 
of  harvesting  with  the  self-binder,  to  which  I  have  already  referred, 
would  have  some  difficulty  in  understanding  the  opening  lines  in 
the  "  Epistle  to  the  Guidwife  of  Wauchope  House  "  : — 

"  I  mind  it  weel  in  early  date     .     .     . 
When  first  amang  the  yellow  corn 

A  man  I  reckoned  was  ; 
And  wi'  the  lave  ilk  merry  morn 

Could  rank  my  rig  and  lass. 
Still  shearing  and  clearing 

The  tither  stookit  raw  ; 
Wi'  claivers  and  haivers 

Wearing  the  time  awa'. " 

We  are  presented  in  these  lines  with  a  picture  of  rural  life   which 


52 

has  quite  passed  away — a  picture  which  most  of  us  have  probably 
never  seen — the  merry  band  of  reapers,  all  animated  by  a  healthy 
rivalry  ("  kempin"  "  it  was  called),  each  one  doing  his  or  her  best 
for  the  pure  love  of  the  thing,  and  led  on  by  the  "stibble  rig," 
who  was  the  foremost  reaper.  The  lines  in  "Hallowe'en"  will  recur 
to  you  : — 

"  Our  htibhle  rig  was  Kab  M'Graen, 
A  clever,  sturdy  fallow.'' 

There  is  little  or  no  likelihood  of  the  love  passion  being  stirred  in 
the  harvest  field  in  the  twentieth  century  —the  self-binder  has 
destroyed  the  romance  of  harvesting. 

In  the  eighteenth  century,  and  indeed  up  till  nearly  our  OAvn 
times,  the  ingathering  of  the  harvest  was  celebrated  by  a  "  Kirn," 
which  was  a  social  meeting  of  the  farmer  and  his  household. 
Burns  has  several  allusions  to  those  joyous  gatherings.  Thus, 
in  "The  Twa  Dogs,"  Luath,  in  telling  his  friend  Caesar  that 
"poor  folk's  no  sae  wretched's  ane  wad  think,"  points  to  the 
kirn  as  one  of  the  occasions  of  happiness  among  the  peasantry. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Burns,  who  was  such  a  master  at  painting 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  did  not  give  us  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  kirn,  with  which  he  was  so  familiar.  He  must  have 
been  present  at  many  a  one  in  his  own  father's  house,  and  we 
know,  on  the  authority  of  Robert  Ainslie,  his  Edinburgh  friend, 
that  when  he  went  to  his  farm  at  Ellisland  he  did  not  forget  to 
entertain  his  household  in  this  way.  Ainslie  visited  him  at  such 
a  time,  and  in  a  letter  to  Mrs  M'Lehose  he  wrote — "  We  spent 
the  evening  in  the  way  common  on  such  occasions  of  dancing, 
and  kissing  the  lassies  at  the  end  of  every  dance  " — doubtless  a 
very  agreeable  way  to  Ainslie,  who  was  about  as  fond  of  "  the 
sex  •'  as  the  Poet  himself.  There  was,  of  course,  plenty  to  eat 
and  plenty  to  drink. 

"  That  merry  night  we  get  the  corn  in, 
O  sweetly  then  thou  reams  the  horn  in," 

says  Burns,  in  his  eulogy  of  "  Scotch  drink,"  a  beverage  about 
which   I   shall   have  something  to    say  later  on.     With  so  much 


53 

dancing  the  fiddler  was  indispensable,  and  the  "  pigmy  scraper," 

one  of  the  "  Jolly  Beggars,"  sings  :  — 

"  At  kirns  and  weddings  vve'se  be  there, 
And  oh  !  sae  nicely's  we  will  fare  ; 
We'll  bouse  about  till  Daddy  Care 

Sings  'Whistle  o'er  the  lave  o't.'  " 

The  grain,  having  been  gathered  into  the  stackyard,  was 
laboriously  threshed  with  the  flail,  a  huge  kind  of  whip  used 
by  the  hand,  with  a  wooden  batten  for  lash  hinged  on  to  the 
handle,  still  to  be  found  in  some  of  the  remote  parts  of  Scotland. 
It  is  the  flail  which  Burns  means  when  he  refers  to  "  the  thresher's 
weary  flinging  tree  :"  but  though  the  work  was  tiresome  he  was 
proud  to  be  able  to  perform  it.  To  quote  again  from  the  "  Epistle 
to  the  Guidwife  of  Wauchope  House  ":  — 

"  I  mind  it  weel  in  early  date, 
When  I  was  beardless,  young,  and  blate. 

And  first  could  thresh  the  barn," 
Or  haud  a  yokin'  at  the  pleugh, 
And  though  forfoughten  sair  eneugh 
Vet  unco  proud  to  learn." 

It  was  with  the  flail  that  poor  "  John  Barleycorn  "  was  so  sorely 
belaboured  :  — 

"  They  laid  him  down  upon  his  back 
And  cudgelled  him  full  sore." 

The  threshing  mill,  with  which  experiments  had  been  made  before 
Burns  became  a  farmer,  was  brought  to  a  state  of  perfection  in 
1787,  though  the  Poet  does  not  appear  to  have  used  it  either  at 
Mossgiel  or  at  EUisland.  Another  implement  which  had  been 
invented  before  his  time,  and  which  he  made  no  use  of,  was 
fanners,  which  was  much  more  eff'ective  for  separating  the  corn 
from  the  chaff  than  the  old  process  of  winnowing.  The  corn  was 
thrown  into  the  air  on  the  winnowing  hill,  or  "  shealing  law,"  and 
the  wind  carried  away  the  chaff,  the  operation  being  repeated  till 
the  corn  was  clean.  So  it  happened  with  "  John  Barleycorn " 
after  he  had  been  cudgelled  full  sore  that 

"  They  hung  him  up  before  the  storm 
And  turned  him  o'er  and  o'er." 


54 

The  grain  was  thrown  into  the  air  with  a  "  wecht,"  a  thing  like  a 
huge  tambourine,  to  which  we  have  a  reference  in  "Hallowe'en  ": — 

"  Meg  fain  wad  to  the  barn  gane 

To  win  three  wechls  o'  naething." 

But  winnowing  was  not  a  perfect  process,  and  so 

"  The  cleanest  corn  that  e'er  was  dight 
May  hae  some  piles  o'  caff  in. " 

It  is  amusing,  by  the  way,  at  this  date  to  look  back  upon  the 
opposition  which  was  aroused  by  the  introduction  of  the  fanners, 
which,  the  pious  declared,  was  a  way  of  raising  the  devil's  wind. 
One  remembers  the  indignation  of  Mause  Headrigg  at  Cuddie 
Headrigg's  working  in  the  barn  "  wi'  a  newfangled  machine  for 
dightin'  the  corn  frae  the  chaff,  thus  impiously  thwarting  the  will 
o'  Divine  Providence." 

In  some  old  barns  are  still  to  be  seen  two  doors,  placed  in  a 
straight  line  on  opposite  sides  of  the  building,  for  the  purpose  of 
creating  a  draught  of  air  when  open.  The  winnowers  stood  in 
this  draught  with  the  "wechts"  and  tossed  the  grain  upwards,  the 
full  ears  falling  to  the  floor,  while  the  husks  were  blown  into  the- 
adjacent  "  caff"  house,  or  at  least  in  its  direction. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  grinding  of 
the  corn  was  done  under  a  system  which  entailed  great  hardship 
on  the  farmer,  whose  land  was  "  thirled  "  to  a  particular  mill,  to 
which  every  particle  of  the  grain,  except  what  was  reserved  for 
seed,  had  to  be  sent.  The  miller  exacted  heavy  dues  in  kind, 
and  if  the  farmer  sold  his  grain  before  it  was  ground  he  was 
subjected  to  prosecution  for  depriving  the  miller  of  his  rights. 
This  system  had  happily  ceased  to  exist  in  most  parts  of  the 
country  at  the  time  Burns  wrote,  and  Ayrshire  was  tolerably  free 
from  it,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  experience  of  Tarn  o'  Shanter, 
who,  instead  of  regarding  the  miller  as  one  of  his  natural  enemies, 
ranked  him,  along  with  the  Souter  of  Ayr,  as  an  "  ancient,  trusty, 
drouthy  crony." 

"  Ilka  melder  wi'  the  miller, 

Thou  sat  as  lang  as  thou  had  siller, "" 

was   the    charge,   doubtless    well    founded,    brought    against    the 


55 

tenant  of  Shanter  farm  by  his  afflicted  helpmate.     In  earlier  days 

the  journeyings  to  the  mill — whether  to  leave  the  grain  or  to  take 

away  the   meal — was   a  duty  unwillingly  performed  ;  but  in   the 

closing  years  of  the  century  better  times   had  come  for  both  the 

farmer  and  the  miller,  who,  in  true  Scottish  fashion,  celebrated 

their    prosperity    and    growing    friendship     by    drinking    drams. 

^'  Thirling,"  though  still  legally  binding  in  some  places,  has  fallen 

into  desuetude,  and  is  now  very  seldom  insisted  on. 

But  let  us  turn  now  to  another  phase  of  the  subject.     I  mean 

spinning   and    weaving.     There    is    a    well-known    verse    in    the 

"  Epistle  to  J.  Lapraik  "  : — 

"  On  Fasteneen  we  had  a  rockin,' 
To  ca'  the  crack  and  weave  our  stockin' ; 
And  there  was  muckle  fun  and  jokin', 

Ye  need  na  doubt  ; 
Ai  length  we  had  a  hearty  yokin', 

At  sang  about." 

The  word  "  rockin'  "  really  takes  us  back  to  a  time  prior  to 
Burns.  In  those  early  days  the  refined  flax  or  tow,  as  the  Scotch 
stalled  it,  was  spun  on  the  distaff  or  rock,  which  was  a  very  port- 
able instrument,  and  women  calling  on  their  neighbours  were  in 
the  habit  of  taking  their  rocks  with  them,  so  that  they  might  spin 
as  well  as  talk,  and  spend  the  time  profitably.  The  lads,  of 
course,  went  where  the  lassies  were,  and  carried  their  rocks, 
pretty  much,  I  suppose,  as  the  young  men  carry  the  umbrellas  of 
the  girls  now  a  days.  This  was  called  going  a-rockin',  and  when 
the  distaff  gave  place  to  the  spinning-wheel,  and  such  gatherings 
became  for  the  most  part  simply  social,  the  name  was  retained. 
Thus  it  was  in  the  days  of  Burns.  But  the  spinning-wheel, 
though  it  was  an  unwieldy  article,  was  sometimes  carried  to  such 
a  meeting.     Witness  the  song  "  Duncan  Davison  "  : — 

"  There  was  a  lass,  they  ca'd  her  Meg, 

And  she  held  o'er  the  moors  to  spin  ; 
There  was  a  lad  that  followed  her, 

They  ca'd  him  Duncan  Davison. 
The  moor  was  dreigh,  and  Meg  was  skeigh, 

Her  favour  Duncan  couldna  win  ; 
For  wi'  the  rock  she  wad  him  knock, 

And  aye  she  took  the  temper  pin. 


56 

As  o'er  the  moor  they  lightly  foor, 

A  burn  was  clear,  a  glen  was  green, 
Upon  the  banks  they  eas'd  their  shanks, 

And  aye  she  set  the  wheel  between  ; 
But  Duncan  swoor  a  haly  aiih 

That  Meg  should  be  a  bride  the  morn. 
Then  W&i  took  up  her  spinnin'  graith, 

And  tiang  them  a'  cjut  o'er  the  burn." 

The  flax  spun  by  the  women  was  commonly  known  as  lint, 
Avhich  was  widely  grown  in  Scotland  in  the  eighteenth  century, 
though  it  is  rarely  that  one  comes  across  a  field  of  it  in  this 
country  in  these  days,  the  supply  for  the  linen  mills  being 
imported.  When,  therefore,  Burns  addressed  a  song  to  the 
"  Lassie  wi'  the  lint  white  locks,"  and  the  mother,  in  "The 
Cottar's  Saturday  Night,"  informed  the  bashful  youth  who  had 
come  to  convoy  Jenny  hame  that  her  "  weel  hained  kebbuck  " 
was  "  a  towmond  auld  sin'  lint  was  in  the  bell,"  he  was  using 
figurative  language  that  everybody  could  understand,  but  the 
meaning  of  which  we  of  the  twentieth  century  will  fail  to  grasp  if 
we  know  nothing  about  flax-growing  in  the  time  of  Burns.  The 
process  of  teasing  or  refining  flax  was  called  "  heckling  " — a  word 
used  now,  I  fear,  only  at  election  meetings — which  was  a  common 
trade  throughout  the  country.  Burns,  it  will  be  remembered,  was 
a  heckler  in  Irvine  for  some  time.  An  oblong  board  with  small 
steel  spikes  or  stiff  wires  inserted,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a 
huge  clothes  brush,  known  as  a  heckle,  was  used  for  this  purpose, 
and  tinklers  found  employment  in  putting  new  spikes  into  the 
frames  when  the  old  ones  had  worn  out  or  were  damaged.  With- 
out this  explanation  the  meaning  of  Burns's  song,  "  Merry  hae  I 
been  teething  a  heckle,"  may  be  obscure  : — 

"  (J  merry  hae  I  ])een  teelhin'  a  heckle, 

And  merry  hae  I  been  shapin'  a  spoon  ; 
O  merry  hae  I  been  cloutin'  a  kettle, 

An'  kissin'  my  Katie  when  a'  was  done." 

The  manufacture  of  flax  into  tow,  from  which  the  thread  was 
spun,  is  illustrated  by  one  of  the  humorous  songs  of  Burns,  and  it 
may  be  quoted  in  full : — 


57 

"  I  bought  my  wife  a  stane  o'  lint, 
As  guid  as  e'er  did  grow  ; 
And  a'  that  she  has  made  o'  that, 
Is  ae  poor  pund  o'  tow. 

The  weary  pund,  the  weary  pund, 
The  weary  pund  o'  tow  ; 
I  think  my  wife  will  end  her  life 
Before  she  spin  her  tow. 

There  sat  a  bottle  in  a  hole, 

Beyont  the  ingle  lowe  ; 
An  aye  she  took  the  tither  souk, 

To  drouk  the  stourie  tow. 

Quoth  I,  '  For  shame,  ye  dirty  dame, 

Gae  spin  your  tap  o'  low  ! ' 
She  took  the  rock,  and  wi'  a  knock, 

She  brak  it  o'er  my  pow. 

At  last  her  feet — I  sang  to  see't — 

Gaed  foremost  o'er  the  knowe  ; 
And  'or  I  wad  anither  jad, 

I'll  wallop  in  a  tow." 

Weaving  must  now  be  noticed  very  briefly.  After  the  thread 
— linen  out  of  lint,  and  yarn  out  of  sheep's  wool — had  been  spun 
it  had  to  be  woven  into  cloth,  and  this  work  was  performed  by 
the  peasantry  in  their  own  homes,  where  the  commonest  sound 
was  the  clack  of  the  loom.  Latterly  the  weaving  of  the  cloth  was 
left  to  the  customer  weaver  or  "  wabster,'"  who  wove  for  a  local 
clientele.  Up  to  a  recent  date,  in  some  districts  of  Ayrshire,  the 
farmers  sent  their  wool  to  a  spinning  mill,  where  it  was  made  into 
cloth,  called  "  home-spun."  The  more  ancient  custom  is 
illustrated  in  "  Willie  Wastle  "  : — 

"  Willie  was  a  wabster  guid, 

Cou'd  stown  a  clue*  wi'  ony  bodie  ; " 

from  which  it  may  be  inferred  that  "  cabbaging "  of  customers 
property  was  not  confined  to  tailors.  The  introduction  of  power- 
loom  weaving  and  the  erection  of  huge  factories  destroyed  this 
simple  employment  of  the  people,  and  by  the  end  of  the 
eighteenth  century  hand-loom  weaving  was  doomed.  Every 
grown  person  of  any  intelligence  knows  this,  but  the  rising  genera- 

'  stolen  a  ball  of  yarn. 


58 

tion  nia\-  not   be  aware   of  it,  and  tlie  understanding  of  some  of 

the  songs  of  Burns  depends  on  this   knowledge.      For  instance, 

here  are  several  verses   from   the   song  "  To  the  Weavers  gin  ye 

go  "  :— 

"  My  niither  sent  me  to  the  town 
To  warp  a  plaiden  wab  ; 
But  the  weary,  weary  warpin'  o't 
Has  gart  me  sigh  and  sub. 

A  bonnie  westlan'  weaver  lad 

Sat  workin'  at  his  loom  ; 
He  took  my  heart  as  wi'  a  net 

In  every  knot  and  thrum. 

I  sat  beside  my  warpin'  wlieel, 

And  aye  I  ca'd  it  roun'  ; 
But  every  shot  and  every  knock 

My  heart  it  gae  a  stoun." 

A  similar  hint  is  conveyed  in  "  Robin  shore  in  hairst  "  : — 

"  As  I  gaed  up  to  Dunse 

To  warp  a  wab  o'  plaidin'." 

This  consideration  of  spinning  and  weaving  may  be  followed 
by  some  explanations  regarding  the  clothing  of  the  people,  and  a 
number  of  lines  of  Burns  in  this  respect  require  to  be  elucidated. 
Thus,  in  "  The  Ronalds  of  the  l.ennals,"  describing  his  own  gay 
attire,  he  says  : — 

"  My  sarks  they  are  few,  but  five  o'  tliem  new, 
Twal'  hundred  as  white  as  the  snaw,  man." 

The  Poet  is  not  here  enumerating,  as  one  puzzled  reader  supposes 
he  was,  the  number  of  his  shirts,  but  only  informing  us  of  the 
quality  of  the  material.  "  Twal'  hundred  "  was  the  term  used  to 
denote  a  coarse  linen  woven  in  a  reed  of  1200  divisions.  The 
finer  stuff  had  500  extra  divisions,  and  was  "  the  snaw-white 
seventeen  hundred  linen "  referred  to  in  "  Tarn  o'  Shanter." 
Though  the  Poet,  who  must  have  been  regarded  as  something  of 
a  "  masher  "  by  his  neighbours,  wore  "a  ten  shillings  hat"  the 
common  head-gear  was  a  bonnet,  which  was  worn  not  only  by 
peasants,  but  also  by  those  well-to-do  farmers  who  owned  the 
land   which   they   cultivated,    and   were    consecjuently  known    as 


59 

"  bonnet  lairds."  It  did  duty  on  Sunday  as  well  as  on  the  other 
days  of  the  week,  and  in  the  "  Holy  Faii;  "  we  have  a  picture  of 
the  elder  at  the  plate,  his  head  covered  not  with  a  "lum  hat"  but 
a  black  bonnet  : — • 

"  A  greedy  glower  Black   Bonnet  throws, 
And  we  maun  draw  our  tippence." 

This  allusion  to  the  collection  does  not  mean  that  two  pennies 
sterling  were  put  into  the  plate  instead  of  the  popular  bawbee  ; 
the  contribution  was  much  smaller  than  that,  as  will  appear  from 
the  explanations  to  be  found  further  on  of  the  currency  of  the 
day.  That  the  head  of  the  minister  was  protected  like  that  of  a 
humble  member  of  his  flock  we  learn  from  this  line  : — 

"  Gown,   and  ban',  and  douce  black  bonnet." 

The  bodies  of  the  peasantry  were  commonly  clothed  with  hodden 

grey,  a  rough  home-spun  wool,  and,  of  course,  they  did  not  wear 

trousers,  which  were  not  invented  till  after  the  days  of  Burns,  but 

knee-breeches,   which  are    the   "  bracks "   referred   to  in    "  Tarn 

Glen  "  :— 

"The  verra  grey  breeks  o'  Tarn  Glen." 

and  in  "  Tam  o'  Shanter  "  : — 

"  Thir  breeks  o'  mine,   my  only  pair, 

That  ance  were  plush  o'  guid  blue  hair." 

Stockings  were  worn  with  the  breeks,  and  it  was  this  garb  which 

made  possible  the   happy   custom    referred   to  in  "  Hallowe'en."' 

Lads   who   went  courting   indicated  their   intentions  by  a  bab  of 

ribbons  attached  to  their  garters.     Thus  : — 

"  The  lads,  sae  trig,   wi'  wooer  babs 
Weel  knotted  on  their  garten." 

One  eighteenth   century  custom   alluded   to   by    Burns,  and 

now    a   thing  of  the   past,   lingered    so   far    into   the    nineteenth 

century  that  middle-aged  people  will  have  some  recollection  of  it, 

though  it  must  be  quite  unknown  to  the  rising  generation.     This 

was   the  use  of  weepers— linen  bands  round  the  sleeves  at  the 

wrist — as  the  sign  of  deep  mourning  : — 

"  Auld  cantie  Kyle  may  weepers  wear, 
And  stain  them  wi'  the  saut,  saut  tear." 


60 

The  outward  show  of  mourning  was  greater  then  than  it  is  now. 
Great  bobs  of  crape  were  worn  at  funerals,  and  "  Robin's  bonnet 
waved  wi'  crape  for  Maih'e  dead." 

Burns  has  very  little  to  say  regarding  the  dress  of  the  gentler 
sex  :  it  was  their  personal  charms,  and  not  the  way  they  were 
decked  out  that  attracted  him.  Vet  there  are  one  or  two  allusions 
which  will  be  obscure  to  those  unfamiliar  with  the  fashions  of  the 
eighteenth  century.     In  the  poem,  "  To  a  Louse,"  he  says  : — 

"  I  wadna  been  surpris'd  lo  spy 
Vou  on  an  auld  wife's  flainen  toy  ; 
Or  aihlins  some  bit  duddie  boy, 

On's  wylecoat*  ; 
But  Miss's  fine  Lunardi,  fye  I 

How  daur  ye  d'ot  ?" 

A  toy  was  an  old-fashioned  cap  made  of  flannel,  and  it  hung  down 
the  back  of  the  neck  like  the  caps  of  British  soldiers  in  tropical 
countries.  As  a  rule,  however,  women  went  about  with  their 
heads  bare.  The  "  Lunardi '"  is  a  reminder  that  the  problem  of 
aerial  flight  is  not  one  the  solution  of  which  belongs  only  to  the 
early  years  of  the  twentieth  century.  Even  in  the  days  of  Burns 
men  were  engaged  in  the  conquest  of  the  air,  and  some,  he  says: — • 

"  Are  mind't  in  things  they  ca'  balloons 
To  tak'  a  flight, 
iVn'  stay  ae  month  among  the  moons, 
An'  see  them  right." 

One  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first,  to  make  a  balloon  ascent  in 
Scotland  was  Vincenzo  Lunardi,  a  young  man  who  was  Secretary 
to  the  Neapolitan  Ambassador  in  London;  and  his  voyages  in  the 
air  creating  no  small  sensation,  the  leaders  of  feminine  fashion, 
anxious  then  as  now  to  introduce  some  new  style,  appeared  in 
balloon-shaped  bonnets,  which  were  known  by  his  nauie. 

Another  explanation  legarding  the  feminine  mode  of  dressing 
may  be  made  here.  The  young  women  of  the  eighteenth  century 
were  as  fond  of  finery  as  those  who  have  come  after  them  ;  but 
they  were  not  so  well  off,  and  in  the  care  of  their  clothing  they 
had  to  exercise  a  degree  of  economy  which  is  not  now  practised. 

Flannel  vest. 


61 

Country  girls  going  to  the  kirk  left  home  barefooted,  carrying 
their  shoes  and  stockings  in  their  hands,  until  they  neared  the 
place  of  worship,  when  they  sat  down  by  the  side  of  a  stream, 
washed  their  feet,  and  put  on  their  footwear.  Thus  the  Poet  on 
being  conducted  to  "  The  Holy  Fair  "  at  Mauchline  saw  : — 

"  The  lassies,  skelpin'  barefit,  thrang, 
In  silks  and  scarlet  glitter." 

On  the  way  home  the  shoes  were  taken  off  again  at  the  first 
opportunity  : — 

"  At  slaps  the  billies  halt  a  blink, 
Till  lasses  strip  their  shoon." 

The  people  obtained  some  of  their  clothing  from  chapmen — 
that  is,  packmen — who  are  still  to  be  found  plying  their  trade  in 
the  more  remote  parts  of  the  country.  In  those  days  they  met 
their  customers  in  the  market,  as  well  as  called  upon  them  in 
their  homes  : — 

"  When  chapmen  billies  leave  the  street, 

As  market  days  are  wearin'  late." 

Superior  kind  of  packmen  were  called  "  troggers  "  or  "  trokers," 
and  the  goods  which  they  sold  were  known  by  the  general  name 
of  ''  troggin  "  :  — 

"  Wha  will  buy  my  troggin  ?" 

The  cloth  that  the  country  people  bought  was  made  into 
wearing  apparel  by  tailors  who  travelled  from  house  to  house, 
measuring  and  cutting  and  sewing  until  the  needs  of  the  family  were 
supplied.  The  tailor's  visit,  which  was  arranged  weeks  in  advance, 
was  naturally  an  event  of  great  importance,  and  during  his  short 
stay  "the  knight  of  the  needle"  lived  on  the  best  which  his 
employers  had  to  give,  while  he  more  than  repaid  their  attention 
by  retailing  the  latest  gossip  and  liberally  drawing  on  his  fund  of 
entertaining  stories.  "  The  itinerant  tailor,"  as  Hugh  Haliburton 
says,  "  was  the  theme  of  many  a  rustic  song,  composed  at  his 
'expense,  and  sung  in  his  absence.  Amatory  escapades,  to  which 
he  was  rather  prone,  frum  n  nature  peculiarly  susceptible  of  female 


62 

charms,  were  a  favourite  subject  of  those  compositions."      Thus 
Burns  : — 

"  The  tailor  he  cam'  here  to  sew, 
And  weel  he  ken'd  the  way  to  woo. " 

We  now  turn  our  attention  from  the  way  in  which  the  people 
were  clothed  to  the  food  by  which  they  were  sustained,  and  here 
we  find  that  much  that  Burns  says  has  to  be  interpreted  to  the 
twentieth  century  reader.  In  looking  into  this  part  of  our  subject 
we  get  a  very  clear  idea  of  the  great  advance  which  has  been 
made  in  the  standard  of  living  during  the  past  hundred 
years.  The  working-classes  to-day  fare  luxuriously  compared 
with  those  in  a  similar  position  in  the  eighteenth  century.  The 
best  that  the  land  produced  did  not  go  to  those  who  tilled  it,  but 
to  the  laird,  whose  rent  was  chiefly  paid  in  kind — that  is,  in  eggs, 
poultry,  and  grain.  The  poorest  kind  of  food  was  drummock, 
which  was  simply  oatmeal  and  cold  water  stirred  about,  and  a 
most  unappetising  dish  it  must  have  been. 

"  To  tremble  under  Fortune's  cummock, 
On  scarce  a  bellyfu'  o'  drummock," 

was   certainly  as  miserable  a  condition   of  life  as   may   well  be 

conceived. 

A  better  food  was  crowdie,  composed  of  the  same  ingredients, 

but  with  this  important  difference,  that  the  vvater  was   hot.     The 

dish  is  now  a  days  known  as  brose,  and  it  is  still  occasionally  used 

in  households  in  Scotland  ;  but  in  the  time  of  Burns  it   appeared 

to  be  the  only  sustenance  of  many  families  : — 

"  Ance  crowdie,  twice  crowdie,  crowdie  three  times  a  day; 
Gin  ye  crowdie  ony  mair,  ye'll  crowdie  a'  my  meal  away." 

There  were  times  when  a  little  butter  was  added  to  the 
mixture,  and  there  is  the  authority  of  "  Auld  Hawkie,"  the  Glasgow 
gangrel,  for  saying  that  thus  served  crowdie  made  a  "strong 
food." 

Another  dish  of  which  the  present  generation  knows  little  or 
nothing  was  sowans,  which  were  made  from  the  soured  '■  seconds '* 
of  oatmeal,   and  eaten   with   milk.     They  formed    a   favourable 


63 

Hallowe'en  supper,  but  on  that  occasion  they  were  taken  with 
butter  instead  of  milk,  as  we  find  from  the  concluding  verse  of 
the  Poet's  masterly  description  of  that  festival  : — 

"  Butter'd  sowans,  vvi'  fragrant  lunt, 
Set  a'  their  gabs  asteerin'. " 

One  word  in   the  two   following  lines  from  the  eulogy  on 

'  Scotch  Drink  "  may  be  misunderstood  by  readers  of  the  present 

day  : — 

"  His  wee  drap  parritch,  or  liis  bread, 
Thou  kitchens  fine." 

The  bread  of  which  Burns  here  speaks  is  oatcake,  and  this  use  of 
the  word  is  not  yet  obsolete  in  Scotland.  In  the  house  of  my 
father,  who  was  a  Renfrewshire  ploughman,  I  do  not  remember 
oatcake  being  ever  called  anything  but  "  breed."  When  the 
wheatmeal  loaf  was  meant  we  always  said  "  loaf  bread  "  : — 

"  The  carlin  brocht  her  kebbuck*  ben, 
Wi'  girdle  cakes  weel  toasted  broon." 

Though  everybody  has  heard  of  a  haggis,  and  every  loyal 
Burnsite  has  either  tasted  one,  or  what  was  alleged  to  be  one,  the 
dish  is  no  longer  an  article  of  the  common  food  of  Scotsmen, 
and  there  must  be  multitudes  of  people  who  have  neither  gazed 
upon  its  "sonsie  face"  nor  delved  a  horn  spoon  into  its  "gushing 
entrails."  For  the  sake  of  these  people  it  is  necessary  to  explain 
that  a  haggis  was  composed  of  the  minced  offal  of  the  sheep 
mixed  with  oatmeal  and  suet,  and  boiled  in  the  stomach  of  the 
animal,  skewered  with  a  wooden  pin  : — 

"  Your  pin  wad  help  to  mend  a  mill 
In  time  o'  need." 

The  following  words  of  the  late  Dr  Lawson,  of  Selkirk,  may  be 
accepted  as  evidence  of  the  savouriness  of  the  haggis.  "  If  I  were 
a  king,"  he  said,  "  I  do  not  know  that  I  should  live  very  much 
differently  from  what  I  do— only,  perhaps  I  would  have  a  haggis 
oftener  to  dinner." 

Barley  as  well  as  oats  was  ground  into  meal,  which  was  of 
much  finer  quality  than  oatmeal,  and   hence   the  allusion   to    the 

'Gaelic  for  "  cheese." 


64 

"  barley  miller."  Baked  into  scones  or  bannocks,  it  made  a  most 
nourishing  food  : — 

"  On  ihce  aft  Scotland  chows  her  cood 
In  souple*  scones,  the  wale  o'  food." 
Wia  in  a  brulzie  will  first  cry  a  parley? 
Never  the  lads  wi'  the  bannocks  o'  barley." 

Another  kind  of  bannock  was  the  mashlum,  which  was  made 
from  a  mixture  of  all  kinds  of  grain,  and  was  very  sustaining;  but 
the  presence  of  peas  and  beans,  which  gave  it  a  dark  colour,  was 
against  its  popularity. 

"  Tell  yon  guid  bluid  o'  Auld  Boconnocks 
ril  l)e  his  debt  Iwa  mashlum  bannocks," 

said  Burns,  and  from  this  may  be  inferred  the  high  value  which  he 
placed  on  this  kind  of  bannock  as  a  food. 

From  food  our  thoughts  naturally  turn  to  drink.  The 
eighteenth  century  has  been  described  as  "The  golden  age  of 
Scottish  drinking,"  and  so  there  is  a  good  deal  to  be  found  about 
the  beverages  of  the  country  in  the  pages  of  the  National  Poet. 
The  restrictions  which  are  now  imposed  on  the  brewing  of  liquor 
did  not  then  exist.  "Till  1750,"  says  Grey  Graham,  "the 
popular  beverage  was  ale,  or  '  two-penny,'  from  its  costing  two- 
pence a  Scotch  pint,  equal  to  two  English  quarts.  It  had  been 
made  in  every  farm,  manse,  and  mansion,  and  drunk  in  the 
dining-room  and  in  the  change-house."  Its  manufacture  was  so 
common  that  it  gave  rise  to  a  figure  of  speech.  Thus,  the  "  dame 
in  wrinkled  eild,"  counselling  "  blythe  Bessie  in  the  milking 
shitl  "  not  to  marry  the  poor  man  whom  she  loved,  but  to  take 
one  with  plenty  of  gear  whom  she  did  not  love,  said  : — 

"  Some  will  spend  and  some  will  spare. 
And  wilfu'  folk  maun  hae  their  will  ; 
Syne,  as  ye  brew,  my  maiden  fair, 

Keep  mind  that  ye  maun  drink  the  yill." 

It  was  this  home-brewing  that  made  such  a   scene  as  that  which 

took    place    when     Burns,     Nicol,     and     Masterton    forgathered 

possible  : — 

"  O  Willie  brewed  a  peck  o'  maut, 

And  Rob  and  Allan  cam'  to  pree. " 

'  Rolled  out  so  thin  that  they  doublwl  u])  with  their  own  weiarht. 


65 

We  live  in  better,  or  worse,  times  now — it  all  depends  on  the 
point  of  view  ;  and  if  Willie  was  to  do  in'  the  twentieth  century 
what  he  did  with  impunity  in  the  eighteenth  he  would  be 
prosecuted  for  running  an  unlicensed  brewery.  Though  the 
small-beer  of  Scotland  was  inspiring — 

"  Wi'  tippeny  we  fear  nae  evil," 

declared  Burns — it  was  not  so  strong  as  the  beer  which  is 
commonly  drunk  at  the  present  day.  Tea  was  only  being  intro- 
duced to  the  country,  and  beer  was  more  frequently  seen  on  the 
table  at  meal  times  than  the  now  popular  beverage  : — 

"  His  wee  drap  panitch,  or  his  bread, 
Thou  kitchens  fine." 

But  beer  was  not  always  drunk  cold,  drawn  from  the  tap  "  in 
cheerful  tankards  foaming."  In  winter  it  was  sometimes  hot- 
spiced,  being  served,  for  instance, 

"  Reekin'  on  a  New- Year's  mornin' 
In  cog  or  bicker," 

with  a  drop  of  whisky  and  a  taste  of  sugar  in  it,  which  is  what 
Burns  means  when  he  adds  : — 

"  An'  just  a  wee  drap  spiritual  burn  in, 
An'  gusty  sucker  !" 

The  tax  on  malt  imposed  by  Parliament  in  1725,  had  a  great 
effect  on  the  drinking  habits  of  the  people.  "  Although  the  tax,"  to 
quote  again  from  Grey  Graham,  "  was  made  only  3d  a  bushel  of 
malt,  the  rapid  decrease  in  producing  ale  and  in  home-brewing 
is  attributed  to  this  impost,  and  certainly  from  that  year  the  brew- 
ing of  twopenny  steadily  declined,  effectively  to  make  way  for  the 
more  potent  drink  of  whisky,  which  was  then  almost  unknown." 
It  must  be  news  to  some  to  be  told  that  there  was  a  time  when 
the  Scotch  people  were  ignorant  of  the  qualities  of  whisky. 

But  strange  as  the  statement  sounds,  its  truth  cannot  be 
doubted.  Whisky  had  long  been  a  favourite  drink  of  the  High- 
lander, who  was  the  first,  I  think^  to  discover  the  potent  liquid ; 


66 

l)Ut  it  was  not  till  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  that  the 
Lowlandeis  began  to  use  it  to  any  extent.  There  was  a  rapid 
increase  in  its  consumption,  which,  it  may  be  safely  said,  has  con- 
tinued till  this  day.  'I'here  were  many  distilleries  at  work  in  the 
Highlands,  but  the  best  known  was  Ferintosh,  in  Cromartyshire, 
which  belonged  to  Forbes  of  CuUoden,  who  for  public  services 
was  freed,  by  an  Act  of  the  Scottish  Parliament  passed  in  1690, 
from  the  payment  of  duty.  Such  was  the  sale  of  the  product  of 
this  distillery,  which  was,  of  course,  to  be  had  cheap,  that 
Ferintosh  became  a  synonym  for  whisky.  By  an  Act  of  the 
United  Parliament,  passed  in  1785,  this  privilege  was  withdrawn 
from  Forbes,  and  the  supply  of  cheap  whisky  was  at  an  end, 
which  explains  the  wail  of  Burns  in  his  poem,  "Scotch  Drink'':  — 

"  Thee  Ferintosh  !  O  sadly  lost  ! 
Scotland  lament  frae  coast  to  coast  ! 
Now  colic-grips,  and  barkin'  hoast, 

May  kill  us  a'  ; 
For  loyal  Forbes'  charter'd  boast 

Is  ta'en  ana  I 

But  whisky  was  not  the  only  liquor  that  took  the  place  of  home- 
brewed ale.  An  enormous  supply  of  foreign  spirits  was  smuggled 
into  the  country  at  isolated  spots  all  round  the  coast,  and  this  had 
a  decided  effect  on  the  career  of  Burns,  who,  when  farming  failed, 
became  one  of  the  many  Excisemen  required  to  prevent  the  illicit 
importation  of  liquor.  A  good  deal  of  brandy  was  thus  brought 
into  the  country,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  Poet,  who  patriotically 
preferred  tippeny  and  uscjuebae.     This  is  the  lament :  — 

"  Wae  worth  that  brandy,  burnin'  trash. 
Fell  source  o'  mony  a  pain  and  brash  ! 
Twins  mony  a  poor,  doylt,  drucken  hash, 

O'  half  his  days  ; 
And  sends,  besides,  auld  Scotland's  cash 

To  her  warst  faes." 

Something  must  now  be  said  about  the  Kirk.  Life  was 
simpler  in  the  eighteenth  century  than  it  is  to-day — the  coming  of 
the  complex  conditions   under   which   we   live  was  hardly  even 


67 

suggested — and,  with  fewer  things  to  engage  attention,  the  Kirk, 
and  all  that  related  to  it,  occupied  more  of  the  thoughts  and  the 
conversation  of  the  people.  There  is  more  of  the  Kirk  than  of  the 
State  in  Burns,  and  that  though  he  was  probably  more  interested 
in  politics  than  most  men  of  his  day.  To  him  the  Kirk  and  its 
doctrines  were  an  engrossing  theme,  and  thus  he  apologises  for 
departing  from  the  subject  of  his  dedication  to  Gavin  Hamilton: — 

"  Vour  pardon,  sir,  for  this  digression  ; 
But  when  divinity  comes  'cross  me. 
My  readers  still  are  sure  to  lose  nie." 

The  Kirk  had  a  hold  on  the  people  of  which  we  of  the  twentieth 
century  have  no  experience,  and  in  supervising  their  moral  and 
spiritual  well-being  it  could  strike  fear  into  the  hearts  of  all  but 
the  utterly  abandoned.  It  compelled  those  who  were  guilty  of 
moral  impurity  to  mount  the  cutty  stool  before  the  congregation 
and  atone  for  their  offence  : — 

"  When  I  mount  the  creepie  chair, 
Wha  will  sit  beside  nie  there  ? 
Gie  me  Rob,  I  seek  nae  mair, 

The  rantin'  dog,  the  daddie  o't." 

The  Kirk  also  took  cognisance  of  offences,  such  as  breaches 
of  the  peace  and  drunkenness,  which  are  now  dealt  with  by  the 
petty  criminal  courts.  Thus  Merry  Andrew,  in  "  The  Jolly- 
Beggars,"  sings  : — 

"  I  ance  was  tied  up  like  a  stirk 

For  civilly  swearing  and  quaffing," 

which  is  equal  to   saying  that   he  had   been   punished  by   being 

placed  in  the  jougs. 

One  of  the  main  themes  of  ecclesiastical  conversation  in  the 

eighteenth  century  was  patronage,  with  which  we  in  these  latter 

times  are  happily  not  troubled,  and  it  was  part  of  the  enjoyment 

of  poor  folk  to 

"  Talk  o"  patronage  and  priests 
Wi'  kindling  fury  in  their  breasts." 

The  Kirk  was  long  divided   on  the  question  whether  the   minister 
should  be  presented  by  a  patron,  usually  the  laird,  or  whether  he 


68 

should  be  appointed  by  the  people  themselves.  The  controversy 
was  a  bitter  one,  as  witness  : — 

'■  Lang  patronat^e  wi'  rod  o'  airn 
Has  slioi'tl   llie   Kirk's  undoiii'." 

The  Calvinists,  or  Auld  Lichts,  were  opponents  of  patronage,  and, 
as  Burns  satirically  put  it  in  "  The  Twa  Herds,"  they  sought  to 

"  Gel  the  brutes  the  power  themsel's 
To  choose  their  herds." 

Rather  curiously,  the  Moderates,  or  New  Lichts,  who  believed  in 
the  saving  power  of  a  moral  life  (and  to  which  party  Burns,  of 
course,  belonged),  were  supporters  of  patronage,  which,  as  all 
with  any  knowledge  of  Church  history  must  know,  was  the  cause 
of  the  Disruption  in  1843.  The  system  lingered  on  till  1874, 
when  it  was  abolished  by  Act  of  Parliament. 

In  nothing  is  the  change  which  has  come  oyer  the  Kirk  more 
apparent  than  in  the  administration  of  the  Sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  Now  it  is  a  simple  and  reverent  observance ; 
then  it  was  what  Burns  truly  called  it,  a  "  Holy  Fair."  This  is  a 
part  of  the  subject  on  which  one  is  tempted  to  dwell :  but 
while  there  is  such  a  wide  difference  between  the  new  way  of 
celebrating  the  Communion  and  the  old  way,  the  narrative  of 
the  Poet  is  so  explicit  that  it  seems  needless  to  unduly  extend 
this  article  by  any  attempt  at  interpretation. 

In  bringing  these  notes  to  a  close,  several  other  matters  must 
be  dealt  with  very  briefly.  The  allusions  of  Burns  to  the  currency 
of  the  day  must  be  explained.  The  Scots  penny  was  equal  in 
value  to  only  one-twelfth  of  a  penny  sterling,  so  that  the  arles  of 
the  ploughman — a  small  sum  given  by  the  farmer  to  bind  the 
bargain — was  very  small  indeed  : — 

"  I  fee'd  a  man  at  Martinmas 
Wi'  arle  pennies  three." 

A  boddle  was  one-sixth  of  a  penny  sterling  : — 

"  Fair  play,  he  cared  na  deils  a  Ijoddle  ;" 


G9 

while  a  plack  was  worth  only  one-third  of  a  penny  :  — 

"  Awa'  ye  selfish  warl'ly  race, 
Wha  think  that  havins,  sense  and  grace, 
Ev'n  love  and  friendship  should  give  place 
To  catch  the  plack." 

Many  readers  will  remember  the  groat,  or  silver  fourpenny  piece^ 

which  was  withdrawn  from  circulation  not  more  than  a  generation 

ago  :— 

"  He  will  win  a  shillin' 
Or  he  spen'  a  groat." 

The  tester  was  of  the  value  of  6d  sterling  : — 

"  Your  sair  taxation  does  her  fleece 
Till  she  has  scarce  a  tester." 

Another  coin,  of  which  we  read  occasionally  in  the  news- 
papers when  a  delinquent  juryman  is  fined,  was   the   mark,  worth 

[3^d  sterling. 

"  He  gied  me  thee  o'  tocher  clear, 
An'  fifty  mark," 

said  the  farmer  to  his  auld  mare,  Maggie,  so  that  the  actual  cash 
which  he  received  from  his  guidfather  was  ^£,2  15s  6§d, 
and  no  one  will  be  disposed  to  dispute  the  observation  that  the 
tocher  "  was  sma'."  A  pound  Scots  was  the  equivalent  of  2od 
sterling.  The  guinea  has  already  been  referred  to  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  article. 

In    "  The  Farmer's  Salutation  to    his  Auld   Mare "  we   are 
informed  of  Maggie's  prowess  at  brooses  :— 

"  At  brooses  thou  had  ne'er  a  fellow 
For  pith  and  speed  ;" 

and  this  recalls  a  merry  custom,  now  quite  extinct.  After  the 
performance  of  a  wedding  ceremony,  the  young  horsemen  of  the 
party  had  a  race — riding  off  to  the  old  tune,  "  She's  yours,  she's 
yours  nae  mair,  she's  ours  " — from  the  house  of  the  bridegroom  to 
that  of  the  bride,  and  the  winner  had  the  privilege  of  receiving 
the  young  wife  with  certain  old-world  ceremonies  into  her  new 
home.  The  custom  has  been  observed  both  in  Lanarkshire  and 
Ayrshire  within  living  memory. 

5 


70 

Newspapers  were  few,  and  they  were  also  costly,  owing  to  the 
tax,  which  was  not  removed  till  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  and 
the  printed  sheet  had  to  serve  a  great  many  families,  or  groups  of 
people,  before  it  was  finally  disused,  being  passed  round  with  the 
utmost  care.  Burns  got  the  reading  of  a  newspaper,  and  returned 
it  after  a  more  careful  [lerusal  than  such  publications  are  likely  to 
get  nowadays  : — 

"  Kind  sir,  I've  read  your  paper  through  ; 
Sae  gratefu"  back  your  news  I  send  you." 

The  hangmen  used  a  whip  besides  a  rope,  it  being  part  of 
his  duty  to  flog  as  well  as  to  hang  : — 

"  The  fear  o'  hells  a  hangman's  whip." 

As  late  as  1822  an  offender  against  the  law  was  whipped  by  the 
hangman  on  the  streets  of  Glasgow. 

A  visitor  to  a  house  announced  his  arrival  by  tirling  at  the 
pin  : — 

"  Sae  light's  he  jimped  up  the  stair 
And  titled  at  the  pin." 

"On  the  back  of  a  house  door  there  used  to  be  attached  a  risping 
pin,  />.,  a  notched  rod  of  iron,  with  a  loose  string  attached.  This 
made  a  loud  noise  on  beuig  drawn  up  and  down  (tirled)." — [Note 
to  Dr  Wallace's  edition  of  Chambers'  Bitrns.]  A  burglar  was  so 
rarely  seen  in  the  country  that  the  peasants  did  not  need  to  go  to 
ihe  trouble  of  trying  to  keep  him  out  of  their  houses.  The  doors 
were  loosely  fastened  with  a  snick,  a  small  bar  of  iron  resting  on 
a  catch,  and  raised  by  pulling  a  string: — 

"  Click  I   the  string  the  snick  did  draw, 
And  jee  I    the  door  gaed  to  the  wa'." 

I  close  this  article  with  an  elucidation  of  a  pretty  eighteenth 
century  custom  now  quite  forgotten,  viz.,  that  of  drawing  lots  on 
the  eve  of  St.  Valentine's  Day  : — 

"  Yestreen,  at  the  Valentine's  dealing, 
My  heart  to  my  mou'  gied  a  sten, 
For  thrice  I  drew  ane  without  failing, 
An  thrice  it  was  written  '  Tam  Glen.'" 


71 

Misson,  a  traveller,  who  lived  in  the  early  part  of  the  century, 
described  this  custom  as  follows  :^"0n  the  eve  of  St.  Valentine's 
Day  the  young  folks  in  England  and  Scotland,  by  a  very  ancient 
custom,  celebrate  a  little  festival.  An  equal  number  of  maids 
and  bachelors  get  together,  each  write  their  true  or  some  feigned 
name  upon  separate  billets,  which  they  roll  up  and  draw  by  way 
of  lots,  the  maids  taking  the  men's  billets  and  the  men  the  maids'; 
so  that  each  of  the  young  men  lights  upon  a  girl  that  he  calls  his 
*  Valentine,'  and  each  of  the  girls  a  young  man  whom  she  calls  hers. 
Fortune  having  thus  divided  the  company  into  so  many 
couples,  the  valentines  give  balls  and  treats  to  their  mistresses, 
wear  their  billets  several  days  upon  their  bosoms  or  sleeves,  and 
this  little  sport  often  ends  in  love." 

From  these  notes,  imperfect  though  they  may  be,  it  will  be 
seen  how  important  it  is  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  text  of 
Burns — who,  not  being  a  philosophical  Poet,  found  his  material  in 
the  things  around  him — to  know  what  were  the  social  conditions 
under  which  he  lived.  But  while  the  notes  are  intended  to  help 
those  who  have  difficulty  in  grasping  the  meaning  of  the  Poet, 
because  of  a  lack  of  this  knowledge,  and  inducing  them  to  turn 
with  fresh  interest  to  his  pages,  I  am  not  without  hope  that  they 
will  be  read  with  interest  by  those  who  do  not  need  such 
instruction. 

ANDREW  M'CALLUM. 


THE  FIRST  EDITION  AND   ITS   RECENT 
REPRODUCTION. 


SO  great  was  the  demand  for  Burns's  first  venture  in  print  thnt, 
we  are  informed  on  good  authority,  not  a  copy  could  be 
procured  for  the  household  at  Mossgiel,  the  whole  impression 
(612  copies)  having  been  exhausted  in  a  few  weeks.  The  fact 
that  within  a  period  of  seven  weeks  the  recent  reproduction  of  the 
volume,  by  D.  Brown  &  Coy.,  Kilmarnock,  has  been  completely 
sold  out  is  a  most  pregnant  proof  of  the  enduring  nature  of  the 
Poet's  fame.  When  the  issue  was  put  on  sale  it  soon  became 
evident  that  double  the  number  could  have  been  disposed  of 
without  effort,  so  widespread  was  the  desire  to  possess  a  correct 
fac  simile  of  the  unpretentious  volume,  which  an  eminent  Glasgow 
bibliophile  has  described  as  bringing  us  nearer  the  personality  of 
Burns  than  the  sum  total  of  all  the  editions  which  have  succeeded. 
No  pledge  was  given  to  the  subscribers,  nor  were  the  copies 
numbered,  and  that  for  justifiable  and  sufficient  reasons.  The 
venture  was  a  speculative  one  ;  the  expense  of  a  photogravure 
block  for  each  page  was  a  heavy  outlay  for  a  provincial  firm  ;  and 
the  price  asked  was  the  minimum  proportionate  to  the  risk.  It 
was,  therefore,  necessary  to  guard  against  loss  by  reserving  the 
right  to  issue  a  second  and  cheaper  edition  should  the  contingency 
eventuate.  Happily,  the  result  has  exceeded  all  expectation,  and 
the  writer  is  authorised  by  the  publishers  to  announce  publicly 
that  the  blocks  are  to  be  destroyed  in  accordance  with  the  pledge 
given  at  the  last  annual  meeting  of  the  Burns  Federation,  under 
whose  auspices  the  work  was  undertaken.  Some  three  dozen 
copies  have  been  reserved,  we  understand,  for  the  orders  of  those 


73 

Colonial  agents  whose  lists  are  not  yet  to  hand,  and  for  the  few 
copies  which  have  been  sold  in  the  home  market  since  the  month 
of  October  the  published  price* has  been  doubled.  The  book  is 
therefore  likely  to  rise  in  value.  The  writer  has,  advisedly, 
refrained  till  now  from  all  public  reference  to  the  volume,  for 
reasons  which  are  perhaps  obvious  enough  ;  but  he  may  be 
allowed  to  take  this  opportunity  of  stating  that  he  had  no  pecuniary 
interest  whatever  in  the  venture,  what  he  was  enabled  to  do  in 
connection  therewith  having  been  undertaken  freely  and  willingly 
pro  causae  honore. 

In  the  unanimous  chorus  of  approval  with  which  the  volume 
has  been  received  by  all  competent  to  judge  some  fears  have  been 
expressed  that  it  will  facilitate  the  malpractices  of  the  forger  and 
the  faker,  but  such  fears  are  entirely  groundless.  Apart  from  the 
wide  difference  between  a  type-struck  and  a  block-struck  leaf 
plainly  ])erceptible  by  the  unskilled  eye,  every  page  of  the  repro- 
duction bears  evidence  of  its  origin  on  the  face  of  it,  which  book- 
lovers  will  very  soon  discover  for  themselves.  The  wire-lines  of 
the  paper  are  identical  with  those  of  the  original,  but  the  trade- 
mark— apparently  a  trefoil  with  the  mid-leaf  transformed  into  a 
conventional  ornament — 'has  not  been  reproduced,  one  of  the 
reasons  for  the  omission  being  that  only  small  fragments  of  it 
appear  on  some  thirty  leaves  of  the  original,  and  these  almost 
obliterated  by  the  folding  of  the  sheet  and  the  subsequent 
stitching.  There  were  no  bound  copies  in  the  original  issue  of " 
the  Kilmarnock  edition,  the  account  rendered  by  John  Wilson  to 
Robert  Burns  containing  the  informing  and  conclusive  item, 
"Stitching  612  copies  in  Blue  Paper  at  ifd — £,4.  9s  3d."  Nor 
was  there  any  label  on  the  back,  as  has  been  supposed  by  some 
commentators,  who,  however,  condescend  on  no  proof  of  their 
averments.  So  far  as  known  to  the  writer  only  four  copies  have 
come  down  to  us  in  the  original  wrappers — the  Dundee,  the 
Paisley,  the  Edinburgh,  and  the  Kilmaurs  copy — none  of  which 
bears  a  label  on  the  back  nor  any  vestiges  of  it,  as  the  writer  can 
testify  from  careful  and  repeated  personal  examination  of  all  four. 


74 

The  exact  tint  of  tlie  wnipjers  gave  some  trouble,  the  oii^^inals 
having  faded  and  become  intermixed  with  perplexing  greens  and 
browns,  and  it  was  also  necessary  in  selecting  the  colour  to  make 
allowance  for  the  changes  wrought  by  Father  Time.  For  the 
same  reason  the  ink  had  to  be  toned  down  to  a  point  which 
allowed  sufficient  margin  for  the  mellowing  influence  of  the  years 
to  come.  The  blocks  also  were  a  source  of  anxiety,  many  of 
them  requiring  the  most  delicate  retouching,  while  several, 
including  the  title-page,  had  to  be  recast  several  times  before 
satisfactory  results  were  obtained.  All  things  considered,  it  may 
be  confidently  asserted  that  the  Kilmarnock  reproduction  is  as 
near  an  approach  to  perfection  as  is  possible  at  the  present  stage 
of  the  photogravure  art. 

The  craftsmanship  of  John  \\'ilson,  as  evidenced  in  the  print- 
ing of  Poeuis,  chiefly  in  the  Scottish  Dialect,  by  the  "  obscure 
nameless  Bard,"  has  been  frequently  and  justly  praised.  Like 
most  work  of  the  kind,  however,  it  is  far  from  being  faultless. 
The  minute  examination  of  every  word  and  letter  which  the 
preparation  of  Messrs  Brown's  reproduction  demanded,  revealed 
many  slips  of  the  compositor  and  not  a  few  of  the  reader  as  well. 
The  peculiarities  of  spelling  characteristic  of  the  Kilmarnock 
edition,  which  were  subsequently  corrected  in  the  Edinburgh, 
need  not  here  be  commented  on.  But  a  few  of  the  more 
notable  slips  may  be  given  as  a  means  of  identifying  the  genuine 
volume  and  setting  forth  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  reliable 
reprint  such  as  that  issued  by  the  late  Mr  M'Kie  in  1867.  As 
was  to  be  expected  in  that  work  some  of  the  errors  of  the  old 
compositors  have  been  corrected,  perhaps  unconsciously,  by  their 
modern  brothers-in-trade,  while  others  have  been  left  untouched. 
We  have  selected  fifty  misi)rints  from  our  notes  which  may  be 
taken  as  typical  examples.  To  the  ordinary  eye  some  of  these 
may  appear  trivial,  while  our  mention  of  others  may  be  adjudged 
somewhat  hypercritical.  The  misprints  in  the  "  Cotter's  Saturday 
Night"  (pp.  126,  136)  have  long  been  known  to  the  cognoscenti, 
but  there  are  a  few  more  almost  as  glaring. 


Pa^e.  Stanza.  Line.  Error. 

Title  ...  1        Wrong  font  comma. 

Border  ...  ...        Plain  da.sh  omitted  at  botlom  of  righl-hand  inner 

of  title  perpendicular.       In    the    M'Kie    reprint  the 

arrows  are  smaller  and   more  numerous,  and 
the    interior    finial    of    corner    ornament    is 
different. 
Reverse  ...  ...       Apostrophe  omitted  in  "  Stationer^'." 

of  title 

*III.  ..  7       "  Contrymen "  for  "countrymen."' 

*IV.  ...  4       "  Creations,"  final  letter  upside  down. 

*V'.  ...  6       "  His,"  final  letter  upside  down. 

VII.  ...  1        Wrong  font  period. 

9  ...  ...  Do.  do.     at  end  of  title 

"  Na  "  for  "  Nae." 

Small  initial  at  "  Lord." 

"  Een  "  for  "  e'en." 

"Their"  for   "they're." 

"  Poortiths',"  second  vowel  small  cap. 

"  Xeer  '"  for  "  ne'er." 

"  Ladies,"  last  letter  Roman. 

"  Our  "  for    "  owre." 

Small  initial  in  "  Sundays." 

"  Echos  "  for    "echoes." 

Last  "  fool,"  second  vowel  small  cm  p. 

"  Cukoo  "  for    "cuckoo." 

"  C'heels  "  for   "  chiels." 

"King's"  for   "kings." 

"Campbell's"  for   "  Campbelh.'' 

"  Its,"  final  letter  upside  down. 

"  Sirname  "  for   "surname." 

"  VI."   foi    "  IV." 

"  Duely  "  for   "  duly." 

"  Taen  "  for   "  ta'en." 

"  Sacredotal  "  for  "sacerdotal." 

"  Rever  d  "  for  "  rever'd." 

"  Nol)le  "   for   "noblest." 

"Well"  for  "we'll." 

"Ilagard"  for   "haggard." 

"Afright"  fjr  "  aff"right." 

"  Mispending  "  for  "misspending" 

"  Recompence  "  for  "recompense." 

Word   ".April"  curiously  divided. 


lO 

10 

12 

13 

13 

5 

'5 

2 

i9 

10 

*2I 

I 

4' 

I 

43 

VI. 

2 

50 

XXI. 

3 

*11 

.5 

80 

II. 

3 

81 

IV. 

3 

86 

XIV. 

6 

9.S 

9 

*IOO 

10 

109 

Foot 
note 

126 

Stanza 
number 

12S 

VI. 

3 

129 

VIII. 

3 

135 

XVII. 

5 

^136 

XIX. 

3 

1.36 

XIX. 

6 

144 

IV. 

10 

154 

VIII. 

4 

Do, 

Do. 

Do. 

162 

I 

164 

X. 

7 

170 

Title 

3 

Pa.'o. 

Stanza. 

I.ilU' 

178 

VI. 

5 

179 

\II. 

s 

179 

\I1I. 

I 

183 

13 

183 

iS 

192 

Title 

3 

195 

4 

197 

9 

201 

9 

214 

3 

215 

18 

217 

10 

226 

\". 

J 

22S 

II. 

2 

76 

Krrnr. 
"  Wave  "  for   "  \v;iive." 
"  Independani "'  for  "independent." 
"  llanLjman'.s,"'  final  letter  upside  down. 
(siipia  p.   179). 
"  Wad  na  "  for   "  wadna." 
"  Lady"s,"   last  letter  Roman. 
"  I'oossie  "'    for    "pussy."     (Hence    "  I'oossie 

Nancy  "  ?) 
"Tiviotdale"  for  "  Teviotdale." 
"  Warly  "  for   "  warl'ly." 
"  Bad  "  for  "  hade." 
'■  Dadies "  for  "daddies." 
"  Lc'ae  "  for  "  lea'e." 
■•  Prest  "  for  "  press't." 
'■Chearful"  for  "cheerful." 

X;iTK. — The  asterisk  deiioles  tli;it  tlu'  crrui-  i-j  corrected  in  the  M'Kie  reprint. 

Some  seventy  misprints  in  all  have  been  noted,  consisting  of 
turned  letters,  wrong  fonts,  mis-spacing,  and  a  few  additional  slips 
of  the  kind  indicated  above.  We  have  taken  no  notice  of  the 
present  and  past  participles  — "  coman,"  "  howkan,"  "  deny'd," 
"  ply'd,"  &c. — nor  of  the  repeated  "ay"  for  "aye,"  which  are 
characteristic  of  the  Kilmarnock  edition,  though  it  will  be  found 
that  the  Poet  repeatedly  infringed  his  own  rules  on  his  first 
appearance  in  type.  For  the  corrections  in  the  M'Kie  reprint  it 
is  almost  certain  that  the  compositor  is  respf)nsible,  the  fruits  of 
his  craftsman  instinct  afterwards  escaping  the  eye  of  the  reader. 
The  modern  imitation  type  used  in  the  rej)rint  is  narrower  in  face 
than  the  old,  and  consequently  was  capable  of  being  packed  more 
closely  on  the  compositor's  "stick."  This  might  have  been 
retnedied  in  some  degree  by  the  use  of  the  broader  "  quads  " 
apparently  in  use  in  Wilson's  time,  and  a  greater  measure  of 
coincidence  in  the  length  of  the  lines  thereby  secured.  The 
initial  capitals  of  the  reprint,  besides,  are  much  too  large,  and  the 
paper  and  binding  are  not  in  accordance  with  the  original.  It 
was  these  considerations  which  induced  Mr  M'Kie's  lineal 
business  successors  to  improve  upon  the  reprint  by  replacing  it  by 
the  photographic  reproduction,  which  is  not  likely  to  be  superseded 


77 

fur  many  years  to  come.  We  have  been  informed  that  the 
profits  realised  are  to  be  devoted  to  a  pure-text  edition,  at  a 
popular  price,  to  take  the  place  of  the  Kilmarnock  Scott  Douglas 
edition.  If  at  all  possible,  we  would  advise  the  inclusion  of  at 
least  representative  examples  of  Burns's  prose  compositions  in 
this  projected  edition  for  the  use  of  the  masses,  so  as  to  afford 
them  clearer  grounds  of  judging  what  manner  of  man  Robert 
Burns  really  was. 

EDITOR. 


"HONEST    ALLAN." 


I. 

THE  term  "  honest  Allan  "  has  an  appearance  of  simplicity 
and,  ex  fade,  a  plain  meaning,  which  can  hardly  be  mis- 
understood. It  indicates,  one  might  say,  the  personal  possession 
of  a  well-known,  if  not  a  common  virtue,  viz.,  honesty.  A  search 
for  the  individual  having  a  clear  title  to  the  distinctive  name 
proves  ere  long,  nevertheless,  both  difficult  and  disappointing. 
The  word  "  honest,"  moreover,  turns  out  to  be  itself  elusive  and 
uncertain,  as  may  be  discovered  by  pondering  the  different  shades 
of  meaning  between  "an  honest  fellow"  and  "an  honest  woman." 
Its  usual  construction  in  English  hardly  supplies  more  than  a 
shadowy  clue  to  all  that  is  implied  in  its  Scots  interpretation. 

When,  for  example,  Burns  wrote  of  the  "  honest  men  "  of 
Ayr,  he  did  not  mean  to  say  that  they  were  not  addicted  to  fraud, 
cheating,  or  stealing,  nor  did  he  mean  to  place  above  the  might 
of  kings  the  making  of  a  man  who  was  simply  not  a  thief.  In 
either  case.  Burns  had  probal)ly  no  thought  of  the  vulgarly 
criminal  appropriation  of  another  person's  property.  A  man  may, 
accordingly,  be  innocent  of  the  decalogued  crime  and  be  nnim- 
peachably  fair  in  his  dealings,  and  still  fall  short  of  the  Scots 
standard  of  honesty.  It  implies  a  certain  all-round  moral  dis- 
tinction, and  such  general,  sterling  solidity  of  character  as  inspires 
confidence.  The  honest  man  is  alike  above  subterfuge  and  moral 
cowardice.  He  is  to  be  trusted  imjjlicilly  in  word  and  deed,  as 
one  who  speaks  only  what  he  deems  truth,  and  does  only  what  he 
thinks  right.  To  be  honest,  in  the  Scots  sense  is,  in  fine,  to  be 
something  of  a  paragon — a  compendium  of  many  virtues — but 
notably,  to  be  manly  and  true.  It  is  not  unlikely  that,  in  the  end, 
"  honest  Allan  "   may  turn  out  a  myth,  and  that  not  because  the 


79 

test  applied  to  his  ethical  sense  is  either  exacting  or  severe,  but 
because  the  title  has  been  conferred  without  due  discrimination. 

An  instance  in  point  occurs  in  one  of  the  rhymed  epistles  of 
Hamilton  of  Gilbertfield,  where  he  takes  the  liberty  of  addressing 
his  correspondent,  Allan  Ramsay,  as  "  honest  Allie."  Taking  a 
hint  apparently  from  Hamilton,  Burns  follows  suit,  and,  looking 
for  a  rival  to  Theocritus,  in  "  Poem  on  Pastoral  Poetry  "  intro- 
duces the  couplet  : — 

"  Yes  !  there  is  ane  ;  a  Scottish  callan  ! 
There's  ane  ;  come  forrit,  honest  Allan  ! " 

an  endorsement  sufficient,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  to  have 
sent  Ramsay  down  to  posterity  bearing  the  label  of  a  quality  akin 
to  orthodoxy — namely,  Scots  respectability.  Honours,  however — 
knighthood,  doctorate  of  laws,  and  the  like-— lose  their  gloss  when 
bestowed  without  strict  selection.  Burns  may  thus  have  gone 
slightly  astray  in  nominating  a  triumvirate  of  honest  Allans.  In 
a  letter  of  26th  October,  1792,  to  George  Thomson,  he  sends  his 
"  best  compliments  to  honest  Allan,"  which,  so  far  as  known, 
must  mean  David  Allan,  the  artist,  called  by  a  stretch  of  fancy 
"  the  Scottish  Hogarth,"  but  most  widely  and  favourably  known 
probably  by  his  illustrations  of  the  other  honest  Allan's  Gentle 
Shepherd.  Burns  frequently  praises  his  work  when  writing 
Peter  Cunningham  as  well  as  Thomson,  but  what  title  he  had  to 
admission  to  the  aristocracy  of  Honest  Men  is  beyond  conjecture. 
The  third  of  the  trio  is  mentioned  in  a  note  by  Burns  to  the  song 
"Willie  brewed  a  peck  o'  maut,"  inserted  in  the  Riddell  inter- 
leaved copy  of  the  Scots  Musical  Museiun.  Distributing  the 
honours.  Burns  says  :  "  This  air  is  Masterton's,  the  song  mine. 
The  occasion  of  it  was  this — Mr  Wm.  Nicol,  of  the  High  School, 
Edinburgh,  during  the  autumn  vacation,  being  at  Moffat,  honest 
Allan  (who  was  at  that  time  on  a  visit  to  Dalsvvinton)  and  I  went 
to  pay  Nicol  a  visit.  We  had  such  a  joyous  meeting  that  Mr 
Masterton  and  I  agreed,  each  in  our  own  way,  that  we  should 
celebrate  the  business."  Never,  surely,  was  any  other  peck  o' 
maut  so  inspiring  of  immortal  music  wedded  to  immortal  verse. 
William  Nicol  then  filled  the  title-role,  while  the  Poet  and  Allan 


80 

MastLMion  are  the  iwam  who  "  cam'  to  see  "—or  to  "  pree,"  as  they 
did  to  a  purpose.  Why,  however,  a  writing-master,  with  a  turn 
for  musical  composition,  should  be  specifically  designated 
"  honest "  cannot  even  be  guessed,  unless  it  be  on  the  score  of 
possessing  all  the  essential  virtues  of  a  boon  companion. 

There,  nevertheless,  they  stand— a  poet,  an  artist,  and  a 
composer— to  represent  Burns's  elastic  sense  of  the  word  "  honest," 
and  so  to  pass  among  the  immortals.  Each  might  have  been  left 
in  possession  of  his  pro  indiviso  share  of  the  honour,  had  not 
another  claimant  put  in  an  appearance  bearing  a  testimonial  from 
Sir  Walter  Scott.  In  his  Journal,  12th  November,  1826,  Scott, 
then  in  London,  notes:  "We  breakfasted  at  honest  Allan 
Cunningham's— honest  Allan— a  leal  and  true  Scotsman  of  the 
old  cast."  The  expression  had  previously  been  used  by  Scott  in 
the  introduction  to  The  Fortunes  of  Nigel  {1^,22),  where,  in  kindly 
reference  to  possible  adverse  critics  of  Cunningham's  tragedy  of 
Str  Marmaduke  Maxwell,  he  says  :  "  Never  mind  them,  honest 
Allan,  you  are  a  credit  to  Caledonia  for  all  that." 

Further  search  may  be  abandoned.  Putting  aside  David 
Allan  and  Allan  Masterton  as  yielding  nothing  to  investigation 
into  validity  of  title,  Allan  Ramsay  and  Allan  Cunningham 
remain  for  examination  in  virtue  of  credentials  under  the  sign- 
manual  of  their  greatest  countrymen.  Burns  and  Scott.  Both 
guarantors  are  at  once  acquitted  of  everything  but  the  amiable 
weakness  of  trustful  kindliness.  Burns  owed  much  to  Ramsay, 
and  thought  more  highly  of  his  poetical  genius  probably  than  it 
deserved.  That  he  was  acquainted  with  The  Gentle  Shepherd 
and  the  Tea  Table  Miscellany  is  certain  ;  but  that  he  was  as 
familiar  with  The  Ever  Green  (1724)  is  doubtful,  although  it  is 
never  safe  to  put  limits  to  Burns's  reading.  It  may,  however,  be 
taken  for  granted  that  he  had  no  direct  knowledge  of  the  Banna- 
tyne  Manuscript,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  think  that  he  knew 
Lord  Hailes'  Ancient  Scottish  Poems,  published  in  1770,  taken 
(rom  that  manuscript. 

As  "  skull-thacker "  or  wig-maker,  [)oet,  editor,  bookseller, 
librarian,  and  theatre-manager,  Allan  Ramsay  may  be  said  to  have 


81 

lived,  and  (in  1757)  to  have  died  in  the  odour  of  respectability. 
It  never  appears  to  have  occurred  to  any  of  his  contemporaries  to 
doubt  the  strict  truthfulness  of  the  prosperous  High  Street  man 
of  business,  and  proprietor  of  the  architectural  goose-pie  which  he 
called  Ramsay  Lodge.  When  the  truth  about  him  appeared,  it 
was  not  harshly  blurted  out,  but  issued  gently,  and  without  any 
of  the  parade  of  a  clever  detective  unearthing  a  fraud.  Lord 
Hailes  announced  his  "  find  "  in  his  little,  unpretentious  volume 
of  1770,  "■  Anciejit  Scottish  Foefus,  published  from  the  MS.  of 
George  Bannatyne,  1568."  He  pointed  out  that  Ramsay,  in  his 
selection  from  Bannatyne,  omitted  some  stanzas,  added  others, 
modernised  the  versification,  and  varied  the  ancient  manner  of 
spelling.  Ramsay  styles  his  work  "  The  Ever  Green  :  being  a 
collection  of  Scots  Poems,  wrote  by  the  Ingenious  before  1600." 
In  the  preface  we  read  of  assistance  rendered  by  The  Honourable 
William  Carmichael,  advocate,  who  furnished  "a  valuable  Number 
of  Poems  in  a  large  Manuscript  book  in  Folio,  collected  and 
wrote  by  Mr  George  Bannyntine  in  anno  1568;  from  whicli 
MS.  the  most  of  the  following  are  gathered."  The  saving  words, 
"  the  most,"  do  not  modify  the  explicit  statement  upon  the  title- 
page  that  the  poems  were  "  wrote  before  1600." 

Following  up  his  minor  general  charge,  Lord  Hailes  gives 
these  particulars  :  "  Some  pieces  inserted  in  The  Ever  Green 
were  composed  in  the  last  age,  others  in  the  present.  Thus,  the 
"  Comparison"  and  "The  Solsequium  "*  are  the  work  of  the  Earl  of 
Stirling,  Secretary  to  Charles  I.;  "The  Vision  "  and  "The  Eagle  and 
Robin  Redbreast  "t  are  obviously  modern.  "  Hardiknute  "  is 
probably  modern,  certainly  of  no  great  antiquity.  "Jock's  Advice 
to  his  Dad  "  is  the  composition  of  Heywood,  the  English  Epi- 
grammatist, "The  Answer"  is  modern.  The  Ever  Green  "Hardy- 
knute  :  a  Fragment,"  is  a  slight  variation  upon  the  poem  (not 
described  as  a  fragment)  ascribed  to  Lady  Wardlaw  (1670-1727). 
The  poems  signed  "  Ar,  Scot."  are  traced  to  Ramsay  himself,  the 
Ar.  being  his  initials,  the  added  Scot,  signifying  his  nationality. 

*The  Solsequium,  or  the  Lover  comparing  himself  to  Sun-Flower,  signed 

"  ^;wrf  Montgomery." 

t  Both  signed  "  Quod hx.  Scot." 


82 

That,  witli  any  real  intention  to  deceive,  Ramsay  should 
have  left  tracks  so  easily  and  readily  followed  is  surprising ; 
surprise  changes  to  amusement  when,  in  knowledge  of  the  facts, 
his  little  plot  is  examined  in  connection  with  the  language  he 
employs  in  the  Dedication  and  Preface  of  The  Ever  Green.  In 
the  former,  he  speaks  of  the  Royal  Archers  being  presented  by 
"the  following  Old  Bards,"  "with  an  Intertainment  that  can 
never  be  disagreeable  to  any  Scotsman  who  dispises  the  Fopery 
of  admiring  nothing  but  what  is  either  new  or  foreign  ;"  he 
descants  upon  these  Poets  making  a  "  Demand  for  that  Immortal 
Fame  that  tuned  their  Souls  Some  Hundred  Years  Ago  "  ;  and  he 
argues  modestly  that  "good  Sense,  sharp  Satyre  and  witty  Mirth 
may  be  express'd  with  a  true  Spirit,  altho'  in  antiquated  Words 
and  Phrases  " — and  although  the  antique  form  is  only  assumed  to 
cloak  such  a  modern  as  himself. 

The  Preface  is  alike  amazing  and  delicious.  Unabashed, 
Ramsaycontraststhe  "affected  Delicacies  andstudiedRefinements" 
of  modern  writings  with  "  that  natural  Strength  of  Thought  and 
simplicity  of  Stile  our  Forefathers  practised" — and  which  bethought 
he  could  echo.  "  When  these  good  old  Bards  wrote,"  he  reflects, 
"we  had  not  yet  made  Use  of  imported  Trimmings  upon  our 
Cloaths,  nor  of  foreign  Embroidery  in  our  Writings."  The  reader 
is  audaciously  reminded  that,  in  these  poems,  "  he  is  stepping 
back  into  the  Times  that  are  past  and  that  exist  no  more " — 
except  for  those  who  see  Visions.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted 
that  the  following  crowning  intention  was  not  carried  out  :— 

"  It  was  intended  that  an  account  of  the  Authors  of  the 
following  Collection  should  be  given  ;  but  not  being  furnished 
with  such  distinct  Information  as  could  be  wished  for  that  End  at 
present,  the  Design  is  delayed  until  the  publishing  of  a  third  or 
fourth  succeeding  Volume,  wherein  the  Curious  shall  be  satisfied 
in  as  far  as  can  be  gathered  with  Relation  to  their  Lives  and 
Characters  and  the  Time  wherein  they  flourished.  The  Names  of 
the  Authors,  as  we  find  them  in  our  Copies,  are  marked  before  or 
after  their  Poems." 

This  last  observation   is   cunningly   made   for    trail-covering 


83 

purposes,  since  it  must  be  construed  as  including  Ramsay's 
own  notn  de  plume ^  "  Ar.  Scot,"  in  its  scope.  -He  had,  moreover, 
"  distinct  Information "  at  least  about  himself,  and  an  auto- 
biographical sketch  of  Allan  Ramsay  might  have  been  a  valuable 
curio-iity.  Coming  now  to  the  particular  poem,  the  account  given 
in  The  Ever  Green  of  the  origin  of  "  The  Vision  "  is  so  circum- 
stantial as  well-nigh  to  disarm  suspicion  in  advance.  It  there 
bears  to  have  been  "  compylit  in  Latin  be  a  most  lernit  Clerk  in 
Tyme  of  our  Ilairship  and  Oppression,  anno  1300,  and  translatit 
in  1524."  At  the  foot  of  the  page,  a  note  says  the  poem  has 
reference  to  the  Scots  sufferings  after  Baliol's  submission  to 
Edward  I.,  and  until  independence  was  asserted  by  the  Great 
Bruce.  Unfortunately,  the  greater  the  ingenuity  of  the  mystery- 
maker,  the  greater  the  zest  in  divulging  the  secret. 

In  his  "  Remarks  on  the  Genius  and  Writings  of  Allan 
Ramsay,"  Lord  Woodhouselee  at  first  treats  Ramsay's  composi- 
tion of  "  The  Vision  "  as  more  or  less  a  matter  of  course,  and 
adds  that  "  to  aid  the  deception  he  made  use  of  a  more  antiquated 
phraseology  than  is  found  in  his  own  Scots  poems."  In  a  note 
to  this  passage  reference  is  made  to  an  article  in  the  first  volume 
of  the  Transactions  of  the  Scottish  Antiquaries,  proving  that 
'  The  Vision  "  and  "  The  Eagle  and  Robin  Redbreast "  were 
both  written  by  Ramsay.  Later  in  his  "  Remarks,"  Lord  Wood- 
houselee returns  to  the  subject,  and  making  sundry  additions  to 
the  Antiquaries  article  by  the  elder  Tytler,  summarises  the 
entire  case.  The  evidence  and  reasoning  are  quite  convincing. 
It  appears  that  Ramsay's  daughter  acknowledged  her  father's 
authorship,  and  it  may  be  noted  that  Lord  Woodhouselee  makes 
no  moral  reflection  upon  the  matter. 

The  secret  once  pierced,  it  is  possible,  but  not  certain,  that 
Allan  Cunningham  had  a  hand  in  chastising  Ramsay.  If  he  had, 
the  high  moral  tone  assumed  by  the  master  of  literary  ethics 
becomes  the  most  edifying  feature  of  the  biography  in  Ramsay 
and  the  Earlier  Poets  of  Scotland,  as  published,  without  a  date, 
by  Virtue  &  Co.  Under  the  above  heading  on  the  title-page, 
"  Ancient   Ballads  and   Songs  "  appears  as  a  sub-title,  and  the 


84 

whole  bears  to  be  "  Edited,  with  Notes  Critical  and  Biographical, 
by  Allan  Cunningham  and  Charles  Mackay,  LL.  D."  The  volume 
is  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  Scottish  poetry  by  Ramsay, 
Fergusson,  Lapraik,  and  several  others.  The  Notes  upon 
"  Ancient  Ballads  and  Songs  of  the  North  of  Scotland "  are 
specially  credited  to  Peter  Buchan,  but  none  of  the  biographical 
sketches  is  signed.  A  doubt  of  the  authorship  of  the  Life  of 
Ramsay,  generally  credited  to  Mackay  alone,  arises  in  this  way. 
Cunningham  lived  1784-1842,  and  Mackay  1814-18S9.  The 
latter  began  to  publish  in  1836,  six  years  before  Cunningham's 
death.  In  his  Recollectio?is,  Mackay  makes  no  mention  of 
Cunningham  ;  but,  without  certain  knowledge  of  collaboration 
between  the  two  men,  would  Virtue  &  Co.  have  ventured  to  place 
their  names  as  joint-editors  upon  the  title-page  of  the  book  ?  How 
long  Mackay's  work,  Allan  Ramsay  and  the  Poets  of  Scotland 
prior  to  Burns,  was  in  preparation,  or  in  manuscript  before  publi- 
cation, does  not  appear  to  be  exactly  known.  The  Life  of  Ramsay 
has  a  strong  flavour  of  Cunningham,  and  yet  the  most  cynical 
would  fain  wish  him  cleared  of  any  share  in  the  "preaching"  to 
which  Ramsay  is  subjected. 

The  delinquency  of  the  latter  concerning  "  The  Vision  "  is 
discussed  in  all  its  bearings.  The  key  proffered  in  The  Ever 
Green,  introducing  King  Edward  and  Bruce,  is  rejected  as  mis- 
leading. Instead,  it  is  suggested  that  if  George  I.  be  put  in  place 
of  Edward  I.,  and  the  Chevalier  St.  George  in  that  of  Bruce,  the 
real  sense  of  "  The  Vision  "  is  made  clear.  The  explanation  of 
Ramsay's  having  donned  the  mask  is  that,  a  Jacobite  at  heart  and 
to  the  knowledge  of  his  intimates,  he  wished  both  to  gratify  and 
to  conceal  his  political  leanings,  and  so  to  please  his  friends  with- 
out bringing  his  loyalty  under  suspicion.  For  worldly  reasons,  we 
are  told,  he  was  desirous  of  standing  well  with  both  parties. 
Hence  "  The  Vision." 

The  indictment  of  Ramsay  thus  holds  a  double  count — one 
involving  misrepresentation,  the  other  amounting  to  uttering 
counterfeit  poetic  coinage.  Under  the  first,  "  honest  Allan  "  is 
pilloried  for  an  offence  akin  to  the  technical  crime  in  Scots  law  of 


85 

"  falsehood,  fraud,  and  wilful  imposition."  To  realise  how  dreadful 
^t  is,  the  foresaid  "  preaching  "  must  be  read.  In  a  professing  collec- 
tion of  old  Scots  poems,  written  "by  the  Ingenious"  before  1600,  are 
some  known  to  have  been  written  after  1 700,  and  one,  probably 
two,  from  the  pen  of  the  collector  himself,  "  honest  Allan,"  the 
most  "  ingenious  "  of  all  the  Bards  !  But  for  The  Ever  Green 
''  the  world  might  never  have  learned  to  doubt  his  veracity  ;"  yet 
"  the  certainty  of  this  deception  at  once  places  him  in  the  category 
of  such  writers  as  Chatterton  and  Macpherson.  There  is  no 
mincing  the  matter.  Allan  Ramsay  was  to  a  certain  extent — a 
very  limited  one  it  must  be  allowed — a  literary  impostor."  Still, 
"the  world  deals  mercifully  with  literary  frauds" — "perhaps  the  less 
we  .say  on  the  matter  the  better  for  our  author;"  "his  greatest  fault 
was  that  he  was  a  dishonest  editor."  The  treatment  of  the  offence 
is  forced  throughout.  If  it  be  all  Mackay's,  the  doctor  was 
evidently  bent  upon  improving  the  occasion.  If  it  be  either 
Cunningham's  or  of  his  inspiration  it  would  merit  being  qualfied 
as  both  insincere  and  hypocritical.  Ramsay's  sin,  in  fact,  becomes 
pale,  a  mere  venial  peccadillo,  beside  that  of  his  reprover.  He, 
the  commentator,  assumes  the  ambiguous  attitude  of  easing  his 
conscience  by  clearly  defining  the  heinousness  of  Ramsay's  wrong- 
doing, and  yet  of  endeavouring  out  of  it,  as  a  precedent,  if  not  to 
build  a  defence  for  himself,  to  weave  at  least  a  plea  in  extenua- 
tion of  his  own  fault.  The  epithets  are  bitter — ■"  literary  impostor," 
"  literary  fraud,"  "  dishonest  editor."  Guilt  being  proven,  more 
restrained  condemnation  had  been  more  effective.  It  is,  however, 
idle  to  protest.     Exit  "  honest  Allan  "  the  First. 

In  his  own  experience  Mackay  was  no  stranger  to  editorial 
deceptions,  as  witness  the  Introduction  to  hh  Jaco/nie  Son^s  and 
Ballads^  and  his  handling  of  James  Hogg.  He  reminds  us  that 
the  Shepherd  not  only  inserted  his  own  song  "  Donald  Macgillavry" 
in  his  collection  of  Jacobite  Relics,  but  pronounced  it  editorially 
"one  of  the  best  songs  that  ever  was  made,"  and  afterwards, 
avowing  the  fraud,  gloried  in  it.  Literary  trickery,  however,  does 
not  appear  to  have  had  more  than  a  limited  vogue.  Hogg  knew 
Cunningham,  but  that  the  mason  caught   the   infection   from    the 

6 


86 

shepherd  is  not  borne  out  by  the  facts.  Honest  Allan,  the 
Second,  in  fact,  seems  to  have  been  born  with  a  moral  squint. 
Any  intention  of  measuring  "the  quantum  o'  the  sin"  is 
repudiated  in  advance.  To  the  last  he  could  see  no  wrong  in 
giving  the  rein  to  imagination  when  facts  failed  him,  and  through- 
out his  life  he  was  incapable  of  appreciating  the  difference  between 
successful  imposture  and  a  good  joke. 

That  his  reputation  stood  so  long  is  unaccountable.  Of  late 
years,  however,  he  has  frequently  been  spoken  of  lightly  in  the 
matter  of  veracity.  Scott-Douglas,  for  example,  allows  Cunning- 
ham's account  of  Burns'  funeral  to  be  picturesque,  but  cannot 
accept  it  as  other  than  "  an  effort  of  fancy.''  C.  S.  Dougall 
attributes  the  fact  that  he  is  not  always  trustworthy  to  a  vivid 
imagination  and  a  desire  to  say  something  new  about  Burns.  In 
connection  with  the  Buchanite  Delusion,  Mr  John  Cameron 
declares  one  of  Allan's  notes  full  of  inaccuracies,  and  that  he 
dre-;sed  up  local  rumour  "in  the  most  extraordinary  manner  out 
of  the  wealth  of  his  own  imagination."  He  singles  him  out  as 
the  "  most  unreliable  of  all  for  matters  of  fact,"  and  finally  gives 
him  a  contemptuous  dismissal — "  but  anything  can  be  pardoned 
the  poet  and  novelist."  Forgiveness,  nevertheless,  is  one  thing ; 
respect  and  acceptance  are  another.  Allan's  British  Painters^ 
Life  of  IVii'kie,  and  Life  and  Works  of  Burns  are  either  authorities 
and  good  for  reference,  or  they  are  good  for  nothing.  It  is  not 
proposed  here  to  traverse  any  of  the  panegyrics  pronounced  upon 
him,  as  a  man  of  many  virtues  and  praiseworthy  traits.  It  is  only 
desirable  to  take  that  view  of  him  in  which  he  appears,  in 
succession  to  Ramsay  deposed,  as  "honest  Allan."  It  is  possible 
that,  meaning  to  praise,  Scott  did  him  an  injury,  and  that  the 
intended  place  of  honour  has  proved  a  pillory — ''  Honos  honesltim 
decora i,  i>iho?iesiiim  noiat." 

The  story  has  been  told  more  than  once  of  Cunningham's 
practical  joke  at  the  expense  of  the  villagers  of  Kirkmahoe,  how 
he  and  a  companion,  at  a  time  when  a  French  invasion  rested 
like  a  nightmare  upon  the  country,  created  a  local  panic,  and 
finished  off  the  joke  by  placarding  a  reward  for  the  ai)prehension 


of  the  perpetrators  of  what  has  been  called  a  "  heartless  hoax." 
The  French  peril  was,  no  doubt,  a  very  real  bugbear.  It  was 
daring,  and  perhaps  cruel,  to  make  sport  of  it.  Men,  neverthe- 
less, who  have  not  forgotten  that  they  once  were  young,  are  not 
likely  to  be  too  hard  upon  Allan  and  his  fellow-conspirator. 
The  trick,  it  is  worth  noting,  was  highly  successful,  and  it 
remained  a  secret  for  more  than  half  a  century.  It  was  cleverly 
conceived,  boldly  put  in  practice,  and  thoroughly  carried  out. 

To  moralise  over  it  were  profitless,  but  it  does  derive  a 
certain  amount  of  significance  from  after-events.  It  was  one  of 
the  first  symptoms  of  a  constitutional  tendency — so-called 
advisedly — which,  left  unchecked  in  early  life,  developed  into  a 
moral  flaw.  Allan's  next  practical  joke  was  passing  off  as  genuine 
Remains  of  Nithsdak  and  Galloivay  Song,  and  allowing 
Cromek  to  publish  as  su-h  a  number  of  ballads  and  lyrics  of  his 
own  composition.  He  was  then  a  man  of  twenty-five,  and  of 
probably  mature  judgment  concerning  ordinary  matters  of  right 
and  wrong.  Allan's  son,  Peter,  tells  the  history  of  the  hoax, 
with  manifest  filial  pride  in  his  father's  cleverness.  It  was  no 
after-thought.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Cromek  acquaintance,  he 
having  "jumped  at  the  idea  of  rivalling  Percy,  Ritson,  and  Scott," 
"  the  idea  of  a  volume  of  imitations  passed  upon  Cromek  as 
genuine  remains,  flashed  across  the  Poet's  mind  in  a  moment." 
*' Cromek  foresaw  a  volume  of  genuine  verse.  .  .  .  He  never 
suspected  a  cheat,  or,  if  at  all,  not  at  this  time."  Once  he  must 
have  posed  Allan,  by  asking  him  the  names  of  the  poets  Niths- 
dale  and  Galloway  had  produced.  That  Cromek  came  to  know, 
or  to  divine  the  secret  of  the  alleged  Remains  is  morally  certain. 
Why  else  should  he  have  cautioned  Allan — "  Be  cautious  not  to 
divulge  the  secrets  of  the  Prison  House."  We  now  know  from 
Allan  himself  that  "  every  article  but  two  little  scraps  was  con- 
tributed by  me."  Virtually  all  the  cognoscenti  of  the  time  knew 
the  real  poet  of  the  Remains— Scoit,  Percy,  Hogg,  Jeffrey  (who 
told  Scott  he  was  convinced  of  the  fraud,  but  did  not  think  it 
worthy  of  exposure)  and  Wilson 


88 

The  Reinains  were  published  in  1810  ;  nine  years  afterwards, 
(December,  1819)  "  Christopher  North"  reviewed  them  in  Black- 
wood. Cromek  is  there  said  to  be  enthusiastic  but  credulous, 
and  ignorant  of  poetry.  The  Appendix  upon  district  customs  is, 
without  any  doubt,  ascribed  to  Cunningham,  and  to  him  also 
"  the  best  of  the  poetry  belongs."  In  the  course  of  Wilson's 
destructive  analysis  of  the  probabilities  of  the  invented  story,  the 
plot  is  pulled  to  pieces,  and — "  independently  of  all  this,  the 
poems  speak  for  themselves,  and  for  Allan  Cunningham."  The 
stories  attached  to  certain  songs  are  quoted  with  the  Addendum, 
"which  we  know  to  be  Allan  Cunningham's."  By  that  time,  in 
fact,  Allan  had  avowed  the  authorship  of  the  "  Mermaid."  It 
is  now  amusing  enough  to  read  Allan's  comment  upon  one  speci- 
men of  his  own  work  :  "  A  fairer  specimen  of  romantic  Scottish 
love  than  is  contained  in  this  song  is  raVely  to  be  met  with.  It 
was  first  introduced  to  Nithsdale  and  Galloway,  about  thirty 
years  ago,_,  by  a  lady  whose  mind  was  deranged."  Peter 
says  of  the  Blackwood  article  that  "  nothing  can  be  more  dis- 
criminatingly beautiful  tljan  the  language  of  the  review  through- 
out." Neither  he  nor  Wilson,  nor  apparently  anyone  else — it 
was  years  afterwards  that  Scott  dubbed  the  arch-impostor  "  honest 
Allan  " — saw  in  the  Remains  business  any  question  of  right  and 
wrong.  Peter  concentrated  his  view  of  the  volume,  the  review, 
and  the  whole  circumstances,  upon  the  single  point  of  his  father's 
rank  and  reputation  as  a  poet.  By  trickery  the  glory  was  dis- 
played, and  the  exposure  of  the  trick  robbed  the  glory  of  not  a 
single  ray. 

In  the  midst  of  such  acclaim  one  is  almost  afraid  that  the 
mere  suggestion  of  a  possible  moral  view  might  be  dubbed  Puri- 
tanical, or  worse.  What  has  the  art  of  poetry  to  do  with  morals  ? 
In  1847,  it  may  be  diffidently  mentioned,  the  editor  of  Chamders's 
Journal  did  advert  to  something  of  the  sort  in  connection  with 
Peter  and  the  above-noted  Introduction.  He  says,  rather  sheep- 
ishly :  "  From  peculiar  habits  of  feeling  we  never  have  been 
able  to  look  on  the  proceeding  quite  in  the  sportive  light  in  which 


89 

it  is  usually  regarded  ;  but,  at  the  worst,  it  was  no  heavy  sub- 
traction from  the  really  estimable  character  of  Cunningham.  .  .  . 
The  best  of  '  honest  Allan '  is  here."  The  name,  be  it  observed, 
sticks  in  the  very  face  of  the  evidence  that  it  is  a  ludicrous  misfit, 
and  the  code  of  Scots  ethics  shrinks  into  "  peculiar  habits  of 

feeling  !" 

EDWARD  PINNINGTON. 

(To  be  continued.) 


ROBERT  BURNS. 


A  "  Blast  o'  Januar'  win'  "  has  brought 

Mis  birthday  round  again, 
And  gather  round  the  festive  board 

The  wale  o'  Scotia's  men  : 
Grey-bearded  sires,  and  ladies  fair, 

And  chiels  wi'  cleric  gown, 
Wi'  strappin'  lads  frae  "  Banks  o'  Ayr," 

An'  maids  frae  "  Bonnie  Doon  ;" 
And  to  the  immortal  scroll  of  fame 

Each  thought  in  fancy  turns, 
Where  high  in  radiant  letters  flame 

The  name  of  "  Robert  Burns." 

Through  foreign  lands,  ayont  the  foam, 

Ilis  fame  and  worth  have  spread, 
His  songs  will  aye  be  sung  at  home 

Whilst  laverocks  sing  o'erhead  ; 
And  eyes  that  are  grown  old  and  dim 

Will  brighten  as  of  yore, 
When  fond  remembrance  points  to  him 

Who  treads  these  haunts  no  more. 
The  exile  on  a  foreign  strand, 

His  restless  spirit  yearns 
To  view  again  the  rugged  land 

Of  Wallace,  Bruce,  and  "  Burns.  " 

John   Hose,  Riccarton. 


hk;iila\d  marv:  a  summation. 


NOTWITHSTANDING  all  that  has  been  written  about 
Highland  Mary — and  she  has  been  more  written  about 
than  any  other  Burns  heroine — very  little  that  is  certain  is  known 
regarding  her.  Put  to  purgation,  the  following  is  the  meagre 
array  of  facts  which  we  are  prepared  to  swear  to  : — 

(i)  She  was  born  somewhere  in  the  West  Highlands. 

(2)  She  was  a  servant-maid  in  the  household  of  Gavin    Hamil- 

ton, Mauchline,  when  Burns  resided  at  Mossgiel. 

(3)  She  left  Mauchline  about  the  time  Burns  had  resolved  to 

emigrate,  and  returned  to  her  home  in  the  West  High- 
lands. 

(4)  She  died  of  fever,  at  Greenock,  in  the  autumn  of  1786. 
Mystery  surrounds  her  personal  history,  and  Burns  himself  has 
left  little  upon  the  record  to  dispel  it.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
evident  that  his  desire  was  to  draw  the  veil  closer  round  the 
shadowy  figure  of  the  Highland  maiden  who  impinged  upon  his 
orbit  more  like  a  meteor  tlian  a  "  lingering  star  " — shining  in 
brightest  effulgence  for  a  brief  period,  and  disappearing  suddenly 
into  the  darkness  from  which  she  had  emerged.  Tradition  has 
thrown  a  light,  more  or  less  glimmering  and  uncertain,  on  her  life- 
history  ;  but,  at  best,  the  bulk  of  what  has  been  received  as  fact 
by  her  chroniclers  is  only  probability,  resting  upon  evidence 
which  is  purely  circumstantial.  Burns's  early  biographers  say  very 
little  about  Highland  Mary.  Heron  neither  mentions  nor  alludes 
to  her  ;  Currie  adds  nothing  to  what  he  found  written  by  Burns 
himself  save  the  trite  inference  that  "  the  object  of  this  passion 
died  early  in  life,  and  the  impression  left  on  the  mind  of  Burns 
seems  to  have  been  deep  and  lasting  ;"  what  Cromek  asserts  in 
his   Reliques  will   be  treated   of  further  on  ;  and  Hamilton  Paul 


91 

confines  himself  to  the  diffuse  statement  that  Burns's  first  and 
last  interviews  with  Highland  Mary  took  place  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tarbolton  and  Mauchline,  to  which  he  appends  an  imaginative 
poetical  prose  description  (very  probably  suggested  by  what  had 
appeared  in  Cromek)  of  the  precise  scene  of  "  the  last  fareweel," 
which  he  locates  at  the  spot  "  where  the  Fail  disembogues  itself 
into  the  Ayr  " — "  there  or  thereabout,"  he  cautiously  adds  as  a 
saving  clause.  All  in  the  way  of  direct  evidence  we  get  from 
Gilbert  Burns  is  the  opinion  that  Highland  Mary  was  the  inspirer 
of  the  song,  "  Sweet  Afton  ;"  "  but,"  he  continues,  "  Dr  Currie 
says  that  it  was  written  in  honour  of  Mrs  Stewart,  of  Stair,  and  he 
must  not  be  contradicted " — a  suggestive  addendum,  we  may 
ren>ark  in  passing,  which  doubtless  explains  Gilbert's  unaccount- 
able silence  on  certain  more  weighty  representations  which 
obtained  currency  on  the  authority  of  Currie,  who  knew  less  at 
first-hand  of  the  Dumfries  period  of  the  Poet's  career  than  his 
brother  professed  to  be  possessed  of. 

The  foregoing  practically  includes  all  the  information  avail- 
able when  Scott  Douglas  and  Robert  Chambers  began  their 
investigations.  In  January,  1850,  the  former  read  a  paper  to  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries,  Edinburgh,  in  which  he  i)ut  it  beyond 
doubt  that  the  earlier  biographers  had  been  misled  ;  that  the 
Highland  Mary  incident  did  not  happen  in  the  early  youth  of  the 
Poet,  but  during  the  Mossgiel  period  of  his  life,  the  Bible  he  pre- 
sented to  her  bearing  1782  as  the  date  of  publication,  and  the  half- 
obliterated  inscription  on  it  also  testifying  that  it  was  written  at 
"  Mossgavil  "  (the  old  name  of  Mossgiel),  on  the  actual  tenancy 
of  which  the  two  brothers  did  not  enter  till  the  beginning  of  i  784. 
How  did  the  misconception  arise  ?  Let  us  see  what  Burns  himself 
has  to  say  on  the  subject. 

Three  years  after  her  death  (December  13th,  1789)  he  sent 
a  copy  of  ''Mary  in  Heaven"  to  Mrs  Dunlop,  to  which  he 
ap[)ended  the  following  hysterical  apostrophe  : — 

"  There  should  I,  with  speechless  agony  of  rapture,  again  recognise  my 
lost,  my  ever  dear  Mary,  whose  bosom  was  fraught  with  truth,  constancy,  and 
love." 


9-J 

In  1792,  he  forwarded  to  George  Thomson  the  song,  *'  Will  ye  go 
to  the  Indies,  my  Mary,"  with  this  note  attached  : — 

"  In  my  very  early  years,  when  I  was  thinking  of  going  to  the  West 
Indies,  I  took  tlie  following  farewell  of  a  dear  girl.  It  is  quite  trifling,  and 
has  noiiiing  of  the  merits  of  '  Ewe  Buchts,'  hut  it  will  fill  up  the  page.  You 
must  know  that  all  my  earlier  love  songs  were  the  hreathing  of  ardent  passion, 
and  though  it  might  have  been  easy  in  after  times  to  have  given  them  a  polish, 
yet  that  polish,  to  me  whose  they  were,  and  who  perhaps  alone  casied  for  them, 
would  have  defaced  the  legend  (/f  the  heart  which  was  so  faithfully  inscrii)ed 
on  them.     Their  uncouth  simplicity  was,  as  they  say  of  ^lines,  their  race." 

In    November,    1792,    he    sent  Thomson  the  song,   "  Highland 
Mary,"  with  this  note  : — 

"  The  foregoing  song  pleases  myself;  I  think  it  in  my  happiest  manner  ; 
you  will  see  at  first  glance  it  suits  the  air.  The  subject  of  this  song  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  passages  of  my  youthful  days,  and  I  own  that  I  would  be 
much  flattered  to  see  the  verses  set  to  an  air  which  would  etisure  celebrity, 
i'erhaps  after  all  'tis  the  still  glowing  prejudice  that  throws  a  borrowed  lustre 
over  the  merits  of  the  composition." 

Burns  made  no  mention  of  Highland  Mary  in  the  auto- 
biography he  wrote  out  for  Dr  Moore  ;  there  is  no  reference  t") 
her  in  his  letters  to  his  intimate  friends  ;  and  to  the  household  at 
Mossgiel  he  vouchsafed  no  information  regarding  her.  The 
extracts  given  contnin  nothing  whatever  about  her  personality  and 
previous  life,  nor  of  the  beginning  and  duration  of  their  attach- 
ment. He  does  not  even  once  mention  her  full  name,  and  he 
persistently  speaks  of  the  incident  as  occurring  in  his  early  years. 
We  now  come  to  Cromek,  who  for  more  than  a  hundred  years  has 
been  considered  an  authority  so  far  above  suspicion  that  no  one 
ever  dreamed  of  questioning  it  or  attempting  to  prove  its 
reliability  as  a  faithful  transcript  of  the  original  documents  from 
which  it  professed  to  be  derived.  In  his  Reliques,  published  in 
1808,  and  in  which,  professing  to  be  C(jpying  from  the  interleaved 
copy  o^  Johnsons  Museum  ([)ublished  August,  1792)  which 
belonged  to  Burns's  friend,  Robert  Riddell,  opposite  to  the  song 
"  My  Highland  Lassie,  O,"  he  prints  : — 

"  This  was  a  composition  of  mine  in  very  early  life,  before  I  was  known  to 
the  world.  My  Highland  lassie  was  a  warm-hearted,  charming  young  creature 
as  ever  blessed  a  man  with  generous  love.  After  a  pretty  long  tract  of  the 
most  ardent  reciprocal  attachment,   «e  )net  by  appoinlment,    on  the  second 


93 

Sunday  of  May,  in  a  sequestered  spot  by  the  banks  of  Ayr,  where  we  spent 
the  day  in  taking  a  farewell,  before  she  should  embark  for  the  West  Highlands, 
to  arrange  matters  among  her  friends  for  her  projected-  change  of  life.  At  the 
close  of  the  autumn  following  she  crossed  the  sea  to  meet  me  at  Greenock, 
where  she  had  scarce  landed  when  she  was  seized  with  a  malignant  fever  which 
hurried  my  dear  girl  to  the  grave  in  a  few  days,  before  I  could  even  hear  of 
her  illness." 

Compared  with  what  he  wrote  to  Thomson,  this  is  a  surprising 
burst  of  confidence.  Here,  the  composition,  not  the  incident 
itself,  is  referred  to  his  "  very  early  life."  We  learn  also  that  the 
attachment  extended  over  "  a  pretty  long  tract  ;"  the  year  (even 
the  month  and  the  day)  in  which  the  parting  took  place  is  plainly 
and  unmistakably  set  forth  ;  Biirns's  betrothal  to  Highland  Mary 
is  confessed  ;  the  approximate  date  of  her  death  is  given  ;  in 
short,  almost  all  the  material  which  goes  to  form  what  has  been 
term.ed  the  "  Episode  Theory  "  is  contained  in  this  note  for  which 
Cromek  stands  godfather.  It  is  so  full  and  comprehensive  that 
one  wonders  what  was  left  for  Scott  Douglas  to  discover.  It  will 
consequently  be  seen  that,  its  authenticity  is  a  question  of  the 
first  importance.  Unfortunately  for  Cromek,  the  Riddell  inter- 
leaved copy  of  the  Museum,  from  which  he  professed  to  copy,  has 
been  discovered  and  brought  to  light  by  the  late  Mr  Dick, 
of  Newcastle,  after  a  sojourn  in  obscurity  for  well  nigh  a 
hundred  years.  For  the  benefit  of  the  general  reader,  we  may 
briefly  indicate  its  character.  Mr  Riddell,  of  Glenriddell,  had  so 
keen  an  interest  in  Scots  songs  that  he  got  the  first  four  volumes 
of  the  Museum  re-bound  with  blank  leaves  inserted,  on  which 
historical  and  other  notes  could  be  inscribed  opposite  the  com- 
positions by  himself,  Rums,  or  other  competent  authority.  As  was 
to  be  expected,  practically  the  whole  of  these  are  initialed  in  the 
volume  "  R.  R."  and  "  R.  B.,"  according  as  the  information  was 
Riddell's  own  or  contributed  by  Burns.  How  Cromek  discharged 
his  editorial  duties  can  be  best  appraised  by  the  results  of  Mr 
Dick's  comparison  of  Cromek's  printed  versions  of  the  notes  with 
the  MS.  originals.  This  is  what  he  says  in  the  preface  of  his 
posthumous  volume,  Noies  mi  Scotlish  Song  by  Robert  Burns, 
published  in  1908  : — 


94 

"The  principal  part  (I.)  of  the  following  text  is  a  verbatim  copy  of 
holograph  Notes  of  Robert  Burns  in  an  interleaved  copy  of  the  first  four 
volumes  of/ohtiso/is  Musical  .Museum,  which  belonged  to  Robert  Riddell,  of 
Glenriddell,  the  friend  and  neighbour  of  Burns  at  Ellisland.  Then  follow  (II.) 
the  notes  written  by  Riddell  in  the  same  volumes.  The  interleaves  in  the 
volumes  being  incomplete,  I  have  described  (III.)  the  missing  leaves,  with 
the  songs  which  faced  ihem,  in  the  volumes,  wiih  a  copy  of  three  important 
notes  which  R.  C.  Cromek  inserted  in  his  Reliques  of  Kohert  Burns  (1808)  as 
from  the  hand  of  Burns.  Obviously  these  cannot  be  verified.  The  last  part 
(IV.)  consists  of  a  series  of  spurious  notes,  also  printed  by  Cromek  in  the 
Heliques.  These  are  not  in  the  volumes,  and  never  were  there.  .  .  .  The 
notes  in  Cromek's  Reliques  (pp.  195-306)  have  had  a  free  run  of  one  hundred 
years.  Nearly  every  published  work  of  the  Songs  of  Burns  during  that  period 
contains  more  or  less  of  the  notes.  Hogg  and  Motherwell,  Cunningham* 
Chambers,  Scott  Douglas,  and  Henley  incorporated  them  bodily  into  their 
edi'ions  of  the  Works  of  Burns,  as  none  of  these  editors  bad  seen  ihe  Inter- 
leaveii  Museum,  nor  had  means  to  correct  them." 

\\'hat  was  said  in  last  year's  Chronuie  illustrative  of  Cromek's 
garbling  and  forgery,  as  well  as  the  contemporary  estimates  of  his 
personal  character  need  not  here  be  repeated.  Sufifice  it  to  say 
that  the  recovery  of  the  Glenriddell  MS.  has  convicted  him  of 
deliberately  adulterating  and  inventing  notes  which  he  ascribes  to 
Robert  Burns  :  of  suppressing  others  ;  and  of  repeatedly  substitut- 
ing the  Poet's  initials  for  those  of  Robert  Riddell.  The  "  missing 
leaves  "  are  .'seventeen  in  number,  and  among  them  are  those  con- 
taining "  My  Highland  Lassie,  O,"  with  its  accompanying  MS. 
note,  a  copy  of  which  Cromek  professes  to  give  in  his  Reliques,  as 
quoted  above.  Till  these  missing  leaves  are  recovered  and  the 
text  verified,  Cromek's  Highland  Mary  note  cannot  be  received  as 
authentic  on  his  authority  alone.  He  is  a  discredited  witness  ^ 
his  printed  version  is  "suspect"  in  the  last  degree;  and 
documentary  evidence  demands  the  production  of  the  founding 
document  itself  In  the  new  light  thrown  upon  the  subject,  the 
Highland  Mary  controversy,  from  first  to  last,  falls  to  be  revised. 
In  a  notable  article  which  appeared  in  The  New  Review,  in  June 
1897,  over  the  joint  signatures  of  Mr  Henley  and  Mr  Henderson, 
this  note  of  Cromek's  is  made  the  chief  corner-stone  of  a 
lengthened  argument  in  condemnation  of  "The  Cult  of  Mary 
Campbell,"  in  which  many  harsh  and  ungenerous  things  are  said 
of  both  Burns  and   Highland    Mary.      W'e   take  the    case   for  the 


95 

prosecution  as  summarised  by  these  writers  on  p.  679,  the   Poet 
appearing  as  usual   as    principal — in   point   of- fact   sole — witness 
against  himself.     The  points  adduced  are  : — "  (i)  Burns  was  dis- 
carded   by   Jean   Armour — overborne    by   her    parents — in    the 
February,  or  early  in  the  March,  of  1786.     (2)  As  the  result  of 
this  outrage  to  his  pride,  his  paternal  feelings,  and  his  affection  for 
Armour,  his  'maddening  passions  roused  to  tenfold  fury,  bore  over 
their  banks  with  impetuous,  resistless  force,  carrying  every  check 
and  principle  before  them  '  (R.  B.  to  Arnott).     (3)  The  afore- 
said passions  having  '  sunk  into  a  lurid  calm  '    he   began   to    '  lift 
up  his  grief-worn  eye — to  look — for  another  wife.'     Accordingly 
(4)    after  a  few  preliminaries,  of  which   there  is  no   record,  he 
betrothed  himself  to  Mary  Campbell,  and  parted  with  her  on  the 
14th    May,  that   (so  he  says)    she   might  go    home   and    make 
arrangements  for  their  marriage.     (5)   He   never   saw    her  again, 
but  arranged  that  she  should   meet  him   at   the  autumn's  end  at 
Greenock,  where,  however,  she   had  scarce  landed   ere  she   was 
seized  by  a  malignant  fever,  which   hurried   his  poor  girl   to  the 
grave  before  he  could  even  hear  of  her  illness.     In  addition  to 
these    statements— all    Burns's — we    have    the    lyrics,    especially 
'Thou    Lingering    Star'    and    'Highland    Mary,'    together    with 
that  hypochondriacal  fustian   in   a  letter  to    Mrs  Dunlop."     The 
summary  concludes  with  this  cc.nviction  on  King's  evidence,  with- 
out the  compensating  pardon: — "The  only  witness  as  to  Mary 
Campbell   worth   serious  consideration  is  this  of  Burns  himself." 
Let  it  be  so,  but  before  closing  the  record  let  us  revise  it  in  the 
light  now  shed  upon  it.     How  much  of  it  is  bound  to  go  by  the 
board?     All  but  (i),  (2),  and  (6),  and  thereby  the  whole  super- 
structure falls  to  the  ground,  for  Cromek  is  not  the  lone,  solitary 
"  witness  worth  serious   consideration  "   on   which   the  judgment 
proceeded.     We    say    nothing    of    the    forcing   of   language    and 
special  pleading   which   permeates   the  whole  article.     Why,  for 
instance,  do  "  H  and  H  "  quote  only  what  suits  them  from  Burns's 
letters  during  what  is  sneering ly  termed  the  "Consolation"'  period? 
If  they  take  "  R.  B.  to  Arnott  "    seriously,  nobody  else   has   ever 
done  so   since   its   first  publication   in    1878.      It    is  in  rec'ility  a 


9(5 

jeu  d'esprit  which  Burns  afterwards  reproduced  from  a  copy  for 
insertion,  with  an  explanatory  note,  in  the  collection  of  his  letters 
which  he  presented  to  Robert  Riddell.  "  R.  B.  to  James  Smith,'' 
and  "  Robert  Burns  to  John  Ballantyne  "  are  not  exactly  in  the 
line  of  argument  pursued  by  "H  and  H,"  and  consequently 
escaped  notice.  The  one-sided  nature  of  their  investigation  is 
made  manifest  by  the  omission  of  all  mention  of  the  Poet's 
^'■quondam  Eliza  "  who  also  figured  in  the  "  Consolation  "  period, 
and  to  whom  he  paid  the  compromising  compliment,  "  From  thee, 
Eliza,  I  must  go  "—luckily  for  that  Mauchline  belle  without  any 
note  attached,  Cromek  or  otherwise,  or  the  Highland  maiden 
would  necessarily  have  had  a  companion  in  the  pillory.  Their 
keenness  to  score  against  Burns  is  evident  from  their  choice  of 
"  the  1 2th  of  May  "  as  the  date  of  the  "  Court  of  Equity,"  though 
one  of  the  copies  is  dated  the  4th  of  June.  The  point  is  not  so 
trivial  as  it  appears,  for  by  the  selection  of  date  it  is  made  to 
appear  that  Burns  was  boabting  of  his  '■  duplicate  pretension  "  to 
the  chair  on  the  "  Friday  and  Saturday  "  preceding  the  Sunday  of 
"the  last  fireweel."  Though  all  is  made  that  can  be  made  of 
the  Mary  Campbell  of  the  Dundonald  Session  Record,  the  net 
result  is  less  than  nothing  in  support  of  the  "  light  love''  theorem. 
"Of  course"  (say  H  and  H)  "it  has  not  been  proved  that  the 
Mary  Campbell  of  Burns  was  the  Dundonald  Mary  Campbell.' 
Why,  then,  interpenetrate  the  life-history  of  "  Farmer  Burns  "  with 
that  of  "  Farmer  Hay  "  if  not  for  a  set  purpose  ?  The  Dundonald 
Record  and  its  contents  were  known  to  the  writer  half-a-dozen 
years  before  they  became  public  property  ;  further,  they  were 
deliberated  upon  by  the  Executive  of  the  Federation  shortly  after 
they  came  to  his  knowledge,  the  finding,  after  careful  considera- 
tion of  the  facts  and  dates,  being,  that  whoever  the  Mary 
Campbell  in  question  was,  she  could  not  possibly  be  the  Mary 
Campbell  of  Burns.  The  writer  did  his  best  to  identify  her  by 
exploration  of  the  Session  Minutes  of  Stair  and  the  Justice  of 
Peace  Records  of  Irvine,  but  though  he  struck  the  trail  in 
Kilwinning,  the  facts  elicited  were  not  sufficiently  clear  and  con- 
nected to  warrant  a  more  pointed  con':lusion  than    that  there  was 


97 

a  Mary  Campbell  resident  in  the  vicinity  of  Irvine  within  the 
period  covered  by  the  Sessional  dates,  the  family  to  which  she 
belonged  being  still  represented  in  the  same  locality.  Dr  Wallace 
has  given  the  Dundonald  minutes  in  extenso  in  the  Appendix  to 
Vol.  I.  of  his  Chambers'  Burns,  but  it  was  scarcely  worth  while 
elaborating  an  argument  to  refute  the  "  strong  presumption  " 
method  of  enquiry.  The  minutes  contain  their  own  refutation. 
It  is  certain  that  Burns's  Mary  Campbell  resided  for  some  time  in 
the  parish  of  Mauchline,  but  neither  tradition  nor  village  gossip 
gives  the  slightest  hint  of  her  ever  residing  in  the  parish  of  Stair. 
The  tradition  that  she  was  dairymaid  at  Coilsfield  House  (its 
modern  successor  is  Montgomerie  Castle) — persistent  though  it 
be — rests  solely  on  oral  testimony  half  a  century  removed  from 
Burns's  time,  and  even  though  it  be  received  as  credible,  the  fact 
remains  that  Coilsfield  is  not  within  the  boundaries  of  Stair,  and 
it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  the  Dundonald  Session  would  err  so 
glaringly  in  their  administration  as  to  refer  the  case  to  the  wrong 
parish.  There  is  no  mention  of  such  a  case  in  the  Mauchline 
Record.  That  Mary  Campbell,  while  in  Mauchline,  was  a  nurse- 
maid in  esse  and  a  dairymaid  or  byrewoman  in  posse  has  always 
appeared  to  us  as  assuming  a  rather  exceptional  combination  of 
accomplishments  in  a  servant-woman  of  her  class.  Moreover, 
the  case  was  finally  disposed  of  on  17th  December,  1787. 
Burns's  Mary  Campbell  died  in  the  autumn  of  1786;  thus  the 
"  strong  presumption "  presumes  that  she  was  a  litigant  in  the 
Church  Courts  more  than  a  twelvemonth  after  she  was  laid  in  the 
grave.  In  a  Kirk-Session  minute  of  Mauchline,  of  date  January 
20th,  1785,  we  find  that  Agnes  Cameron,  New  Street;  Mary 
Vallance,  Cumnock  ;  Flora  Weir,  Woodend  ;  and  Janet  Caldwell, 
Maybole  ;  were  "  late  servants  to  Mr  Hamilton  ;"  Helen  Herris 
and  Jean  Rennie  being  named  as  "  present  servants."  The 
engagements  being  half-yearly,  it  is  highly  probable  that  Highland 
Mary  succeeded  one  or  other  of  the  last-named,  and  entered  Mr 
Hamilton's  service  just  at  the  time  when  "Farmer  Hay's"  pro- 
secution in  the  Justice  of  Peace  Court  was  approaching  the  crucial 
stage.     If  she  were  the  prosecutrix,  she  ought  to  have  been  in  the 


98 

parish  of  Stair  on  February  26th,  1786,  with  hur  two-year-old 
child,  unless,  indeed,  she  had  boarded  it  out  on  the  "four  pound 
sterling  yearly  "  allowance  wrung  by  the  strong  hand  of  the  law 
from  "  Farmer  Hay,"  for  its  maintenance.  All  this  in  the  eyes 
and  ears  of  the  gossips  of  Mauchline,  who,  mirabile  dictu,  never 
once  opened  their  mouths  !  We  need  proceed  no  further  with 
this  superlatively  preposterous  "  strong  assumption." 

With  regard  to  the  notes  which  form  the  Histoires  Scanda- 
leuses  contained  in  the  manuscripts  lying  in  the  Edinburgh  Univer- 
sity Library — variously  styled  the  Richmond,  Grierson,  Train,  and 
Laing  papers,  and  the  substance  of  which  is  likewise  given  by  Dr 
Wallace  in  the  volume  already  indicated — but  for  the  covert  use 
made  of  them  by  certain  prejudiced  writers,  we  would  have  pre- 
ferred to  have  treated  them  with  the  contempt  they  merit.  John 
Richmond,  though  latterly  estranged  from  Burns,  was  never 
known,  according  to  local  tradition,  to  say  a  word  in  disparage- 
ment of  the  friend  of  his  youth,  nor  would  he  tolerate  it  from 
others.  Grierson  we  take  to  be  Mr  Grierson,  of  Baitford,  joint- 
secretary  of  the  Dumfries  Mausoleum  Committee,  in  1813,  and 
father  of  the  Burns  collector,  Dr  Grierson,  of  Thornhill.  Train  is 
well  known  as  the  correspondent  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  How  such 
respectable  names  came  to  be  connected  with  the  Mauchline 
gutter  gossip — improbable  and  unbelievable — concerning  High- 
land Mary  and  Colonel  Montgomerie,  ofCoilsfield,  is  inexplicable. 
The  Clarinda  story  condemns  itself  as  an  utter  impossibility  of 
date  and  circumstance.  No  credence  can  therefore  attach  to  the 
remaining  tales — for  all  originated  from  the  same  source — unless 
we  are  prepared  to  believe  that  Gavin  Hamilton  knowingly 
harboured  a  woman  whose  character  was  the  talk  of  both  town 
and  country.  If  Mrs  Begg  is  to  be  honoured  with  the  Tarbolton 
degree  of  "  B.  B.  "  because  she  honestly  told  the  conscientious 
and  sympathetic  Robert  Chambers  all  she  knew,  it  must  be 
prefixed  with  a  strong  adjective  to  do  full  justice  to  the  Mauchline 
Jamie  Humphreys  who  whispered  such  rubbish  in  the  ear  of 
■Grierson,  Train,  or  anybody  else. 

The  questions   so   trium[)hantly  put  by  "  H  and  H  "  at  the 


99 

end  of  their  article  can  now  be  answered.  There  is  no  "  nameless 
Highland  lassie."  Mary  Campbell  and  the  Highland  Mary  of 
the  lyrics  are  one  and  the  same  person  ;  the  supposition  that 
there  were  two  Mary  Campbells,  joint  inspirers  of  the  lyrics,  is 
untenable  ;  to  say  there  was  never  "  no  sich  a  person  "  is  farcical. 
We  select  no  year  ;  we  reject  no  tradition  ;  we  leave  the  Bibles  at 
AUoway  as  they  are  ;  we  simply  refuse  to  allow  documentary 
evidence  to  be  led  till  the  documents  themselves  are  produced. 
We  are  content  to  take  the  Highland  Mary  portrait  as  it  is  limned 
to  us  on  the  accredited  record  :  to  accept  the  "  dead  sweetheart " 
of  Burns  as  he  presents  her  to  us  ;  and,  having  done  so,  to  advise 
all  whom  it  may  concern,  as  "  H  and  H  "  advise  under  the  same 
conditions  "that  there  is  nothing,  or  almost  nothing,  to  com- 
ment upon."  Subsequent  events  recoil  upon  Cromek,  not  upon 
Burns.  Mary  Campbell  made  no  preparations  for  any  "  pro- 
jected change  of  life  ;"  she  crossed  from  Campbeltown  to  Greenock 
to  enter  upon  a  situation  in  Glasgow,  but  death  intervened  and 
arrested  developments.  The  record  of  Burns  contains  nothing 
that  even  remotely  savours  of  meanness  or  deceit,  especially  where 
women  are  concerned,  but  rather  the  opposite.  The  revised 
record  of  his  Highland  Mary  transgressions  now  shrinks  to  his 
justifiable  resentment  against  the  parents  of  Jean  Armour  for  their 
attempted  dissolution  by  force  of  his  private  marriage  to  their 
daughter  ;  his  giving  vent,  in  hasty  and  perhaps  ill  considered 
words  to  the  "  maddening  passions  "  begot  of  outraged  feelings 
and  wounded  pride  ;  his  writing  of  "  hypochondriacal  fustian  "  to 
Mrs  Dunlop;  and  some  lyrics  of  perhaps  somewhat  better  texture 
in  honour  of  the  maiden  herself.  The  unsympathetic  make  no 
allowance  for  the  supersensitiveness  and  emotional  exaggeration 
of  the  poetic  temperament.  Burns  cannot  be  measured  with  the 
ordmary  tape  nor  weighed  in  the  ordinary  balance.  If  the 
"jugglings  of  the  male  human  heart  "  are  unaccountable  in 
ordinary  beings,  how  much  more  inexplicable  must  they  be  in 
such  an  extraordinary  man  as  Robert  Burns  !  That  he  turned  to 
a  former  love  in  the  hour  of  his  distress  and  disappointment  was 
only  natural ;  she  was  near   him,  had  no   reproach   for   him,  and 


100 

mayhap  pitied  him.     What  the   "  long  tract   of  the  mobt  ardent 
reciprocal  attachment "  may  mean,  we  know  not.      That  it  began 
in    the    March   and   ended  in  the  May  of  1786   is  improbable. 
Mrs    Begg    testifies    that  he  knew    her   before    she  entered   Mr 
Hamilton's  service.     It  is  vain  to  speculate  on  what   might  have 
happened  had   Mary  Campbell   lived,  and   his   rupture  with  the 
Armour  family  remained   unhealed,  as   R.  L.  Stevenson   vainly 
attempts.     He  was  at  the  time  in   reality  a  married   man   but  not 
conscious  of  the  fact.      He   had   undergone   church   discipline  in 
the  usual  way,  and  had  received   from   the   parish   minister   (also 
ignorant  of  the  fact),  a  certificate  of  bachelorhood.     In   the  end 
he  was  reproved   for  his   "  irregular  marriage "  {vide  Mauchline 
Session    Record)   and  taken   bound   to   adhere   to    his   lawfully 
wedded   wife,  Jean   Armour.     Such  a  chapter  of  compromising 
incidents  sufficiently  accounts  for  his  desire  to  shroud  in  mystery 
the  impulsive  outcome  of  the  "  maddening  passions  "  roused  into 
action  in  1786  by  the  apparent  perfidy  of  Jean.     If  wrong  were 
done  either  woman,  it  was  unintentional.      Mary  Campbell  died 
without  explanation  or  expression   of  contrition   on    his  part,  and 
this  mayhap  weighed  heavily  upon  the  Poet's  soul.     The  grave  of 
buried  love  is  ever  sacred,  and  if  to  that  sanctity  is  superadded  a 
sense  of  wrong  or  unkindness  done  to  the  dead  one,  our  sorrow 
and  repentance  are  all  the  more  poignant  because  so  unavailing 
The    mother's   darling,  too  early   called   to   rest,  lives  for  ever  in 
undying   youth   amongst  the  cherubim  ;   the  lost    Lenore  dwells 
for  aye  in  the   "  distant  Aiden  " — white-robed,  radiant,  seraphic 
in  beauty  which  never  fades.     Surely  Burns  commits  no  sin  when 
he  tells  us  this  in  the  melodious  numbers  of  which  he  was  such  a 
master.    The  finer  emotions  have  their  seat  in  virtue,  not  in  vice ; 
and   the   scenes  which  are  most  indelibly  photographed  on  our 
memories  are   those   which  are   bathed  in  the  rays  of  purity  and 
innocence,   not  lit   with  the   lurid   light   of  sensuality   and    evil 
passions. 

EDITOR. 


CHAIR  OF  SCOTTISH    HISTORY. 


MEETING  OF  SUBSCRIBERS. 


AMEE  riNG  of  subscribers  to,  and  other  gentlemen  interested 
in,  the  proposed  Chair  of  Scottish  History  and  Literature 
in  Glasgow  University  was  held  in  the  Library  of  the  City 
Chambers,  Glasgow,  on  November  lolh,  1909.  The  Hon.  A. 
M'Innes  Shaw,  Lord  Provost,  presided,  and  there  were  present : — 
Sir  John  Ure  Primrose,  Bart.  ;  Sir  William  Bilsland,  Bart.  ;  Sir 
Nathaniel  Dunlop,  Sir  Donald  MacAlister,  Sir  Thomas  Mason, 
Df  William  Wallace,  ex-Treasurer  D.  M.  Stevenson,  Messrs  A.  H. 
Pettigrew,  Thomas  M'Arly,  C.  J.  Spencer,  George  Eyre-Todd,  the 
Rev.  James  Forrest,  J.  T.  T.  Brown,  John  S.  Samuel,  Joseph 
Martin,  J.  L.  Eskdale,  A.  R.  Ormiston,  and  others. 

Mr  John  S.  Samuel  acted  as  clerk  to  the  meeting,  and  sub- 
mitted a  memorandum  narrating  the  steps  that  had  already  been 
taken  to  raise  the  necessary  funds  for  the  proposed  Chair. 

\X,  inter  <7//(7,  stated  that  "in  February,  1908,  during  the 
Lord  Provostship  of  Sir  William  Bilsland,  Bart.,  a  circular  was 
issued  by  him,  in  conjunction  with  ex-Lord  Provost  Sir  John  Ure 
Primrose,  Bart,  Principal  Sir  Donald  MacAlister,  and  Dr  William 
Wallace,  to  a  number  of  gentlemen  likely  to  be  interested  in  the 
subject  of  a  Chair  of  Scottish  History  and  Literature,  and  inviting 
subscriptions  towards  its  endowment.  In  response  to  that 
circular  a  sum  of  ;^203i  15s  was  subscribed  and  promised.  At 
the  request  of  Sir  William  Bilsland  and  the  other  gentlemen 
associated  with  him  a  committee  was  established  in  New  York 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  funds  in  the  United  States  of  America 
among  sympathisers  with  the  movement  there.  The  chairman  of  this 
American  committee  is  Mr  Samuel  Elliott,  who  has  himself  given 
a  substantial  contribution,  and  the  honorary  secretary  is  Mr  James 

7 


10-2 

Marwick,  C.A.,  of  Messrs  Marwick,  Mitchell  and  Company,  and 
the  son  of  the  late  esteemed  Town  Clerk  of  Glasgow,  Sir  James 
Marwick.  Largely  through  the  efforts  of  these  two  gentlemen  the 
sum  of  ;^65o  has  been  collected  in  America.  Concurrently  with 
these  several  efforts  a  commiitee  was  formed  in  (Glasgow,  with  Dr 
William  Wallace  as  convener,  and  composed  of  representatives  of 
the  various  Burns  Clubs,  the  Scottish  Patriotic  Society,  the  St. 
Andrew's  Society,  and  a  number  of  county  and  Highland  associa- 
tions in  the  city.  This  committee  held  several  meetings  and 
issued  appeals  to  the  various  bodies  they  represented,  with  the 
result  that  the  Burns  Clubs  have  had  promised  or  subscribed  a 
sum  of  ^244  13s  yd,  the  Patriotic  Society  ^309  los  yd,  and  the 
St.  Andrew's  Society  ;:£^  12s.  From  these  several  sources  the 
total  sum,  either  actually  subscribed  or  promised  to  date,  amounts 
to  ;!^4i85  17s.  At  one  of  the  later  meetings  of  Dr  Wallace's 
committee  a  sub-committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  Lord 
Provost  Bilsland  with  a  view  to  approaching  influential  citizens 
either  by  means  of  a  public  meeting  or  otherwise.  At  the  time 
wlien  this  proposal  was  made  to  the  Lord  Provost,  the  distress  in 
the  city,  through  want  of  employment,  was  so  acute  that  it  was 
considered  inopportune  to  make  a  public  appeal  on  behalf  of  the 
Chair.  The  distress  referred  to  was  so  prolonged  that  it  has  not 
been  possible  till  now  to  take  the  matter  up.  In  the  meantime 
arrangements  have  been  made  to  hold  in  Glasgow  in  1911  a 
Scottish  Historical  Exhibition,  the  surplus  from  which,  to  the 
extent  of  ;^i  5,000,  is  to  be  devoted  to  the  fund  for  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Scottish  History  Chair.  This  meeting  was  accord- 
ingly called  to  consider  what  steps  should  be  taken  either  to 
establish  a  Lectureship  in  the  meantime,  pending  the  result  of  the 
Exhibition,  or  take  such  further  steps  as  may  be  necessary  in  the 
matter." 

Sir  William  Bilsland,  in  supplementing  the  statement  by  Mr 
Samuel,  paid  a  warm  tribute  to  the  work  of  Dr  William  Wallace, 
and  stated  that  but  fur  his  enthusiastic  and  powerful  support  in 
the  early  stages  of  the  movement,  and  the  manner  in  which  he 
combined   so  many    patriotic  and   national  interests,  the  scheuie 


103 

would  not  be  in  the  satisfactory  state  it  was  to-day.  Sir  William 
concluded  by  moving  that  the  gentlemen  present  be  constituted  a 
committee,  with  power  to  add  to  their  number,  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  all  necessary  steps  to  still  further  promote  the  movement, 
to  confer  with  all  parties  interested,  and  generally  take  charge  of 
the  funds  collected  and  promised.  He  further  moved  that  Dr 
Wallace  be  appointed  convener  of  the  committee.  The  motion 
was  carried  by  acclamation,  and  Dr  Wallace,  in  returning  thanks, 
stated  that  he  would  be  happy  to  continue  to  be  of  service  to  the 
■scheme  so  far  as  his  health  permitted. 

On  the  motion  of  Principal  Sir  Donald  MacAlister,  the  Lord 
Provost  and  Sir  William  Bilsland  were  appointed  vice-chairmen 
of  the  committee.  In  submitting  this  motion,  Sir  Donald  asso- 
ciated himself  with  the  remarks  already  made  regarding  the  work 
of  Dr  Wallace,  and  added  that  he  viewed  with  the  greatest  satis- 
faction the  prospect  of  the  addition  of  a  Chair  of  Scottish  History 
to  the  University  equipment. 

On  the  motion  of  Sir  John  Ure  Primrose,  Mr  John  S.  Samuel 
was  appointed  hon.  secretary,  and  Mr  J.  T.  T.  Brown,  hon 
treasurer. 

The  question  of  establishing  a  Lectureship  with  the  funds 
already  in  hand  was  next  considered,  but  it  was  resolved  to  take 
no  steps  in  this  direction  until  the  result  of  the  Exhibition  is 
known. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Lord  Provost,  on  the  motion  of  the 
Rev.  James  Forrest,  concluded  the  meeting. 

We  may  add  that  the  Guarantee  Fund  of  the  Scottish  Exhi- 
bition of  National  History,  Art,  and  Industry,  Glasgow,  19 ii, 
now  amounts  to  ;«{,88,235,  and  guarantees  are  still  being  received. 
The  following  have  agreed  to  become  vice-presidents  : — The 
Duke  of  Argyll,  the  Duke  of  Montrose,  the  Duke  of  Hamilton, 
the  Earl  of  Rosebery,  and  Lord  Strathcona.  The  following  is  an 
additional  list  of  patrons  : — The  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  the  Earl  of 
Mansfield,  the  Earl  of  Ancaster,  the  Earl  of  Verulam,  Lord  Leith 
■of  Fyvie,  Lord  Cathcart  and  Lord  Lucas. 


THE   HEROINE  OE  "SWEET  AETON. 


73  G.  Street,  Sak  Lake  City, 

Utah,  U.S.A.,  April  21st,  1909. 
Mr  D.  M'Naught, 

Dear  Sir,— As  you  are  an  authority  on  Burns,  there  is  a  comparatively 
small  matter  that  I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to.  Who  was  the  heroine  in 
that  most  exquisitely  beautiful  pastoral  poem,  "Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton  "  ? 
In  the  Blackie  &  Son  edition  of  1858  an  account  is  given  of  the  Poet's 
acquaintance  with  Mrs  Stewart  of  Afton  and  Siair,  in  which  it  is  stated  that 
Burns  imagined  the  proprietress  of  no  small  portion  of  its  soil  as  a  simple 
cottage  maiden  and  himself  as  her  lover.  In  another  edition  it  states — "  Com- 
posed in  honour  of  and  presented  to  Mrs  Stewart  of  Stair,  whose  paternal  pro- 
perty was  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Afton,  an  Ayrshire  tributary  of  the  Nith, 
near  New  Cumnock."  This  representation  has  been  repeated  in  edition  after 
edition  until,  I  suppose,  it  is  generally  accepted  as  correct.  Now,  against  this 
theory  or  supposition,  which  I  think  is  scarcely  tenable;  against  the  opinions  of 
Gilbert  Burns,  Chambers,  and  Scott  Douglas,  who  claimed  that  Highland  Mary 
was  the  inspiration  of  the  song  ;  and  against  the  opinions  expressed  in  the 
Edinburgh  Fraternity  edition  (published  1886,  and  inscribed  to  Dr  Andrew 
Carnegie),  in  which,  after  full  consideration  of  the  matter,  it  is  said,  "  We  aiife 
therefore  inclined  to  believe  that  this  fine  artistically-finished  song  was  a 
measured  and  polished  compliment  to  Mrs  Stewart,"  though,  it  is  added, 
"  Whoever  the  heroine  was,  we  feel  convinced  that  it  was  not  Mary  Campbell," 
I  humbly  submit  a  new  presentation  of  the  case  altogether.  The  writer's 
father,  William  Murdoch,  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Muirkirk,  but  now  of 
America,  aged  84  years,  visited  New  Cumnock  in  the  spring  of  iSt'S,  previous 
to  his  leaving  for  the  U.S.  of  America,  and  was  informed  by  Mrs  Fafquhar, 
then  residing  there  (whose  maiden  name  was  Ann  Murdoch,  and  who  was 
born  in  1813),  that  a  Mary  Murdoch  lived  at  Laight,  on  the  Afton  Water,  in 
Burns's  day.  Burns  was  a  friend  of  the  owner  or  tenant,  and  when  in  that 
district  was  his  guest.  Mary  had  taken  the  Poet's  fancy,  and  he  composed  the 
celebrated  song,  "  Flow  gently,  sweet  Afton,"  in  her  honour.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  John  Murdoch,  of  Ashmark,  New  Cumnock.  John  Murdoch  was 
a  son  of  Robert  Murdoch,  Commondyke,  Auchihleek,  who  died  9th  November, 
1792.  John  Murdoch,  of  Ashmark,  had  a  sister  named  Ann,  who  was  married 
to  John  Logan,  of  Afton  Bridgend,  New  Cumnock,  or  the  Laight,  formerly  of 
Knockshinnoch,  a  close  friend  of  the  Poet.  The  above  Mary  Murdoch  lived 
with  her  Aunt  and  Uncle  Logan,  and  hence  the  acquaintance.  My  father's 
informant,  Mrs  Farquhar,  was  the  daughter  of  Margaret  Murdoch  or  M'Turk, 


105 

■who  was  the  niece  of  John  Murdoch,  of  Ashmark,  and  she  resided  there.  In 
more  points  than  her  name  Mary  Murdoch  fits  the  song  : — 

"Thy  crystal  stream,  Afton,  how  lovely  it  glides, 
And  winds  by  the  cot  where  my  Mary  resides. " 

Her  station  in  life  corresponds  with  the  Mary  in  the  song.  As  I  have 
already  said,  John  Logan  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the  Poet.  Two  letters  of 
the  Poet  are  contained  in  the  Ellisland  edition  de  luxe — the  first,  dated 
Kilmarnock,  loth  August,  1786,  and  the  second,  Ellisland,  7th  August,  1789. 
In  the  latter  the  Poet  sends  Logan  a  copy  of  "The  Kirk's  Alarm,"  the  first  copy 
sent  to  Ayrshire,  and  accompanied  by  a  warning  not  to  permit  a  copy  to  be 
taken,  "  only  to  read  it  to  a  few  of  us."  This  proves  the  close  intimacy  that 
existed  between  them.  John  Logan  died  at  Ayr,  9th  March,  1816.  The 
■closing  stanza  of  "  The  Kirk's  Alarm  "  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  Afton's  Laird  !   Afton's  Laird  !  when  your  pen  can  be  spared, 

A  copy  of  this  I  bequeath. 
On  the  same  sicker  score,  as  I  mentioned  before. 

To  that  trusty  auld  worthy  Clackleith^ 
Afton's  Laird  !  to  that  trusty  auld  worthy  Clackleith." 

Burns  would  seem  to  have  gathered  quite  a  little  troop  of  friends  in  the  vale 
of  Afton,  near  New  Cumnock.  From  some  inspiration  connected  with  this 
district  must  have  sprung  the  Bard's  exquisite  pastoral  song,  "  Afton  Water," 
which  we  conjecture  to  have  been  composed  in  1791.*  Besides  what  we  have 
stated,  we  have  documentary  evidence  in  our  family  in  the  shape  of  a  notice  of 
death  sent  to  John  Logan,  Esquire,  Afton  Bridgend,  New  Cumnock,  notifying 
him  of  his  father-in-law's  death  at  Commondyke,  9th  November,  1792,  and 
asking  him  and  "familie"  to  attend  the  funeral  on  12th  November,  1792. 
The  claim  that  Highland  Mary  was  the  inspiration  rests  on  no  evidence  what- 
ever but  the  word  of  Gilbert  Burns,  f  The  other  claim,  and  that  seemingly 
generally  accepted,  that  Mrs  Stewart  of  Stair  was  the  heroine  by  transformation 
into  a  country  maiden,  has  much  less  to  support  it,  seeing  that  her  association 
with  Afton  Water  is  altogether  a  misrepresentation  of  the  facts.  The  Afton 
Lodge  with  which  she  was  associated,  through  her  paternal  inheritaijce, 
was  in  a  different  part  of  the  county  altogether.  Her  name  was  not  Mary, 
but  Catherine  Gordon.  The  claim  I  now  advance  for  the  first  time  has  been 
known  in  our  family  since  1878. 

Considering  the  wide  divergence  of  opinion  existing  amongst  editors  and 
other  Burns  authorities  on  the  point,  and  in  view  of  what  I  have  now  set  forth, 
I  make  bold  to  say  that  the  true  solution  has  been  found,  and  that  this  mystery 

has  at  last  been  cleared  up. — Yours  &c. , 

DAVID  L.  MURDOCH. 

*  It  appears  in  the  4th  Vol.  of  Johnson's  MuHeuin,  i^sue'i  Aii^^ast,  1792.— [Ed.) 
t  Gilbert  adds  that  Dr  Cunie  must  not  be  contradicted.     Cui-rie  ascribes  it  to  Mrs 
Stewart.— [Eu.) 


DEATH     OF     MRS    SARAH     BURNS 

HUTCHINSON,    GRAND-DAUGHTER 

OF  THE   POET. 

THE  year  1909  will  be  memorable  on  account  of  the  passing 
away  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  links  with  the 
National  Poet.  On  12th' July,  1909,  there  died  at  Cheltenham 
Sarah  Eliza  Maitland  Tombs  Burns  Hutchinson,  the  elder 
surviving  daughter  of  Lieut. -Colonel  James  Glencairn  Burns,  the 
fourth  son  of  the  Poet.  She  was  in  her  eighty-eighth  year,  and  at  her 
death  was  the  nearest  and  oldest  living  representative  of  Burns. 
Her  life  was  indeed  a  varied  and  interesting  one,  but  to  under- 
stand it  fully  one  must  go  back  to  the  year  of  the  Poet's  death. 
Readers  of  Burns  will  remember  how  in  the  closing  months  of  his 
life,  when  he  felt  his  illness  growing  on  him  and  realised  that 
death  was  approaching,  his  one  great  anxiety  was  as  to  what 
should  become  of  his  wife  and  litde  ones.  There  were  four 
children — Robert,  his  eldest  son,  then  only  ten  years  of  age  ; 
Francis  Wallace,  aged  seven  ;  William  Nicol  Burns,  aged  five  ;  and 
James  Glencairn  Burns,  aged  two  ;  and,  doubly  pathetic,  his  pos- 
thumous son,  Maxwell  Burns,  was  born  on  the  day  of  the  Poet's 
funeral.  Burns  himself  was  then  only  37  years  of  age,  and  small 
wonder  that  many  and  anxious  were  his  thoughts  as  to  what 
should  become  of  those  nearest  and  dearest  to  him  when  he 
himself  should  be  unable  to  provide  for  them.  Time  soon 
shewed  how  groundless  were  his  fears.  Though  he  had  gathered 
together  little  of  the  world's  gear,  still,  his  loan  to  his  brother 
Gilbert  remained  undischarged,  with  accunmlated  interest,  and  we 
know  for  certain  that  he  died  practically  free  from  debt.  But  his 
name  and  fame  were  the  real  heritage  destined  to  secure  a  com- 
petence to  his  widow  and  children.  Scarcely  was  he  laid  to  rest 
in  St.  Michael's  Churchyard   when    kind   and    loving   admirers  of 


107 

his  genius  gathered  round.  Foremost  among  them  were  Sir 
James  Shaw,  the  son  of  an  Ayrshire  farmer,who  became  Lord 
Mayor  of  London,  Dr  Currie,  Dr  John  Moore,  the  father  of  Sir 
John  Moore,  and  Mr  M'Diarmid  of  the  Dumfries  Courier. 
Through   their  instrumentality  a  fund  was  soon   raised  sufficient 


Mrs   Sarah    Burns    Hutchinson 

(Grand-daughter  of  tlie  Poet).* 

to  educate  the  fauiily,  and  to  allow  Bonnie  Jean  to  end  her 
years  in  comfort.  Robert,  the  eldest  son,  was  sent  to  Glasgow 
University,  where  he  distinguished  himself,  and  afterwards 
became  a  mathematical  tutor  and  teacher.  Francis  Wallace 
Burns  and  Maxwell  Burns  died  in  childhood. 

The  two  remaining  sons,  William  Nicol  Burns  and  James  Gltn- 

*  From  a  photograph  in  the  possession  of  D.  M'Naujrht,  Kihnaurs. 


108 

cairn  Burns,  after  being  educated,  first  in  Scotland  and  afterwards 
in  London,  both  obtained,  through  the  influence  of  Sir  James 
Shaw  and  Sir  John  Raid,  cadetships  in  the  East  India  Company's 
Service.  The  former  rose  to  the  rank  of  CuJDnel  and  the  latter 
to  Lieut. -Colonel.  Li  course  of  time  Lieut. -Colonel  James  Glen- 
cairn  Burns  married  Sarah  Robinson,  and  so  it  came  that  the 
subject  of  our  .sketch  was  born  at  Neenuich,  in  India,  in 
November,  1821.  Her  mother  did  not  survive  her  birth,  and 
little  Sarah  Burns  was  sent  home  to  Dumfries,  to  be  brought  up 
by  her  grandmother,  Bonnie  Jean,  with  whom  she  lived  till  the 
latter's  death  in  1834.  These  were  twelve  happy  years,  and  to 
the  end  she  retained  the  most  delightful  memories  of  what  was 
always  to  her  "  dear  Dumfries.''  She  is  the  little  child,  then  about 
five  years  of  age,  who  appears  Ui  the  well-known  portrait  of 
"  Bonnie  Jean  and  her  Grandchild."  Her  father  married  a  second 
time  Mary  (daughter  of  Capt.  Beckett),  who  died  in  1844,  leaving 
a  little  daughter  of  fourteen,  Annie  Burns  Burns.  In  1847  Col. 
and  Lieut  -Col.  Burns  (both  widowers),  having  retired  from  the 
Army  with  well-earned  pensions,  took  up  their  residence  in 
Cheltenham,  where  Sarah  burns  was  married  in  the  following 
year  to  Dr  ^V.  B.  Hutchinson.  She  went  twice  out  to  Australia 
during  her  married  life,  returning  to  Cheltenham  in  1862,  and 
when  her  father  died  in  1865  she  went  back  to  the  old  home 
with  her  son  and  her  two  little  girls  to  live  with  her  uncle  and 
sister. 

My  acquaintance  with  Mrs  Sarah  Burns  Hutchinson  began 
in  the  year  1896.  It  was  the  Centenary  of  the  Poet's  death,  and 
some  friends  and  myself  interested  in  Mossgiel  and  Mauchline 
w^ere  busy  making  arrangements  for  the  laying  of  the  foundation 
stone  of  the  Burns  Tower  and  Cottage  Homes,  midway  between 
the  village  of  Mauchline  and  the  farm  of  Mossgiel.  We  felt  that 
the  years  the  Poet  spent  at  Mossgiel  and  Mauchline  were  the 
brightest  and  the  hapj)iest  years  of  his  life.  He  was  then 
in  the  \igour  of  his  manhood,  and  at  no  other  period  of  his  life 
did  his  wonderful  genius  find  voice  more  frequently  in  song  and 
poem,  and  we  thought  that  something   should   be   done   to   mark 


109 

his  residence  there.  Along  with  the  Tower  we  proposed  to  erect 
a  number  of  Cottages  for  the  use  of  the  aged  deserving  poor, 
particularly  among  the  peasantry.  The  scheme  appealed  to  Mrs 
Burns  Hutchinson,  and  from  the  very  first  she  gave  it  her  whole- 
hearted sympathy  and  support.  She  said  enough  money  had 
been  spent  on  mere  statues  and  memorials  to  the  Poet's  memory. 
"  Better,"  she  said,  "  to  build  cottages  and  give  rooms  to  old  couples 
and  aged  widows  and  widowers,  with  something  in  addition  to  live 
upon  ;  they  could  bring  their  own  furniture,  do  their  own  cooking, 
and  make  their  rooms  home-like.  Burns's  warm-hearted 
sympathy  would  go  with  work  like  this."  That  was  exactly  the 
scheme  of  the  Glasgow-Mauchline  Society,  and  it  has  proved  a 
great  success.  As  the  then  President  of  the  Society  it  was  my 
privilege  to  invite  some  of  the  representatives  of  the  Poet  to  be 
present  at  the  laying  of  the  foundation  stone,  and  to  stay  with  me 
for  the  occasion.  She  was  then  too  frail  and  aged  to  travel  from 
Cheltenham,  but  she  wrote  me  a  touching  letter  ;  and  her  sister, 
Miss  Annie  B.  Burns,  and  her  daughter,  Miss  Daisy  Burns 
Hutchinson,  both  accepted  the  invitation.  Ever  since,  the  close 
friendship  between  their  and  our  families  has  been  a  source  of 
most  smcere  pleasure. 

In  1902  I  had  the  privilege  of  visiting  them  in  their  old 
family  home  at  Cheltenham,  specially  dear  to  me  as  a  lover  of 
Burns,  because  his  two  soldier  sons  had  spent  there  the  twilight 
of  their  days.  Mrs  Burns  Hutchinson  was  then  over  80 
years  of  age,  but  she  happened  to  be  feeling  fairly  well,  and  was 
able  to  go  about  and  join  us  at  dinner.  She  shewed  us 
a  number  of  relics  of  the  Poet,  including  his  writing-desk  and  his 
handsome  old-fashioned  eight-day  clock — both  got  in  Mauchline 
when  he  and  Bonnie  Jean  took  up  house — also  a  portrait  of  her 
father,  Lieut.-Colonel  James  Glencairn  Burns,  painted  to  the 
order  of  Sir  James  Shaw  when  Lord  Mayor  of  London.  Another 
portrait  attracted  me.  It  was  that  of  htr  uncle,  Robert  Armour 
(Bonnie  Jean's  brother),  who  had  gone  to  London,  and  was  very 
successful  there.  Mrs  Burns  Hutchinson  told  me  that  when  she 
was  a  girl,  her  uncle  Armour,  took  her  to  all  the  London  sights, 


no 

including  W'eslaiinster  and  St.  PauTs,  and  wa-.  always  telling  her 
how  wonderful  everything  in  London  was  ;  btit  she  vividly 
remembered  the  old  town  of  her  childhood,  and  cried  out,  "  I 
would  far  rather  see  the  Midsteeple  at  Dumfries."  Even  at 
80  her  thoughts  would  often  go  back  to  her  happy  childhood  at 
Dumfries,  and  she  would  tell  how  Bonnie  Jean  had  taken  her, 
a  little  motherless  bairn,  to  her  heart,  letting  her  sleep  at  nights  in 
the  same  bed  with  her,  and  every  morning  waking  her  up  with  a 
kiss.  From  other  sources  we  know  that  Mrs  Burns  Hutchinson 
as  a  child  was  the  sunshine  in  the  life  of  Bonnie  Jean  during 
her  widowhood.  To  me  the  visit  was  a  most  delightful  one.  It 
has  been  said  that  when  we  hold  intercourse  with  the  descendants 
of  great  men,  we  are  carried  back  through  the  links  of  a  long 
chain  of  associations  until  we  seem  to  hold  intercourse  with  the 
men  themselves  ;  and  so,  looking  at  the  portraits  on  the  walls,  and 
the  numerous  rehcs  of  the  Poet,  and  talking  familiarly  with  his 
nearest  living  representatives,  one  seemed  to  get  nearer,  and  to  almost 
hold  intercourse  with  Burns  himself.  When  coming  away  she 
pressed  a  little  parcel  into  my  pocket  with  the  words,  "  For  your 
bairnies — you  know  I  always  like  to  think  of  them." 

She  was  intensely  fond  of  the  Old  Border  Ballads,  and  of 
everything  connected  with  Scotland.  Sometimes  I  would  send 
her  a  brace  of  grouse  packed  in  heather  when  it  was  in  full  bloom, 
and  she  would  tell  me  how  the  sweet  smell  of  the  heather  made 
her  think  she  was  back  again  in  the  dear  "north  countrie,"  with 
its  heath-clad  hills  and  flowery  glens.  Latterly  she  was  loo  frail 
to  write  much,  and  the  letters  were  mostly  written  by  other 
members  of  the  family.  I  may  be  permitted  to  give  the  last 
letter  she  wrote  to  me.  The  handwriting  is  shaky  but  quite 
legible.  It  is  dated  15th  August,  1905.  A  few  days  previously 
I  had  been  visiting  Ellisland  and  Dumfries  along  with  my  eldest 
boy,  and  initiating  him  in  the  Burns  lore  of  the  district.  We 
went  to  the  room  where  the  Poet  died,  and  to  St.  Michael's 
Churchyard  and  the  Mausoleum.  We  stood  bareheaded  beside 
the  tomb  and  [)aid  our  homage  to  the  memory  of  the  Poet.  I 
happened  to  remember  that  I  had  in  my  pocket  two  letters  from 


Ill 

the  grand-daughter  and  great-grand-daughter  of  Burns  received  a 
day  or  two  before.  The  letters  seemed  to  contain  a  mandate  ;  so 
in  their  name,  as  well  as  our  own,  we  again  reverently  uncovered 
in  his  honour,  and  thought  of  him  and  all  that  belonged  to  him. 
Writing  to  her  soon  after,  I  told  her  of  our  visit  to  Dumfries  and 
how  it  had  affected  us,  and  her  reply  was  as  follows  : — 

"Cheltenham,  I5lh  August,  1905. 
Dear  Mr  Gemmill, — I  feel  I   must  write  a  line    myself   to   thank  you  for 
the  kind  thought  of  me  on  the  I2lh.      I  was  so  interested  to  hear  of  your  visit 
to  my  grandfather's  grave.       My  time  is  Hearing  its  close,  and  I   '  am  wearin*^ 
awa    to  the  Land  o'  the  Leal.' — Believe  me,  your  old  friend, 

Sarah  Burns  Hutchinson." 

She  was  then  in  her  eighty-fourth  year  and  very  frail,  though  her 
mind  was  active  and  clear.  Gradually  her  infirmities  grew  on  her, 
and  for  the  last  year  or  two  of  her  life  she  was  a  com[)lete  inv.tlid, 
hut  surrounded  with  every  comfort  which  kind  hearts  and  gentle 
hands  could  bestow.  Her  sister.  Miss  Annie  B.  Burns,  and  her 
own  daughter,  Miss  Daisy  Burns  Hutchinson,  devoted  themselves 
to  her  with  the  most  loving  care.  The  end  came,  as  I  have  said, 
on  1 2th  July,  1909,  and  on  the  following  Friday,  in  the  presence 
of  a  few  close  personal  friends,  she  was  reverently  laid  to  rest  at 
Cheltenham. 

Those  who  had  the  privilege  of  knowing  her  will  not  soon 
forget  her  personality.  Cultured  and  gracious,  with  pleasing^ 
refined  features,  bright  intelligence,  and  frank  manners,  the  kindly 
smile  on  her  face  as  she  talked  made  you  feel  in  full  touch  and 
sympathy  with  her,  and  as  one  who  knew  her  well  once  remarked, 
"she  shewed  her  '  Burns'  blood  in  her  kindliness  of  heart  and 
generous  impulses."  She  had  travelled  more  than  falls  to  the  lot 
of  most  people,  and  had  met  with  her  own  share  of  human 
sorrow,  but  she  had  a  strong  will  and  courageous  spirit. 

She  was  justly  proud  of  the  name  and  fame  of  her  dis- 
tinguished forebear.  She  knew  intimately  his  poems,  songs,  and 
letters,  and  was  interested  in  everything  connected  wiih  the 
places  he  had  made  famous.  She  was  proud,  too,  of  the  world's 
growing  appreciation  of  the  genius  of  Burns,  but  though  she  knew 


112 

she  was  the  nearest  representative  and  closest  link  to  him,  her 
independent  spirit  would  not  allow  her  to  obtrude  her  personality 
on  the  public. 

The  lineal  descendants  of  the  Poet's  eldest  son,  Robert, 
became  extinct  two  years  ago  with  the  death  of  Mrs  Burns 
Thomas,  and  now  it  is  only  the  James  Glencairn  Burns  branch  of 
the  Poet's  family  that  survives.  But  happily  there  are  no  signs  of 
it  becoming  extinct.  There  remains  Miss  Annie  B.  Burns,  grand- 
daughter of  Burns,  and  she,  with  her  niece,  Miss  Daisy  Burns 
Hutchinson,  continues  to  reside  at  Cheltenham.  Then,  in  the 
fourth  generation,  there  are  the  late  Mrs  Sarah  Burns  Hutchinson's 
children — (i)  Mrs  Burns  Scott,  of  Adelaide  ;  (2)  Robert  Burns 
Hutchinson,  of  Langley,  Vancouver ;  (3)  Mrs  Gowring,  wife  of 
the  Principal  of  St.  Bede's  School,  Eastbourne  ;  and  (4)  Miss 
Daisy  Burns  Hutchinson  of  Cheltenham.  Of  the  fifth  generation 
there  are  six  members — two  young  sons  and  three  daughters  of 
Robert  Burns  Hutchinson,  and  one  young  son  of  Mrs  Gowring. 
I  feel  sure  that  admirers  of  the  writings  of  Burns,  and  those  who 
love  his  memory,  will  extend  to  the  surviving  descendants  of  the 
Poet  their  kindliest  thoughts  and  warm-hearted  sympathy  in  their 
recent  bereavement. 

J.  LEIPER  GEMMH.L. 


We  cordially  endorse  every  word  which  Mr  f  lernmill  has  written.  We 
also  knew  the  estimable  old  lady,  and  for  many  years  kept  up  a  close  corres- 
pondence with  her.  Her  letters  to  us  number  over  sixty,  interesting  extracts 
from  which  may  form  the  subject  of  a  future  article  in  the  Chronicle.  —  [Ed.] 


^^^^^^ 


FOREIGN  TRIBUTES  TO  BURNS. 


The  fame  of  Burns  extends  far  beyond  his  native  land  ;  it  is  not 
even  bounded  by  the  limits  of  the  British  Empire.  Our  Poet  has 
a  world-wide  reputation,  which  is  not  diminishing,  but  daily 
increasing  as  the  Scot  penetrates  to  all  parts  of  the  globe  and 
carries  the  immortal  "Poems"  with  him.  The  most  national 
of  poets,  Burns  is  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  cosmopolitan, 
for  has  he  not  sung  of  home  and  love  and  freedom — sentiments 
which  are  common  to  humanity,  and  which  find  responses  in  the 
hearts  of  men  everywhere  ?  Appealing  to  many  of  the  highest 
and  best  features  in  Scottish  history  and  character  as  Burns  did, 
he  struck  notes,  which,  while  national  in  their  form,  are  universal 
in  their  essence.  The  author  of  "  A  Man's  a  Man  for  a'  that" 
needs  only  to  be  known  to  become  a  favourite  in  every  land. 
Below  are  collected  a  few  of  the  best  tributes  which  notable  men 
and  women  of  various  European  nationalities  have  paid  to  Burns 
and  his  genius.  The  collection  lays  no  claim  to  completeness ; 
it  merely  lays  the  foundation  for  an  anthology  of  the  finest 
tributes  of  foreigners  to  our  Bard. 

French. 

Alas  for  the  cruelty  of  Fate  !  the  days  of  the  Bard  were  but  few  ;  scarce 

had  the  daughters  of  song  woven  the  wreath  of  glory  for  his  brow,  when  his 

country  had  lost  him  for  ever  ! 

Pierre  Barrieu,  1823. 

Burns  was  more  than  half  a  musician. 

Stendhal  (Makie-Henri  Beyle),   1824. 

Burns  is  of  that  family  of  writers  whose  power  reaches  the  heart  :  Pectus 
est  qiwd  facit  disertos.  With  him  there  is  no  literary  preoccupation,  none  of 
the  beauties  of  the  room  ;  he  lives  in  the  pure  air  amid  Nature.  He  is  not  one 
of  those   pastoral  muses  who  only  visit  the  country  on   fine  days  to  recoup 


114 

themselves  after  all  their  luKuriant  winter  dissipations  ;  courtly  muses,  who 
only  sing  of  Nature  in  her  pleasant  garb  ;  whose  forests,  like  those  of  Virgil, 
are  dignified  as  a  consul ;  who  transfer  their  amours  from  tlie  city  to  bring 
them  back  to  the  shams  of  a  gravelled  walk  and  an  artificial  river. 

Leon  he  Waii.t.y,  i<S43. 

Beranger,  the  Burns  of  France,  used  to  say  that  this  ["A  Man's  a  Man 
for  a'  that  "]  was  a  song,  not  for  an  age,  but  for  eternity. 

J.    CUTHBERT    llAOnEN,    NoteS  OH  the  Soiigs  of  Bwiis. 

At  last,  after  so  many  years,  we  escape  from  the  measured  declamation — 

we  hear  a  man's  voice  !    Much  better,  we  forget  the  voice  in  the  emotion  which 

it  expresses,  we  feel  this  motion  reflected  in  ourselves,  we  enter  into  relations 

with  a  soul.     Then  form  seems  to  fade  away  and  disappear  :  I  will  say  that 

this  is  the  great  feature  of  modern  poetry  :  Burns  has  reached  it  seven  or  eight 

times. 

li.  A.  Taine,  1S63. 

Burns  had  nolliing  to  learn  and  nothing  to  unlearn  ;  he  shot  up  as  spon- 
taneously as  the  daisy  of  his  own  mountains. 

Edmom)  Scherer,   1881. 

Where  Berirand  strives,  above  all,  to  be  picturesque,  Burns  [in  "The 
Cottar's  Saturday  Night"]  shows  himself — in  addition  to  this — cordial,  moral, 
Christian,  patriotic.  His  episode  of  Jenny  introduces  and  personifies  the 
chastity  of  emotion  ;  the  Bible,  read  aloud,  casts  a  religious  glow  over  the 
whole  scene.  Then  come  those  lofty  thoughts  upon  the  greatness  of  old  Scot- 
land, which  is  based  upon  such  home  scenes  as  these.    Sic  fort  is  Etruria  crevit. 

C.  A.  Sainte-Beuve. 

Weigli  his  errors,  his  faults,  as  heavily  as  you  like,  the  scale  containing 
the  pure  gold  outbalances  that  containing  the  base  lead.  Admiration  increases 
in  proportion  as  you  examine  his  fine  qualities. 

AUGUSTE    AXGELI,IER,    1893, 

It   may  safely  be  said    that   more  touching,  sublime  poetry  than  that  of 

Burns  was  never  written. 

Paul  Bi.ouet  ("Max  O'REr.i,"). 

I  admire,  rather  do  1  love,  Robert  Burns  passionately  ;  and,  however 
ignorant  I  may  be  of  the  language  in  which  he  sings  of  his  violet  heaths  and 
the  blue  eyes  of  his  Jenn}'!  still  I  always  have  his  verses  near  at  hand  on  the 


115 

shelf  of  the  true  poets,  poets  of  Nature,  near  to  our  Pierre  Dupont,  singer  of 
strawberries  and  fine  oxen  :  — 

"  I  have  two  fine  oxen  in  my  stable, 
Two  fine  while  oxen,  flecked  with  red." 

But  the  Scotch  bagpipe  has  more  power  and  resonance  than  the  pipe  of  I'ierre 

Dupont  of  Lyons  ;  and,  in  addition,  your  Robert  Burns  lived  a  hundred  years 

too  soon. 

Alphonse  Daudet,   i8q6. 


.     This   noble,  sincere,   powerful  spirit — powerful,  because   he   has 

drawn    from   his    native    soil    the    inspiration   of  his   songs  and   the   patriotic 

sentiment  of  his  writings. 

Jules  Clarktik,  1896. 

What  little   I  know   of  Burns  gives  nie  the  idea  ofa  great  poet — truly 

sincere  and  very   savoury  ;  something  like   our   Pierre   Dupont,  but    with   far 

more  art  and  power. 

Jui-ES  Lemaitre,  1896. 

Ill  the  whole  of  English  literature  there  is  no  more  beautiful  tribute  than 

his  rendered  to  the  virtues  of  the  peasant,  nor  any  finer  description  of  labour's 

rewards. 

Mme.  p.  Julette  Adam,  1896. 


German. 

We  esteem  this  highly- praised    Robert   Burns   amongst    the   first   poetical 

spirits  which  the  past  century  has  produced. 

Goethe,  1829. 


The  total  impression  of  his  poems  is,  and  remains  always,  that  ofa  candid, 

healthy,  tender,   fresh  and  mirthful  soul— of  a  fine,  free,  reflecting   and  clear 

mind. 

AiJOLPH  Wacner,  iS-;5. 

Millions  of  yet  unborn  generations  will  delight  in  the  poems,  in  which  he 

has  made  such  admirable  use  of  the  material  entrusted  to  him  in  the  Scottish 

dialect,  working  it  out  into  such  exquisite  forms  in  songs  that  will  certainly  be 

acre  pereiinns. 

J.  G.  Kohl,  1844. 

Neither   Pope   with   his  smooth  verses,  nor   Lord   Bolingbroke   with    his 
sceptical  wit,  nor  Dr  Johnson  amid  his  worshippers,  gave  forth  the  first  truly 


IIG 

original  note  which  announced  a  new  ph.ise  in  ihe  poetry  of  Great  Britain  ; 
from  the  Banks  of  the  Doon,  out  of  a  cottage  in  Scotland,  rose  the  wood'lark 
who  uttered  it. 

JOIIANNKS  SlHEKR,    1874. 


.      .      .      Tlic  iii.inl)-  and   national    trumpet-notes  of  the  Scotch   peasant- 
minstrel. 

Alois  Bkandi.,  1886. 


I  find  in  Burns  that  Celtic  fire  and  power  of  iniai^iiiation,  thu  humour  — 
now  delicate,  now  light,  now  grotes(jue — ^but  above  all  that  wonderful  eye  for 
Nature,  which  was  peculiar  to  the  Celtic  mind. 

KuNO  Meyick. 


It.mjan. 

For  the  last  thirty  years  no  country  has  produced  poets  who  have  under- 
stood the  language  of  solitude,  and  transfused  the  very  soul  of  Nature  into 
their  verse  like  Burns,  Crabbe,  Wordsworth.     .     . 


This  very  great  Scottish  poet. 


Mazzini,  1829. 


Gakihai.di,  1865. 


Such   his  life,  and   such   his   verses,  in   which   beat   all  the  affections,  all 

human  sentiments — love,  enthusiasm,  compassion,  indignation  ;  and  all  speak 

the  language  of  truth. 

GuisKi'PK  Chiakini,  1886. 

.     .     .     The  vigorous  and  most  original  poetry  of  the  Bard  of  Scotland. 
Oi.iviERO  Baccarim,   1894. 

Robert  Burns  appears  to  me  to  have  laid  tjpen  in  tiie  poetry  of  his  country 

both   doors  and   windows   to   the   breath  of  revolution.      In  rough  outline,  in 

idyllic  emotion,  in  sarcasm  and  in  tenderness,  in  blasphemy  and  in  prayer,  in 

negation  and  in  aspiration,  he  seems  to  conjure  up  the  ethics  and  esthetics  of 

a  new  philosophy. 

GiosuK  Carducci,  1896. 

As  for  Burns,  in  spite  of  the  sentiments  and  passions  which  belong  to  his 
period,  he  has  a  certain  delicacy  and  refinement  which  seem  to  be  his  very 
own,  and  there  are  in  some  of  his  lyrics,  in  some  bits  of  dialect,  in  a  certain 
feeling  of  the  Scottish  soil,  qualities  which  excite  the  lively  admiration  of  a 


117 

stranger  ;  and  it  seems  to  me,  for  example,  that  one  would  need  to  have  a 
truly  Scottish  soul  to  fully  lay  hold  of  the  beauties  of  tlie  "  Lament  of  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  on  the  Approach  of  Spring." 

Angelo  de  Gukerxatis,    1896. 

To  me  the  fundamental  basis  of  the  eesthetic  worth  of  a  work  of  art  lies  in 

its  form  and  meaning,  and  this  in  the  songs  of  Burns   is  perfect.      His  verses 

sound   easy  and   sweet,  like  a   piece   of  music,  the  rhythms   and  refrains,  the 

majors  and  minors  move  and  follow  and  alternate  with  a  graceful  and  alluring 

playfulness  that  combines  the  smoothness  of  a  reed  with  the  stately  march  of 

lofty  poetry. 

Mario  Pilo,   1896. 

Little  wonder  is  it  that  Burns  is  worshipped  from  the  Orkneys  to  the 
Tweed.  He  has  extraordinary  richness  of  language,  wealth  of  imagery,  grace- 
fulness, vivacity,  tenderness  of  feeling,  and  a  sincerity  which  sometimes,  as  in 
the  "  Tragic  Fragment,"  becomes  affecting. 

Antonio  Fo(;azzai<o,   1896. 


Robert  Burns  seems  to  me  to  be  worthy  to  be  admired  among  the  most 

admired,  for  he  became  and  remained  a  great  poet   in  a  condition  of  life  in 

which  others  would  have  become  less  than  man. 

Akturo  Graf,  1896. 


Flemish. 

I  consider  your  Burns  one  of  the  most  beautiful  poets  of  whom  humanity 
has  cause  to  be  proud.  I  admire  and  love  him  as  a  friend,  as  a  brother  in  the 
spirit.  He  is  at  one  and  the  same  lime  strong  and  sweet,  and  has  nothing  in 
common  with  those  scribblers  in  metre,  these  rhetoricians,  those  impostors  who 
are  the  plague  of  literature,  and  who,  unfortunately,  too  often  usurp  the  place 
and  influence  of  the  poets  of  Nature,  artists,  and  born  geniuses. 

George  Eekoud,  1896. 

.  .  .  Your  great  National  Poet,  Robert  Burns,  who  is  so  well  known 
in  Flemish  Belgium.  I  have  translated  several  of  his  most  beautiful  songs, 
and  my  very  good  friend,  Frans  de  Cort,  the  Flemish  poet,  has  translated  at 
least  fifty.  On  the  occasion  of  his  centenary,  my  daughter  and  I  have  com- 
posed several  verses  in  honour  of  the  illustrious  Poet  and  inimitable  songster 

of  the  whole  world. 

Emmanuel  Heil,  1896. 

8 


118 

Danish. 
Scotland's  greatest  poetic  Genius. 


Gkorg  Brandes,  1875. 


Hungarian. 

■■  Fri)ni  Louis  Kossuth  in  exile,  to  Robert  Burns  in  imniorlalily. "' 

'  The  man  o'  independent  mind 
Is  king  o'  men  for  a'  that.' 

Kossuth's  Inscription  in  Album  at  Alloway  Cottage. 


This  great  Genius,  who  has  rendered  himself  immortal  throughout 

all  free  nations. 

Maurus  Jokai,   1896. 


Roumanian. 

O  Burns,  thou  joy  of  my  young  heart  ! 

Thou  lark,  thou  soul  of  Nature's  song  ! 
.V  spark  of  thee,  and  of  thine  art, 

Hath  wandered  with  me  far  and  long  I 

(^UEEN    OF    ROUMANIA    ("CaR.MEX    SyLVA  "). 

A.  C.  WHITE. 


^^^^ 


REVIEWS, 


The  Carmen  Series  :  Ediled  by  Galloway  Kyle.  The  Poems  of  Michael 
Bruce,  wilh  Memoir  and  Review  of  the  notable  Logan  Controversy,  by 
John  MacFarlane.  (London  :  The  Author's  Association,  47  Fleet  Street.) 
This  is  an  admirable  bj-ochure  of  127  pp.,  one  of  a  most  commendable  and 
useful  series  issued  by  the  Author's  Association  of  London.  We  regret  that 
the  demands  on  our  space  rendered  it  impossible  for  us  to  bring  the  series,  and 
especially  this  example  of  its  merits,  under  the  notice  of  our  readers  at  an 
earlier  date.  Mr  MacFarlane's  masterly  treatment  of  the  ever-recurring  Logan 
controversy  is  sufficient  of  it.self  to  convince  the  doubtful  of  the  wrong  done  to 
the  "  Scottish  Keats  "  by  the  unscrupulous  and  unprincipled  Logan,  who, 
unfortunately,  was  entrusted  with  the  posthumous  publication  of  the  composi- 
tions of  the  gifted  but  ill-fated  Michael  Bruce.  The  "  Ode  to  the  Cuckoo"  is 
imperishable,  and  sufficient  of  itself  to  immortalise  the  "sleepless  soul"  that 
perished  all  too  soon.  The  volume  contains  all  that  Bruce  is  said  to  have 
written,  and  the  task  has  been  sympathisingly  done  by  the  Editor,  enabling 
the  unprejudiced  to  form  a  just  estimate  of  Bruce's  powers  as  compared  with 
the  depreciations  which  are  indispensable  to  the  Logan  attacks  on  his  memory. 
We  note  that  the  volume  is  dedicated  to  the  Federated  Burns  Clubs  and 
Scottish  Societies,  which,  coupled  with  the  modest  price  (is  in  paper  covers 
and  2s  6d  in  cloth),  ought  to  ensure  it  a  wide  sale  in  both  of  these  spheres. 
We  heartib'  commend  it  to  our  readers. 


Catalogue  of  thi-:  M'Kie  Burnsiana  Library— Holograph  MSS.  ; 
i'aintings  ;  Engravings;  Etchings;  Photographs;  and  Relics.  Compiled 
by  David  Sneddon.  (Kilmarnock  :  Standard  Printing  Works,  October, 
1909.) 

When  the  M'Kie  Library  was  purchased  and  handed  over  to  the  Kilmarnock 
Corporation  for  preservation  in  the  Burns  Monument  Museum,  a  catalogue  of 
the  same  was  drawn  up  by  Mr  M'Kie,  which  was  too  meagre  in  detail  to  do 
anything  like  justice  to  the  Kilmarnock  collection  or  .serve  as  a  handy  guide  to 
the  numerous  enquirers  who  desired  to  make  use  of  it  within  a  reasonable  time. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  much  of  it  was  not  catalogued  at  all,  consequently  the 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  searcher  for  information  were  almost  insuperable. 
To  put  matters  on  a  better  footing.  Captain  Sneddon  voluntarily  undertook 
the  laborious  task  of  going  over  the  whole  collection  systematically  and 
grouping  the  various  departments  under  distinguishing  headings  in  a  reliable 
catalogue,  to   which   reference  could    be   made  with  the   minimum  of  trouble. 


120 

The  result  is  r.ow  before  the  public,  and  reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  the 
compiler  as  a  model  work  of  the  kind.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  compre- 
hensiveness and  business-like  methods  adopted  by  Captain  Sneddon  we  need 
only  enumerate  the  headings  under  which  everything  of  interest  is  scheduled 
in  most  orderly  fashion  : — The  Burns  Holograph  MSS.  (the  most  extensive 
and  valuable  in  the  world)  head  the  list  ;  then  follow  Holograph  MSS.  other 
than  Burns's ;  Editions  of  the  Poet's  Works,  chronologically  arranged  ; 
Editions  without  dates  ;  Foreign  Editions  and  Translations  ;  Imperfect 
Editions ;  Clarinda  Correspondence  ;  Single  Poems  and  Chapbooks ; 
Burnsiana,  arranged  chronologically ;  Burnsiana  without  dates ;  Burnsiana 
Scraps;  Pamphlets,  &c.,  bound  in  volumes  ;  Scrap  Books;  Music;  Miscel- 
laneous Items ;  Relics,  &c.  ;  Oil  Paintings ;  and  lastly.  Etchings,  Engravings, 
and  Photographs.  The  Burns  Library  (the  most  complete  in  existence),  we 
may  mention,  has  been  catalogued,  not  merely  with  bare  titles  and  dates,  but 
with  the  title  typography  so  indicated  that  the  particular  edition  can  easily  be 
recognised.  The  Kilmarnock  Museum  is  indispensable  to  the  Burns  student, 
and  Captain  Sneddon's  catalogue,  in  a  sense,  is  a  home  educator.  It  is 
published  by  the  Corporation  at  the  modest  price  of  sixpence,  which  puts  it 
within  the  reach  of  the  humblest. 


The  Poetical  Works  ok  Robert  Burns.  The  Afton  Edition.  Edited, 
with  Biographical  Introduction,  by  Charles  Annandale,  M.A. ,  LL. D. 
Music  harmonized  by  Harry  Colin  Miller,  M.A.,  Mus.  B.  Pictures  by 
Claude  A.  Shepperson.  Four  volumes.  (London  :  The  (iresham 
Publishing  Company.) 
In  common  with  all  editions  of  our  National  Poet,  this  latest  is  to  be  welcomed 
for  several  reasons.  It  proves  a  widening  interest  in  Burns,  a  growing 
appreciation  of  his  genius  and  position  in  British  literature,  and  it  will  pro- 
bably extend  present  knowledge  of  him  and  his  works  by  adding  to  the  circle  of 
his  readers  and  students.  All  these  things  it  may  accomplish  and  yet  fall 
short  of  the  standard  of  perfection  which,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  the  publishers 
honestly  think  it  has  reached.  There  are  two  classes  or  orders  of  readers  to 
be  catered  for — ist,  the  general,  for  whom  the  approximately  correct  presen- 
tation of  Burns  in  the  mass  meets  all  practical  requirements  ;  and  2nd,  the 
more  critical  and  exacting  adherents  of  the  Burns  cult  who  emphasise  the 
necessity  of  an  immaculate  text  and  the  accurate  statement  of  biographical 
facts  in  both  outline  and  detail.  To  the  former  this  Afton  edition  will  chiefly 
appeal ;  to  the  latter  it  offers  little  of  fresh  interest,  if  we  except  its  musical 
antl  artistic  features.  These  are  of  interest  to  all.  Its  claims  for  public  atten- 
tion rest  upon  the  Annandale  introduction,  Mr  Shepperson's  drawings,  the 
reproduction  of  the  Skirving  portrait  of  the  Poet,  and  the  melodies,  with  instru- 
mental accompaniments,  composing  the  fourth  volume.      The  portrait  is  after 


121 

D.  O.  Hill's  calotype  of  Skirving's  crayon,  and  is  prinled  on  tinted  paper.  It 
comes  nearer  a  reduced  fac-simi/e  of  the  original  than  any  other  we  have  seen, 
and  is  so  beautifully  done,  and  so  full  of  Burns  character — of  his  personal 
fascination,  social  charm,  and  the  fire  of  genius  apparent  in  the  large  glowing 
eyes — that  one  could  wish  an  enlarged  Skirving  so  executed  to  take  the  place 
of  the  Nasniyth  in  the  prevailing  conception  of  the  Poet's  personality.  In  the 
Afton  plate  the  modelling  is  admirable,  in  respect  of  both  the  massive  head 
and  individual  features,  the  shading  is  managed  with  exquisite  subtlety  and 
skill,  and  the  reflected  light  under  the  chin  is  at  once  delicate  and  effective. 
Of  Mr  Shepperson's  drawings  we  are  frankly  nowise  enamoured.  He  has 
missed  the  artistic  treatment  of  reality,  the  character  of  lowland  scenery,  and 
his  figure  models  are  not  after  anything  we  know  of  the  Scottish  type.  "  The 
Twa  Brigs"  is  wholly  destitute  of  congruity,  and  a  nude  "  Cutty  Sark  "  is 
perpetrated  in  complete  disregard  of  what  her  name  demands  and  how  she  is 
described  in  the  poem.  Some  of  the  drawings,  like  "  To  a  Mouse,"  are  vigor- 
ous and  sufficiently  realistic  ;  but  so  far  as  they  aim  at  being  literal  they  are 
obvious,  and  so  far  as  they  are  imaginative  they  rarely  serve  to  illuminate  the 
text.  Turning  to  Mr  Colin  Miller's  work,  it  seems  to  be  uniformly  excellent 
and  judicious.  The  old  airs  are  given  in  all  their  native  simplicity,  and  to  the 
preservation  of  that  quality  the  accompaniments  have  been  adjusted.  The 
latitude  Mr  Miller  has  allowed  himself  is  outlined  in  a  Preface  marked  by 
common  sense  and  sympathetic  discrimination.  A  selection  of  songs  has  been 
made  from  those  in  common  demand  and  most  suitable  for  general  use,  but  as 
the  number  chosen  extends  to  one  hundred  and  ten  or  thereby,  and  all  the 
standard  favourites  seem  to  be  included,  it  must  be  conceded  that  the  limit  is 
far  from  being  ungenerous.  Concerning  the  melodies,  the  editor  has  followed 
the  simple  principle  of  adopting  those  most  in  use.  He  has  not  hesitated  to 
discard  the  airs  to  which  Burns  wrote  some  of  the  songs  when  they  demand  a 
voice  of  exceptional  compass.  To  the  same  end  the  keys  are  kept  as  low  as 
possible,  to  suit  the  melodies  to  tlie  average  voice.  A  great  deal  might  be  said 
in  favour  of  Mr  Miller's  methods  and  objects,  in  so  far  as  they  tend  to  give 
the  songs  of  Burns  a  new  and  wider  vogue,  to  overcome  the  silly  prejudice 
against  them  on  the  score  of  vulgarity  ;  and  to  lead  up  taste  to  a  true  apprecia- 
tion of  their  beauty,  both  musical  and  poetic.  The  musical  editor's  aims  carry 
their  own  commendation,  and  his  achievement  is  wholly  praiseworthy. 

Coming  more  than  a  decade  after  the  compilation  of  the  Centenary  and 
Wallace-Chambers  editions  of  Burns,  and  an  interval  of  great  activity  in  the 
Burns  section  of  the  literary  world,  Dr  Annandale  had  certain  great  advantages 
when  he  undertook  his  editorial  and  biographical  labours.  He  is  obviously 
not  a  specialist  in  Burns  literature,  and,  what  is  more  surprising,  he  has  not 
kept  abreast  of  current  enquiry  and  criticism.  Almost  at  the  outset  of  the 
"  Sketch  of  the  Poet's  Life  "  he  falls  into  some  of  the  irritatinrr  little  mistakes 


122 

which  do  more  than  errors  of  judgment  to  unciermine  a  reader's  confidence. 
He  speaks,  for  example,  of  Burns's  father  as  William  Burness  or  Burnes, 
although  his  father's  name  was  Robert  Burnes,  as  the  name  appears  in  the 
parish  records  of  Dunnotlar,  and  William  signed  himself  Burnes.  There  is, 
again,  no  satisfactory  evidence  that, William  Burnes  was  bred  a  gardener.  The 
statement  rests  wholly  upon  a  divided  tradition,  and  is  opposed  to  ;iny 
reasonable  view  of  probabilities.  Still  again,  with  reference  to  the  lillle 
school  presided  over  by  John  Murdoch,  it  is  said  "  Burns's  father  in  this 
matter  was  following  the  lead  of  his  own  father,  who  had  made  this  like  pro- 
vision for  the  education  of  his  children  at  Clochnahill."  For  this  statement 
there  is  no  evidence  whatever,  and  it  is  absolutely  certain  that  there  was  a 
school  in  the  neighbourhood  before  Robert  Burnes  went  to  Clochnahill.  In 
more  important  matters  Dr  Annandale  is  equally  careless  or  culpably  ignorant. 
Touching  the  Highland  Mary  episode,  he  quotes,  without  note  or  comment, 
the  note  attributed  to  Burns  upon  his  song,  "  My  Highland  Lassie,"  first 
published  by  Cromek,  notwithstanding  Dick's  exposure  of  Cromek's  methods 
and  the  doubt  thrown  upon  the  authenticity  of  the  note.  It  may  have  been 
written  by  Burns,  it  may  have  been  manufactured  by  either  Cromek  or 
Cunningham,  but,  under  the  searchlight  thrown  upon  it,  it  meanwhile  stands 
condemned  as  a  fact  of  Burns  literature.*  In  matters  of  opinion  it  is  no  less 
impossible  to  accept  Dr  Annandale's  lead.  He  disposes  of  the  technique  of 
Burns's  serious  verse  by  a  reference  to  the  repeated  maintenance  of  its  defects, 
and  reaches  the  extraordinary  conclusion  that  "  true  poetic  beauty,  artistic 
perfection  in  the  use  of  language,  are  but  rarely  to  be  met  with  in  Burns's 
poems."  The  subject  cannot  be  argued  here,  but  most  students  of  Burns  will 
probably  concur  in  the  opinion  that  Dr  Annandale  might  well  have  left  that 
comment  unwritten.  He  leaves  it  clear  that  Burns  possessed,  in  full  measure, 
the  highest  f<irm  of  artistry,  the  subtle  ars  celandi  arlem.  But  his  whole  esti- 
mate of  Burns  is  vacillating,  inconclusive,  and  in  parts  absolutely  colourless. 

It  is  not  part  of  our  present  purpose  to  examine  the  Afton  text  line  by 
line,  even  had  space  permitted.  There  are,  however,  it  may  be  noted,  at 
least  four  verbal  errors  in  the  "Ode  for  General  Washington's  Birthday." 
Though  correctly  given  in  its  chronological  place,  "  Of  a'  the  airts  "  contains 
the  usual  stock  errors  in  the  version  given  with  the  music  in  the  fourth  volume. 
Further,  the  "  Wag  in  Mauchline  "  is  not  James  Smith,  but  John  Brown, 
clockmaker,  as  the  recovery  of  the  MS.,  seven  or  eight  years  ago,  established 
on  the  authority  of  Burns  himself.  It  is  impossible  to  go  further.  The 
glaring  mistakes  noted  Dr  Annandale  could  and  should  have  avoided  in 
a  work  like  the  Afton  Bums,  upon  which  it  is  evident  the  publishers  have  not 
grudged  outlay.  He  could  and  should  have  guarded  himself  against  such 
errors  by  careful  consultation  of  authorities,  and  though  we  have  no  desire  to 
obtrude  the  Federation  or  its  work  gratuitously  in  any  vain -glorious  manner,  we 
*  See  article  on  "  Highland  Mary  "  in  present  issue  of  the  Chronicle. 


123 

feel  constrained  to  say  that  in  the  file  of  the  Burns  Chrotiicle  he  would  have 
found  sufficient  original  material  to  have  guided  him  on  many  points  on  which  he 
evidently  lacks  information.  The  consolation  must  'be,  that,  with  its  rich 
binding  in  crimson — lavishly  decorated  and  lettered  in  gold— and  generally 
attractive  appearance,  it  may  carry  a  knowledge  of  Burns  to  a  multitude  of 
new  readers  ;  and  our  earnest  wish  is  that  the  publishers  may  secure  thai 
measure  of  success  which  their  ambitious  venture  undoubtedly  deserves. 


New  Engravinc;  :  "  The  Inauguration  of  Rt)l)cit  Burns  as  I'oel  Laureate  of 
the  Lodge  Canongate  Kilwinning  ;  Edinburgh,  March,  17S7."  (Edin- 
burgh :  T.  W.  Watt,  Fine  Art  Publishers,  London  Street.) 

Since  the  presentation,  in  1862,  of  Stewart  Watson's  canvas  of  the  above  to 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Scotland,  by  James  Burnes,  K.IL,  F.R.S.,  the  engravings 
of  it,  issued  in  endless  sizes  and  all  sorts  of  mediums,  have  rendered  it  so 
familiar  to  the  Burns  cult  and  the  general  public  that  we  are  perhaps  justified 
in  saying  that  it  has  ceased  to  be  a  coveted  possession  in  the  estimation  of 
Burns  collectors  as  we  have  hitherto  known  it.  In  speaking  thus,  we  mean  to 
say  that  it  has  become  vulgarised  by  the  cheap  reproductions  which  stare  one 
in  the  face  almost  everywhere  and  frequently  amid  the  most  incongruous 
surroundings.  But  the  originalstill  retains  its  interest.  Whether  or  not  the 
painting  represents  an  actual  incident  of  the  Poet's  sojourn  in  Edinburgh  (its 
correctness  as  a  historical  fact  has  been  questioned)  there  is  general  agreement 
that  it  is  exceptionally  valuable  as  a  gallery  of  authentic  portraits  of  the  Poet's 
patrons,  friends,  and  Edinburgh  notabilities  of  the  period.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned  Fergusson  of  Craigdarroch,  the  Earl  of  Glencairn,  Millar  of 
Dalswinton,  Whitefoord  of  Ballochmyle,  Lord  Monboddo,  Henry  Mackenzie, 
Alex.  Cunningham,  WiUiam  Nicol,  William  Cruickshank,  Allan  Masterton, 
Dugald  Stewart,  William  Creech,  William  Smeilie,  Peter  Hill,  James  Boswell 
of  Auchinleck,  Alex.  Nasmyth,  Robert  Ainslie,  and  many  others,  numbering 
sixty  in  all.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  picture  is  a  7'ade  ineciiin  of  Burns 
portraiture,  and  therefore  of  the  greatest  interest  to  antiquarians  and  Burns 
enthusiasts.  Next  to  the  original  is,  of  course,  a  good  transcript  of  it,  and 
this,  we  are  glad  to  say,  has  now  been  supplied  by  the  publishers  from  a  most 
meritorious  etching  by  Mr  Charles  Ewart,  who  has  so  dexterously  and  boldly 
managed  the  lights  and  shadows  that  the  effect  is  as  richly  harmonious  and 
impressive  as  the  picture  itself.  The  plate  is  20  by  14  inches,  and  with  the 
mounts  30  by  26  inches.  It  is  therefore  entitled  to  rank  as  one  of  the  most 
imposing  and  artistic  Burns  engravings  ever  offered  to  the  public.  We  may 
add  that  a  goodly-sized  key  accompanies  it,  and  greatly  adds  to  ils  value. 
Altogether,  it  is  a  most  desirable  acquisition  for  the  private  collector,  and 
should  be  hung  on  the  walls  of  every  Burns  Club  in  the  Kingdom. 


IXDKXES    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS     IN 
-ANNUAL    BURNS    CHRONICLE." 


THESE  indexes  (r)  of  portraits,  and  (2)  of  illustrations  other 
than  portraits,  that  appear  in  numbers  1-16  of  the  Chronicle^ 
are  supplementary  to  those  in  the  volume  for  1908.  An  index  to 
the  "  Notes  and  Queries  "  will  be  included  in  a  subsequent  issue. 

J.  C.E. 


I.  Index  of  Portraits. 


Adams,  James.     X.,  100. 

Angus,  William  Craire.     X.,  96. 

Armour,  Jean.     See  Burns,  Mrs  Rohert. 

Austin,  Alfred.     VI.,  27. 

Bain,  Marcus.     VI.,  107. 

Baikd,  J.  G.  A.     VIII.,  96. 

Begg,  Robert  Burns.     X.,  69. 

Brand,  David.     VI.,  98. 

Breckenridge,  William.     VI.,  23. 

Buow.n,  Colin  Rae-.     VII.,  105. 

Burns,  Annie  Beckett.     IV.,  84  ;  VI.,  34. 

Burns,  Eliza.     See  Everitt,  Mrs  B.  J. 

Burns,  J.\mes  Glencairn.     IV.,  82. 

Burns,  Robert.     Beugo  Engraving.     V. ,  56. 

—  Miers  Silhouette.     I.,  89;  V.,  58. 

—  Nasmyth  Bust,  1787.      I.,  80  ;  IV.,  76  ;  V.,  52. 

—  Nasmyth  Bust,  Thomson  Replica.     \'.,  53. 

—  Nasmyth  Bust,  Auchendrane  Replica.     \'. ,  54. 

—  Nasmyth  Full-length.     V.,  55. 

—  Reid  Miniature.     V.,  59. 

—  Skirving  Drawing.     V.,  60. 

—  Taylor  Cabinet.     I.,  83  ;  V.,  57. 

Burns,    Mrs  Robert.     V.,  61  ;   IX.,    106.     Bonnie  Jean  and   Grandchild, 

Sarah  Burns.     IV.,  77. 
Burns,  Robert,  The  Second.     IV.,  78. 


125 

Burns,  Sarah.     See  Hutchinson,  Mrs  B.  W. 
Burns,  Thomas.     IV.,  67. 
Burns,  William  Nicol.     IV.,  8r. 

EvERiTT,  .Mrs  Bartholomew  JoMEs  (Eliza  Burns).     IV.,  79. 
EvERiTT,  Martha  Burns.     See  Thomas,  Mrs  M. 
Freeland,  William.     XL,  47. 
Gemmill,  J.  Leiper.     VI.,  95. 
Glover,  J.  J.     VI.,  44. 

Go  wring,  Mrs  George  H.     See  Hutchinson,  V.  B. 
Hutchinson,  Annie  Vincent  Burns  (Mrs  James  Scott).     IV.,  85. 
Hutchinson,  Mrs  B.  W.  (Snah  Burns).     IV.,  83.     Bonnie  Jean  and  Grand- 
child, S.irah  Burns.      IV. ,  77. 
Hutchinson,  Dorothea  Burns.     IV.,  89. 

Hutchinson,  Margaret  Constance  Burns.     IV.,  88  ;  VI.,  35. 
Hutchinson,  Robert  Burns.     IV.,  86. 
Hutchinson,  Violet  Burns  (Mrs  G.  II.  Gowring).     IV.,  87. 
Innes,  Andrew.     XIII. ,  85. 
Kelvin,  Lord.     VI.,  hi. 
Killin,  Thomas.     VI.,  104. 
Kirkpatrick,  Andrew  J.     VI.,  14. 
Macfadzean,  James.     XII.,  27. 
Mackay,  David.     VI.,  iS  ;  XVI.,  95. 
Mackenzie,  Archib.\ld.     VI.,  122. 
M'Millan,  W.  S.     VI.,  103. 
M'Naught,  Duncan.     VI.,  18;  XVI.,  loi. 
Reid,  George.     XV.,  95. 
RosEBERV,  Earl  of.     VI.,  5. 
Samson,  Thomas  ("Tani").     XVI.,  78. 
Scott,  Mrs  James.     See  11\]tchis<,o\ ,  A.  \'.  B. 
Sinton,  John.     VIII.,  127. 
Smith,  John  Campbell.     VI.,  65. 
Sneddon,  David.     VI.,  iS  ;  XVI.,  98. 
Spiers,  John.     VI.,  21. 
Sulley,  Philip.     X.,  65. 
Tennant,  Ale.xander.     XV.,  92. 
Tennant,  Charles.     XV.,  89. 
Tennant,  David.     XV.,  86. 
Tennant,  John.     XV.,  83. 
Tennant,  William.     XV.,  So. 
Thomas,  Mrs  Matthew  (M.  B   Everitt).     IV.,  80. 
Train,  Joseph.     XIII.,  79. 
Wallace,  Hugh  R.     VI.,  90. 


lL>G 


Wallace,  William.  \I.,  i6. 
Watson,  Sir  John.  \II.,  12. 
WiiEATi.KV,  Mr.     \'III.,  119. 


II.   Index  of  Illustrations  othkr   ihan   Portraits. 

Aftox  Waikk.     W,  gb. 

Alloway.      Hums  Cottage,  a;ra  1807.      X.,  84. 

—  Burns   Cottage    in    1829,   by    H.    W.    Williams  ("  Grecian  "    Williams). 

v.,  62;  X.,S5. 
—  Burns  Cottage,  modern  cottage.     X.,  89. 

—  Burns  Cottage,  interior.     III.,  76;  X.,  84. 

—  Burns's  Cottage  and  the  road  to  it,  three  maps.      .\.,  81-3. 

—  Burns  Monument.     III.,  82. 

—  Kirk  and  Kirkyard.     III.,  78. 

Angus,  Willi A.vi  Craibic,  Book-plates  of.     XIII.,  106-7. 

AUCHENBAY,  Ochiltree.     XVI.,  72. 

Ayr.     "  Auld  "  and  first  "  New  Brig  "  o'  Ayr,  fifty  years  ago.     X  VI. ,  42 

—  Auld  Brig  of  Ayr.     XII.,  86-7. 
Bardrainy  Villa,  near  Port-Glasgow.     XIV.,  89. 
Barwharrie.  Ochiltree.     XVI.,  73. 

Bolton.     Tombstone  erected  by  Gilbert  Burns.     V.,  106. 

Bridgeton  (Glasgow)  Burns  Club,  Shield  for  Choir  Competition.    XII.,  no. 

Brown,  Richard,  Flis  House  in  Port-Glasgow.     XIV.,  93. 

Burns  Cottage.     See  Alloway. 

Bust  of  Robert  Burn.s  at  Carlisle.     VIII.,  117. 

Caerlaverock  Castle.     IX, ,  76. 

Cawdor  Castlk.     .XIII.,  47. 

Chlokis.     See  Lorimkk,  Jean. 

Devon,  River.     XII.,  63,  65. 

DOON.      Brig  o'  Doon,  III  ,  83;    River,  .XII.,  92. 

Ellislanu.     Farmhouse.      VII.,  86  ;  IX.,  66. 

Fac-similes.     Burns's  "Ode  for  Washington's  Birthday."     I.X.,  58-60. 

—  Early  [1772]  Burns  Manuscript.     I.,  39-42. 

—  Verse  by  Burns  in  a  Copy  of  Elphinston's  Edition  of  .Martial's  "  Epigrams.'" 

III.,  137. 
--  Entries  (1788)  in  .Mauchline  Kirk-session  Records.      II.,  57. 
--  Gilbert  Burns's  Signature.      V.,    105. 

—  Mrs  Robert  Burns's  Signature.      IX.,  84-5. 
Fail,  River.     II.,  61. 

Finlaystone  House  (Xorth  View).     XI\'.,  85. 
Glenconner,  Ochiltree.     X\I.,  71. 


127 

Highland    Mary.       Statue   at    Dunoon,    V.,    109;    Unveiling   of   Statue, 

VI.,  109. 
Irvine.     Burns's  Lodging.     XIV.,  42. 

—  David  Sillar's  House.     XIV.,  56. 

—  David  Sillar's  Grave  in  Irvine  Kirkyard.      XIV.,   57. 

—  Dr  John  Mackenzie's  House.     XIV.,  59. 
--  Glasgow  Vennel.     XIV.,  41. 

—  Glasgow  Vennel  Heckling  Shop.     XIV.,  36. 

—  Heckling  Shop  in  Montgomerie  Boyd's  Close.      XIV.,  39. 
--  High  Street  in  Burns's  Time.     XIV.,  47. 

—  Montgomerie  Boyd's  Close.     XIV.,  38. 

—  Provost  Hamilton's  House.     XIV.,  62. 

—  Templeton's  Shop.     XIV.,  45. 

Kelso.     Abbey  and  Bridge  on  Tweed.     XIII.,  43. 
Kilmarnock.     Burns  Monument  in  Kay  Public  Park.     IV.,  95. 
KiLMAURS.     Glencairn  Monument.     XIV,,  82. 

—  Kilmaurs  Cross  and  Council  House.     XVI.,  37. 

—  Kirklon  and  Kilmaurs  Church.     XVI.,  34. 

Kirkosvvald.     Views  in  Parish,  Village,  and  Churchyard.     XV.,  27-74. 

Lincluden  Abbey.     IX.,  74. 

LoRiMER,  Jean.     Memorial  Stone    to   "  Chloris,"  in  Preston  Street  Burial- 

Ground,  Edinburgh.     XL,  loi. 
Mauchline.     Armours'  Burying- Plkce.     V.,  83. 

—  Castle,     v.,  76. 

— •  Elbow  Tavern.     V.,  84. 

—  Kirkyard.     VII.,  68,  69,  71,  72. 

—  Nance  Tannock's.      V.,  80. 

—  National  Burns  Memorial  and  Cottage  Homes.     VI.,  87  ;  VIII. ,  92. 

—  Plan  of  Mauchline.     II.,  54  ;  V.,  81. 

—  Poosie  Nansie's.     V.,  77. 
Mauchline  Burn.     II.,  63. 

Mauchline  Parish.      Plan   of  Tarbolton,   Stair,   and   Mauchline   Parishes. 

II.,  62. 
MONKTON.     Church  of  St.  Cuthbert.     IV.,  65. 
Monuments  to  Robert  Burns — 

Alloway.      III.,  82. 

Kilmarnock.     I  V.,  95.      See  aho  Statues  and  Busts. 
MORHAM  Mains.     V.,  100. 
Mossgiel.     v.,  71-2. 

NiTH,  River.     V.,  87,  89  ;  VII.,  93  ;  IX.,  69. 
Ochiltree.     Views  in  Parish  of  Ochiltree.     XVI.,  70  93. 
Plough.     Old  Scots  Plough  used' at  Mossgiel  by  Burns.     VII.,  41. 


128 

PORT-Gi.ASr.ow.      Richard  Krown's  House.      XIW,  93. 

Prestwick.      Market  Cross.     I\'.,  63. 

Stair  Parish.     Plan  of  Tarbolton,  Stair,  and  Mauchline  Parishes.    II.,  62. 

Statue   of   Highland   Mary,    Dunoon.     V.,    109;  Unveiling  of  Statue, 

VI.,  109. 
Statues  and  Bust.s  ok  Rohert  Burns — 

Ayr.     IV..  126. 

Carlisle  (Bust).      VIII.,  117. 

Chicago.      I\".,  12S. 

Dumfries.     I\'.,  123. 

Dundee.     l\..  125. 

Glasgow.     I\'.,  124. 

Irvine.      \'I.,  25. 

Kilmarnock.      I\'.,  122. 

London.      I\'.,  125. 

New  Vork.     IV.,  125. 

Paisley.      IV.,  127;  VI.,  116. 
Stkathearn.     XIII.,  45. 

Tarbolton    I'arish.      Plan    of  Tarl)olton,    Stair,  and   M.iuchline   Parishes. 
II.,  62. 


CLUB     NOTES. 

[COMMUNICA  TED.-X 


Obituary. — We  regret  to  report  the  death  of  Mr  D.  C.  Wardrop,  a 
prominent  Glasgow  Burnsian.  The  event  tcok  place  with  startling  suddenness 
on  9th  November.  Mr  Wardrop,  who  was  64  years  of  age,  had  lived  a  busy 
life.  In  business  he  was  a  commercial  stationer,  and  his  attention  to  his  work 
was  so  assiduous  that  many  wondered  when  he  found  time  to  attend  to  literary 
and  social  pursuits.  He  was  a  keen  Conservative,  and  was  actively  identified 
with  the  work  of  Glasgow  Conservative  Association  (Central).  For  many 
years  he  acted  as  secretary  of  the  Broomielaw  Ward  Committee.  He  took 
part  in  forming  the  Glasgow  Municipal  League,  and  in  other  ways  shewed  his 
desire  to  stimulate  an  intelligent  interest  in  municipal  politics.  As  a  Burnsian 
he  was  in  great  demand  at  literary  evenings,  and  his  many  able  and  amusing 
lectures  were  always  listened  to  with  much  pleasure.  For  a  time  he  was 
secretary  of  the  Sandyford  Burns  Club,  and  also  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
Queen's  Park  Burns  Club.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  the  first  secretary 
of  the  National  Burns  Club — the  idea  of  the  federation  of  the  local  clubs  being 
prominent  in  his  mind.  Mr  Wardrop  was  at  once  an  indefatigable  worker,  a 
pleasant  companion,  and  a  good  friend.  His  presence  will  be  missed  at  many 
Burns  gatherings. 


LONDON  ROBERT  BURNS  CLUB. 

• 

The  objects  of  the  Club  are  : — -The  annual  banquet  in  celebration  of  the 
birthday  of  the  Immortal  Bard  of  Scotland,  Robert  Burns  ;  occasional  re-unions 
for  the  cultivation  of  social  and  intellectual  intercourse  among  the  members  ; 
the  encouragement  of  Scottish  Literature  and  Music  ;  support  of  the  Federa- 
tion of  the  Burns  Clubs  all  over  the  world  ;  social  meetings,  i.e.  assemblies, 
concerts,  pic-nics,  Hallowe'en  suppers,  and  such  functions  as  may  be  the 
vogue  of  the  season. 

Without  reference  to  nationality,  all  gentlemen  who  are  admirers  of  the 
poetry  and  genius  of  Robert  Burns,  and  of  the  imperishable  principle  'enun- 
ciated in    "  A  Man's  a  Man  for  a'  that"  are  eligible  for  membership. 


130 

Tlie  committee  is  prepared  to  receive  applications  from  gentlemen  desiring 
to  attend  any  of  tiie  Club's  functions  with  a  view  to  becoming  members  of  the 
Club,  and  for  the  guidance  of  such,  Rules  2  and  5  are  quoted  hereunder  :^ 

2.   The  yearly  subscription  shall  be  One   Guinea,    payable    in    the 
month  of  September  in  each  year. 

5.  Every  new  member  must  be  proposed  aud  seconded,  in  writing, 
by  an  existing  member  of  the  Club,  and  approved  of  by  the  Committee  ; 
the  entrance  fee  for  any  such  Member  being  los  6d.  Any  member  resign- 
ing must  do  so  in  writing,  prior  to  Annual  Business  Meeting,  addressed 
to  the  Honorary  Secretary,  not  later  than  the  15th  September  in  each 
year. 
Members  of  any  Federation  Club  will  be  heartily  welcomed. 

MEMO.  AND  PROSPECTIVE  MEETINGS. 

At  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Burns  Federation  Delegates,  held  at 
Dunfermline  this  year,  Dr  Andrew  Carnegie  was  elected  Honorary  President, 
and  Mr  Durha^n,  our  President,  was  unanimously  elected  a  Vice-President  of 
the  Federation. 

Next  year's  Federation  Meeting  is  to  be  held  on  the  first  Saturday  in 
September,  at  Lanark.  The  Federation  is  taking  a  leading  part  in  founding 
a  Chair  of  Scottish  History  and  Literature  in  Glasgow  University. 

The  First  Assembly  of  this  season  will  be  held  in  the  large  hall  of  the 
Portman  Rooms,  on  Friday,  December  3rd. 

A  Sub-Committee  is  engaged  upon  consideration  of  the  suggested  recon- 
struction of  the  Club's  Rules. 

A  General  Election  Meeting  will  be  held  in  December,  probably  on 
Tuesday,  the  7th  December,  in  The  Red  Cross  Tavern,  Paternoster  Scjuare,  E.C. 

The  dates  for  which  the  Portman  Rooms  have  been  secured  for  the  ist 
and  2nd  Dances  are  Fridays,  February  nth  and  March  iith,  1910. 

The  Anniversary  Festival,  Tuesday,  January  25th,  1910. 

A  Whist  Drive  will  be  held  towards  the  end  of  March,  and  the  Summer 
Festival  on  the  River  in  June. 

Hallowe'en  Meeting,  October  31st  ;  St.  Andrew's  Concert,  November 
30th  ;  Whist  Drive,  October  i6th- 

Mr  Henry  Durham,  the  retiring  president  of  Club  No.  i — The  London 
Robert  Burns  Club— and  who  at  the  Annual  Meeting  in  Dunfermline  was 
elected  a  vice-president  of  the  Federation,  has  just  completed  fifty  years' 
service  in  the  City  of  London  School  for  Boys.  Mr  Durham  is  a  P"ellow  of 
the  Chemical  Society,  an  original  Fellow  of  the  Physical  Society  of  London, 
and  has  for  many  years  been  head  Science  Master  of  the  famous  school  at 
which  the  present  Prime  Minister  was  a  successful  scholar.  Ke  hopes  to  have 
a  little  time  to  revisit  Scotland  next  year  at  Lanark. 


l;3l 
GREENOCK  BURNS  CLUB. 

Club  meetings  are  held  in  Club  Rooms,  36  Nicholson  Street,  at  8  p.m. 

The  past  session  was  very  successful,  and  the  syllabus  was  very  satisfac- 
tory. Lectures  were  delivered  by  the  Rev.  J.  M'Kechnie  and  Mr  V^ictor 
Meyer.  Smoking  concerts  were  held  on  St.  Andrew's  Night,  and  at  the 
quarterly  and  the  annual  meetings.  The  ladies'  nights  were  most  enjoyable, 
and  the  concerts,  by  parties  introduced  by  Mr  and  Mrs  Paterson  Cross  and  by 
Mr  Ernest  Brown,  were  very  well  attended.  A  deputation  visited  the  Rose- 
bery  Burns  Club,  Glasgow,  and  were  most  hospitably  entertained.  The  107th 
annual  celebration  was  held  in  the  Town  Hall  Saloon.  Sir  Donald  MacalLster, 
Principal  of  Glasgow  University,  proposed  the  "Immortal  Memory"  in  a 
memorable  speech.  The  annual  pilgrimage  of  members  and  lady  friends  took 
place  in  September,  when  a  pleasant  day  was  spent  at  Peebles,  the  weather 
being  all  that  could  be  desired. 

On  the  25th  January  the  "  Immortal  Memory  "  will  be  proposed  I)y  the 
Hon.  President,  Sir  Hugh  Shaw  Stewart,  Bart,  of  Ardgowan  and  Blackball. 

SYLLABUS,   1909-1910. 

1909. 

Oct.     28.  Annual  Meeting.      Election  of  Office-bearers,  &c. 

Nov.    19.  Ladies' Night.     Concert  Party  — Introduced  by  Mr  J.  G.  M'Kail. 

,,     30.  St.  Andrew's  Night.     Visit  from  Rosebery  Burns  Club,  Glasgow. 

Dec.      8.  Lecture,  "  Paradise  Lost  "—Miss  M.  Macdonald,  L.L.A. 

1910. 

Jan.       6.  Lecture,  "  Art  and  its  Limitations  " — Mr  A.  S.  Mories. 

,.       25.  loSth  Annual  Celebration. 

Feb.    18.  Ladies"  Night.    Concert  Party — Introduced  by  Mr  Ernest  C.  Brown. 

Mar.    17.  Lecture,  "  Hamlet  "  —  Mr  J.  Eraser  Paton. 

April  29.  Quarterly  Meeting. 


NATIONAL  BURNS  CLUB,  LLMITED,  GLASGOW. 

Club  Meetings  are  held  in  Club  Rooms,  93  Douglas  Street,  Glasgow. 

The  Club  continues  to  make  steady  progress,  and  has  amply  fulfilled  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  originated  five  years  ago,  and  although  we  have  been 
passing  through  a  period  of  industrial  depression  during  the  last  year  or  so  the 
membership  is  well  maintained. 

The  Directors,  however,  feel  that  there  is  abundance  of  accommodation  in 
the  Club  premises  for  at  least  another  hundred  members  without  any  incon- 
venience to  the  present  members,  and  they  extend  a  hearty  invitation  to  all 
eligible  Burnsians  to  apply  to  the  Secretary  (Jos.  Martin,  163  West  George 
Street,  Glasgow),  who  will  furnish  them  with  Application  Eorms  and  all  other 
information. 


i:V2 

The  followins:^  is  the  Syllabus  for  tiie  current  session  : — 
1909. 
Oct.     14.   Opening  Supper. 

,,     28.   Lecture  by  Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.     Subject  :   "  The  Letters  of 
Robert  Burns." 
Nov.    25.   St.  Andrew's  Day  Supper. 
Dec.     16.   Smoking  Concert,  arranged  by  Mr  Forrest. 

1910. 
Jan.     13.  Smoking  Concert,  arranged  by  Mr  Bishop. 

,,     25.   Informal  Gathering  of  Members  and  Friends,      up.  m. 
„     27.   Lecture  by  W.  Graham  Moffat,  Esq.     Subject  :   "  The  Drama." 
Feb.    10.  Smoking  Concert,  arranged  by  Mr  G.  Fisher. 

,,     24.   Lecture  by   Rev.  David  Graham,  St.  Gilbert's.      Subject  :    "  Oscar 
Wilde." 
Mar.   10.   Smoking  Concert,  arranged  by  Mr  I/at. 
Each  Meeting  will  begin  at  8.30  p.m.  prompt. 


SUNDERLAND     BURNS     CLUB. 
T\vi-:i,KTH  Annual  Report — Ai-kil,   1909. 
ANNUAL  MEETING. 
The  Annual  Meeting  of  last  year  was  a  large  gathering.     The  members 
had  by  vote   determined  to  remove  to  the  Grand    Hotel,  and  the  necessary 
instructions  were  given  to  the  Committee  to  carry  this  into  operation.     The 
various  reports  submitted  were  very  encouraging.     A  notice  of  motion  was 
formulated  for  discussion  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Federation  in  Septem- 
ber, the  desire  being  to  adjust  power  at  the  annual  gathering,  each  Society 
to   have   proper   and   accredited    returns   showing    membership    and    voting 

accordingly. 

DINNER. 

The  Anniversary  Dinner  of  1909  was  a  unique  gathering  so  far  as  our 
Club  was  concerned.  Hitherto  the  door  has  been  closed  to  our  lady  friends, 
but  this  time,  after  careful  and  due  consideration,  it  was  decided  to  remove 
this  barrier  and  admit  our  "  fair  sex,"  who  claim  to  be  as  great  admirers  of  the 
Poet  and  his  works  as  those  of  the  sterner  sex. 

The  guest  of  the  evening  was  Professor  James  Stuart,  M.P.  for  Sunder- 
land, who  gave  a  very  fine  appreciation  of  the  Poet  and  his  songs,  interspersed 
with  many  reminiscent  anecdotes  of  Scottish  life  and  character. 

Our  esteemed  Hon.  President,  Alderman  W.  Burns,  J. P.,  occupied  the 
chair  and  directed  the  proceedings. 


133 

CONCERTS. 

During  the  year  we  gave  an  extra  Concert,  and  for  trhis  purpose  engaged 
the  famous  Glasgow  Select  Choir.  This  Concert  was  given  on  Thursday, 
October  22nd,    1908. 

The  Annual  Scottish  Concert  was  held  in  the  \'ictoria  Hall  on  Tuesday, 
February  2nd,  1909,  and  was  a  very  successful  gathering.  The  company  of 
artistes  gave  a  delightful  rendering  of  many  of  our  "  Auld  Scots  Sangs,"  and 
our  Hon.  Pipers,  Murray  and  Stark,  gave  selections  on  the  bagpipes  during 
the  concert. 

"BURNS  CHRONICLE." 

The  number  of  readers  has  been  well  maintained,  yet  one  could  wish  for 
an  improvement  in  this  respect.  The  work,  in  addition  to  forming  a  complete 
and  correct  Directory  of  all  Federated  Burns  Clubs  and  Societies,  contains 
many  valuable  articles  well  worth  the  perusal  of  every  member  of  the  Club. 

The  enthusiasm  and  energy  infused  into  this  work  by  the  Editor  deserves 
our  best  appreciation  and  thanks. 

COMMITTEE. 

The  Committee  have  had  eleven  meetings  during  the  year,  and  the 
attendance  was  as  follows :— Or  Waferston,  II  ;  Mr  M.  MacLennan,  9  ;  Mr  W. 
H.  Turner,  4  ;  Mr  J-  F.  Crooks,  9  ;  Mr  W.  P.  Eastwood,  lo  ;  Mr  J.  Donald, 
10;  Mr  M.  Neilson,  10;  Mr  G.  Mackay,  10;  Mr  A.  W.  Sample,  7  ;  Mr  D. 
Condie.  6. 

MEMBERSHIP. 
We  started  the  year  with  si.xty-one  members.      During  the  year  seven  new 
members  have  joined,  four  have  resigned,  one  has  passed  over  to  the  "great 
majority,"  while  three  have  been  struck  oft,  leaving  our  present  membership 
at  sixty. 

SYLLABUS. 
1908. 
Oct.      7.    President's  Address— Dr  J.  Waterston,  J.  P. 
,,    21     Musical  Evening — Members. 
,,    22.   Glasgow  Select  Choir  (Victoria  Hall). 
Nov.    4.   "  Gunpowder  Plot" — Mr  W.  A.  Culshaw. 

,,     18.    "  Edinburgh  and  Sir  Walter  Scott  " — Mr  G.  Mackay. 
Dec.    2.    "  Life  and   Songs   of  Burns"  — Mr  A.    H.  Brock,  Durham.      Ladies' 
Night. 
,,    16.    Religious  Teaching  of  Robert  Burns  " — Mr  A.  W.  Semple. 
1909. 
Jan.     6.    Musical  Evening— Members. 

,,    20.    "  Half-an-hour  wi'  Burns" — Mr  D.  Bain,  Gateshead. 
,,    25.   Anniversary  Dinner — ^Prof.  Jas.  Stewart,  M.P. 


134 

Feb.    2.   Scottish  Concert  (Victoria  Hall). 

,,     3.   Musical  Evening — Members. 

,,    16.   "  Some  American  Peculiarities  " — Mr  II.  MacColl. 
Mar.    3.    "  Famous  Regiment?"— Mr  M.  MacLennan. 

,,    16.   Musical  Fvening — Members. 
April  7.  Business  Meeting. 
May    5.   Annual  Meeting  :  Flection  of  Officers. 
Sept.    I.   Business  Meeting. 

We  have  from  lime  to  time  added  to  our  Library  some  very  interesting 
works,  and  our  Librarian,  Mr  Geo.  Mackay,  is  gathering  quite  an  interesting 
collection.  We  have  to  acknowledge  with  grateful  thanks  a  copy  o{ James 
Thomson,  his  Life  and  Correspondence,  presented  by  Mr  W.  H.  Turner,  also 
a  copy  of  the  third  edition  Si.  Mary's,  of  Neivbattle,  presented  by  the  author, 
Rev.  J.  C.  Carrick,  B.D.,  Newbaitle  Parish  Church,  Midlothian. 

IN  MEMORIAM. 

We  have  to  record  the  loss  by  death  of  one  of  our  faithful  members,  Mr 
Alexander  Cruickshanks,  which  took  place  on  February  i6th,  1909.  The  late 
Mr  Cruickshanks  had  been  connected  with  the  Club  since  its  inception,  was  a 
most  enthusiastic  member,  and  one  who  was  always  willing  to  give  his  services 
freely  in  connection  with  the  Annual  Concerts,  lie  was  in  his  accustomed 
place  at  the  Concert  lield  on  February  and,  and  his  death  came  as  a  shock. 
The  sympathy  of  the  members  was  conveyed  to  his  widow,  and  in  addition  to 
a  wreath  being  sent,  a  deputation  attended  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to 
one  who  had  been  a  faithful  member. 

FEDERATION  MEETING. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Federation  was  held  in  St.  Andrews,  on 
Saturday,  September  5th,  1908,  when  Messrs  Mackay,  MacLennan,  and 
Eastwood  attended  as  the  representatives  of  this  Club.  Mr  D.  Condie  was 
spending  a  holiday  in  the  district  at  the  time,  and  also  attended  on  behalf  of 
the  Club. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  in  some  respects  the  past  year  may  have 
been  a  disappointing  one,  but  we  have  still  maintained  our  position  in  spite  of 
the  adverse  conditions.  Let  me  in  a  word  thank  the  members  for  their  kind- 
ness and  consideration  of  my  eflbrls.  To  all  who  have  assisted  us  we  tender 
our  thanks,  and  now  as  we  start  on  the  brighter  outlook  of  another  year,  let 
each  member  do  a  little  to  help  forward  the  work  and  so  make  our  Burns 
Club  an  influence  for  good  in  this  town  of  Sunderland. 

M.   Neilson,  Secy. 


135 
TAM   O'  SHANTER    BURNS  CLUB. 

The  Annual  Meeting  was  held  in  the  Trades'  House   Restaurant,  on  26th 
•October — Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  presiding. 
The  annual  report  was  as  follows  :  — 

The  Club  is  now  in  its  twenty-ninth  year,  and  is  the  third  oldest  clulj  in 
■Glasgow,  and  the  oldest  federated  club  in  the  city.  At  the  time  of  the  last 
Annual  Meeting,  an  article  dealing  with  its 
history  was  printed  in  the  Ktitherglen  Kcfonncr. 
The  membership  now  stands  at  72,  a  consider- 
at)le  number  of  members  having  been  deleted 
during  llie  year  at  the  revision  of  the  roll.  Nine 
members  are  in  arrears  of  subscription. 

The  Club  has  in  the  last  twelve  months  had 
four  Business  Meetings,  while  the  Committee  has 
met  on  fifteen  occasions.  A  third  minute  book 
has  now  been  started.  No.  2  lasted  from  28th 
November,  1884,  to  i2lh  June,  1909.  Any 
member  who  has  the  first  minute  book  is  asked 
10  be  good  enough  to  return  it  to  the  Secretary. 
The  year  began  with  a  deficit  of  £^  los  gd.  This  has  been  wiped  out 
and  all  accounts  have  been  paid.  There  is  a  debit  balance  which  will  be 
wiped  ofi'"as  soon  as  the  first  subscriptions  are  collected,  and  this  result  is  con- 
sidered very  satisfactory.  Great  vigour  has  marked  the  carrying  on  of  the 
Club's  operations,  and  the  meetings  have  been  largely  attended.  The  Annual 
Dinner  was  a  great  success.  Two  excellent  lectures  were  given  by  the  Revs. 
James  Forrest  and  David  Graham,  and  the  musical  evenings  were  good.  A 
largely  attended  Tattie  and  Herrin'  Supper  was  held  in  the  spring,  and  on 
I2ih  June  the  annual  pic-nic  was  revived  with  gratifying  success. 

The  attendance  and  interest  of  the  members  have  both  increased,  and  an 
effort  was  successfully  made  to  reduce  expenditure.  This  effort  will  be  main- 
tained, and  next  year  the  Club  ought  to  be  in  the  best  postion  which  it  has 
occupied  for  many  years.  The  members  were  circularised  as  to  the  work  of 
the  Club  on  several  occasions  with  good  results.  The  Club  was  represented 
at  the  Burns  Federation  at  Dunfermline,  on  4th  September,  by  Mr  Thomson  ; 
the  Burns  Club  Association  and  the  M'Lennan  BowHng  Competition  by 
Messrs  Warden,  Thomson,  Geo.  Forrest,  Pearson,  White,  Crawford, 
M'Kenzie,  and  Burns  ;  and  by  Mr  Carmichael  at  the  meeting  of  the  Cup 
•Committee,  when  he  was  elected  a  Director.  The  Burns  Chronicle  was  again 
supported,  and  the  Club  did  all  in  its  power  to  stimulate  interest  in  the  Ter- 
Jubilee  of  Robert  Burns.  The  members  have  undertaken  to  subscribe  ^20  to 
the  Scottish  Chair,  and  £\  i/-  is  already  in  hand.      Among  the  suggestions  of 


136 

the  year  were  (i)  that  the  subscription  be  doubled,  and  (2)  that  life  member- 
ship be  introduced.  The  Committee  deeply  regret  to  report  that  the  Club 
has  lost  by  death  two  most  valuable  members — Past  President  Crawford  and 
Mr  John  Laurance,  chemist ;  a  former  President,  Mr  George  Chalt,  also  died 
during  the  year.  The  following  changes  were  made  during  the  year  in  the 
Directorate — Messrs  James  Ballantine  and  Edward  Wilson  were  elected  to  fill 
the  places  of  Mr  Crawford  (deceased)  and  Mr  Baird  (deleted). 

The  attendances  at  Committee  Meetings  were  : — Hunter,  15  ;  Forrest,  14  ; 
Thomson,  14:  Carmichael,  13;  Warden,  11  ;  A.  M'Kenzie,  10;  Smith,  7  ; 
Threshie,  6  ;  Fisher,  7  ;  Watson,  4  ;  Ritchie,  3  ;  Renfrew,  i.  Two  elected 
during  year— Ballantine,  5  ;  Wilson,  3.  It  is  hoped  that  the  coming  session 
will  be  a  most  successful  one.  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter, 
writer,  109  Bath  Street,  Clasgow. 


GLASGOW  AND   DISTRICT  ASSOCIATION   OF   BURNS 
CLUBS  AND  KINDRED  SOCIETIES. 

The  Annual  General  Meeting  was  held  on  2nd  September,  1909,  in  the 
National  Burns  Club,  Glasgow — Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  presiding. 
Twenty-six  delegates  were  present,  including  representatives  from  Moorpark, 
Renfrew,  Baillieston  Caledonia,  Old  Kilpatrick,  Carlton,  Rutherglen 
Cronies,  Nitshill,  Scottish,  Albany,  Tam  o'  Shanter,  Clydebank,  Barns  o' 
Clyde,  the  National,  Carrick,  and  Rosebery. 

The  Secretary  read  the  business  report  for  the  year  as  follows  : — Since 
the  Annual  Meeting,  on  3rd  September  last,  the  Association  has  not  met,  but 
the  Committee  has  met  nine  times  and  a  sub-committee  twice.  During  the 
year  seven  Clubs  have  joined,  bringing  the  total  number  up  to  thirty-one. 
During  the  year  assistance  has  been  given  to  a  large  number  of  Clubs  in  con- 
nection with  the  supplying  of  essayists  and  speakers.  Judges  have  also  been 
sent  to  various  school  competitions,  and  in  connection  with  these  several 
expressions  of  opinion  have  been  given  that  the  subject  of  children's  competi- 
tions should  this  year  be  gone  into  more  systematically.  It  was  agreed  that 
Messrs  Forrest  and  Hunter  represent  the  Association  at  the  Dunfermline 
meeting.  During  the  year  considerable  dissatisfaction  has  been  experienced 
in  Burns  circles  owing  to  the  large  sum  collected  for  the  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr, 
viz.,  jCio,^oo,  having  proved  inadequate  ;  and  this  Committee  protested 
against  the  extravagance  shewn.  The  Committee  were  early  in  communica- 
tion with  the  Burns  Federation  regarding  the  publication  of  the  Burns 
Chronicle,  and  a  deputation  attended  the  Special  Meeting  at  Kilmarnock  ia 


137 

connection  therewith.  The  Chronicle  continues  to  worthily  represent  the 
liurns  cuh.  With  regard  to  the  Scottish  Chair,  the  Committee  have  done 
everything  in  their  power  to  keep  the  matter  before  the  Clubs,  and  on  14th 
November  last  issued  a  circular  to  all  Clubs.  A  considerable  number  of  them 
took  collections  at  the  Annual  Dinner  or  alternately  issued  subscription  sheets. 
The  work  has  been  going  on  slowly  but  satisfactorily,  considering  the  recent 
extreme  depression  in  trade.  The  Committee  are  happy  to  report  that  they 
successfully  induced  Mr  Martin  Haddow  to  ask  the  Glasgow  School  Board 
(then  the  only  dissentient  educational  body  in  the  country)  to  rescind  its 
previous  motion  in  opposition  to  the  Chair.  Mr  Haddow  kindly  moved  his 
motion  as  soon  as  the  six  months  necessary  under  the  Board's  standing  orders 
had  expired,  and  was  successful  in  carrying  it  by  a  satisfactory  majority.  In 
return  for  this  the  Committee  made  various  efforts  at  the  recent  School  Board 
election  for  the  return  of  Mr  Haddow,  Dr  Dyer,  and  one  or  two  others  who 
had  interested  themselves  in  the  proposed  Chair.  The  matter  of  the  Chair 
will  be  again  brought  before  the  Clubs  in  anticipation  of  next  year's  dinners. 
The  outstanding  event  of  the  Burns  year  was,  of  course,  the  celebration  of  the 
Ter-Jubilee  of  the  Poet.  In  connection  with  this,  great  efforts  were  put  forth 
by  the  Committee.  A  Scottish  week  was  arranged  in  several  of  the  theatres, 
and  thanks  are  dae  to  the  managers  for  their  hearty  co-operation.  Other 
entertainers  also  assisted,  while  the  Annual  Dinners  of  the  Clubs  were  cele- 
brated with  increased  enthusiasm,  and  in  almost  every  case  increased 
attendance.  The  Association  also  arranged  for  the  decorating  of  various 
Burns  Statues,  and  in  cooperation  with  the  Rosebery  Burns  Club  decorated 
the  Glasgow  Statue.  The  Committee,  a  few  months  ago,  were  approached  by 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the  proposed  Historical  Exhibition,  which  is  to 
be  held  in  Kelvingrove  Park  in  the  summer  of  1911,  and  several  of  them  have 
been  added  to  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  proposed  Exhibition.  Dr 
Wallace's  Committee,  in  charge  of  the  Scottish  Chair,  some  months  ago 
appointed  Provost  Wilson  and  Mr  Jeffrey  Hunter  to  make  the  preliminary 
arrangements  for  a  theatrical  matin6e  in  aid  of  the  Scottish  Chair,  and  these 
gentlemen  acted  as  representing  that  body  and  this  Association.  The  perform- 
ance took  place  in  the  Empire  Theatre,  Glasgow,  on  30th  October.  It  was 
agreed  to  type  a  synopsis  of  the  report  and  send  it  to  all  the  delegates. 

Office-bearers  were  appointed  as  follows  :  —  Rev.  James  Forrest  was  re- 
elected President  on  the  motion  of  Mr  Ballantine.  Messrs  Ballantine  and 
PoUok  were  re-elected  Vice-Presidents  on  the  motion  of  the  Chairman.  The 
following  twelve  gentlemen  were  elected  to  form  the  Committee  :  A.  C. 
Alston,  Rutherglen  Cronies  ;  John  Burness,  Nitshill  :  P.  M'A.  Carrick, 
CI  irinda  ;  John  Carmichael,  National  ;  J.  S.  Carmichael,  Albany  ;  Archibald 
Clark,  Hamilton  Mossgiel  ;  Alexander  Mackenzie,  Tam  o'  Shanter  ;  John 
Neilson,  Thornliebank  ;    Thomas    Struthers,  Station  House,  Old    Kilpatrick  ; 


138 

Laurence  Watt,   35  Taylor  Street,  Clydehank  ;  Jolin  Wilson,   Scottish  ;  and 
James  Tudliope,  Carlton. 

( )n  the  motion  of  the  Chairman,  congralulalions  were  given  to  Mr 
M 'Naught,  Kilmaurs,  on  the  successful  issue  of  the  fac-similc  of  the  First 
Kilmarnock  Edition. 


ALBANY    BURNS    CLUB. 


During  the  year  the  management  has  lieen  on  the  lines  followed  since  the 
inception  of  the  Club. 

The  Directors'  Meetings  held  numbered  8,  and  there  have  been 
5  Monthly  .Meetings  of  members,  including  the  Annual  Business  Meeting. 

The  membership  has  been  maintained  throughout  the  year  at  the 
restricted  number,  viz.,  150. 

The  resignations  numbered  3  ;  two  of  these  were  owing  to  residence  out 
of  Glasgow,  and  one  owing  to  ill-health. 

The  death.s  of  members  numbered  3— being  the  Hon.  President,  Mr 
Goodall  ;  the  late  Secretary,  Mr  Drennan  ;  and  Mr  Brotchie,  a  well-know  n 
member  of  the  Club. 

During  the  year  Papers  were  given  by  tiie  late  Hon.  President  (ioodall. 
County  Councillor  A.  M'Callum,  Past  Presidents  J.  Wilson  Bain  and 
Macwhannell,  and  Mr  Walter  Weir. 

The  Anniversary  Dinner  of  the  Club  was  held  in  the  Grand  Hotel,  and  a 
very  interesting  address  was  given  by  Dr  Kerr  of  Allan  Glen  School. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  Club  a  Singing  and  Reciting  Competition  was 
held  on  15th  January  last,  in  Provanside  Higher  Grade  School,  the  pri/.es 
given  being  four  medals  and  twelve  volumes.  The  successful  competitors  for 
the  medals  were  Maggie  Pirie  and  Jenny  M'Lcan  for  reciting,  and  Flora  Rollo 
and  William  Brodie  for  singing. 

I  am  glad  to  report  that  the  Club  is  in  a  successful  and  flourishing  condi- 
tion, and,  as  the  syllabus  shows,  some  good  nights  are  in  store  for  the  A.  B.  C. 
during  the  ensuing  session. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  present  session  was  held  on  6th  October,  when 
an  interesting  paper  was  given  by  the  President,  the  suijject  being  "The  Life 
of  Burns."  It  was  gratifying  to  the  members  to  have  with  them  their  Honorary 
President,  Professor  Glaister,  who,  notwithstanding  it  was  the  season  of  the 
University  examinations,  found  time  to  pass  an  hour  or  so  with  us.  At  that 
meeting  all  the  Past  Presidents  of  the  Club  since  its  inception  were  present. 


139 

SYLLABUS. 
1909. 
Oct.     6.   Opening  Address— President,  John  A.  Headrick. 
Nov.     3.   Smoking  Concert. 
Dec.     I.    "The    Biographers   of   Burns^,\llan    Cunningham" — ^John     Mac- 

whannell,  Esq. 

1910. 
Jan.     12.    "  Burns  and  M-^dern  Humanism  " — Rev.  James  Forrest,  MA. 

,,     25.    "  Immortal  Memory  " — George  Eyre-Todd,  Esq. 
Feb.     2.    "William  Shakespeare" — Andrew  Black,  Esq.,  R.S.W. 
Mar.     2.   "Allan  Ramsay" — Ex-President  James  Taylor. 


MOSSGIEL  (GLASGOW)  BURNS  CLUB. 

SYLLABUS. 
1909. 
Oct.     19.   Tattie  and  Herrin'  Supper. 
Nov.     4.    Open  Meeting. 

Dec.      7.   *Address  by  T.  L.  Anderson,  Esq.     Subject—"  The  Social  Condi- 
tion of  the  People  in  the  Time  of  Burns." 
1910. 
Jan.      4.    Open  Meeting. 

,,     25.   *  Annual    Dinner.     Rev.    Andrew    R.    Cowie   will   propose    "  The 
Immortal  Memory." 
Feb.     S.   Open  Meeting. 

,,     22.    *Address  by  William  Browning,  Esq.      Subject— "  The  Dominie  of 
the  1 8th  Century." 
Mar.     8.   Annual  General  Meeting. 
April    5.   Open  Meeting, 

MeetiiiRS  marked  *  will  be  held  in  Bank  Restaurant,  Queen  Street. 


OLD    KILPATRICK    BURNS    CLUB. 

SYLLABUBS- 1909-10. 
1909. 
Sept.  16.    "Irish    Wit    and    Scotch   Humour"    (with    Songs)  —  Walter  Weir, 

Esq.,  Glasgow. 
Oct.    21.    "The    Forth    and    Clyde    Wall    of    the    Emperor   Antoninus"— 

Archibald  Macdonald,  Esq.,  Public  Librarian,  Dumbarton. 
Nov.  18.    "Claverhouse   and   the    Covenanters"— J.    Jeffrey    Hunter,    Esq., 
Glasgow. 


140 


igio. 
Feb.   lo. 


A  R:uiil>le  ihrough  Italy"  (illustrated  by  lOO  Lantern  Slides)— 
Rev.  E.  Sherwood  Gunson,  M.A. ,  Ranishorn  Parish  Church, 
(llastjow. 


A  Scotsman  seen  through  Green,  Red,  Blue,  and  True  Spectacles 
— Rev.  J.  il.  Dickie,  M.A.,  New  Kilpatrick  Rarisli  Church. 
Mar.  lo.    "The  Letters  of  Robert  Burns" — Rev,  Robert  Munro,  B.D.,  U.F. 
Church,  Old  Kilpatrick. 
The   Anniversary  of  the    Bard   will    be   celebrated    in  ('lavinlinin   Public 
School,  when  the  "  Immoruil   Memory"  will  be  proposed  by  a  well-kiiDwn 
gentleman. 


CARLTON  BURNS  CLUB. 

InstiUited  iSg4.  Federated  18^4. 


SYLLABUS. 
1909. 
Oct.      5.   Business  Meeting. 

Nov.     2.    Harmony.      Contributor,  Mr  Charles  W.  C.  M'Farlane. 
Dec.      7.  Joint    Meeting  with   Rosebery    Burns    Club.        Lecturer,    I'rincipal 
A.  M.  Williams,  M.A. 
1910. 
Jan.    II.    Harmony.        Contributor,  Mr  David  Giln.our. 

,,      25.   Anniversary  Dinner. 
Feb.     I.  Joint  Meeting  with  Rosebery  Burns  Club.      Lecture,    "The  Merry 

Muses"— D.   M 'Naught,  Esq.,  J. P. 
Mar.     I.   Smoking  Concert. 

Apr.     5.   Lecture,  "  Burns  and  the  De'il  " — John  Russell,  Esq. 
May  —    Summer  r)uting. 


141 


DUNFERMLINE  UNITED  BURNS  CLUB. 

Instituted  1S12.  Federated  iSgb. 

We  have  received  no  official  report  from  Dunfermline,  but  from  the 
account  of  ihe  Federation  Meeting  it  will  be  seen  that  it  is  in  a  most 
flourishing  condition,  under  the  fostering  c:iie  of  its  efficient  and  enthusiastic 
Chairman  and  Secretary. 


dV<3 


Mr  J.  C.  Cra 


142 

LIVERPOOL  BURNS  CLUB. 

The  43rd  Annual  Dinner,  to  commemorate  the  150th  anniversary  of 
Burns's  birth,  was  held  in  the  Hotel  St.  George,  and  was  very  successful. 
There  was  an  attendance  of  over  90,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Dr  J.  Middle- 
mass  Hunt.  The  toast  of"  The  Memory  of  Burns"'  was  ably  given  by  the 
Hon.  Secretary,  Major  R.  S.  Archer,  V. D.  Other  speakers  included  the 
Rev.  James  Hamilton,  M.A.,  Rev.  J.  Aitken  Clark,  Mr  J.  H.  M'Gaul,  J.P., 
Mayor  of  Birkenhead,  Mr  Alex.  Grt)ss;irt,  Captain  James  Hunter,  R.A.,  and 
Colonel  Richard  Bulman,  V.  D.  There  was  also  an  excellent  musical 
programme. 

For  the  winter  session  1909-10  a  series  of  lectures,  &c.,  has  been 
arranged  in  conjunction  with  the  Literary  and  Social  Society  of  St.  Andrews 
Church  of  Scotland,  Rodney  Street,  Liverpool,  viz.: — "Some  Scottish 
Songsters  before  and  after  Burns,"  by  Mr  H.  S.  Pearson,  with  musical 
illustrations  ;  "  Robert  Buchanan,"  by  Mr  Alex.  Grossart  ;  "  Edinburgh  and 
its  Monuments,"  by  Major  R.  S.  Archer,  V.  D.,  with  lantern  illustrations  ; 
and  "The  Scottish  Border,"'  by  the  Rev.  James  Hamilton,  M.A.,  with 
lantern  illustrations. 


MOORPARK  BURNS  CLUB,  RENFREW. 

Instituted  igoS. 

This  Club  was  instituted  in  1908,  and  owes  its  existence  chiefly  to  the 
energy  and  enthusiasm  of  Councillor  Peter  Palon,  who  is  not  only  a  keen 
Burnsian  but  takes  an  active  interest  in  everything  that  has  for  its  object  the 
good  of  the  community.  Last  season  a  competiti(;n  was  held  in  Moorpark 
Public  School  for  the  best  rendering  of  Burns  poems,  and  through  the  interest 
taken  by  Mr  Archibald  Walker,  headmaster,  and  Mr  A.  S.  Binnie,  his  able 
assistant,  proved  very  successful.  Two  gold  medals  were  presented  for  com- 
petition, one  by  Bailie  Milliken,  Hon.  President,  and  one  by  John  M'Gregor, 
Esq.,  Hon.  Vice-President,  while  several  volumes  of  Burns's  Works  were  gifted 
by  other  members  of  the  Club. 

The  Annual  Anniversary  Dinner  was  held  in  Mrs  Kirk's  Hall,  Moorpark, 
on  2ist  January,  when  Mr  A.  S.  Binnie,  A.E.I.S.,  the  second  headmaster  of 
Moorpark  Public  School — now  headmaster  of  ^'oker  Public  School — proposed 
the  "  Immortal  Memory."  A  concert  was  held  on  17th  March,  at  which 
Miss  Jeanie  Neil  ami  Master  Tom  M'Clair,  winners  of  the  gold  medals,  took 
part,  and  recited  their  pieces  before  a  large  audience. 

Regarding  the  present  session,  a  lecture  by  the  Kev.  James  Forresi,  M.A., 
Glasgow,  on  "  Burns  as  a  Poet  of  Nature  and  Life,"  illustrated   by  songs,  was 


143 

given  in  Renfrew  Town  Hall  on  15th  October.  The  lecture  turned  out  most 
successful,  and  was  greatly  enjoyed  by  a  large  audience. 

Another  school  competition  will  be  held  in  the  beginning  of  the  year,  for 
which  Councillor  D.  Ferguson,  J. P.,  President,  and  Councillor  P.  Paton,  ex- 
President,  have  very  kindly  offered  medals — one  of  the  medals  will  be  given 
for  elocution,  and  the  other  for  singing.  Both  medals  last  year  were  given  for 
the  former,  but  the  committee  have  thought  it  advisable  to  make  a  change  in 
order  to  make  the  competition  more  comprehensive  and  enticing. 

A  concert  will  be  held  some  time  in  March,  when  the  medals  and  other 
prizes  will  be  awarded,  and  this  will  complete  the  work  for  the  year. 


WESTERN  BURNS  CLUB. 

SYLLABUS. 

1909. 
Oct.     28.    Hallowe'en  Supper— Mr  Hugh  M'Coll. 

Nov.     18.    Lecture,  "  The  Place  of  Romance  in  History '" —Mr  [as.  Ballantyne. 
Dec.     23.    Christmas  P'eslival  and  Musical  Evening — Mr  Hugh  M'Coll. 

1910. 
Jan.     21.   Anniversary    Dinner,    Sloan's   Cafe,    Argyle    Arcade — Rev.  James 

Forrest,  M.A. 
Feb.     17.    Lecture,  "  Burns  and  the  Border  " — Mr  .\ndrew  M'Callum. 
Mar.    24.    Musical  Evening— Mr  Arch.  Ferguson. 

April   21.   Tattie-an'-Herrin'  Supper  and  Musical  Evening— Mr  Hugh  M'Coll. 
May  —      Annual  Excursion. 


CLARINDA  BURNS   CLUB. 

Instituted  iSgg. 
SYLLABUS- Session   1909-10. 


1909. 
Oct.    II.    "  Burns  as  a  Singer  of  Nature  and   Life" — Rev.  Jas.  forrest,  M.A. 
Nov.     8.    "  Burns  :    His  Surroundings  and  Family  "-  J.  Leiper  Gemmill,  Esq, 

,,       22.   Ladies'  Night.     Tea,  &c.      Harmony. 
Dec.    13.    "  The  Holy  Fair  "  —  Rev.  David  Graham. 

1910. 
Jan.    10.    "  Humours  of  Shakespeare  "— Leander  M.  Fyfe,  Esq. 

,,       25.    Burns  Anniversary. 
Feb.   14.    Ladies'  Night.      Progressive  Whist,  Music,  Dancing. 
Mar.  14.   Annual  Business  Meeting. 


Ill 


HURLK'r    AND    NITSHILL    BURNS    CLUB     AND 
LITERARY  SOCIETY. 


/•'i'lnid'rd  igoi. 


Keorpaiiised 


«? 


les  B,  Rkxw  icK, 
Secretiiry. 

The  Society  seeks  hy  means  of  lectures,  debates,  concerts,  children's 
cumpetitions,  &c.,  to  encourage  familiarily  with  the  Works  of  our  National 
Bard,  and  to  promote  the  study  of  social,  scientific,  and  literary  subjects 
generally.  The  Society  meets  fortnightly  from  September  till  March.  The 
Anniversary  of  the  Poet's  birth  is  celebrated  by  a  festival,  and  there  is  an 
annual  excursion  in  the  summer  time  to  some  place  associated  with  his  life  and 
w Tilings.  The  Society  contributed  £2  8s  towards  the  fund  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr,  and  /6  towards  the  fund  for  the  establishment 
of  a  Chair  of  Scottish  History  and  Literature  in  the  University  of  (Glasgow. 


SYLLABUS— Session  1909-10. 


1909. 


Sept.    3.    Lecture,  "  A  Tour  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  "  (illustrated) —Mr 
William  M'Master. 
,,      21.   Lecture,  "The  Inevitaljility  of  Socialism  " — Mr  John  M'Lean,  M.A. 
Oct.     5.    I.>ebate,    "Should  the  State  seek  to   eliminate   the   Drink    or    the 
Drunkard  ?" — Drink,   Mr   George    Monaghan  ;  Drunkard,    Mr 
John  Burness. 
,,       19.    Lecture,  "  Marine  Life  in  the    Kirth   of  Clyde"    (illustrated) — Rev. 
Robert  Barr.  M.A. 
Nov.     2.    Lecture,  "  Should  the  British  Kmpire  Federate  .'"—Mr  William   E. 
Taylor. 
,,       16.    Debate,    "Is  the   intellect   of  man  superior  to  that  of  woman  ?" — 

Aff.,  .Mr  James  Tyre  ;  Neg.,   Mr  William  Ferguson. 
,,       30.    Lecture,  "  A  Tour  through  Greece  and  Palestine"  (illustrated)— Mr 
Thomas  Robinson,  J.  P. 


145 


Dec. 

14. 

•' 

28. 

I? 

no. 

Jan. 

II. 

25 

Feb. 

8. 

,,       22. 

Mar.    8, 

,,     22. 
,,     22. 


Lecture,  "  Tobacco  "—Mr  Robert  Jamieson,  jun. 
Debate,  "  Is  our  system  of  State  Education  beneficial  to  the  nation  ?" 
— Aff.,  Mr  George  Omand  ;  Neg.,  Mr  John  Burness. 

Lecture,  "  Mining" — Mr  William  Shaw. 

Burns  Night,  "  The  Immortal  Memory  "—Rev.  Thos.  Cook,  M.A. 

Debate,  "Are  Trades  Unions  on  the  whole  beneficial  or  mischievous  ?" 

Bene.,  Mr  William  Reid  ;  Mis.,  Mr  James  Rankin. 
Debate,  "  Does  Scotland  owe  most  to  Scott  or  Burns?" — Scott,  Mr 

James  M.  M'Cubbin  ;  Burns,  Mr  James  B.  Renwick. 
Musical  Evening — Mr  Archibald  Dickson. 

Lecture,  Subject  will  be  duly  announced— ^W^oX^n  Paterson,  M.A. 
Business  Meeting. 


AIRDRIE   BURNS   CLUB. 


We  regret  to  be  informed  that  the  Airdrie  Club  is  falling  back  somewhat, 
but  we  have  no  doubt  the  energy  and  enthusiasm  of  Mr  Cochrane,  the  present 
President,  and  Major  Motherwell,  past  President,  will  soon  restore  it  to  its 
position  as  one  of  ihe  leading  clubs  in  Lanarkshire. 


ARDROSSAN    CASTLE    BURNS    CLUB. 

SVI.L  \UUS-Skssion   1909  io. 
1909. 

Kov.     4.    I're.sitlem's  Address. 

,,     II.   Lecture  —  Mr  J.  B.  Lawson. 

,,     25.   *Lecture  — Rjv.  James  Forrest,  M.A. 
Dec.    16.    Musical  Evenin|; — Mr  John  Douglas. 

1 910. 
Jan.      6.   *Burns  School  Conipetiiion. 

,,     25.    *Anniversary  of  the  Bard  — "  The  Immortal  Memory,"  by  Rev. 
Nicholson  Thomson. 
Feb.      3.   ^Lecture— Rev.  D.  D.  R-es. 

,,      17.   Members'  Night. 
Mar.      I.   *Dramatic  Recital. 

,,      17.   Social  Meeting. 

,,     31.    Business  Meeting. 

Jleetinns  witli  (he  exception  of  those  marla-d  •  are  held  in  Upper  Assem'jly  Rooms. 


NOTES       AND      QUERIES. 


IN  DEFENCE  OF  BURNS. 

Extracts  from     Greenock    Burns     Club    Mimite    Book. 

August,  1S04. 

At  a  meeting  of  this  Club  held  on  above  date,  at  which  no  fewer  than  51 
members  and  friends  were  present,  Mr  Stewart  read  a  discourse  on  the  "  Life 
and  Poetry  of  Robert  Fergusson,  of  Edinburgh,"  but  before  proceeding,  inti- 
mated that  news  had  just  reached  town  that  Admiral  Duncan,  the  hero  of 
Camperdown,  had  breathed  his  last  at  Kelso. 

The  company  received  this  information  with  the  utmost  grief,  and  one  of 
the  members  present,  who  had  served  under  this  distinguished  Commander, 
gave  expression  to  the  opinion  that  however  brilliant  had  been  his  services  in 
the  Camperdown  engagement,  they  were  surpassed  by  his  services  to  his 
country  during  that  shameful  episode  in  the  history  of  the  British  navy— the 
mutiny  of  the  Nore. 

Mr  Stewart  gave  a  full  and  interesting  account  of  the  life  and  private 
character  of  Robert  Fergusson,  with  an  analysis  of  his  poems,  and  a  comparison 
of  his  style  and  that  of  Robert  Burns,  who,  he  pointed  out,  had  on  many 
instances  taken  Fergusson  as  his  model,  giving  as  his  authority  the  notes  of 
Gilbert  Burns.  The  plan  of  "The  Cottar's  Saturday  Night"  being  taken 
from  Fergusson's  "  Farmer's  Ingle  ;"  "The  Holy  Fair "  from  the  "  Hallow 
Fair;""  "The  Elegy  on  the  Death  of  Maillie ""  from  "The  Elegy  on  the 
Death  of  David  Gregory;"  "The  Epistles""  decidedly  on  the  lines  of 
Fergusson  ;  "The  Lea  Rig"'  resembling  in  a  wonderful  degree  "  My  only  Jo 
and  Dearie,  O  ;"  "Scotch  Drink"  from  Fergusson's  "  Caller  Water  ;"  "  Ode  to 
Disappointment "  from  "  Disapp(.)intment,  an  Ode  ; "'  on  the  x\uthor's 
intention  of  going  to  sea,  and  "A  Scotch  Bard"  going  to  the  West  Indies; 
"The  Election"  and  "  Leith  Races"  furnished  Burns  with  the  plan  of 
"Hallowe'en""  and  "The  Ordination;"  his  " Twa  Dogs"  and  "Brigs  of 
Ayr"  resembling  Fergusson's  "Ghosts"'  (?)  and  "Plain  Stanes  and  Causey 
Sianes." 

Mr  Stewart  claimed  for  Robert  Fergusson  the  honour  of  being  the 
inspirer  and  guide  of  Robert  Burns,  The  discourse  was  received  with  much 
approbation,  and  a  lengthy  discussion  upon  the  merits  of  the  two  poets 
followed,  during  which  a  remark  by  a  member  that  Robert  Burns  had  copied 
Fergusson's    intemperate   habits    as    well  as    his    poems    caused  considerable 


U8 

commotion.  Mr  Wiis^lil  stated  lliat  he  had  known  Robert  Hums  intimately 
for  three  years  previous  to  his  joining,  and  having  been  associated  with  liim  in 
his  profession,  and  he  could,  from  his  personal  knowled^^e,  deny  most 
emphatically  that  Robert  Burns  was  a  man  of  intemperate  or  dissolute 
habits. 

Captain  Hrown  bore  out  what  Mr  Wright  said,  adding  that  had  tlie  Poet 
been  the  dissolute  person  his  biographer  made  him  out  he  would  neither  have 
had  the  time,  inclination,  nor  ability  to  produce  such  inspired  poetry,  &c. 

(Signed)         Duncan  Shaw. 

The  usual  summer  meeting  of  this  Club  was  lield  on  the  evening  of 
Friday,  2isi  July,  1809,  in  the  Large  Room  of  Mrs  Park's  Inns,  when  a  very 
respectable  number  of  the  members  were  present. 

The  esteemed  I'reses  of  the  Club,  Mr  Duncan  Ferguson,  conducted  the 
business  in  his  usual  able  manner,  and  called  on  the  Secretary  to  report  to  the 
meeting  the  progress  that  had  been  made  in  the  matter  of  the  proposal  at  the 
January  meeting  anent  the  Club  giving  prizes  for  the  best  knowledge  of  the 
poems  of  Burns  and  other  of  our  Scottish   Poets. 

It  was  reported  that  a  small  committee  had  been  formed,  viz.  :— The 
Preses,  Secretary,  and  Messrs  T.  Wilson  and  Wm.  Scott,  to  consider  the 
whole  matter,  and  they  now  recommended  that  the  Club  should  subscribe  for 
prizes  to  be  given  to  school  children  annually,  and  for  this  year  that  six  poems 
should  be  taken  fur  study,  three  of  these  to  be  from  the  works  of  Robert 
Fergusson,  and  the  other  three  from  Robert  Hurns's  poems.  Already  a  modest 
sum  of  money  had  been  collected  for  the  first  prizes,  and  they  were  in  a 
position  to  inform  llie  Club  that  already  ther.e  were  about  37  young  persons 
eligible  for  the  competition,  these  being  scholars  in  the  various  seminaries  of 
the  town  who  had  taken  up  the  works  in  question  as  a  special  study. 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  was  given  to  the  committee  for  the  practical  way 
they  had  given  effect  to  the  motion  of  Mr  Andrew  M'Neil,  and  it  was  referred 
to  the  same  parties  to  make  all  the  arrangements  for  the  awarding  and  pre- 
sentation of  the  prizes  at  as  early  a  date  as  would  be  suitable  before  harvest- 
time. 

The  thanks  of  the  C'lub  were  also  awarded  to  a  member  —  Mr  Scott, 
bookseller,  William  Street-for  the  interest  he  is  taking  in  this  matter,  as  well 
as  for  his  patriotisin  in  spending  so  much  of  his  time  in  preparing  for  publica- 
tion, a  complete  and  improved  edition  of  Robert  Fergusson's  Poems,  and  which 
has  been  undertaken  without  the  prospect  or  expectation  of  realising  any 
monetary  reward  in  return. 

Mr  J.  Laird  gave,  in  a  lengthy  address,  "  The  Memory  of  Robert  Burns," 
and  the  effort  the  speaker  made  to  convey  to  the  minds  of  his  hearers  a 
correct    impression    of  the   importance   of  the   personality    of   the    Poet    was 


149 

crowned  with  perfect  success.  Some  of  those  present,  he  proceeded  to  say, 
had  the  advantage  of  knowing  Burns  in  the  flesh,  while  he  had  to  form  his 
opinion  of  the  man  through  his  poems  and  from  information  of  a  personal 
kind  combined. 

Mr  T.  Wilson  supplemented  the  speaker's  remarks  by  testifying  from  his 
own  personal  knowledge  of  Robert  Burns  that  the  remarks  as  to  the  supposed 
intemperance  of  the  Poet  made  by  certain  ignorant  or  base  persons  were 
wholly  untrue.  Mr  Wilson  stated  that  he  knew  Burns  from  the  first  day  he 
landed  in  Dumfries  till  he  was  carried  to  his  last  resting-place,  and  on  no 
occasion  had  he  ever  known  of  him  being  the  worse  for  imbibing  of  intoxicat- 
ing liquors,  and  he  considered  him  very  much  above  the  average  for  sobriety 
in  the  service  to  which  he  latterly  belonged,  adding  in  language  more  forcible 
than  polite  "  that  there  never  was  a  skittrin'  cow  in  the  lane  but  wanted  a 
neighbour.'" 

He  went  on  to  treat  of  the  Poet's  life  as  a  peasant,  submitting  that  in  that 
fact  lay  the  great  blessing  of  such  a  gift  to  the  peasantry  of  Scotland,  &c. 

(Signed)        James  Welsh. 

Extracted  nth  June,  iQog,  by 

Robert  Smith,  Secy. 


THE  LOCHLEA  SEQUESTRATION. 

We  have  testimony  to  a  prolonged  litigation  between  William  Burnes, 
of  Lochlea,  and  his  landlord,  although  there  is  no  allusion  to  the  tenant's 
son.  Upon  this  litigation  some  interesting  yet  perplexing  light  is  thrown  by 
copies  of  certain  documents  which  were  lent  to  and  shown  in  the  Burns 
Exhibition  by  Mrs  J.  G.  Burns  of  Kilmaroon,  the  representative  of  Gilbert 
Burns's  family.  The  first  is  described  as  "  Service  copy  petition  by  David 
M'Clure,  merchant,  Ayr,  against  William  Burns,  tenant  of  Lochhill  {sic),  part 
of  the  Barony  of  Halfmark,  Tarbolton,  at  the  rent  of  £\T,o  sterling  yearly  by 
set  from  the  petitioner,  alleging  that  William  Burns  owed  him  upwards  of 
^^500,  wherefore  warrant  of  sequestration  was  asked  for,  and  interim  warrant 
granted  on  17th  May,  1783,  the  date  of  service."' 

"At  Ayr,  the  seventeenth  day  of  May,  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty- 
three  years,  anent  the  petition  given  in  and  presented  to  the  Honble.  the 
Sheriff- Deput  of  Ayr  by  David  M'Clure,  merchant  in  Ayr,  Humbly  sheweth 
that  William  Burns  in  Lochhill  possessed  that  farm,  part  of  the  Barony  of 
Halfmark,  in  the  parish  of  Tarbolton,  and  had  done  so  for  five  years  preceding 
Martinmas  last,  at  the  rent  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  sterling  yearly 
by  set  from  the  petitioner,  and   was  presently  owing  upwards  of  five  hundred 

10 


150 

pounds  sterling  besides  the  current  year's  rent.  That  the  said  William  Burns, 
having  upon  frivolous  Pretences  refused  payment  of  the  rent,  his  claims  of 
Retention  came  at  last  to  be  submitted  to  arbiters  and  then  laid  before  Mr 
Hamilton  of  Sundrum  as  oversman,  to  determine  upon  them,  but  as  there  was 
no  written  Tacks  or  minute  of  bar<;;aiii  between  the  Petitioner  and  the  said 
William  Burns  he  was  informed  that  lie  was  immediately  to  quit  the  possession, 
and  was  preparing  himself  accordingly  by  dispossessing  of  his  slock  and  crops 
to  disappoint  the  petitioner  of  his  fund  of  payment,  which  oblidged  him  to 
make  that  application  at  present  craving.  It  might  therefore  please  his  Lord- 
ship to  order  that  petition  to  be  served  upon  the  said  William  Burns,  and  him 
to  lodge  his  ansures  thereto  in  a  short  space,  and  in  the  meantime  to  grant 
warrand  for  sequestrating  the  whole  stock  and  crops  in  the  barn  and  barnyard 
upon  said  lands,  all  to  remain  till  jiayment  was  made  of  the  bygone  rent,  at 
least  till  sufficient  caution  was  found  for  what  may  be  due,  and  lickways  of 
the  current  year's  rent,  according  to  justice,  as  the  said  petition  signed  by  the 
said  David  M'Clure,  petitioner,  bears,  which  petition  having  been  upon  the 
date  hereof  considered  by  William  Wallace  of  Duchrae,  Esq.,  advocate, 
Sheriff- Deput  of  Ayrshire,  he  ordeaned  and  hereby  ordeans  the  before  William 
Burns  to  be  served  with  a  full  Copy  of  said  Petition  and  of  that  Deliverance, 
and  to  lodge  his  ansures  thereto  in  the  Sheriff-Clerk's  office  at  Ayr  witliin  four 
days  after  he  shall  be  so  served  with  Certification,  and  in  the  meantime  granted 
and  hereby  grants  warrend  to  officers  to  sequestrate  and  secure  the  stock 
and  crop  in  the  barn  and  barnyard  for  payment  of  the  current  year's  rent  when 
due  or  at  least  till  sufficient  caution  is  found  therefor,  and  also  the  said  Crop  in 
the  barn  and  barnyard  for  payment  of  the  year's  rent  whereof  it  is  the  growth 
or  that  security  be  found  therefore,  as  the  said  deliverance,  signed  by  the  said 
William  Wallace,  Esquar,  advocate,  Sheriff- Deput  of  Ayrshire,  bears  :  Ex- 
tracted upon  this  and  the  two  preceding  pages  by  William  Crooks,  elk.  subt. 

"  Vou,  the  within-designed  William  Burns,  are  hereby  served  with  a  full 
copy  of  said  petition,  deliverance,  and  warrend  of  seeqwesteration,  desires  you 
for  to  lodge  your  ansures  thereto  in  the  Sheriff-Clerk's  office  at  Ayr  within  four 
days  next  after  the  date  hereof,  with  certs.  This  I  do  upon  the  seventeen  day 
of  May  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty  three  years,  before  witnesses. 

James  Gordon." 
Then  follows  : — 

"  Upon  the  seventeenth  day  of  May,  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty-three 
years,  I,  James  Gordon,  officer  past,  by  virtue  of  the  Sherifif-Deput  of  Ayrshire, 
his  deliverance  and  warrand  of  sequestration,  wrote  upon  this  and  the  iwo 
succeeding  pages  following  upon  the  before-extracted  Petition,  and  lawfully 
served  the  before-designed  William  Burns  personally  apprehended  with  a 
full  double  of  the  before  petition,  deliverance,  and  warrand  of  sequestration, 
with  a  short  copy  subjoined  thereto  subscribed  by  me,  desiring  and  requiring 


151 

■him  to  lodge  his  answers  thereto  in  the  Sheriff-Clerk's  office  at  Ayr  within 
four  days  next  after  the  date  hereof,  and  also  the  said  officer,  in  virtue  of  the 
foresaid  warrand  of  sequestration  past  to  the  grounds  of  the  lands  of  Lochlie 
upon  the  said  seventeenth  day  of  May  current  and  year  foresaid,  and  then  and 
there  I  lawfully  sequestrated  and  secoured  four  horse,  two  mears,  two  ploughs 
and  plough  graith,  one  wheat  stack,  one  half-stack  of  corn,  and  a  little  hay, 
all  standing  in  the  barnyard  ;  four  stacks  of  bear  in  the  barn,  about 
three  bolls  of  bear  lying  on  the  barn  floor,  two  stacks  of  corn  in  the  barn, 
two  small  bags  of  pease  in  the  barn,  thirteen  cows,  two  caffs,  one  ewe,  two 
lambs,  14  bundles  of  shafe  lint,  seven  bundles  of  mill  tow  in  the  mill,  five 
carts  with  graith  belonging  them  lying  in  the  shed,  three  cart  wheels  lying  in 
the  shed,  two  cart  wheels  standing  in  the  closs  with  an  iron  axtree,  two  old 
ploughs,  three  long-bodied  carts  in  the  shed,  two  harrows  on  the  land  besides 
the  house,  a  large  parcell  of  wheat  straw  in  thack  shaves,  a  large  parcell  of 
bear  straw  in  battles,  all  in  the  barn  yard,  and  a  large  parcell  of  corn  straw  in 
battles  in  the  shed,  all  to  remain  under  sure  sequestration  for  payment  of  the 
current  year's  rent  when  due,  or  at  least  till  sufficient  caution  is  found  there- 
fore, before  and  in  presence  of  these  witnesses — Robert  Uoak,  servant  to 
David  M'Clure  of  Shauood,  and  John  Lees,  shoemaker  in  Tarboltoun." 

The  "answers"  of  William  Burns  have  not  yet  been  recovered.      Copies 
of  the  counter-answers  of  M'Clure  have  been  :  — 

"  Replies  from  David  M'Clure,  Merchant  in  Air,  to  the  Answers  of  IVilliani 
Burns,  in  Lochlie. 
"The  petitioner  denys  there  was  any  missive  of  Agreement  respecting 
the  set  of  the  Lands  of  Lochlie  to  the  respondent  as  he  aledges.  But  he  affirms 
that  the  rent  of  said  Lands  was  set  forth  in  the  petition.  Sometime  ago  the 
respondent  made  out  an  Account  in  his  own  hand-writing  which  he  called  an 
account  of  Charge  and  Discharge  betwixt  him  and  the  petitioner,  in  which 
Account  he  himself  states  the  rent  in  the  same  manner  as  set  forth  in  the 
petition.  This  Account  with  other  papers  is  lying  before  the  arbiter,  Mr 
Hamilton  of  Sundrum.  The  petitioner  allous  that  the  respondent  has  ploued 
and  sowed  part  of  the  Lands,  but  whither  so  much  as  ought  to  have  been  done 
he  cannot  say  ;  but  he  submitted  to  your  Lordship  whither  thirteen  black  cattle 
(which  by  the  Execution  of  sequestration  herewith  produced  your  lordship  will 
see  is  all  the  respondent  has  on  the  farm)  be  an  adequate  number  for  a  farm  of 
the  extent  and  that  pays  the  rent  which  the  respondent's  farm  does.  It  will 
no  doubt  appear  to  your  Lordship  that  there  ought  to  have  been  at  least 
double  that  Quantity,  but  few  as  they  are,  and  notwithstanding  your  Lord- 
ship's sequestration,  the  petitioner  is  well  informed  that  since  your  Lord- 
ship's warrant  was  execute  the  respondent  has  actually  carried  off  and  sold 
part  of  that  number  at  a  public  market. 


152 


"  As  the  respondent  acknowledges  the  possession  it  cannot  be  understood 
that  he  should  possess  these  lands  without  paying  rent,  but  he  does  not  so 
much  as  pretend  to  say  that  he  has  any  recepts  or  discharges  to  show  that  he 
has  paid  the  rent  up  to  any  given  period  during  his  possession.  Therefore  his 
saying  that  the  rents  are  paid  up  till  Martinmas  last  is  a  mere  allegation  with- 
out the  smallest  foundation.  It  is  therefore  humbly  hoped  from  these  causes 
your  Lordship  will  see  no  cause  to  alter  or  recall  your  warrant  of  sequestration 
as  craved. 

(Signed)         David  M'Clurk." 

[There  is  much  in  these  documents  that  requires  supplementing  and  clear- 
ing up.  But  several  things  are  tolerably  clear.  David  M'Clure,  merchant  in 
Ayr,  obtained  a  warrant  for  the  sequestration  of  William  Burnes  on  the 
ground  that  his  tenant  was  owing  arrears  of  rent  to  the  amount  of  ;^500. 
William  Burnes  denied  that  he  owed  so  much,  and  therefore  asked  the 
warrant  for  sequestration  to  be  recalled.  M'Clure  in  his  final  "replies" 
blames  William  Burnes  for  selling  portions  of  his  sequestrated  black  cattle  in 
defiance  of  "his  lordship's  warrant."  It  is  probable  that  Burns  "held  the 
pen  "  for  his  dying  father  in  the  fight  with  M'Clure,  as  M'ell  as  in  writing  to 
James  Burness,  and  that  he  actually  wrote  the  "  answers  " — perhaps  with  the 
help  of  his  legal  friends  in  Ayr — to  which  we  have  the  laird's  "  replies."  Can 
they  not  be  recovered  ?  The  conflict  had  not  ended  when  William  Burnes 
breathed  his  last  on  13th  P'ebruary,  1784,  and  so  was  saved  the  horrors  of  a  jail 
by  that  "good  angel,  death."] 


A  BURNS   DISCOVERY. 


At  Sotheby's,  London,  on  Thursday,  the  purchase  was  made  by  Mr 
Thomson,  Hole  i'  the  Wa'  Inn,  Dumfries,  at  the  price  of  ;^5i,  of  a  hitherto 
undiscovered  Burns  manuscript  of  the  song  "  Here's  to  thy  health,  my  bonnie 
lass,"  in  which  a  footnote  is  added  in  the  Poet's  handwriting  which  definitely 
removes  the  hitherto  generally  accepted  impression  that  the  song  is  of  his  own 
composition.  The  song  is  written  on  both  sides  of  a  sheet  of  paper  of  foolscap 
size,  and  there  is  an  explanatory  comment  by  Burns  at  the  beginning  and 
another  at  the  end  of  the  verses.  The  former  is  as  follows  :  "  A  song  ;  tune. 
Leader  Haughs  of  Yarrow.  This  song  may  possibly  be  a  contemptible  per- 
formance in  the  scientific  eyes  of  the  literati,  but  to  me  it  has  great  merit  as 
the  honest  effusion  of  a  poetic  though  rustic  heart."  That  at  the  end  runs  : 
"  The  foregoing  song  is,  as  far  as  I  can  recollect,  the  composition  cff  an 
illiterate  millwright,  about  thirty  or  forty  years  ago,  somewhere  in  Ayrshire." 

That  this  was  a  song  of  Burns's  own  composition  was  the  view  taken  by 


153 

Professor  Wilson  and  Mr  Nimmo  in  their  respective  collections  of  the  Poet's 
works.  The  former  author,  in  a  footnote  to  the  song  says  :  "  This  was  a 
production  of  the  Poet's,  but  later  in  life  he  revised  it  and  sent  it  to  Johnson's 
Museum.  The  writhings  of  his  mind  under  the  pressure  of  poverty  and  his 
suspicions  of  every  one  richer  than  himself  display  themselves  very  character- 
istically in  this  song."  The  only  suspicion  that  has  been  cast  upon  the 
authenticity  of  the  song  is  by  Dr  Wallace,  who  in  his  work,  which  was 
published  in  1896,  says  :  "  Mrs  Begg  (who  was  a  sister  of  the  Poet)  declared 
this  song  not  to  be  Burns's,  but  to  be  one  of  those  familiar  ditties  commonly 
sung  at  rural  firesides  before  his  efforts  in  that  way  were  known.  The  internal 
evidence  is  all  in  favour  of  Burns's  authorship." 

The  manuscript  now  brought  to  light  makes  it  quite  clear  that  Burns  was 
not  the  author  of  the  song.  It  also  shows  a  number  of  variations  on  the 
published  version.     The  text  of  the  manuscript  is  as  follows  : — 

"  Fareweel,  fareweel,  my  bony  lass. 
Good-night  and  joy  be  wi'  thee  ; 
I'll  be  no  more  at  your  bow'r  door, 
A  welcome  guest  to  see  thee. 

Ye  ken  fu'  well,  I  needna  tell. 

My  thoughts  are  a'  about  ye  ; 
Though  dinna  think,  my  pretty  pink, 

But  I  can  live  without  ye. 

Ye're  ay  so  free  assuring  me 

Ye  have  no  mind  to  marry  ; 
I'll  be  as  free  in  telling  thee, 

No  time  have  I  to  tarry. 

I  know  your  frien's  use  every  means 

From  marriage  to  delay  thee. 
Thinking  to  advance  to  some  higher  chance, 

But  Fortune  may  betray  thee. 

I  know  they  threaten  my  low  estate. 

But  that  does  never  grieve  me  ; 
For  I'm  as  free  as  any  He, 

Small  money  will  relieve  me. 

I'll  count  my  health  my  greatest  vvealth 
While  Heaven  shall  give  enjoyment  ; 
I'll  bode  no  want,  I'll  fear  no  scant, 
So  long's  I  get  empk^yment. 

Your  far-off  fowls  hae  feathers  fair. 

And  ay  until  you  try  them  ; 
Though  they  seem  fair,  still  have  a  care. 

They'll  prove  as  bad  as  I  am. 


154 

It  is  your  beauty  I  admire, 

I  value  not  your  riches  ; 
Your  modestie  engages  me, 

Your  sweetness  me  bewitches. 

Your  modestie's  dearer  to  me 

Than  a'  King  Crassus"  treasure  ; 
An'  the  lad  that  loves  his  lassie  well, 

He'll  wait  upon  her  leisure. 

But  twelve  at  night  when  the  moon'shines  bright, 

My  dear,  IMl  come  and  see  ihee  ; 
For  the  lad  that  loves  his  lassie  weel, 

No  travel  makes  him  weary." 

The  following  is  the  first  stanza  of  the  published  version,  which  indicates- 
the  variation  between  it  and  the  manuscript  version  :  — 

•'  Here's  to  thy  health  my  bonie  lass  ! 

Guid  night,  and  joy  be  wi'  thee  I 
I'll  come  nae  mair  to  thy  bower-door 

To  tell  thee  that  I  lo'e  thee, 
O,  dinna  think,  my  pretty  pink. 

But  I  can  live  without  thee  ; 
I  vow  and  swear  I  dinna  care 

How  lang  ye  look  about  ye. " 

The  manuscript  was  the  property  of  Miss  Grant,  I'itt^Street,  Kensington. 
Bidding  started  at  42s,  but  quickly  rose  to  £jO,  and  competition  was  entirely 
confined  to  Mr  Sabin,  London,  and  Mr  Thomson. 

/^row  the  "  Dumfries  and  Ga'/oway  Standa7-d,"  July  24th,  rgog. 


POKl'S  NOIF.S  IN  AN  EDINBURGH   EDITION. 

Identity  oi'  "  AVkf.  Johnie." 

Particulars  are  given  by  the  Dumfries  Courier  in  its  issue  of  to-day  of  a 
notable  Burns  find  which  has  been  made  in  the  library  of  the  late  Mr  Samuel 
Adamson  of  Drumclyer.  It  is  a  copy  of  the  Edinburgh  Edition  of  1787  with 
annotations  in  the  Poet's  handwriting,  and  originally  belonged  to  Dr  Robert 
Mundell,  rector  of  Wallace  Hall  Academy,  Closeburn.  Apart  from  this 
volume  there  is  no  record  of  Burns's  acquaintance  with  Dr  Mundell,  but  that 
he  did  not  know  him  is  highly  improbable,  and  it  is  worth  noting  that  the 
name  of  Dr  Mundell's  father  appears  in  the  list  of  subscribers  to  the  Kilmar- 
nock Edition.     Many  of  the  annotations  merely  supply  omissions  of  names  and 


155 

stanzas  which  have  since  been  restored,  and  are  of  no  great  intrinsic  value.  On 
the  other  hand,  against  "Winter:  a  Dirge"  Burns  has  written — "Oldest 
composition  in  the  book — done  when  the  author  was  about  seventeen  "—a 
most  remarkable  note,  which,  if  genuine,  disposes  of  Chambers's  date  of  1781, 
based  on  the  supposition  that  the  poem  was  "  experimental."  "  Wee  Johnie," 
who  is  now  shown  to  have  been  neither  John  Wilson  the  printer  of  the  Kilmar- 
nock Edition  nor  any  other  John  Wilson,  but  "  the  Rev.  John  Kennedy." 
The  question  therefore  for  future  editors  of  Burns  is — Who  was  the  Rev.  John 
Kennedy  ? 

In  connection  with  the  find  of  an  Edinburgh  edition  annotated  by  Burns, 
a  correspondent  suggests  that  "Weejohnie"  was  the  Rev.  John  Kennedy, 
who  was  assistant  to  the  Rev.  George  Reid  in  Ochiltree,  was  appointed  to 
Terregles  in  1781,  and  died  in  1790.  The  Poet  probably  knew  the  Ochiltree 
assistant  in  the  Mossgiel  period,  and  in  Dumfriesshire  also. 

Glasgow  Herald,  29th  July,  1908. 


HOLY  WILLIE'S  BIBLE. 

The  information  I  have  regarding  the  book  is  as  follows  :— The  father  of 
the  parly  who  has  handed  it  to  me  received  it  many  years  ago  from  a  fellow- 
Sunday  School  teacher,  a  Miss  Andrew,  who  died  over  eighty  years  of  age. 
Miss  Andrew  had  got  it  when  she  was  a  young  girl  from  another  old  lady,  a 
Miss  Fisher.  I  understand  that  Mr  Wilson  Baird  has  been  examining  the 
stones  in  the  Mauchline  churchyard,  and  I  am  informed  there  is  a  headstone 
there  bearing  Holy  Willie's  father's  name,  and  the  dates  on  this  stone  would 
appear  to  indicate  that  the  Bible  dates  refer  to  grandchildren.  If  the  names 
of  Holy  WiUie's  family  could  be  procured,  and  these  should  correspond  with 
the  names  on  the  book,  it  would  be  pretty  fair  proof  that  the  book  was  his. 
The  tombstone  in  Mauchline  gives  no  information. 

Chas.   L.   K.   Wri(;ht. 
Loanfoot  Terrace,  Kilmarnock. 


EXAMINATION     PAPER    FOR    ELEMENTARY    BURNS 
STUDENTS. 

The  following  examination  paper  has  been  compiled  for  the  use  of  minor 
Burns  Clubs.  It  is  hoped  that  members  will  be  willing  to  test  their  knowledge 
of  the  works  of  the  I'oet  by  answering  the  simple  questions  propounded. 

I.    Who  are  referred  to  in  the  following  lines  : — ■ 

(1)  "  He's  grown  sae  weel  acquaint  wi'  Buchan." 

(2)  "  Wi'  Allan  or  wi'  Gilbertfiel'." 


156 

(3)  "  Though  by  his  banes  wha  in  a  tub, 

Matched  Macedonian  Sandy." 

(4)  "  Wi'  funny,  queer  Sir  John." 

(5)  "  The  chief  on  Sark  wlio  glorious  fell." 

(6)  "The  iiicikle  Ur.'^a-Major." 

II.  Translate  into  coherent  English  :  — 

(i)  "  The  laird  was  a  widdiefu'  hieerit  knurl." 

(2)  "Jenny's  jimps  and  jirkinet." 

(3)  "I'll  sned  besoms,  thraw  saugh  woodies." 

(4)  "  She  dights  her  grunzie  wi'  a  hushion." 

(5)  "  Till  spritty  knowes  wad  rair't  and  risket 

An'  .sly pet  owrc' 

(6)  "  De'il  mak'  his  king's-hood  in  a  .spleuchan." 

III.  From  the  poems  may  be  discovered  :— 

(i)  What  was  Burns's  favourite  Psalm  tune  ? 

(2)  What  was  a  good  price  for  a  farm  horse  in  Burns"s  day  ? 

(3)  What  did  Burns  consider  a  reasonable  refreshment  ? 

(4)  When  did  old  age  begin  in  Burns's  opinion  ? 

(5)  What    did    Burns    con.sider    the    worst     misfortunes    that    afflict 

humanity  ? 

(6)  What  did  Burns  consider  .\  good  day's  ploui^hing  ? 

IV.  (i)  Quote  any  ^16/V^r  r//V/z  of  Burns  regarding — 

A  college  education,  Scones, 

French  cookery,  Italian  opera, 

The  city  gent,  Edinburgh  gentry. 

(2)  Also  his  most  serious  utterances  regarding — 
Religion,  Socialism, 

Old  age,  Death. 

V.  (i)   Enumerate  in  their  proper  succession — 

The  various  degrees  of  intoxication  mentioned  in  the  poems. 
(2)  Can  you  gather   from    the    poems    whether    or    not    Burns    was   a 
smoker  ? 

NT.    Explain  the  following  allusions  :  — 

(i)  "On  Fasten-e'en  we  had  a  rockin'." 

(2)  "  Thou  stalk  o'  carl-hemp  in  man." 

(3)  "A  town  of  fame  whose  princely  name." 

(4)  "  The  More  low  was  laid  at  the  sound  of  the  drum." 

(5)  "  The  third  of  Libra's  equal  sway." 

(6)  "  The  burden-bearing  tribe." 


157 

VII.  On  what  occasion  did  — 

(1)  Maggie  stand  right  sair  astonished  ? 

(2)  Leezie  get  afearfu'  settlin'  ? 

(3)  Burns  cheep  like  some  bewildered  chicken  ? 

(4)  Jeanie  talk  of  rank  and  fashion  ? 

(5)  Charlie  get  the  spring  to  pay  ? 

VIII.  Comment   briefly   upon    the    following    references    to    Burns    by    three 

eminent  poets,  naming  the  authors  if  possible  : — 
(i)   "A    question    has    long    puzzled    me — How    strait-laced   Scotland 
could  clasp  her  national  poet  to  her  bosom  without  breaking  her 
stays  ?" 

(2)  "  Singly  he  faced  the  bigot  brood, 

The  meanly  wise,  the  feebly  good, 
lie  pelted  them  with  pearl,  with  mud  ; 

He  fought  them  well — 
But  ah  :  the  stupid  million  stood, 

And  he-  he  fell  !" 

(3)  "  Burns  is  a  beast  with  splendid  gleams." 

J.  H.  M.  in  Evening  Times,  Feb.  13th,  1908. 


BURNS'S  LINES  ON  A  RANK  NOTE. 

It  appears  from  a  note  in  the  Aberdeen  /oiirnal,  Wednesday,  July  27,  1814, 
p.  4,  col.  5.  that  the  Bank  of  Scotland  note,  dated  ]st  March,  1780,  which 
•contains  the  lines,  "  Wae  worth  thy  power,  thou  cursed  leaf  !"  &c.,  was  in  the 
possession  of  Mr  James  F.  Gracie,  banker,  of  Dumfries,  at  that  period.  The 
Journal  mentions  that  the  lines  exhibit  strong  marks  ni  the  Poet's  vigorous 
pen,  and  are  evidently  an  extempore  effusion  of  his  character  feelings.  They 
bear  internal  proof  of  their  having  been  written  at  that  interesting  period  of 
his  life  when  he  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  the  country  on  account  of  the 
unfavourable  manner  in  which  his  proposals  for  marrying  "  Bonnie  Jean"  (his 
future  wife)  were  at  first  received  by  his  friends.  Letters  by  Burns  addressed 
to  James   Gracie,    banker,    appear  in  GilfiUan's  Burns,   Vol.   II.,  238,  268. 

Where  is  the  note  now  ? 

Robert  Murdoch -I.awranx'e. 
71  Bon- Accord  Street,  Aberdeen. 


HEROINE  OF  "  FAIR  JENNY." 

One  of  the  most  prominent  autographs  at  Sotheby's  one  afternoon  was  a 
letter  by  Burns,  addressed  to  Miss  Miller  of  Dalswinton,  on  September  9, 
1793,  enclosing  the  song  of  five  stanzas  "  Fair  Jenny,"  which  begins,  "  Where 
are  the  joys  I  have  met  in  the  morning?"     The  letter  runs  as  follows  :  — 


158 

"  Madam, — I  have  taken  tlie  lihciiy  to  make  you  the  heroine  of  the 
song  on  the  foregoing  page.  Being  Utile  in  ilic  secret  of  young  ladies' 
loves  and  lovers — how  should  I,  you  know  ? — I  have  formed  in  my  fancy 
a  little  love  story  for  you.  The  air,  you  know,  is  excellent,  and  the 
verses,  I  hope  and  think,  are  in  my  best  manner.  It  goes  into  I'leyel's 
songs." 
If  I  mistake  not,  Mr  Thompson,  of  Dumfries,  was  among  the  bidders;  but 
the  letter  and  song  fell  at  £^0  to  Mr  R'arriott. 

G/as!^07i<  Heiald. 


FACSIMILE  OF   V M\V.  OF  MlNU'l'K   BOOK. 


'^    '  jt'C'Tt 


^4?    *) 


JQU 


^P'-^lrC^ 


The  above  is  ■A.fac-simile  of  part  of  a  page  from  the  minute  book  of  Lodge 
St.  Mungo,  Mauchline,  kindly  forwarded  to  us  by  Mr  Taylor  Gibb,  of  that 
town.  The  signatures  of  the  contemporaries  of  Burns — Smith,  Dr  M'Kenzie, 
Richmond,  and  John  Dove  ("Johnie  Pigeon")  can  easily  be  made  out. — [En.] 


159 
A   RELIC  OF  BURNS. 

The  following  interesting  paragraph  is  lifted  from  the  Aberdeen  journal 
of  Wednesday,  9th  October,  1872  : — 

Mr  James  Hurnand  writes  to  the  Atheniewn — At  the  sale  of  the  effects  of 
the  late  Mr  Fiske  Harrison,  of  Copford  Hall,  near  Colchester,  on  the  30th 
ult. ,  an  interesting  relic  of  Burns  was  sold.  It  was  the  Scotch  mull,  or  snuff- 
box, presented  to  Burns  for  having  composed  his  poem  on  "  The  Whistle  "  by 
one  of  the  competitors  for  that  convivial  trophy.  The  mull  is  a  beautifully 
twisted  and  polished  horn,  with  silver  lid  inlaid  with  a  pebble,  together  with 
its  appendages — a  long-handled  silver  spoon  and  a  little  hammer,  both  of 
silver,  suspended  by  silver  chains,  also  a  hare's  foot,  suspended  in  the 
same  manner.  The  inscription  round  the  rim  is  "  Craigdarroch  to  Robert 
Burns,  the  Bard  of  'The  Whistle,'  October  16,  1790."  How  this  Scotch 
mull  came  in  the  possession  of  the  eccentric  owner  of  Copford  Hall  does  not 
appear. 

r^OBERT  MuRDOCH-LaWRANCE. 

71  Bon- Accord  Street,  Aberdeen. 


"CLARINDA'S"  TOMB. 

Permission  has  been  granted  by  the  Public  Parks  Committee  of  Edinburgh 
Town  Council  to  Mr  William  J.  Hay  to  renew  the  memorial  tablet  on 
"Clarinda's"  Tomb  in  the  Canongate  Churchyard,  and  the  work  is  being 
proceeded  with  under  the  care  of  the  Ninety  Burns  Club. 

Glasgow  Herald,  loth  September,  1909. 


BURIAL  PLACE  OF  "UNCLE  ROBERT'S"  FAMILY. 

The  following  is  the  result  of  my  search  amongst  the   records  of  the  old 
churchyard  in  Stewarton  : — 

Robert  Burns  buried  6lii  January,  1789. 
Helen  Burns  ,,  13th  August,  1803. 
Robert  Burns  ,,  4th  August,  1845. 
John  Burns  ,,       20th  February,  1S46. 

John  Cunningham. 
Brae  House,  .Stewarton. 


DIED. 

At  40  Ladbroke  Square,  Kensington  Park,  London,  on  the  19th  inst., 
Sophia,  wife  of  James  Burnes,  Esq.,  K.H.,  late  Physician-General  of  the 
Army  at  Bombay,  second  daughter  of  the  late  Major  General  George  Holmes, 

K.C.B.  Glasgow  Courier,  24th  March,  1855. 

[W.  Innes  Audison]. 


MOTTO     ''  A   .l/./A",s-  A   .1/.//V  FOK  A'    T/IAT:' 


The  Burns  Federation. 

INSTITUTED     1885. 


Hon.  Pre.shlaUs— The  Right  Hon.  The  Earl  of  Kosebuhv,  K  (!  ,  K.T. 
Andkew  Caknegik,  LL.D.,  Skibo  Castle. 

Hon.   J^ice-P resident —  Wm.  Wali.ack,  LL.D.,  4'2  Athole  (lardeiis,  Glasgow. 


OFFICK-BEARERS. 

President— C&iit&m  D.  Sneddon,  V.D.,  J. P.,  Dean  House,  Kilmarnock. 

Vice-Presidents— Sir  3 AtiRfi  Sivewright,  K.C.M.G. 

Professor  Lawson,  D.  D.,  The  University,  St.  Andrews. 

Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.  A..  8  Holland  Place,  Glasgow. 

James  Bali.antyne,  21  Rose  Street,  Garnethill,  Glasgow. 

Thoaias  Bkow.v,  Maryfield,  Low-waters,  Hamilton. 

Ex-Bailie  Hugh  Mayberry,  J. P.,  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 

Hugh  Alexander,  J. P.,  Eastfield  House,  Rutherglen. 

J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  109  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 

A.  M'Callcm,  Xeios  Office,  roUoksliaws. 

Alexander  Pollock,  5-2  West  Nile  Street,  Glasgow. 

Joseph  Martin,  163  West  (Jeorge  Street,  Glas;;ow. 

Alderman  William  Burns,  Sunderland. 

W.  H.  Turner,  9  The  Oaks,  Sunderland. 

P.  Patekson.  23  Bruce  Street,  Dunfermline. 

Henry  Durham,  F.C.S.,  F.Ph.Sc,  13  Colherne  Road,  S.  Kensington, 

London,  S.  \\  . 
John  Carmichael,  27  Blytheswood  Drive,  Glasgow. 
Ex- Dean  of  Guild  Stevenson,  Falkirk. 

Hon.  Sei:retary~Tnosi.  Amos,  M.A.,  19  Glebe  Road,  Kilmarnock. 
J asis'^nt  Secretary— Geo.  A.  Innes,  F. E.I.S.,  Kilmarnock. 
Hon.  Treasurer— Joseph  Brockie,  J. P.,  Royal  Bank,  Kilmarnock. 
MUlor  ''Barns  Chronicle"— !>.  M'Naught,  J. P.,  Benrig,  Kilmaurs. 
^//t/t/or-f— Captain  D.  Yoillk  and  Adam  Mackay,  Kilmarnock. 

CONSTITUTION. 

1.  The  Pederalioa  shall  consist  of  an  Hon.  President,  Executive 
C'>uneil,  and  the  affiliated  members  of  each  Club. 

2.  The  Executive  Council,  shall  consist  of  a  President,  Vice-Presidents, 
Hon.  Secretary,  Hon.  Treasurer,  Editor  of  Annual  Burm  Chronicle,  and 
two  Auditors— all   of  whom   shall  be   elected  annually  and  be  eligible  for 


161 

re-election —also  of  the  President,  Vice-President,  and  Secretary,  or  any 
other  three  members  of,  and  nominated  by,  each  affiliated  Club,  and  other 
gentlemen  of  eminence  as  Burnsites  nominated  by  the  Executive. 

3.  All  Past  Presidents  of  the  Federation  shall  ex  officio  be  members  of 
the  Executive  Council. 

OBJECTS  OF  THE  FEDERATION. 

1.  To  strengthen  and  consolidate  the  bond  of  fellowship  existing 
amongst  the  members  of  Burns  Clubs  and  kiudred  societies  by  universal 
affiliation. 

2.  To  superintend  the  publication  of  works  relating  to  Burns. 

3.  To  acquire  a  fund  for  the  purchase  and  preservation  of  Holograph 
Manuscripts  and  other  Relics  connected  with  the  Life  and  Works  of  the 
Poet,  and  for  other  purposes  of  a  like  nature,  as  the  Executive  Council 
may  determine. 

RULES. 

1.  The  Headquarters  of  the  Federation  shall  be  at  Kilmarnock,  the 
town  in  which  the  Federation  was  inaugurated  and  carried  to  a  practical 
issue,  and  which  contains  the  only  properly  organised  Burns  Library  and 
Museum  in  the  United  Kingdom. 

2.  Properly  organised  Burns  Clubs,  St.  Andrew's  Societies,  and 
kindred  Associations  may  be  admitted  to  the  Federation  by  application  in 
writing  to  the  Hon.  Secretary,  enclosing  copy  of  Constitution  and  Rules. 

3.  The  Registration  Fee  is  21s,  on  receipt  of  which  the  Diploma  of 
the  Federation  shall  be  issued,  after  being  numbered  and  signed  by  the 
President  and  Hon.  Secretary. 

4.  Members  of  every  Burns  Club  or  Kindred  Association  registered  by 
the  Federation  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  a  pocket  Diploma  on  payment 
of  Is.     (  Tliese  payments  are  final — not  annual.) 

5.  The  Funds  of  the  Federation  shall  be  vested  in  the  Executive 
Council  for  the  purposes  before-mentioned. 

6.  A  meeting  of  the  Executive  Council  shall  be  held  annually  during 
the  .Summer  or  Autumn  months  at  such  place  as  may  be  agreed  upon  by 
the  Oiiice-bearers,  when  reports  on  the  year's  transactions  shall  be  sub- 
mitted by  the  Hon.  Secretary  and  Hon.  Treasurer,  and  Office-bearers 
elected  for  the  ensuing  year. 

7.  A  meeting  of  the  Office-bearers  shall  take  place  some  time  before 
the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Executive  Council,  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  the  same. 

8.  That  each  Federate<l  Club  shall  subscribe  10s  6d  per  annum  towards 
the  fund  for  the  publication  of  the  Bani.s  Chronicle. 

9.  Notice  of  any  amendment  or  alteration  of  the  Constitution  or  Rules 
of  the  Federation,  to  be  considered  at  the  Annual  Meeting,  must  be  iu 
writing  to  the  Hon.  Secretary  not  later  than  31st  March. 

BENEFITS. 

1.  Registered  Clubs  are  supplied  free  with  copies  of  newspapers  con- 
taining accounts  of  meetings,  demonstrations,  etc.,  organised,  conducted, 
or  attended  by  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Federation,  and  of  the 
Annual  Meeting  of  the  Kilmarnock  Burns  Club. 


162 

2.  Exchange  of  fraternal  greetings  on  the  anniversary  of  the  Poet's 
uatal  day. 

3.  Members  of  Registereil  Clubs  who  have  provided  tiiernselves  with 
pocket  diplomas  are  entitled  to  attend  meetings  of  ail  Clulis  on  the  Roll  of 
the  Federation,  they  being  subject  to  the  rules  of  the  Club  visited,  but 
having  no  voice  in  its  management  unless  admitted  a  member  according  to 
local  form. 

4.  Members  are  entitled  to  be  supplied  tli rough  the  Secretaries  of 
their  respective  Clubs,  with  copies  of  all  works  piiblisheil  by  the  Federa- 
tion, at  a  discount  of  33^  per  cent. 


BOOKS  PUBLISHED  BY  THE  FEDERATION. 


Burns  Hoi.oorapu  Masuscru'ts  in  the  Kilmar 

Notes 
Burns  Ciirosicle  and  Club  Directohv 


Kilmarnock   Monument  Museum,  with 

18Si) 

Is  (id 

18!).* 

is  Od 

1S93 

Is  6d 

18i)4 

Is  (d 

18!).") 

Is  Gd 

18!)G 

Is  6d 

1897          

Is  Cd 

1898         

Is  6d 

1899         

Is  6d 

1900         

Is  (id 

(out  of  print) 

1901         

Is  (id 

,. 

1902         

Is  Gd 

1903         

is  Gd 

1904         

Is  Gd 

1905         

is  Cd 

190Ci         

Is  Gd 

1907          

Is  Gd 

1908        

Is  Gd 

1909          

Is  Gd 

1910          

Is  Gd 

A  few  copies  of  the  back  vols,  may  still  be  had  on  application  to  the 
Hon.  Secretary.  Increased  prices  are  charged  when  the  vols,  are  out  of 
print. 


MINUTES    OF    ANNUAL    MEETING 

OF 

BURNS    FEDERATION. 


BuHGH  Court-room,  Dhnekkmlink, 
4th  September,  1909. 
The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Burns  Federation 
was  held  here  to-day  at  11  a.m.  In  the  absence  of  Dr  Wallace,  President 
of  the  Federation,  Captain  D.  Sneddon  presided  over  a  record  attendance 
of  delegates,  the  number  present  being  over  1-20,  and  representative  of  47 
clubs. 

TOWN'S  WELCOME. 

Bailie  Houston,  on  behalf  of  the  civic  authorities,  extended  a  very 
hearty  welcome  to  the  delegates.  Mr  W.  U.  Imrie,  President  of  the  local 
Burns  Club,  and  Bailie  Husband  also  added  a  few  words  of  welcome.  In 
returning  thanks.  Captain  Sneddon  gave  a  sketch  of  the  inception  of  the 
Federation,  and  spoke  of  the  work  it  had  on  hand.  Prof.  Lawson,  St. 
Andrews  University,  also  thanked  the  Corporation  for  the  kind  reception 
accorded  to  the  delegates.  Kefn-shnients  were  served  by  the  Corpora- 
tion, and  the  delegates  had  an  opportunity  of  inspecting  the  Council 
Chambers,  which  contain  some  fine  pictures. 

BUSINESS  MEETING. 

The  busines.s  meeting  started  at  noon  -Captain  Sneddon  presiding. 
The  following  delegates  were  present  : — 

No,  0,  Kilmarnock— Captain  Sneddon,  D.  M 'Naught,  T.  Anios,  and 
Police  Judge  Munro. 

No.  1,  London  Robert  Burns  Club-— Henry  Durham,  F.C.S.  ;  James 
Thomson. 

No.  3,  Glasgow  Tarn  o'  Shanter— Thomas  P.  Thomson. 

No.  9,  Glasgow  Royalty — James  M'NicoU,  Robert  Finlay,  and  George 
E.  Connell. 

No.  13,  St.  Andrews— Professor  Lawson,  D.D. 

No.  14,  Dundee — James  Sharp,  James  Fowler,  and  ^V'iIliam  Surgeoner. 

No.  20,  Airdrie— William  M'Gregor. 

No.  -21,  Greenock— Alex.  Ramsay,  VVm.  Lees,  B.A.,  and  Robert 
Smith. 

No.  '22,  Edinburgh — Robert  Duncan. 

No.  36,  Glasgow  Rosebery— William  Allan,  Alex.  Pollock,  George 
Arm'ur,  John  A.  Biggs,  L.D.S.,  and  Peter  Smith,  jun. 

No.  37,  Dollar— James  B.  Green,  J.  M'Gruther,  and  J.  M'Geachan. 

No.  49,  Glasgow  Bridgeton— Malcolm  Henry  and  William  Cochran. 

No.  50,  Stirling— John  Craig,  J.  F.  Oswald,  and  R.  Sandeman. 

No.  55,  Govan  Fairfield— Thomas  Fullarton. 

No.  57,  Thornliebank— Robert  Hutton  and  Malcolm  Jamieson. 

No.  62,  Cupar  — Provost  Williamson  and  David  F.  Esplin. 

No.  63,  Glasgow  Mossgiel — Wm.  Patrick  and  Robert  Parker. 

No.  67,  Glasgow  Carlton— David  Davidson,  Wm.  Thomson,  and  Wm. 
J.  Straiton. 

No.  68,  Glasgow  Sandyford— James  Michie,  John  Russell,  andex-Bailie 
Mayberry,  J. P. 


164 

No.  71.  Carlisle    -William  Keid. 

No.  76,  Brecliiii  — William  Anderson  and  James  A.  Hiitclieon. 

No.  So,  Dunftrmline  United  -W.  T.  Imiie,  \V.  Black,  and  V.  Paterson. 

No.  S9.  ."Sunderland — Munlocii  M'Lennan. 

No.  01,  Shettleston — Thomas  Bairie,  R.  Cameron,  and  (iavin  Gilmour. 

No.  97,  Kilmarnock  HellHeld— Daniel  Picken  and  Thomas  Neilson. 

No.  99,  Parlinnie — James  Cram,  I)r  Sinclair,  and  Alex.  Mackay. 

No.   U«>,  Hamilton  Mos.sgiel — Thomas  Brown. 

No.  108,  East  Calder  and  District — Geo.  Young  and  James  Robertson. 

No.  113,  Vale  of  Leven  Glencairn — Alexander  Campbell  and  Robert 
Mossnian. 

No.  lis,  Glasgow  Albany — R.  D.  Donaldson  and  R.  Carmicliael. 

No.  l*J(i,  Falkirk  — R,  H.  Loclihead,  H.  B.  Watson,  and  F.  Johnston. 

No.  1*27,  Cowdenbeath  Haggis — Mr  Miller  and  J.  Pain. 

No.  128,  Cowdenbeath  (ilencairn— Thomas  Fergusson,  Malcolm 
M' Donald,  David  Smith,  and  Duncan  Beaton. 

No.  139,  Glasgow  National — lames  Ballantyne,  John  Carmichael,  and 
Joseph  Martin. 

No.  150,   Kilmarnock  Jolly  Beggars — Andrew  Sinclair,    Alex.  Beggs, 


jun. 


and  Robert  J.  Green. 


No.  I'll,  Old  Kilpatrick — William  Gallacher,  John  Brock,  and  Robert 
Smith. 

No  1.33,  Glasgow  Scottish— John  W^ilson. 

No.  155,  East  Stirlingshire -Ex-Dean  of  Guild  Stevenson,  John  D. 
Silcock,  and  James  M' Williams. 

No.    164,  Kinning  Park — James  Miller  and  Thomas  Deans. 

No.  168,  Riccarton— J.  P.  Dickson  and  John  Ford. 

No.  169,  Gla.sgow  Burns  Clubs  Association— Rev.  James  Forrest, 
M.A.,  and  James  Jeffrey  Hunter. 

No.  178,  Begbie's,  Kilmarnock — A.  Mackay  and  G.  F.  Moore. 

No.  181,  Glasgow  Primro&e- G.  R.  Hunter,  Secretary  ;  Mr  Mnir,  and 
J.  H.  Dennistoun. 

No.  183,  Londonderry — James  C.  Scrimgeour. 

No.  184,  Blairadam  Shanter — John  Ramsay,  William  Morton,  and 
Thomas  Hunter. 

Apologies  for  absence  were  intimated  from  the  following  ; — Dr 
Andrew  Carnegie,  Skibo  Castle  ;  No.  121,  Hamilton  Junior  ;  No.  130, 
Row  ;  No.  163,  Gateshead  ;  No.  170,  Larkhali  ;  No.  59,  Gourock  Jolly 
Beggrs;  N.>  9S,  Lanark;  No.  109,  Glas^'ow  Caledonia;  No.  112, 
Dumfiies  Burns  HowfF  Clul). 

The  Hon.  Secretary  (Mr  Amos)  reported  that  the  following  thirteen 
Burns  Clubs  had  joined  the  Federation  during  the  past  year  : — The  Burns 
Club  of  Oregon,  Portland.  Oretjon,  U.S.A.,  Irvine,  Ardrossan,  Meikle 
Earnock  Original  Burns  Club,  Renfrew,  Prestwick,  Beghie's  (Kilmarnock), 
Dailly,  Tollcross,  Glasgow  Primrose,  Stane  Mossgiel,  Londonderry,  and 
Blairadam.  He  expressed  regret  that  fewer  membership  cards  than  usual 
had  l)een  disposed  of,  and  hoped  this  ndght  be  remedied.  He  also  spoke 
briefly  about  the  outstanding  events  of  the  >ear  in  the  Burns  vvorl'l,  viz. — 
the  publication  of  No.  18  of  the  C/iroiiir/f,  the  celebration  of  the  Ter- 
Jubilee  of  the  birth  of  the  Poet,  the  preservation  of  the  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr, 
and  the  work  that  was  being  done  to  establish  a  Chair  of  Scottish  History 
and  Literatuie.  The  treasurer's  statement  was  then  read.  It  showed 
that  the  total  income  of  the  year  was  £154  5s  lid,  and  the  total  expendi- 
ture £122  3s  6d.  The  year  had  begun  with  £245  Pis  in  the  bank,  and 
ended  with  £277  14s  5d. 

Ex-Bailie  H.  Mayberry,  J. P.,  (Glasgow,  in  moving  approval  of  the 
reports,    referred    to   the    illness   of   Dr    Wallace,  and   suggested   that   the 


165 

secretary  should  record  in  the  minutes  their  sympathy  with  l)r  Wallace, 
and  their  appreciation  of  the  excellent  work  he  had  accomplished  since 
becoming  associated  with  the  Federation. 

Mr  James  Ballantyne,  Glasgow,  seconded  the  motion,  which  was 
unanimously  adopted. 

Mr  M 'Naught,  editor  of  the  Burns  Chronich,  in  submitting  his  report, 
said  that  the  Chronicle  had  maintained  its  circulation,  and  had  given  a 
substantial  profit  to  the  Federation.  The  outstanding  feature  of  the 
publication  was  the  great  amount  of  original  matter  it  contained  that  was 
not  to  be  found  anywhere  else.  He  asked  that  a  committee  be  nominated  to 
assist  Captain  Sneddon  and  himself  in  the  preparation  of  the  Chronicle,  and 
he  applied  for  a  renewal  of  the  annual  grant. 

Mr  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter  moved  that  a  small  committee  be  appointed  to 
assist  Captain  Sneddon  and  Mr  M 'Naught,  and  that  the  grant  of  £25  for 
the  next  issue  of  the  Chronicle  be  renewed.  He  moved  that  tha  committee 
consist  of  the  Rev.  James  Forrest  and  A  M 'Galium  on  the  literary  side, 
and  Messrs  Joseph  Martin  and  James  Ballantyne  on  the  business  side. 

Mr  Alex.  Pollock  seconded  the  motion,  whicli  was  unanimously 
adopted. 

Captain  Sneddon  reported  on  the  progress  that  had  been  made  with 
the  preservation  of  the  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr- during  the  past  twelve  months. 
The  whole  of  the  work  had  been  accomplished  with  the  exception  of  the 
restoration  of  the  parapet  and  the  roadway.  The  difficulty  they  had  was 
in  carrying  out  this  work  from  an  arch;«ological  point  of  view  with  the 
limited  funds  they  had  on  hand,  and  the  committee  had  resolved  to  take  in 
offers  for  a  contract  to  complete  the  work.  He  thought  the  Town  Council 
of  Ayr  were  entitled  to  pay  for  what  was  called  rebuilding,  and  he 
expected  that  the  Brig  would  be  completely  finished  before  the  end  of  the 
year.  He  considered  that  a  great  amount  of  credit  was  due  to  Mr  Wilson, 
the  engineer,  and  Mr  Morris,  for  the  way  in  Mdiich  the  work  had  been 
carried  out.  Mr  W.  Eeid,  Carlisle,  as  an  expert,  wished  to  congratulate 
the  committee  on  the  admirable  manner  in  which  the  restoration  had  been 
carried  out. 

Prof.  Lawson  gave  a  report  on  the  proposed  Chair  of  Scottish  History 
and  Literature.  He  expressed  his  deep  regret  at  the  absence  through  ill- 
ness of  Dr  Wallace,  who  has  this  scheme  so  much  at  heart.  He  suggested 
that  better  results  could  be  obtained  if  the  Executive  of  the  Federation 
met  and  prepared  a  plan  by  which  the  money  reqixired  could  be  allocated 
among  the  different  Clubs  according  to  their  financial  position.  The  total 
sum  on  hand  or  promised  was  nearly  £4()0(),  and  of  this  Burns  Clubs  had 
only  contributed  a  little  over  £200,  and  they  could  not  say  that  that  was 
an  adequate  proportion  to  £20,000.  He  sincerely  hoped  that  through  the 
Federation  going  along  wise  and  persistent  lines  their  task  would  be 
accomplished,  and  moved  that  they  adopt  this  interim  report,  and 
anew  commend  the  matter  to  the  Clubs  that  were  on  the  roll  of  the 
Federation. 

Mr  James  Ballantyne,  in  moving  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Professor  Lawson, 
said  they  expected  to  raise  from  £12,000  to  £15,000  for  this  object  by  the 
Exhibition  in  Glasgow  in  1911.  Mr  John  Wilson,  Glasgow  Scottish  Burns 
Club,  asked  that  a  detailed  report  of  what  Burns  Clubs  are  doing  should 
be  given  next  year. 

Mr  Cochran,  Bridgeton  Burns  Club,  thought  that  the  Committee 
should  give  all  available  information  about  the  movement,  and  thereby 
endeavour  to  arouse  enthusiasm  in  the  matter. 


166 

Mr  M'Lenuan,  Sunderland,  moved,  and  Mr  Reid,  Carlisle,  seconded  the 
following  motion  : — "  Every  Society  represented  at  the  Annual  Meeting 
shall  have  voting  power  according  to  its  membership." 

Ex-Bailie  Mayberry  moved  the  previous  question,  and  was  seconded 
by  Mr  Thomson,  London  Robert  Burns  Club. 

On  a  division,  only  the  mover  and  seconder  supported  the  motion. 

A  letter  was  read  from  Dr  Wallace  intimating  his  resignation  of  the 
Presidency  owing  to  ill-health,  and  assuring  the  members  of  his  hearty 
wishes  for  the  prosperity  and  expansion  of  the  Federation. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  D.  M 'Naught,  it  was  unanimously  agreed  to 
appoint  Dr  Wallace  Hon.  Vice-President  of  the  Federation. 

The  Secretary  then  read  the  followmg  letter  from  Mr  Andrew 
Carnegie  : — 

Skibo  Castle,  Dornoch,  Sutherland, 
August,  27,  19(»9. 
My  Dear  Mr  Amos, 

Your  kind  invitation  is  most  tempting.  I  should  really 
like  to  be  present  when  Dunfermline  is  honoured  by  tiie  meeting  being 
held  there.  No  doubt  the  members  will  visit  the  tomb  of  St.  Margaret, 
upon  which  our  greatest  genius  threw  himself  and  wept.  Unfortunately, 
just  at  the  time  of  the  meeting  the  Principals  of  the  Scottish  Universities 
and  their  wives  are  to  be  here  as  our  guests,  and  it  is  impossible  for  me  to 
leave. 

With  deep  regrets  and  many  thanks  for  your  kind  remembrance  of  me, 
Always  very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)        Andrew  Carneoie. 

P.S. — No  tribute  paid  to  Burns  in  recent  times  can  equal  iliat  of 
Morley"s  in  speaking  to  the  Colonial  Press  delegates  : — 

"  Would  anybody  deny  that  there  are  half-a-dozen  lines  of  Burns 
which  have  more  etiect  upon  political  thought  and  action  than  all  the 
millions  of  leading  articles  that  have  ever  been  written  ?" 

Many  have  been  guessing  what  six  lines  he  had  in  mind.     I  select : — 

"  Ye  know  and  all  proclaim. 
The  Royalty  of  Man." 

"  The  rank  is  but  the  guinea  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gowd  for  a'  that." 

"  When  man  to  man  the  world  o'er 
Shall  brithers  be  for  a'  that." 

My  favourite  of  all  tributes  is  this  from  Horace  Greeley  : — "  Of  all 
men  who  ever  lived.  Burns  nestled  most  closely  to  the  bosom  of 
humanity."  I  add  one  more  line  as  a  rule  of  life — "  Thine  own  reproach 
alone  do  fear." 

(Initials)         A.   C. 

Prof.  Lawson  moved  that  Mr  Andrew  Carnegie,  who  was  a  keen  and 
acute  student  of  tiie  works  of  Burns,  be  invited  to  become  an  Hon. 
President  of  the  Federation. 

Ex-Dean  of  Guild  Stevenson,  Falkirk,  seconded  the  motion,  which 
was  adopted  with  acclamation. 


167 

ELECTION   OF  OFFICE-BEARERS. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Duncan  Beaton,  Cowdenbeath,  seconded  by  Mi- 
Andrew  Sinclair,  Kilmarnock,  it  was  unanimously'  agreed  to  appoint 
Captain  Sneddon  President  of  the  Federation,  and  also  to  re-elect  the 
other  office-bearers.  The  following  gentlemen  were  added  to  the  list  of 
Vice-Presidents  : — Henry  Durham,  F.C.S.,  &c.,  London  Robert  Burns 
Club  ;  John  Carmichael,  President  National  Burns  Club  ;  ex-Dean  of 
Guild  Stevenson,  Falkirk  ;  Peter  Paterson,  Secretary  Dunfermline  Burns 
Club. 

A  vote  was  taken  as  between  Lanark  and  Carlisle  for  the  next  meet- 
ing place,  and  Lanark  was  chosen  by  45  votes  to  27.  It  was  also  agreed 
toehold  the  meeting  of  1911  in  Cllasgow,  and  of  1912  in  Carlisle. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Jeffrey  Hunter,  the  meeting  closed  with  a 
hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman. 

EXCURSION. 

Immediately  after  the  business  meeting  the  delegates  set  out  in 
motor  brakes  for  Tulliallan  Castle,  the  seat  of  Sir  James  Sivewright, 
K.C.M.G.,  Vice-President  of  the  Federation,  and  Hon.  President  of 
Dunfermline  Burns  Club.  On  their  arrival  they  were  most  heartily 
greeted  and  hospitably  entertained  by  Sir  James  and  Lady  Sivewright. 
In  an  eloquent  and  stirring  speech.  Sir  James,  as  an  ardent-  admirer  of  our 
National  Poet,  welcomed  the  Federation,  and  Captain  Sneddon  suitably 
replied.  A  photograph  of  the  company  was  taken  before  the  Castle,  and 
after  a  walk  through  the  beautiful  grounds  the  partj-  returned  to  Dun- 
fermline. Here  they  were  entertained  to  tea  in  the  pavilion  in  Pittencrieff 
Glen  by  the  Carnegie  Trust.  The  President  of  the  Trust  welcomed  the 
Federation  to  the  "auld  grey  toon,"  and  Captain  Sneddon  returned 
thanks  for  their  hospitality. 

The  local  arrangements  were  most  successfully  carried  out  by  Mr  P. 
Paterson,  Secretary  of  the  Dunfermline  Burns  Club,  to  whom  all  present 
are  deeply  indebted. 

SMOKING  CONCERT. 

On  the  night  previous  to  the  meeting  the  local  Burns  Club  organised 
a  smoking  concert,  chiefly  for  the  entertainment  of  the  delegates  who  were 
staying  overnight  in  Dunfermline.  Mr  W.  D.  Imrie,  the  President  of  the 
Club,  made  an  ideal  Chairman.  An  impromptu  programme  of  songs, 
recitations,  and  short  addresses  was  submitted,  and  many  of  the  items 
were  received  with  great  enthusiasm.  The  concert  was  a  great  success, 
and  formed  a  fitting  prelude  to  the  most  successful  Federation  meeting 
hitherto  held. 

THOMAS   AMOS,  Hon.  Secij. 


Annexed  is  Mr  Carnegie's  reply  to  the  invitation  of  the  Federation  : — 
Skibo  Castle,  Dornoch,  Sutherland, 
September  7  th,  1909. 
Dear  Mr  Amos, 

I  am  deeply  sensible  of  the  great  honour  conferred  by 
making  me  an  Honorary  President  of  the  Burns  Federation.  Please 
convey  my  thanks  to  the  officials. 

Yours  always, — a  true  disciple  of  the  Bard, 

Andrew  Carnegie. 
Thomas  Amos,  Esq., 
Hon  Secy.  Burns  Federation,  Kilmarnock. 


168 


List  of  Clubs  which  have  subscribed  for  the 
Publishing  Fund,  1908-1909. 


National  Burns  Club,  Ltd.  £\ 

I 

0 

Glasgow  and  District 

^0 

10 

6 

Baillieston  Caledonia 

0 

10 

6 

DalrV           

0 

10 

6 

Darlington 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Mauchline  S 

)ciety 

0 

10 

6 

Ninety  Club,  Edinburgh  ... 

0 

10 

6 

Hamilton    ... 

0 

10 

6 

Sunderland... 

0 

10 

6 

Birmingham 

0 

10 

6 

Kilbowie  Jolly  Beggars     ... 

0 

10 

6 

Dublin         

0 

10 

6 

Falkirk        '.. 

0 

10 

6 

Vale  of  Leven  Glencairn 

0 

10 

6 

Thornliebank          

0 

10 

6 

Cowdenbeath  Haggis 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Scottish   ... 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Thistle     ... 

0 

10 

6 

Blackburn-on- Almond 

0 

10 

6 

Musselburgh 

0 

10 

6 

Row 

0 

10 

6 

Pai.sley  Charleston... 

0 

10 

6 

Newcastle  and  Tyneside  ... 

0 

10 

6 

Edinburgh 

0 

10 

6 

Larkhall  Thistle 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Carlton    ... 

0 

10 

6 

Dundee 

0 

10 

6 

Do.              (arrears) 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Haggis 

0 

10 

6 

Dollar          

0 

10 

6 

Bristol   Caledonian  Society 

0 

10 

6 

East  Stirlingshire  ... 

0 

10 

6 

Slonehouse 

0 

10 

6 

S.  Australian  Caledonian 

Soc 

.  0 

10 

6 

Ercildoune  ... 

0 

10 

6 

Nottingham  Scottish  Assoc. 

0 

10 

6 

Blackburn   ... 

0 

10 

6 

Walker-on-Tyne     ... 

c 

10 

6 

Kilmarnock  Jolly  Beggars 

0 

10 

6 

Kilmarnock 

0 

10 

6 

Paisley         

0 

10 

6 

Stirling        

0 

10 

6 

Greenock    

0 

10 

6 

Gourock  Jolly  Beggars 

0 

10 

6 

Whitburn     ... 

0 

10 

6 

Barlinnie     ... 

0 

10 

6 

Rulherglen  Cronies 

0 

10 

6 

Greenloaning 

0 

10 

6 

Auchinleck  Boswell 

0 

10 

6 

Kirn 

0 

10 

6 

Cowdenbeath  Glencairn    . . . 

0 

10 

6 

Airdrie 

0 

10 

6 

Dumbarton 

0 

10 

6 

Greenock  Cronies  ... 

0 

10 

6 

Brechin        

0 

10 

6 

Kilmarnock  Bellfield 

0 

10 

6 

Hamilton  Mos.sgiel 

0 

10 

6 

Newarthill  ... 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Tam  o'  Shanter  . . . 

0 

10 

6 

London        

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Albany    ... 

0 

10 

6 

Do.     (arrears)     ... 

I 

I 

0 

Western,  Partick 

0 

10 

6 

East  Calder  and  District 

0 

10 

0 

Glasgow  Sandy  ford 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Royalty   ... 

0 

10 

0 

Old  Kilpatrick        

0 

10 

6 

Alexandria... 

0 

10 

0 

St.  Andrews 

0 

10 

6 

Gateshead  and  District 

0 

10 

6 

£l7 

14 

6 

ABSTA 

ACT. 

I  at  £i  IS 

£\ 

I 

0 

64  „    los  6d 

33 

12 

0 

3  ,,    los    . 

I 

10 

0 

Arrears        

I 

II 

6 

£1,7 

14 

6 

Last  year's  amount 

33 

0 

6 

I 

ncre 

ase          £a, 

14 

0 

Alphabetical  List  of  Federated  Clubs, 


40. 

Aberdeen 

No.  179. 

Dailly 

84. 

Abington 

35- 

Dairy 

23- 

Adelaide 

158. 

Darlington 

20. 

Airdrie 

122. 

Darnconner 

143- 

Airdrie — Galeside 

55- 

Derby 

2. 

Alexandria 

37- 

Dollar 

6. 

Alloa 

146. 

Dublin 

82. 

Arbroath 

10. 

Dumbarton 

174. 

Ardrossan  Castle 

•  52- 

Dumfries- 

-Mechanics' 

123. 

Auchinleck 

104. 

,, 

Oak 

19. 

Auckland 

112. 

^^ 

Howff 

157- 

Baillieston  Caledonia 

14. 

Dundee 

99- 

Barlinnie 

69. 

Dunedin 

12. 

Barrow-in-Furness 

So. 

Dunoon- 

Cowal 

64. 

Beith 

85- 

Dunfermline — United 

15- 

Belfast 

134- 

Duntoche 

— Heron 

167. 

Birmingham 

5- 

Earlston 

30- 

Blackburn 

108. 

East  Cald 

er 

125- 

Blackburn-on- Almond 

22. 

Edinburgh 

184. 

Blairadam  Shanter 

III. 

Edinburgh— South 

95- 

Bolton 

124. 

Edinburgl 

1— Ninety 

29. 

Bolton  Juniors 

155- 

East  Stirlingshire 

119. 

Bonhill 

149. 

Elgin 

142. 

Bonnybridge 

126. 

Falkirk 

76. 

Brechin 

44- 

Forfar 

120. 

Bristol 

187. 

Galashiels 

114. 

Brodick 

90. 

Garelochhead 

106. 

Broxburn —Rosebery 

163. 

Gateshead 

and  District 

185. 

Burton 

3- 

Glasgow- 

-Tarn  0'  Shanter 

4- 

Callander 

7. 

,, 

Thistle 

1 10. 

Cambuslang 

9. 

,, 

Royalty 

87. 

Campsie 

24. 

,, 

Bank 

71- 

Carlisle 

27. 

,, 

Springburn 

102. 

Carlisle— Border 

33. 

,, 

Haggis 

81. 

Carstairs  Junction 

34. 

,, 

Car  rick 

171. 

Chattanooga,  U.S.A. 

36. 

,, 

Rosebery 

II. 

Chesterfield 

38. 

,, 

Tolly  Beggars 

51- 

Chicago 

39. 

,, 

St.  David's 

138. 

Cleland 

41. 

,, 

Dennistoun 

166. 

Cleveland  Scottish  Association 

43- 

,, 

Northern 

93- 

Clydebank 

47. 

,, 

St.  RoUox 

103 

Coalburn—  Rosebery 

49. 

,, 

Bridgeton 

79- 

Corstorphine 

61. 

,, 

Glencairn 

Cowdenbeath  —  Haggis 

63. 

Mossgiel 

128 

Cowdenbeath  —Glencairn 

67. 

Carlton 

42 

Crieff 

68. 

., 

Sandyford 

66 

Crossgates 

70. 

,, 

St.    RoUox  Jolly 

45 

Cumnock 

Beggars 

86 

Cumnock — The  Winsome 

74 

,, 

Mauchline  Soc. 

62 

Cupar                             [Willie 

78 

„ 

Ardgowan 

170 


No, 


^3- 

Glas£^ow— Co-operative 

No.  175. 

SS 

,,         Caledonian 

8. 

107. 

,,         Hutchesontown 

lOI. 

109. 

,,         Caledonia 

56- 

117. 

,,         Soulhern 

65- 

I  iS. 

Albany 

32. 

139- 

.,         Nalional 

133- 

•45- 

Central 

.56. 

153- 

The  Scottish 

131- 

129. 

,,         Gorbals 

17- 

164. 

,,         Kinning  Park 

151- 

I  So. 

Tollcross 

172. 

181. 

,,         Primrose 

48. 

169. 

Glasgow  and  District 

77- 

59- 

Gourock— Jolly  Beggars 

161. 

53- 

Govan — Fairfield 

72. 

116. 

Grcenloaning 

135- 

Greenock 

26. 

148.' 

Greenock— Cronies 

54- 

152- 

Hamilton 

162. 

100. 

,,         JMossgiel 

140. 

J  -71 

,,         Junior 

177. 

136; 

■Royal  Oak 

176. 

137- 

Ipswich 

132. 

'^l?,- 

Irvine 

168. 

96. 

Jedburgh 

130. 

154- 

Johannesburg,   S.A. 

105. 

92. 

Kilbowie 

31- 

0. 

Kilmarnock 

91. 

97- 

Bellfield 

13- 

150. 

,,           Jolly  Beggars 

182. 

178. 

.,           Begbie's 

50. 

186. 

,,           Glencairn 

141. 

115- 

Kippen 

147- 

58. 

Kirkcaldy 

89. 

75- 

Kirn 

16. 

98. 

Lanark 

57- 

144. 

Larbert  and  Stenhousemuir 

94. 

170. 

Larkhall 

113- 

73- 

Lenzie 

159- 

18. 

Liverpool 

165. 

I. 

London 

46. 

183. 

Londonderry 

160. 

28. 

Mauchline-The  Jolly 

25- 

Beggars 

60. 

.   Meikle  Earnock 
Morpeth  (dormant) 
Motherwell 
Muirkirk—  Lapruik 
Musselburgh 
Newark 
NewarthilUr 
Newcastle  and  Tyneside 
Nottingham 

,,  (dormant) 

Old  Kilpatrick 
Oregon,  U.S.A. 
Paisley 

Gleniffer 

Charleston 
Pa  nick 

,,       Western 
Perth 

,,     St.  Johnstone 
Plymouth  and  District 
PoUokshaws 
Prestwick 
Renfrew 

Riccarton — Kirkslyle 
Riccarton 
Row 

Rutherglen 
San  Francisco 
Sheltleston 
St.  Andrews 
Stane  Mossgiel 
Stirling 
Stonehouse 

Haggis 
Sunderland 
Sydney 
Thornliebank 
Uphall 

Vale  of  Leven— Glencairr> 
Walker-on-Tyne 
Wallsend-on-Tyne 
Warwickshire 
Whitburn 
Winnipeg 
Wolverhampton 


OF 

BURNS  CLUBS  AND  SCOTTISH  SOCIETIES 

ox    THE 

ROLL    OF    THE     BURNS     FEDERATION,     1910. 


No.  o-KILMARNOCK  Burns  Club.  Insliiuled  1808.  Federated  1SS5. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  George  Hotel,  25th  January.  President, 
The  Right  Hon.  Lord  Howard  de  Walden  ;  Vice-president,  N.  D. 
M'Michael,  B.L. ,  John  Finnic  Street  ;  Secretary,  Thomas  Amos, 
M.A.,  19  Glebe  Road,  Kilmarnock.  Committee— Captain  D. 
Sneddon,  V.D.,  J.  P.  ;  D,  M 'Naught,  T-P-  ;  Joseph  Brockie,  J.  P.  ; 
G.  A.  Innes,  F.E.I.S.  ;  Captain  D.  Yuille,  fames  Middieton, 
J.P.  ;  Wm.  M'Menan,  B.A.  ;  Bailie  M.  Robertson,  J. P.  ;  Wm. 
Heron,  Police  Judge  Munro,  ^.V .  ;  Robert  Wyllie,  ex-Bailie 
Kerr,  B.L. 

No.  I— LONDON  Robert  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1868.  Federated  1885. 
President,  James  Thomson,  The  Cedars,  Forti.s  Green  Road,  East 
Finchley,  N.  ;  Vice-president,  Neil  Turner,  Daily  Chronicle, 
Salisbury  Square,  E.G.  ;  Immediate  Past  President,  Henry 
Durham,  F.C.S.,  F.  Phys.  Soc,  London,  V.-P.  Burns  Federation, 
13  Coleherne  Road,  So.  Kensington,  S.W.  ;  Secretary,  A. 
M'Killican,  The  Aspens,  Christchurch  Avenue,  Brondesbury, 
N.W.  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  C.  J.  Wilkinson-Pimbury,  60  Marmora 
Road,  Honor  Oak,  S.E.  ;  Pipers,  R.  Reith,  G.  Shand,  A.  Cowie, 
and  Sergeant  Peter  M'Lean  (late  Scots  Guards) ;  Auditors,  C.  G. 
Spence,  20  King's  Avenue,  Muswell  Hill,  and  Archibald  Kirrby, 
28  Throgmorton  Street,  E.G.  ;  Commissionaire,  Sergeant  Harvey, 
Basildon  House,  Moorgate  Street.  Committee— F.  W.  Warren, 
Arthur  R.  Molison,  T.  Ernest  Price,  H.  D.  Faith,  Stewart 
Stockman,  T.  W.  Jacobs,  jun.,  R.  A.  Walker,  W.  A.  Herbert, 
jun.,  W.  S.  Birch,  M.  D.  Kerr,  and  A.  T.  Bromfield. 

No.  2— ALEXANDRIA  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated  1885. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Village  School,  7.30,  first  Friday  of 
each  month.  President,  William  Livsey,  20  Leven  Bank  Terrace, 
Jamestown  ;  Vice-president,  Matthew  Campbell,  29  Susannah 
Street,  Alexandria  ;  Secretary,  Duncan  Carswell,  Linnbrane  Ter- 
race, Alexandria;  Treasurer,  James  Merrilees,  Charleston  House, 
Alexandria.  Committee — Richard  Thomson,  Jas.  M'Kenzie, 
George  Allan,  Donald  M'Dougall,  and  A.  M'Farlane. 

No.  3— GLASGOW  Tam  o'  Shanter  Club— Instituted  1880.  Federated  1885. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Trades  House  Restaurant,  89  Glassford 
Street,  last  Tuesday  in  October,  November,  February,  and  March. 
President,  Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  8  Holland  Place,  Glasgow  ; 
Vice-president.  John  Carmichael,  27  Blythswood  Drive,  Glasgow  ; 
Secretary,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,    solicitor,  '109    Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 


172 

Committee — H.  J.  Altmann,  Jas.  Ballanline,  George  Fisher,  Alex. 
Izett,  Alex.  M'Kenzie,  James  Ritchie,  John  Smith  (restaurateur), 
T.  P.  Thomson,  David  Threshie,  J.  W.VVartlen,  J.  A.  K.  Watson, 
and  Edward  Wilson.  Special  features  of  Club — Literary  evenings 
and  useful  movements  for  the  promotion  of  the  Burns  cult. 

No.  4— CALLANDER  Burns  Club— Instituted  1S77.  Federated  1885. 
Secretary,  James  S.  Anderson,  Callander. 

No.  5— ERCILDOUNE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1885.  Federated 
26th  November,  1885.  Place  of  meeting.  Red  Lion  Hotel.  Presi- 
dent, G.  Miles,  High  Street,  Earlston  ;  Vice-presidents,  A.  A. 
Burt,  W^illiambank,  and  II.  Wallace,  High  Street,  Earlston  ; 
Secretary,  Archd.  M.  Black,  Market  Place,  Earlston. 

No.  6— ALLO.\  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1873.  Federated  1885.  Secretary, 
R.  Tait  Melville,  44  Mill  Street,  Alloa. 

No.  7— GLASGOW^  Thistle  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1882.  Federated  1885. 
President,  Richard  Bogie,  28  Napiershall  Street  ;  Vice-president, 
William  W^ingate,  10  Oswald  Street  :  Secretary,  D.  R.  Mont- 
gomery, 122  So.  Portland  Street  ;  Treasurer,  J  no.  Eadie,  12 
Bridge  Street,  S.S. 

No.  8— MORPETH  (dormant).  Last  Secretary,  John  Dobson,  Oldgate 
Street,  Morpeth. 

No.  9— GLASGOW  Royalty  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1882.  Federated  1886. 
President,  John  Gibson,  17  Nigel  Gardens,  Waverley  Park, 
Glasgow ;  Vice-president,  Robert  Finlay,  219  Argyle  Street  ; 
Secretary,  Wm.  C.  Rodger,  44  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  10— DU.MBARTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1859.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Elephant  Hotel,  25th  January,  1910. 
President,  Charles  M'Kinnon,  Oxhill,  Dumbarton  ;  Vice-presi- 
dent, James  Nimmo,  Barloan  Crescent,  Dumbarton  ;  Secretary, 
Wm.  Baird,  Union  Bank  House,  Dumbarton.  Committee — 
Provost  MacFarlan,  Master  of  W^orks  Wilson,  Treasurer  J.  G. 
Buchanan,  Stewart  Paterson,  M.A.,  Major  Cockburn,  John 
M'Clelland,  and  John  M'Pherson.  Special  features  of  the  Club- 
Celebration  of  the  Poet's  Birthday. 

No.  II— CHESTERFIELD  Burns  Society.  Federated  1886.  Secretary, 
Geo.  Edward  Drennan,  77  Salter  Gate,  Chesterfield,  Derbyshire. 

No.  12— BARROW-IN-FURNESS  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1886. 
Last  Secretary,  Alex.  M 'Naught,  4  Ramsden  Square,  Barrow-in- 
Furness. 

No.  13— ST.  ANDREWS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1869.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Cross  Keys  Hotel,  Tuesday,  25th 
January,  1910.  President,  Dr  James  Orr,  3  Alexandra  Place, 
St.  Andrews  ;  Vice-president.  E.  E.  Morrison,  Bonnytown, 
Stravithie,  Fife;  Secretary,  W.  Macbeth  RoV)ertson,  solicitor,  119 
Market  Street,  St.  Andrews.  Committee — Rev.  Professor  Lawson, 
J.  L.  Low,  C.  H.  Freeman,  William  Duncan,  Bailie  Goodwillie, 
T.  Evans  Johnston,  and  Andrew  Bennett. 

No.  14— DUNDEE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  i860.  Federated  18S6.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Club  Rooms,  36  Nethergate,  first  Wednesday 
of  month,   at   8.30  p.m.       Hon.    Pre.sident,\T.    Martin   White   of 


173 

Balruddery  ;  President,  James  Sharp,  36  Nethergate  ;  Vice-presi- 
dent, J.  I'urvis,  36  Nethergate  ;  Secretary,  P.  Allison  Morris,  36 
Nethergate,  Dundee  ;  Treasurer,  D.  R.  Roberts  ;  Curator,  Hugh 
Ross;  Hon.  Librarian,  D.  Mitchell.  Special  features  of  club — 
Literary,  social,  and  musical.  Library. 
No.  15— BELFAST  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1872.  Federated  1886. 
Secretary,  Barclay  M'Conkey,  Belfast. 

No.  16— SYDNEY  Burns  Club,  N.S.W.  Instituted  1880.  Federated  1886. 
Secretary,  W.  Telfer,  School  of  Arts,  Pitt  Street,  Sydney. 

No.  17— NOTTINGHAM  Scottish  Society  (dormant).     Federated  1886. 

No.  18— LIVERPOOL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1866.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Hotel  St.  George,  Liverpool,  25th 
January.  President,  Colonel  Richard  Bulman,  V.D.,  Mersey 
"Chambers,  Liverpool ;  Secretary,  Major  Robert  Sinclair  Archer, 
V.D.,  Clifton  House,  Birkenhead.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Lectures  and  papers  during  winter  on  Scottish  subjects  in  hall  of 
St.  Andrew's  Church  of  Scotland  ;  also  offers  prizes  for  essays  on 
Scottish  subjects  to  English  Literature  Class  in  Liverpool 
University. 

No.  19.  AUCKLAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated  1886. 
Secretary,  John  Horn,  Wellington  Street,  Auckland,  New  Zealand. 

No.  20— AIRDRIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1885.  Federated  1886.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Royal  Hotel,  Airdrie,  25th  January. 
President,  Walter  Cochrane,  South  Bridge  Street,  Airdrie  ;  Vice- 
president,  Wm.  M'Gregor,  Ardcoille,  Airdrie  ;  Secretary  and 
Treasiuer,  G.  B.  Motherwell,  jun.,  solicitor,  4  East  High 
Street,  Airdrie.  Committee— John  Watson,  Wm.  Anderson, 
C.  R.  Larkman,  T.  C.  Neil,  and  R.  Sutter. 

No.  21— GREENOCK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1802.  Federated  1886. 
Place  of  meeting.  Club  Rooms,  Nicolson  Street.  President, 
John  Barbour,  Newtondale  Cottage,  Roxburgh  Street  ;  Vice- 
presidenis,  Alex.  Lambie,  Ravenshall,  Bogston,  and  J.  Eraser 
Baton,  Home  Cottage  ;  Joint  Secretaries,  Geo.  Dunlop,  27  Ard- 
gowan  Street,  and  Wm.  James,  13  South  Street.  Special  features 
of  Club— Club  rooms  are  open  to  members  at  any  time.  Keys 
with  Curator  on  premises,  36  Nicholson  Street.  Library  has  valu- 
able collection  of  editions  of  Burns,  Fergusson,  Gait,  etc.,  and  the 
walls  are  covered  with  signed  portraits,  mcluding  those  of  some  of 
the  most  distinguished  men  in  the  country,  who  are  honorary  mem- 
bers cf  the  Club.  The  Club  makes  a  special  feature  of  inter- 
visitation  meetings  with  Burns  Clubs  in  the  West  of  Scotland,  also 
of  ladies'  nights.  Visitors  are  always  welcome  to  attend  Club 
meetings.  The  Greenock  Club  is  the  oldest  Bums  Club  in  the 
world. 

No.  22— EDINBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1848.  Federated  1886. 
President,  Thomas  Carmichael,  S.S.C.  10  Duke  Street,  Edin- 
burgh ;  Vice-president,  J.  Macintyre  Henry,  F.R.I. B.A.,  7  So. 
Charlotte  Street,  Edinburgh  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Duncan,  solicitor, 
38  Lygon  Road,  Edinburgh  ;  Treasurer,  Kenneth  Henderson, 
C.A.,  8  York  Buildings,  Edinburgh. 

No.  23— ADELAIDE  South  Australian  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted  1881. 
P'ederated  1886.     Secretary,    II.   Tassie,    Gay's  Arcade,   Adelaide, 

South  Australia. 


174 

No.  24— GLASGOW  Hank  Burns  Clul.  (vloiniiinl).  Insliluled  1884.  Fede- 
rated 1 886. 

No.  25— WINNIPI-:G  St.  .Vndrew's  Society.  Federated  1SS6.  Seaetary, 
David  I'hilip,  Government  Buildings,  Winnipeg. 

No.  26— PERTH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1873.  Federated  18S6.  Secretary, 
John  Harper,  08  St.  John  Street,  Perth. 

No.  27— GL.VSGOW  Springburn  Burns  Club.  Insiiiuled  1S84.  Federated 
18S6.  Secretary,  Cameron  Henderson,  Syriam  Terrace,  Spring- 
burn,  Glasgow. 

No.  28— MAUCHLINE  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club. 

No.  29— BOLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1881.  Federated  1886.  Secretary, 
Harry  George,  32  Ilalstead  Street,  The  Harregh,  Bolton. 

No.  30 -BLACKBURN  Burns  Club.     Instituted  1884.     Federated  9th  July, 

1886.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Victoria  Hotel,  Cort  Street, 
Blackburn,  25th  January,  1910,  and  occasional.  President,  Wm. 
Ferguson,  Dryfesdale,  Park  Road,  Lytham,  Lancashire  ;  Vice- 
president,  Thomas  Anderson,  80  Penny  Street,  Blackburn,  Lanes. 
Secretary  and  'J reastirer,  Robert  Ferguson,  solicitor,  9  Tacketts 
Street,  Blackburn,  Lanes.  ;  Auditors,  J.  Rutherford  and  W. 
Maxwell.  Committee— J.  Little,  J.  M'Vittie,  W.  Maxwell,  J. 
Forbes,  T.  Ferguson,  ¥.  S.  Jardine,  J.  Smith,  J.  Rutherford, 
F.  Wilkinson,  W.  Wallbank,  'j.  C.  Sharpies,  and  Dr  A.  Reid. 
Special  features  of  Club — (i)  To  commemorate  the  Birthday  of 
Burns  ;  (2)  to  encourage  the  study  of  Burns  and  of  the  Scottish 
Poets,  and  of  literature  generally. 

No.  31— SAN  FRANCISCO  Scottish  Thistle  Club.  Instituted  1882.  Fede- 
rated 1886.  Secretary^  Geo.  W.  Paterson,  801  Guerero  Street, 
San  Francisco,  U.S.A. 

No.  32 -NEWARK  Burns  Club.  Federated  1886.  Secretary,  John  Hogg, 
Caledonian  Club,  Newark,  New  Jersey,  U.S.A. 

No.  33— GLASGOW  Haggis  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1872.  Federated  1886. 
Place  of  meeting.  National  Burns  Club,  Ltd.,  93  Douglas  Street. 
President,  Major  J.  R.  Metcalfe,  J. P.,  140  London  Street.  Seo-e- 
tary,  William  S.  Baird,  writer,  1S5  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  34— CARRICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1859.  F^ederated  1887.  Place 
and  dale  of  meeting,  62  Cilassford  Street,  Glasgow,  last  Tuesday  of 
each  month.  President,  William  Crawford,  23  Minerva  Street, 
Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  Robert  Thorley,  30  Aberfeldy  Street, 
Dennistoun,  Glasgow;  Secretary,  Thomas  Ferguson,  412  Parlia- 
mentary Road,  Glasgow ;  Treasurer,  James  Welsh,  46  Dixon 
Road,  Crossbill,  Glasgow.  Special  features  of  Club— Study  of 
Burns  and  kindred  literature. 

No.  35— DALRV  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1826.  Federated  18S7.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting.  Dairy,  Friday  nearest  25ih  January.  Chair- 
man, William  Carrick,  inspector  of  poor.  Dairy  ;  Secretary,  D. 
Johnston.  Tintagel,  Dairy  ;  Treasurer,  P.  Comrie,  Dairy. 

No.  36— GLASGOW   Rosebery   Burns  Club.       Instituted  1885.      Federated 

1887.  Place  of  meeting,  Alexandra  Hotel,  Glasgow,  at  8  p.m. 
President,  William  .-Mian,  7  Park  Road,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president, 


175 

John  A.  Biggs,  I..  D.S.,  13  Somerset  Place  ;  Secretary,  J.  Gartshore 
Scott,  writer,  58  West  Regent  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  Peter 
Smith,  jun.,  56  Cathedral  Street.  Committee — James  Angus, 
A.  G.  Andrews,  G.  Armour,  J.  R.  Colquhoun,  J.  Ferguson,  W. 
C.  Goldie,  J.  S.  Jamieson,  D.  Kelso,  James  Murray,  J.  D. 
M'Kinley,  W.  M'\'ean,  H.  F.  Milligan,  A.  Pollock,  W.  Shackle- 
ton,  A.  Smith,  John  Smith,  and  A.  Thomson,  jun.  Special  features 
of  Club — A  series  of  lectures  on  Scottish  literature  and  history 
during  the  winter  months  ;  competitions  (.senior  and  junior)  for  the 
encouragement  of  the  study  of  Scottish  songs,  e.specially  those  of 
Burns. 

No.  37— DOLLAR  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Federated  30th  Dec, 
1887.  Place  of  meeting.  Castle  Campbell  Hotel.  President, 
Provost  J.  B.  Green,  Station  Road,  Dollar;  Vice-president,  Bailie 
R.  Waddell,  Bridge  Street,  Dollar  ;  Secretary,  William  V'ounger, 
Sydney  House,  Dollar.  Special  feati-.res  of  Club— To  encourage 
Burns's  songs  and  Scottish  literature. 

No.  38— GLASGOW  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1SS7. 
Federated  1888. 

No.  39— GLASGOW  St.  David's  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Inslituted  1887. 
Federated  1889. 

No.  40— ABERDEEN  Burns  Club.     Instituted  18S7.     Federated  1S89. 

No.  41— DENNISTOUN  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Inslituted  1887.  Federated 
1889.  Last  Secre!a)y,  John  B.  MTntosh,  300  Duke  Street, 
Glasgow. 

No.  42— CRIEFF  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1880.  Federated  1891.  Secretary, 
Wm.  Pickard,  Meadow  Place,  Crieff. 

No.  43— GLASGOW  Northern  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Federated  1891.  Last 
Secretary,  James  Weir,  216  New  City  Road,  Glasgow. 

No.  44 — FORFAR  Burns  Club  (dormant).    Instituted  1890.    Federated  1891. 

No.  45— CUMNOCK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Federated  189 1.  Secre- 
tary, II.  R.  M'CulIey,  Hazelbank,  Old  Cunmock. 

No.  46— WARWICKSHIRE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S80.  Federated  1891. 
Secretary,  Robert  Greenfield,  F.R.  H.S.,  Ranelegh  Nursery, 
Leamington. 

No.  47— GLASGOW  St.  Rollox  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1889. 
Federated  1891. 

No.  48— PAISLEY  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1805.  Federated  189 1. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Globe  Hotel,  Paisley,  first  Thursday 
of  every  month  from  October  till  May  inclusive.  President,  John 
Wilson  Pollock,  Lyndhurst,  Hawkhead  Road,  Paisley  ;  Vice- 
president,  John  M.  Lang,  Endfield,  Riccartsbar  Avenue,  Paisley  ; 
Secretary,  Geo.  H.  Cockburn,  St.  Ives,  Whitehaugh  Drive, 
Paisley. 

No.  49— GLASGOW  Bridgeton  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1870.  Federated 
1891.  President,  Malcolm  A.  Hendry,  5  Clayton  Terrace,  Dennis- 
toun,  Glasgow;  Vice-president,  Thomas  Potter,  jun.,  41  Cumber- 
land Street,  Calton,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  William  Cochran, 
solicitor,    190  West  George  Street,  Glasgow  ;   Assistant  Secretary, 


176 

T.  TuUis  Cochran,  solicitor,  190  West  George  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  William  Reid,  F.S.A.A.  ;  ex-President,  George  H. 
Laird.  Directors — Councillor  Colquhoun,  D.  L.  Stevenson,  Dr 
Alex.  Munro,  1).  Baird,  Peter  White,  Andrew  llay,  William 
Baird,  J-  M.  Campbell,  and  ex-Bailie  William  Nicol.  Special 
features  of  Club— The  encouragement  and  promotion  of  Burns's 
works  and  of  Scottish  history  and  literature  amongst  the  school 
children  by  means  of  annual  competitions. 

No.  50— STIRLING  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  P^ederated  1891.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting.  Golden  Lion  Hotel,  January  25th.  President, 
Councillor  Ridley  Sandernan,  22  Forth  Crescent,  Stirling  ;  Secre- 
tary, Alexander  Dun,  37  Murray  Place,  Stirling  ;  Treasurer,  J-  S. 
Henderson,  solicitor,  Stirling.  Committee — Messrs  John  Craig, 
J.  C.  Muirhead,  D.  B.  Morris,  Ronald  Walker,  J.  F.  Oswald, 
W.  A.  Weir,  Peter  Hunter,  Bailie  Buchanan,  Councillor  Menzies, 
Alex.  Love,  J.  Mann,  Wm.  Cunningham,  J.  W.  Paterson,  J. 
Crawford,  D.  Pearson,  J.  H.  Gordon. 

No.  51— CHICAGO  Caledonian  Society.  Federated  1892.  Secretary,  Q,\\3.x\^% 
T.  Spence,  3002  Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago. 

No.  52— DUMFRIES  Mechanics' Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Secretary, 
James  Anderson,  55  St.  Michael  Street,  Dumfries. 

No.  53— GOVAN  Fairfield  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1886. 
Federated  23rd  September,  1892.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
4  Holm  Street,  first  Wednesday  of  months  September  to  March. 
Hon.  President,  ex-Bailie  Hugh  Lymburn  ;  Hon.  Vice-president, 
Thomas  Black  ;  President,  Thomas  Fullarton,  917  Govan  Road, 
Govan  ;  Vice-president,  Hugh  Marr,  37  White  Street,  Govan  ; 
Secretary,  Charles  Maltman,  16  M'Kechnie  Street,  Govan.  Com- 
mittee— James  Wands  and  Donald  M'Callum. 

Xo.  54— PERTH  St.  Johnstone  Burns  Club.     Federated  1892. 

No.  55 — DERBY  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Royal  Hotel,  9  p.m.,  Friday.  President,  Councillor  G.  Innes  ; 
Vice-presidents,  J.  D  Seaton,  33  Renals  Street,  Derby,  and  J. 
Peacock,  Tresilian,  Duffield  Road,  Derby  ;  Secretary,  C.  D. 
Shand,  (jlencairn,  Leopold  Street,  Derby.  Special  features  of 
Club— To  unite  Scotsmen  and  to  foster  a  spirit  of  friendship,  and 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  Immortal  Bard. 

No.  56-LAPRAIK  (Muirkirk)  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated 
1893.  Place  of  meeting,  Eglinton  Arms  Hotel.  President,  James 
Clark,  Crossflat,  Muirkirk  ;  Vice-president,  T.  Weir,  Victoria 
Buildings,  Main  Street,  Muirkirk  ;  Secretary,  Hugh  Bell,  Roslyn, 
Wellwood  Street,  Muirkirk  ;  Treasurer,  A.  Pringle.  Committee 
— ^Messrs  G.  Morrison,  E.  Anderson,  W.  Laidlaw,  R.  Bell,  T. 
Hazel,  T.  A.  Alston,  R.  Colthart,  and  J.  Taylor.  Special  feature 
of  Club — 25th  January  celebration. 

No.  57— THORNLIEBANK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1891.  Federated  1893. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Club-room,  occasional  and  anniversaries. 
President,  Robert  Hutton,  North  Park,  Tliornliebank  ;  Vice- 
president,  James  Andrew,  10  Maxwell  Terrace,  Thornliebank  ; 
Secretary,  William  Park,  jun.,  Main  Street,  Thornliebank  ;  15 
members  of  committee.  Special  features  of  Club — School 
children's  competition,  Scotch  concert,  annual  outing,  and  Club 
meetings. 


177 

No.  5S— KIRKCALDY  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Secretaiy,  John  A. 
Miller,  13  Quality  Street,  Kirkcaldy. 

No.  59— GOUROCK  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club— Instituted  1893.  Federated 
1893.  Place  of  meeting.  Gamble  Institute,  Gourock.  President, 
ex-Provost  James  Adam,  Parklea,  Adam  Street,  Gourock  ;  Vice- 
president,  R.  B.  Guthrie,  Broomberry  Terrace,  Gourock  ;  Secretaty, 
R.  M'Gechan,  3  Campsie  Terrace,  Cardwell  Bay,  Greenock; 
Treasurer,  Joseph  Wilson,  2  Tohn  Street,  Gourock.  Committee — 
Wm.  Wilson,  Wm.  Adam,"  E.  Geddes,  A.  Sinclair,  R.  Cook, 
A.  Davidson,  J.  M'Lean,  J.  Sinclair,  A.  Carmichael,  and 
R.  S.  Simpson.  Special  features  of  Club— Club  meetings, 
annual  outings,  ladies'  nights,  and  encouragement  of  Scottish 
literature. 

No.  60— WOLVERHAMPTON  Burns  Club.  Federated  1S93.  Secretaiy, 
C.  G.  Webster,  Lichfield  Street,  Wolverhampton. 

No.  61— GLASGOW  Glencairn  Burns  Club  (dormant).     Federated  1893. 

No.  62— CUPAR  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1893.  President, 
Major  W.  Anstruther-Gray,  M.P. ,  of  Kilmany  ;  Vice-president, 
W.  R.  Osborne  Pagan,  W.S.,  Haymount,  Cupar  ;  Secretary, 
David  F.  Esplin,  Conner  Office,  Cupar  :  Treasurer,  Geo.  White, 
County  Buildings,  Cupar  ;  Chairman  of  Committee,  Geo.  Innes. 
Special  features  of  Club — Literary  and  social. 

No.  63— GLASGOW  Mossgiel  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated 
1893.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Mr  Anderson's,  3  Cathcart 
Road,  first  Tuesday  of  each  month,  November  to  April,  at  8 
o'clock.  President,  William  Morrison,  86  Cumberland  Street, 
S.S.  ;  Vice-President,  John  W.  Black,  iS  Cathcart  Road,  S.S.  ; 
Secretary,  Robert  Parker,  90  Forth  Street,  PoUokshields, 
Glasgow;  Treasurer.  I.  Tinch,  15  Govanhill  Street,  Glasgow; 
7  members  of  committee.  Special  features  of  Club — The  Club 
has  for  its  objects  the  annual  celebration  of  the  Birthday 
of  Robert  Burns,  occasional  re-unions  for  the  cultivation  of 
social  and  intellectual  intercourse  amongst  the  members  and 
friends,  the  encouragement  of  Scottish  literature,  and  to  have  a 
summer  trip  to  some  of  the  places  dear  to  the  lovers  of  the  Poet. 

No.  64— BEITH  Burns  Club.  Federated  12th  December,  1893.  President, 
Wm.  C.  Wilson,  Ingleside,  Beith  ;  Secretary,  Neil  M 'Innes, 
Grahamsfield  Place,  Beith  ;  Treasurer,  John  Short,  Main  Street, 
Beiih. 

No.  65— MUSSELBURGH  Federated  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1886. 
Federated  1894.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Central  Assembly 
Rooms,  25th  January,  1910.  President,  Councillor  Will. 
Constable,   84   Inveresk    Terrace,    Musselburgh  ;    Vice-president, 

A.  W.  Millar,  2  Benlah,  Musselburgh  ;  Secretary,  Andrew  B. 
Hall,  14  Links  Place,  Musselburgh  ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Paterson,  33 
Eskside,  Musselburgh.  Committee— J.  E.  Brooks,  R.  S.  Stewart, 
W.  C.  M'Gregor,   W.  B.   Gardiner,  Alex.   Lauder,  Jno.  Gordon, 

B.  M.  Norval,  W.  Gowan,  and  W.  A.  Dudgeon.  Special 
features  of  Club — Competitions  for  school  children.  Membership 
about  200. 

No.  66— CROSSGATES  Burns  Cluh.  Federated  1894.  Secretary— V-.o\>qxI 
Dall,  Addison's  Buildings,  Crossgates. 


178 

No.  67— CARLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1894.  Federated  1894.  Place 
and  date  of  nieetinSi  Sloan's  Arcade  Cafe,  loS  Argyle  Street, 
Glasgow,  first  Tuesday  monthly,  October  to  April,  8  p.m.  Presi- 
dent, David  Davidson,  12  St.  Andrew's  Square,  Glasgow  ;  \'ice- 
president,  Robert  M'Kenzie,  Kefonner  Office,  Rutherglen  ; 
Secretary,  William  J.  Slraiton,  600  Dalmarnock  Road,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Donald  M'Neil,  21  University  Street.  Directors — 
Hailie  Archibald  Campbell,  Geo.  Stark,  Thomas  Cameron,  James 
Ballantyne,  James  Tudhope,  William  Moffat,  M.A. ,  Andrew 
Maclure,  William  Thomson,  D.  M.  Duff,  David  Gilmour,  William 
G.  M'Leod,  C.  W.  C.  MacFarlane,  Charles  Taylor,  James  Robert- 
son, Robert  Bowes,  and  J  no.  B.  Gibson.  Special  features  of  Club 
— Literary  and  social. 

No.  68— SANDVFORD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1894. 
Place  and  dale  of  meeting.  Secretary's  Office,  100  West  Regent 
Street,  Glasgow.  President,  James  Michie,  175  Kent  Road, 
Glasgow;  Vice  president,  ex-Bailie  Malcolm  Campbell,  J. P.,  18 
Gordon  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Andrew  P. 
Hamilton,  writer,  100  West  Regent  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer, 
James  P.  M'Phie,  6  Bishop  Street,  Anderston,  Glasgow.  Special 
features  of  Club — Annual  dinner  and  dance  on  25th  January  ;  also 
lectures  and  social  and  musical  evenings  in  Grand  Hotel,  Glasgow. 

No.  69— DUNEDIN  Burns  Club.  Federated  1894.  President,  R.  Sandi- 
lands,  Queen's  Drive,  Musselburgh,  Dunedin,  N.Z. 

No.  70-GLASGOW  St.  Rollox  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club  (dormant). 
Federated  1894. 

No.  71— CARLISLE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1889.  Federated 
1895.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Crown  and  Mitre  Hotel, 
Carlisle,  monthly  (Saturdays).  President,  William  Reid,  8  Dykes 
Terrace,  Stanwix,  Carlisle  ;  Vice-presidents,  Dr  Bird,  James 
Porleous,  Rev.  A.  Davidson,  F.  Jones,  T.  Caton,  D.  Main,  and 
G.  C.  Muir.  Secretary,  Walter  A.  Mather,  Midland  Bank 
Chambers,  Carlisle.     Special  feature  of  Club — Literary. 

No.  72— PARTICK  Burns  Club— Federated  1895.  Secretary,  William  Scott 
Wyllie,  149  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  73— LENZIE  Burns  Club  (dormant).     Federated  1S96. 

No.  74— GLASGOW  Mauchline  Society.  Instituted  1888.  Federated  1895. 
President,  Rev.  Wilson  Baird,  Mauchline.  Secretary,  William 
Campbell,  166  Buchanan  Street,  Glasgow ;  Treasurer,  Thomas 
Killin,  168  \Vest  George  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  75— KIRN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1892.  Federated  loth 
February,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Queen's  Hotel,  Kirn, 
25th  January,  1910.  I'resident,  Councillor  William  Dunbar, 
Kintillo  Terrace,  East  Bay,  Dunoon  ;  Vice-president,  Andrew 
Gregor,  Elm  View,  Clyde  Street,  Kirn  ;  Secretary,  John  Macnair, 
house  agent,  Kirn  ;  Treasurer,  Councillor  Wm.  Lees,  Ferny  Crag, 
Kirn.  Committee — Councillor  Drummond,  James  Reid,  Frederick 
Limbert,  James  M'Gibbon,  R.  Nicholson,  and  J.  J.  Ferguson. 
Special  features  of  Club — Singing  and  reciting  competitions  for 
children,  "  Works  of  Burns."  Debating  and  recreation  branch, 
Monday  every  week.  Anniversary  supper  in  Queen's  Hotel,  Kirn, 
25th  January.     Annual  excursion,  first  Thursday  in  September. 


179 

No.  76 — BRECHIN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1S94.  Federated  7th 
March,  1896.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting,  Mechanics'  Hall,  25th 
January.  President,  William  Anderson,  Esq.,  2  Airlie  Street, 
Brechin  ;  Vice-president,  Charles  Thomson,  Esq.,  Eastbank, 
Brechin  :  Secretary,  F.  C.  Anderson,  10  St.  Mary  Street,  Brechin. 

No.  77— PAISLEY  Tannahill  (Gleniffer)  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1892. 
F'ederated  1S96.  Secretary,  Thomas  Campbell,  19  Kilnside  Road, 
Paisley. 

No.  78— GLASGOW  Ardgowan  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1893. 
Federated  1896.  Last  Secretary,  John  Fairley,  160  Cathcart 
Street,  Kingston,  Glasgow. 

No.  79— CORSTORPHINE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Federated  1896. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Public  Hall,  March,  November,  and 
25th  January,  at  8  p.m.  President,  Geo.  W.  T.  M'Gowan,  M.A., 
F.E.I.S.,  Schoolhouse,  Corstorphine  ;  Vice-president,  James  E. 
Cowan,  J.  P.,  Bank  of  Scotland,  Corstorphine;  Secretary,  Wm. 
Wilson,  C.E.,  7  Belgrave  Place,  Corstorphine  ;  Bard,  Rev.  James 
Fergusson,  The  Manse,  Corstorphine.  Committee  of  8  members. 
Special  features  of  Club— Two  quarterly  meetings,  at  which  a 
paper  is  read,  and  afterwards  social.  Burns  songs,  &c.  Anniver- 
sary festival,  25th  January. 

No.  80— DUNOON  Cowall  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896.  Federated  1S96. 
Secretary,  Walter  Grieve,  James  Place,  Dunoon. 

No.  81— CARSTAIRS  Junction  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896.  Federated 
1896.  Secretary,  William  Neill,  Burnsidc  Cottages,  Carstairs 
Junction. 

No.  82— ARBROATH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1888.  Federated  1896. 
Secretary,  Harry  Lorimer,  solicitor,  25  Market  Place,  Arbroath. 

No.  83— GLASGOW  Co-operative  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896.  Federated 
1S96.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  National  Burns  Club,  second 
Saturday  of  month.  President,  J.  Jeffrey  Flunter,  109  Bath 
Street  ;  Secretary,  H.  Kelly,  5  Greenlodge  Terrace,  Greenhcad, 
Gla.sgow.  Special  features  of  club — Social  intercourse  and 
literary  discussion. 

No.  84— ABINGTON  Burns  Club  (dormant).     Federated  1896. 

No.  85— DUNFERMLINE  United  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1812.  Federated 
1 2th  November,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel, 
25th  January.  President,  W.  D.  Imrie,  Abbey  Park  Place  ;  Vice- 
president,  Wm.  Black,  Charlestown,  Dunfermline  ;  Secretary,  P. 
Paterson,  23  Bruce  Street,  Dunfermline.  Committee — A.  T. 
Wilkie,  Wm.  Filzpatrick,  Robert  Macgregor,  P.  Donald,  Andrew 
Lyon,  J.  C.  Craig,  Andrew  Roxburgh,  Robert  Taylor,  Bailie 
Stewart,  and  James  Rodger. 

No.  86 -CUMNOCK  Winsome  Willie.  Instituted  1S56.  Federated  1896. 
Place  of  meeting,  Hotel  Royal,  7  p.m.  President,  Robert  Hislop, 
Waterside  Place  ;  Vice-president,  Douglas  M.  Clark,  Tower 
Street  ;  Secretary,  Hugh  Campbell,  43  Barrhill  Road  ;  Treasurer, 
Gilbert  M'Kissock,  Kilnholm   Place. 

No.  87— CAMPSIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1890.  Federated  1896.  Place 
of  meeting,  Lennox  Arms.  Secretary,  R.  W.  Robertson,  Russell 
Place,  Lennoxtown. 


180 

No.  8S— GLASGOW  Caledonian  Burns  Club.  Instituted  October,  1896. 
Federated  2nd  March,  1897.  Place  of  meeting,  25  Caledonia 
Road.  Secretary,  John  Muirhead,  c/o  Drummond,  136  Roselea 
Drive,  Glasgow. 

No.  89— SUNDERLAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1S97.  Federated 
April,  1S97.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Palatine  Hotel,  second 
and  fourth  Wednesday,  October  to  March  ;  second  Wednesday, 
April,  May,  and  September —8  p.m.  President,  M.  MacLennan, 
3J  Ellerslie  Terrace,  Sunderland  ;  Vice-president,  W.  A.  Culshaw, 
119  High  Street,  W.,  Sunderland;  Secretary,  M.  Neilson,  14 
WhicUham  Street,  E.,  Sunderland  ;  Treasurer,  A.  W.  Semple  ; 
Librarian,  G.  Mackay ;  Auditor,  W.  P.  Eastwood  ;  Pianist,  C. 
Peirie  :  Hon.  Piper,  G.  Murray.  Committee — W.  \\.  Turner, 
|.  F.  Crooks,  D.  Condie,  A.  Gray,  and  W.  P.  Eastwood.  Special 
features  of  Club — Anniversary  dinner  ;  Scotti.sh  concert  ;  visitation 
of  clubs  ;  papers  and  lectures  ;  interest  in  the  well-being  of  Scots- 
men in  and  around  Sunderland.     Visitors  cordially  welcomed. 

j^o  90— GARELOCITIlEAD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1885.  Federated 
2 1  St  May,  1897.  Place  of  meeting,  Garelochhead  Hotel.  Presi- 
dent, Rev.  John  Patterson,  The  Manse,  Garelochhead  ;  Vice- 
president,  David  Stark,  Argyle  Cottage,  Garelochhead  ;  Secretary, 
John  Douglas,  Dahlandhui,  Garelochhead. 

No.  91  — SHETTLESTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1898.  Federated  1898. 
Place  of  meeting,  284  Eastmuir,  Shettleston.  l-'resident, 
County  Councillor  W.  J.  Grant,  Beechwood,  Shettleston  ;  Vice- 
President,  R.  M.  Miliholm.  2  Sommerville  Place,  Glasgow  ; 
Secretary,  James  Mair,  284  Eastmuir,  Shettleston.  Committee — 
Thomas  Deans,  H.  V.  Reid,  G.  Jones,  Thomas  Barrie,  W.  Lawson, 
II.  Mair,  and  W.  W.  Stevenson.  Special  features  of  Club — To 
encourage  a  taste  for  Scottish  literature,  and  to  celebrate  the 
memory  of  our  National  Bard. 

jijo.  92 KILBOWIE    Jolly     Beggars     Burns    Clubs.       Instituted    August, 

1897.  Federated  .September,  1897.  Place  and  time  of  meeting. 
Cross  Restaurant,  Clydebank,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  Alexander 
M 'Donald,  53  Montrose  Street,  Kilbowie  ;  Vice-President,  Wm. 
Paterson,  2  Livingstone  Street,  Clydebank  ;  Secretary,  Leonard 
Frew,  38  Second  Avenue,  Kilbowie.  Committee— Peter  Dala- 
court  (Chairman),  J.  Agnew,  Wm.  Allan,  D.  M 'Williams,  T. 
Waters,  D.  J.  Clark,  A.  Davidson,  P.  Crawley,  and  J.  Seright. 
Special  features  of  Club — Study  of  the  Poet's  Works  and  other 
literature. 

jyo.  93— CLYDEBANK  Burns  Club  (dormant).     Federated  1897. 

No.  94— U  I'll  ALL  Tarn  o"  Shanter  Burns  Club.     Federated  1897. 

No.  95— BOLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  September,  1881.  Federated 
1897.  Secretary,  Chas.  H.  Mallison,  Oaklands,  Seymour  Road, 
Bolton. 

^'o.  96— JEDBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S69.  Federated  1897. 
Secretary,  Peter  Telfer,  58  Castlegatc,  Jedburgh. 

]Vo.  97— BELLFIELD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1895.  Federated  1898.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Bellfield  Tavern,  Wellbeck  Street,  first  Friday 
of  month,  at  8  p.m.       President,  James  Eccles,  14  Kirktonholm 


181 

Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Vice-president,  Jolin  Borland,  Megland,  St. 
Andrew's  Terr.,  Kilmarnock;  Secretary,  Robt.  Ritchie,  ii  Wellbeck 
Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Treasurer,  Thomas  Neilson,  Paxton  Street, 
Kilmarnock.  Committee— Wm.  Brown,  Alex,  Craiij,  Alex. 
Rodj^er,  Jas.  Neilson,  and  Wm.  Goudie.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Social  intercourse  amonc;st  the  members  and  kindred  Clubs  ; 
celebration  of  the  Poet's  birth  ;  annual  trip  in  the  month  of  May  ; 
meetings  for  the  reading  of  literary  papers  relative  to  the  life  and 
works  of  Burns,  and  kindred  subjects. 

No.  98— LANARK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1891.  Federated  17th  January, 
1S98.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Market  Hotel,  quarterly  meet- 
ings. President,  Thomas  Lithgow,  Furrowflatt  ;  Vice-president, 
William  Brown,  Rubislaw  ;  Secretary,  John  Ross,  Caledonian 
House,  Lanark  ;  Treasurer,  R.  Martin,  Wellgate.  Committee — 
Messrs  A.  Neilson,  C.  Downie,  J.  Blyth,  Wm.  M'Kenzie,  and  W. 
Fergus.  Special  feature  of  Club — Burns  competitions  to  beheld 
annually  amongst  the  children  attending  schools.      53  members. 

No.  99— BARLINNIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1893. 
Federated  20th  January,  1898.  Place  of  meeting,  Barlinnie: 
President,  James  Cram,  Esq.,  Governor  H.M.  Prison,  Barlinnie, 
Glasgow;  Vice-president,  Dr  W.  I.  II.  Sinclair,  M.B.C.M.,  H.M. 
Prison,  Barlinnie,  Glasgow;  Secretary,  Alexander  Mackay,  H.M. 
Prison,  Barlinnie,  Glasgow  ;  Chaplain,  Rev.  Andrew  Miller,  M.A., 
H.M.  Prison,  Barlinnie.  Committee — Alex.  Campbell,  Robert 
Sutherland,  James  M'Quaker,  Wm.  Russell,  and  D.  S.  Robertson. 

No.  100— HAMILTON  Mossgiel  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1892.  Federated 
4th  April,  1898.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel,  first 
Thursday  in  the  month,  8. 15  p.m.  President,  John  D.  Liglitbody  ; 
Vice-president,  George  Thorpe;  Secretary,  Archd.  Clark,  jun., 
Quarry  Street,  Hamilton  ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Hamilton.  Committee 
Wm.  Hindshaw,  John  Campbell,  Wm.  Stewart,  John  Law, 
and  Rudolph  Gall. 

No.  loi  — MOTHERWELL    Workmen's    Burns    Club.       Federated     1898. 

Secretary,  John  King,  128  Muir  Street,  Motherwell. 
No.  102-CARLISLE    Border   Burns   Club    (dormant).       lustituted     1898. 

Last  Secretary,  Andrew  Rafell,  36  London  Road,  Carlisle. 

No.  IG3-COALBURN  Burns  Club.  Federated  1898.  Secretary,  John 
Woodburn,  Coalburn  Inn,  Coalburn. 

No.  104  -DUMFRIES  Oak  Burns  Club.  Federated  1898.  Secretary, 
Thomas  Haining,  jun.,  26  Swan's  Vennel,  Dumfries. 

No.  105— RUTHERGLEN  Cronies  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896.  P'ederated 
1898.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Burnhill  Rest,  Rutherglen, 
last  Friday  of  month.  President,  John  Robb,  Newfield  House, 
Rutherglen  :  Vice-president,  Walter  Sharp,  Millcroft,  Rutherglen; 
Secretary,  A.  Crawford  Alston,  2  Wardlaw  Drive,  Rutherglen  ; 
Treasurer,  Wm.  Morrison,  Sheriff  Park  Terrace,  Rutherglen. 
Special  features  of  the  Club— For  the  promotion  of  the  Burns 
cult. 

No.  106— BRO.KBURN  Rosebery  Burns  Club.  Federated  189S.  Secretary, 
Joseph  Millar,  Ashfield  Buildings,  Uphall. 

No.  107— GLASGOW  Hutchesontown  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Federated 
1S98. 


No.  loS-KASr  CALDER  ami  District  Jolly  Hc---ats  Hums  Club.  Instituted 
1S97.  Federated  1899.  I'liice  and  lime  olnieeling,  Grapes  Inn,  East 
Calder,  at  8  o'clocU.  Tresident,  Wni.  Young,  newsagent,  East 
Calder  ;  \'ice-presidenl,  James  Millar,  Limekilns,  East  Calder  ; 
Secretary,  George  Vr<ung,  Limefield  Cottage,  East  Calder  ; 
Treasurer,  James  Robertson.  Special  features  of  Club — To  study 
Burns  and  his  works. 

No.  109— GLASGOW  Caledonia  Burns  Club.  Instituted  September,  1898. 
Federated  24th  March,  1S99.  Secretary,  William  Galloway,  77 
Preston  Street,  Govanhill,  Glasgow. 

No.  no— CAMBUSLANG  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1850.  Federated  1898. 
Secretary,  James  Robertson,  Monkcastle  Drive,  Cambuslang. 

No.  Ill— SOUTH  EDINBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1879.  Federated 
1899.     Secretary,  John  S.  T.  Walker,  I  Summerbank,  Edinburgh. 

No.  112— DUMFRIES  Burns  Ilowfif  Club.  Instituted  1889.  Federated 
loth  August,  1899.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Globe  Hotel, 
monthly.  Hon.  President,  T.  Laidlaw,  Garibaldi  Place,  St. 
Michael  Street ;  President,  James  Bell,  grocer,  St.  Michael  Street ; 
Vice-president,  Edward  Campbell,  Wallace  Street  ;  Secretary, 
Jno.  Connor,  61  St.  Michael  Street,  Dumfries  ;  Treasurer,  T. 
Robertson,  Dockhead,  Dumfries.  Committee — T.  Craig,  T. 
Houston,  T.  Batey,  T.  Draffan,  J.  Maxwell,  A.  Cochrane,  t. 
Robertson,  R.  Kerr,  and  P.  Smith. 

No.  n3-VALE  OF  LEVEN  Glencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1897. 
Federated  1899.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Albert  Hotel,  Alex- 
andria, last  Saturday  of  each  month  at  7.30.  Hon.  president, 
William  While,  44  Bridge  Street,  Alexandria  ;  President,  Alex. 
Campbell,  Hillbank,  Bowhill  ;  Vice-president,  fames  M'Innes, 
Napierston  Terrace,  Jamesto^vn  ;  Secretary,  Daniel  M'Millan.  38 
Wilson  Street,  Alexandria,  X.  B.  ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Smith,  Bridge 
Square,  Alexandria,  (vommiilee — John  M'Gowan,  Thomas  Peters, 
Daniel  M'Innes,  and  Walter  Clark.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Celebration  of  Poet's  birth  ;  summer  ouling  ;  and  occasionally 
short  papers  read  by  members. 

No.  114— 15R0DICK  Burns  Club.  Instituied  1899.  Federated  1900. 
Secretary,  ]ohn  S.  Currie,  Brodick. 

No.  115— KIPPEX  and  District  Burns  Club.  Instituted  21st  July,  1896. 
Federated  20ih  January,  1900.  Place  of  meeting,  Gillespie 
Hall.  Hon.  President,  Stephen  Mitchell,  jun.,  Boquhan,  Kippen 
Station  ;  President,  Thomas  Syme,  Stralhview ;  Vice-president, 
Andrew  Main,  Strewie  Bank,  Kippen  Station  ;  Secretary, 
Archibald  M'Diarmid,  Woodside,  Kippen  Station.  Conmiittee  — 
R.  Jackson,  J.  M'Lean,  S.  Thomson,  Alex.  M'Diarmid,  D. 
M'Diarmid,  J.  .M.  Syme,  G.  M'Queen,  P.  Watson,  A.  Welsh,  J. 
M'Ewen,  R.  Leckie,  and  T.  Inglis.  .Special  features  of  Club — -To 
promote  a  knowledge  of  the  life  and  works  of  Burns  and  establish 
a  fund  for  the  cultivation  and  learning  of  the  works  of  Burns  and 
Scottish  literature  among  our  school  children,  and  having  competi- 
tions in  which  handsome  prizes  are  given. 

No.  116— GREENLOANING  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1889.  Federated 
1900.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting,  Greenloaning  Inn,  25lh 
January,  at  7.30  p.m.       President,    Thomas  Stewart,    The    Braes, 


183 

Greenloaning,  Braco  ;  Vice-president,  Francis  Sands,  Greenloan- 
ing,  Braco  ;  Secretary,  James  Bayne,  Kinbuck,  Dunblane. 
Committee — G.  Robertson,  I.  M'Naughtbn,  W.  Taylor,  J. 
Couper,  and  T-  M'llldowie. 

:No.  117— GLASGOW  Southern  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1S99. 
Federated  1900. 

JSIo.  118— GLASGOW  Albany  Burns  Club.  Listituted  1900.  Federated 
1900.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Trades'  House  Restaurant,  89 
Glassford  Street,  Glasgow,  first  Wednesday  each  month  from 
October  till  March,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  John  A.  Headrick, 
340  Maxwell  Road,  Pollokshields,  Glasgow ;  Vice-president, 
James  Raeside,  125  North  John  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary, 
Robert  Carmichael,  89  Elderslie  Street,  Sandyford,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Alexander  Gray,  67  Great  Hamilton  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Hon.  President,  Professor  John  Glaister,  M.D  Directors — G.  H. 
Gillies,  R.  K.  Philson,  John  Grant,  R.  D.  Donaldson,  Andrew 
Black,  R.S.W.,  and  John  R.  Mirrlees  ;  Past  Presidents,  Robert 
Goodall,  J.  Wilson  Bain,  James  Taylor,  Thomas  Kennedy,  John 
Brown,  and  N.  Macwhannell.  Special  features  of  the  Club  — 
Lectures  and  harmony,  and  to  cultivate  a  knowledge  of  the  Works 
of  Burns  among  school  children,  in  connection  with  which  a  com- 
petition is  held  yearly  and  medals  and  volumes  given  to  the 
successful  competitors.      Membership  limited  to  150. 

No.  119— BONHILL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Federated  1900. 
Secretary,  George  Moir,  75  Dillichip  Loan,  Bonhill. 

No.  120 — BRISTOL  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted  1820.  Federated 
1900.  President,  Alderman  II.  W.  Twigg,  T-P-,  Victoria  Street  ; 
Secretary,  h.  J.  Gardner,  4  St.  Stephen's  Chambers,  Bristol. 
Special  features  of  Club  —Social  ;  benevolent  ;  literary. 

No.  121 -HAMILTON  Junior  Burns  Club.  Instituted  September,  1S86. 
Federated  April,  1901.  Place  of  meeting,  Robert  Bell's,  Union 
Street,  Hamilton.  President,  John  M'Millan,  Chapel  Street, 
Hamilton  ;  Vice-president,  (ames  Brown,  61  Quarry  Street, 
Hamilton  ;  Secretary,  William  Wilson,  27  Duke  Street,  Hamilton  ; 
Treasurer,  John  Stewart  ;  Minute  Secretary,  A.  Thomson  ; 
Steward,  J.  Gourlay.  Committee— A.  Dickson,  A.  Drummond, 
and  R.  Smith.  Special  features  of  Club — Reading  of  essays  on 
various  subjects,  concerts,  competitions,  summer  rambles,  and 
social  evenings. 

No.  122— DARNCONNER  Aird's  Moss  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Fede- 
rated 4th  November,  1 901.  Place  of  meeting,  Sorn  Greyhound 
Inn.  President,  Hugh  Sloan,  Walker  Row,  via  Auchinleck  ; 
Vice-President,  Andrew  Neil,  90  Darnconner,  via  Auchinleck  ; 
Secretary,  Andrew  Stevenson,  Glenlogan,  Mauchline,  Ayrshire. 
Committee — James  Naismith,  Darnconner  ;  John  Morton,  Auchin- 
leck ;  Hugh  Reynolds,  Glenlogan.  Special  features  of  Club — To 
foster  and  encourage  an  interest  in  the  works  of  our  National  Bard. 

No.  123— AUCHINLECK  Boswell  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January, 
1900.  Federated  lOth  Deceml^er,  1901.  Place  and  date  of  meet- 
ing, Boswell  Arms,  last  Saturday  of  every  month,  at  7  p.m. 
Secretary,  Wm.  Hall,  High  House,  Auchinleck. 

No.  124— EDINBURGH  Ninety  Burns  Club.  Instiuted  1890.  Federated 
1892.     ^Place  and  date  of  meeting,  various.       President,    R.    D. 


184 

Giant  M'Laien,  40  Mayfield  Road  ;  Vice-presidfent,  Robert  Burns 
Brown,  30  Barony  Street ;  Sciretary,  G.  \V.  Taylor,  37  George  4th 
Bridsje,  Edinburgh  ;  Treasurer,  John  Munro,  85  Shandwick  Place, 
Edinburgh.  Commillee — l)r  Osier,  J.  Armstrong,  John  Currie, 
James  Hewat,  and  A.  Orrock.  Special  features  of  Club — Annual 
dinner  ;  dance  ;  and  summer  outing. 

No.  125— BLACKBURN-ON-ALMOND  Rabbie  Hums  Club.  Instituted 
1900.  Federated  1902.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Almond  Inn, 
last  Friday  of  month  from  October  to  April.  President,  Alex. 
Gardner,  Knowehead,  Blackburn,  Bathgate;  Vice-president,  David 
Anderson,  Douglas  Buildings,  l^lackburn,  Bathgate  ;  Secretary, 
Samuel  Bostock,  Margaret's  Cottages,  Blackburn,  Bathgate  ; 
Treasurer,  Joseph  Fleming,  Blackburn,  Bathgate  ;  Bard,  David 
Anderson.  Committee — Thomas  Wallace,  Peier  Brunlin,  James 
Robb,  Andrew  Stein,  and  Robert  Carlyle.  Special  features  of 
Club — Annual  supper  on  25th  January  ;  social  last  Friday  in  March, 
with  singing  and  reciting  competitions  on  Hurns's  works  for  school 
children. 

No.  I2b— FALKIRK  Burns  Ciub.  Instituted  1S66.  Federated  1902.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Mathieson's  Rooms,  January  25th,  also  first 
Thursdays  of  April  and  November.  President,  Dr  Dugald 
Mitchell,  J. P.,  Dunoran,  Camelon  ;  Vice-presidents,  Sheriff 
Moffat,  Falkirk,  and  Provost  Christie,  Falkirk  ;  Secretary,  H.  B. 
Watson,  Broompark,  Falkirk  ;  Treasurer,  R.  S.  Aitchison, 
solicitor.  Committee — Major  F.  D.  Fergusson,  R.  H.  Lochhead, 
J. P.,   I).  P.  Black,   F.  Johnston,  J. P.,   T.  C.  Wade,  M.A.,  LL.B. 

No.  127— COWDENBEATH  Haggis  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1903, 
Federated  7th  November,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Foulford  Rooms,  every  alternate  Tuesday,  at  7  p.m.  President, 
William  Miller,  Glenview,  Foulford  Road,  Cowdenbeath  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  John  Bain,  Hall  Street  ;  Sam.  White,  c/o  John  Bain, 
Hall  Street  ;  Secretary,  James  Petrie  Glen,  16  Foulford  Road, 
Cowdenbeath.  Committee — Messrs  D.  Jamieson,  T.  Lark,  H. 
Philip,  and  A.  Campbell. 

No.  128— GLENCAIRN  Burns  Club,  Cowdenbeath.  Instituted  1898. 
Federated  14th  May,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Raith 
Arms  Inn,  at  7  p.m.  on  Thursdays.  President,  David  Smith,  89 
Broad  Street,  Cowdenbeath  ;  Vice-president,  Peter  White, 
Arther's  Place,  Cowdenbeath  ;  Secretary,  Win.  Breingan,  Raith 
Arms  Inn,  Cowdenbeath  ;  Treasurer,  Thomas  P^erguson.  Com- 
mittee— Robert  Geddes,  Alexander  Bonthrone,  John  Banks,  Peter 
Falconer,  and  Richard  Innes.  Special  features  of  the  Club — To 
keep  alive  the  memory  of  Burns  and  the  promotion  of  social  and 
friendly  intercourse  amongst  the  members  and  friends. 

No.  129— GORBALS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1902.  Federated  nth  Tune, 
1903.  President,  Bailie  Archibald  Campbell,  Albert  Drive, 
PoUokshields  ;  Vice-president,  James  Milligan,  2  South  Portland 
Street  ;  Seci-elary,  Andrew  Aitken,  solicitor,  212  Bath  Street, 
Glasgow.  Special  feature  of  Club — To  foster  the  study  of  Burns's 
works. 

No.  130— ROW  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  February,  1902.  Federated 
1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Colquhoun  Arms,  January,  June, 
and  October,  at  8  p.m.  President,  Major  John  M'Farlane,  i 
West   Clyde,     Helensburgh  ;    Vice-presidents,    N.    M.    M'Leod, 


185 

Fiunary,  Shandon  ;  Capt.  G.  S.  Deverell,  R.N. ,  Clyde  Training 
Ship  Empress  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Sloan,  Greenside  Cottage,  Row  ; 
Treasurer,  G.  Walker,  Laggray  Lodge.  Row.  Special  feature  of 
Club — Social  intercourse  amongst  its  members. 
No.  131— NOTTINGHAM  Scottish  Association.  Instituted  October,  1902. 
Federated  November,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Mechanics' 
Institution,  Room  75,  bi-monthly,  Tuesdays,  October  to  March. 
President,  Dr  W.  Hunter,  Bridgeway  House,  Arkwright  Street, 
Nottingham  ;  Vice-presidents,  J.  Crawford,  The  Old  Rectory, 
Bulwell,  and  G.  A.  Mitchell,  275  Woodborough  Road,  Notting- 
ham ;  Secretary,  J.  G.  Simpson,  loi  Portland  Road,  Nottingham  ; 
Treasurer,  G.  E.  Bain,  The  Capital  and  Counties  Bank,  Ltd., 
Market  Place,  Nottingham  ;  Auditors,  T.  H.  Inglis  and 
A.  M'Gougan.  Council — J.  O.  Armour,  J.  Chapman,  J.  Currie, 
Dr  Thomson  Henderson,  iVI.  J.  Kay,  D.  Macadie,  D.  Macgregor, 
].  M'Meeking,  E.  Merson,  Dr  f-  Millar,  N.  C.  Stewart,  Dr 
j.  Watson,  A.  C.  Watt,  A.  VV.  White.  Special  feature  of  Club- 
Social  intercourse  among  members. 

No.  132-— RICCARTON  Kirkstyle  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1904. 
Federated  i6tli  November,  1904.  Secretary,  Arch.  Young,  88 
Campbell  Street,  Riccarton,  Kilmarnock. 

No.  133— NEWARTHILL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  26th  September,  1903. 
Federated  28th  March,  1904.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Miss 
Janet  Wyper's,  last  Saturday  every  month.  President,  John 
Henshaw,  North  Road,'  Newarthill,  Motherwell  ;  Vice-president, 
George  Cook,  Young's  Land,  Newarthill,  Motherwell  ;  Secretary, 
William  Moore,  Braehead  Place,  Newarthill,  Motherwell  ; 
Treasurer,  George  Cook.  Committee— T.  Crombie.  J.  Lafiferty, 
A.  M 'Given,  and  H.  Moore.  Special  feature  of  the  Club — To 
promote  social  intercourse  among  its  members  by  means  of  songs, 
recitations,  essays,  >!s:c. 

No.  134— "THE  HERON"  Burns  Club,  Duntocher.  Instituted  iSth  Nov., 
1897.  Federated  7th  April,  1904.  Secretary,  R.  R.  Chalmers, 
Main  Street,  Duntocher. 

No.  135  — I'ARTICK  Western    Burns  Club.       Instituted    1903.       Federated 

1904.     Place  of  meeting,  Windsor  Restaurant,  Partick.     President, 

Hugh  M'Coll  ;  Vice-president,   Arch.    Ferguson  ;   Secretary,  Jas. 

Gilchrist,  22  Apsley  Street,    Partick  ;  Treasurer,  James  Webster. 

Committee — M.    Bertram,    J.   A.    Biggs,    D.    Ferguson,  I.  Hislop, 

F.    Jones,     J.    M'Barnet,    J.    L.    M'Cay,    B.    C.    M'Donald,    D. 

M'Neish,    D.    Menzies,    A.    Mouat,    Jas.   Newall,    Jno.    Roy,   W. 

A.   Robertson,   D.   Simpson,  Jno.   E.  Shaw,  J.   D.    Smith,  A.  A. 

Stewart,   Jno.   Stewart,    E.  T(iugh,  and  Jas.   Watson,  jr.      Pianist, 

W.  Kirkland,  L.R.A.M. 
No.  136 -HAMILTON  Royal  Oak  Burns  Club      Instituted  1898.     Federated 

6lh  June,   1904.     Secretary,   Robert  Browulie,   7    Downie  Street, 

Lcjwwaters,  Hamilton. 
No.  137— Il'SWICH  Burns  Club.     Instituted    12th   Feb.,    1902.     Federated 

1st   November,    1904.      Place    and   dale    of  meeting,    Fox   Hotel, 

Ipswich,    first  Tuesday    of  every   month,    at  8    p.m.       President, 

Wm.   Morrison  ;    Vice-president,  James  Campbell  ;    Secretary,  S. 

Dobbin,  Fox  Hotel,  Brook  Street,  Ipswich. 
No.  138— CLELAND  Burns  Club.    Instituted  19th  October,  1904.   Federated 

22nd  November,    1904.      Secretary,   Robert   M'Millan,   Hornshill, 

Cleknd. 


18G 

No.  139— NATIONAL  Burns  Club  (Limiled),  Glasgow.  Instituted  1904, 
Federated  1904.  Place  of  meeting,  Club  Rooms,  93  Douglas 
Street.  President,  John  Carmichael,  27  Blythswood  Drive  ; 
Vice-president,  Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  8  Holland  Place; 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Joseph  Martin,  solicitor,  163  West 
George  Street.  Glasgow.  Special  features  of  the  Club — The  pro- 
motion of  the  study  of  Burns's  works  and  Scottish  literature 
generally  ;  the  collection  of  books,  prints,  and  pamphlets  con- 
nected therewith ;  and  social  intercourse,  mutual  helpfulness, 
mental  and  moral  improvement,  and  rational  recreation. 

No.  140— POLLOKSHAWS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1865.  Federated 
1905.  Place  of  meeting,  Burgh  Halls,  Pollokshaws.  President, 
County  Councillor  Andrew  M 'Galium,  35  Harriet  Street  y 
\'icepresident,  George  C.  Mearns,  Auldfield  Place  ;  Secretary, 
James  Milne,  Burgh  Halls,  Pollokshaws. 

No.  141— STONEHOUSE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1904.  Federated  1905. 
I'lace  of  meeting,  Buck's  Head  Inn.  Secretary,  James  Graham, 
58  New  Street,  Stonehouse. 

No.  142— BONNYBRIDGE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  loth  January,  1905. 
Federated  22nd  February,  1905.  Secretary,  John  Towers,  Allan- 
hill  Cottage,  Bonnybridge. 

No.  143 — AIRDRIE  Gateside  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  November,  1904. 
Federated  1st  May,  1905.  Secretary,  Alex.  W.  Ritchie,  Laurel 
Bank,  Queen  Victoria  Street,  Airdrie. 

No.  144— LARBERT  and  STENHOUSEMUIR  Temperance  Burns  Club. 
Instituted  1904.  Federated  1905.  Secretary,  John  Richardson, 
Annslea,  South  Broomage,  Larbert. 

No.  145— GL.\SGOW  Central  Burns  Club  and  Literary  Institute,  Limited. 
Instituted  1905.  Federated  August,  1905,  Place  of  meeting.  42 
Argyle  Street.  Secretary,  W.  D.  M'Laren,  42  Argyle  Street, 
Glasgow. 

No.  146 — DUBLIN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  IQ05.  Federated  1905.  Patron, 
His  Excellency  The  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  K.P.,  K.T.,  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Ireland  ;  President,  Thomas  A.  Stoddart,  16 
Ncrlhumberland  Road  ;  Vice-president,  John  Beatty,  2  Harry 
Street  ;  Seoeiarij,  John  Farquhar,  21  Windsor  Avenue,  Fairview, 
Dublin;  Treasurer,  Alex.  Lyon,  ill  Botanic  Road,  Glasnevin  ; 
Auditors,  Messrs  John  Biggar  and  J.  15.  Taylor. 

No.  147— STONEHOUSE  Haggis  Burns  Club.  Federated  28th  October, 
1905.     Secretaiy,  R.  Whitelaw,  22Camnethan  Street,  Stonehouse. 

No.  148— GREENOCK  Cronies  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1899. 
Federated  9th  November,  1905.  Place  of  meeting,  Artisans'  Hall, 
14  Sugarhouse  Lane  ;  President,  William  Brand,  36  West 
.Stewart  Street  :  Vice-president,  Angus  Mitchell,  West  Burn 
Street  ;  Secretary,  Hugh  Cammack,  28  Lynedoch  Street,  Gree- 
nock ;  Treasurer,  William  Burnside,  25  Bruce  Street.  Special 
features  of  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of  Robert  Burns  and  foster 
a  love  for  his  writings,  and  generally  to  promote  good-fellowship. 

No.  149— ELGIN  Burns  Club.  Resuscitated  1900.  Federated  1905. 
President,  J.  W^  Brodie-Innes  of  Milton- Brodie,  Elginshire  ; 
Vice-presidtnt,  W.  W.  M'Kechnie,   H.M.I..S.,    Elgin;    Secretary, 


187 

John  Foster,  Sheriff-Clerk  of  Elginshire  ;  Treasurer,  John  B. 
iMair,  Chief  Constable,  Elgin.  These  with  a  Committee  manage 
the  Club. 

No.  150— KILMARNOCK  Jolly  Beggars  Barns  Club.  Instituted  1905. 
Federated  1905.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  "  Wee  Thack," 
Grange  Street,  first  Monday  of  each  month.  Hon.  Presidents, 
Arch.  Laird,  Alex.  Kerr,  and  Robert  Orr  ;  President,  Andrew 
Sinclair,  P.C,  65  M'Lelland  Drive  ;  Vice-president,  James  Queay, 
10  Gibson  Street  ;  Secieiary,  R.  J.  Green,  58  Park  Street  ; 
Treasurer,  Samuel  Neil,  The  Grange.  Special  features  of  the 
Club— To  celebrate  the  Anniversary  of  the  Poet's  birthday; 
rambles  through  the  land  of  Barns  from  May  till  August 
inclusive  ;  and  lectures  during  the  months  of  September  to  April 
inclusive. 

No.  151— OLD  KILPATRICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  20th  January,  1896. 
Tederated  20th  January,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Gentles 
Hall,  every  month,  at  8  p.m.  President,  Thomas  Struthers, 
Station  House,  Old  Kilpatrick  ;  Vice-president,  Thos.  Kempton, 
Bankside,  Old  Kilpatrick  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Smith,  Maryville, 
Old  Kilpatrick  ;  Treasurer,  Mr  John  Brock,  Dalnotter  Terrace, 
Old  Kilpatrick.  Committee — James  Paton,  James  Retson,  James 
M'Carlie,  Alex.  Mann,  James  Heron,  Wm.  Gallacher,  Robert 
Newlands,  and  John  Struthers  Special  features  of  the  Club — A 
course  of  lectures  ;  children's  competition,  same  as  last  winter,  to 
be  held  in  Gavinburn  Public  School,  Old  Kilpatrick,  at  the  end  of 
1910,  for  boys  and  girls^four  stages,  from  6  to  16  years  of  age. 

No.  J52^HAMILTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1877.  Federated  1906. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Commercial  Plotel,  monthly  during 
winter.     Secretary,  Peter  Anderson,  Rowanlea,  Hamilton. 

No,  153--GLASGOW  Scottish  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1904. 
Federated  27th  February,  1906.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting, 
Waddell's  Rooms,  60  Union  Street,  Glasgow,  first  Thursday  of 
month.  President,  John  Wilson,  83  Jamaica  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Vice-presidents,  Dr  James  Devon,  6  Cathedral  Square,  Glasgow, 
and  .Mr  J.  S.  Gilchrist,  20  Marlborough  Gardens,  Old  Cathcart  ; 
Secretary,  W.  Robertson  Wilson,  6  Ralston  Drive,  Ibrox, 
Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  George  A.  Duncan,  9  Wendover  Crescent, 
Mount  Florida.  Special  features  of  the  Club — Lectures  on  Burns, 
also  songs  of  the  Bard  and  kindred  subjects. 

No.  154— JOHANNESBURG  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Federated 
1906.  Secretary,  Richard  Rusk,  solicitor.  Natal  Bank  Buildings, 
Market  Square,  Johannesburg. 

No.  155— EAST  STIRLINGSHIRE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January, 
1903.  Federated  1st  September,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meet- 
ing, Cross  Roads  Inn,  Bainsford,  quarterly.  President,  John 
Duncan  Silcock,  13  Gordon  Terrace,  Carron  Road,  P'alkirk  ;  Vice- 
president,  William  Galliraith,  85  M'Callum  Terrace,  Carron  Road, 
Falkirk;  Secretary,  Alexander  Glen,  12  Gordon  Terrace,  Carron 
Road,  Falkirk  ;  Treasurer,  James  M 'Williams.  Committee — 
John  Dow,  James  Adams,  George  Taylor,  Robert  C.  Young, 
and  Alexarder  Cruickshanks.  Special  features  of  Club— To  foster 
and  maintain  an  intimate  and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  life  and 
works  of  Burns;  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  his  birth  in  supper, 
song,  and  sentiment  ;  and  to  propagate  and  encourage  a  kindly, 
social,  anil  brotherly  feeling  one  towards  an(Jtlier. 


188 

No.  156-NKWCASTLE  and  TVNESIDE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1864. 
Federated  4th  October,  1906.  I'lace  of  meetinij,  Central  Exchange 
Hotel.  President,  Dr  R.  Anderson,  4  Gladstone  Terrace, 
Gateshead  ;  Vice-president,  I).  N.  Brims,  Springbank,  lienwell  ; 
Secretary,  W.  H.  Blackstock,  22  Nelson  Street,  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne  ;  Treasurer,  William  Mawvell,  80  Osborne  Koad,  Newcastle- 
on-Tyne.  Special  features  of  Club— Keepini;  m  lourh  with  Burns 
and  fostering  the  spirit  "  Shall  brithers  be  for  a'  tliat." 

No.  157— BAILLIESTON  CALEDONIAN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1901. 
Federated  sih  October,  1905.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Free 
Gardeners"  Hall,  .Main  Sueet,  first  Tuesday  of  each  month. 
President,  Jas.  Adams,  68a  Main  Street,  Baillieslon  ;  Vice- 
president,  [as.  Russell,  152  Main  Street,  Bailliesion.  Secre- 
tary, Charles  Paterson,  37  Muirside  Road,  Baillieston  ;  Treasurer, 
Peter  Greenshields.  Committee— G.  Tait,  T.  VVaugh,  T.  Glen, 
J.  Young,  T.  Reid,  and  D.  Macfarlane.  Special  ieatures  of  the 
Club — To  encourage  the  cultivation  of  a  belter  knowledge  in  this 
place  of  Robert  Burns  and  his  Works,  and  to  celebrate  the 
anniversary  of  his  birth  in  supper,  song,  and  sentiment. 

No.  158-  DARLINGTON  Burns  Association,  Instituted  8th  March,  1906. 
Federated  i8th  October,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Temperance  Institute,  average  monthly  during  winter,  no  fixed 
night.  President,  Philip  Wood,  M.A.,  Grammar  School,  Darling- 
ton; Vice-presidents,  Wm.  Foster,  J. P.,  Elmbank  ;  John 
Henderson,  Albert  Road  Schools  ;  and  John  M.  Gait,  4  West 
Park  Road,  Woodlands  ;  Secretary,  R.  M.  Liddell,  37  Langholm 
Crescent.  Special  features  of  the  Club — Series  of  lectures,  to 
which  friends  (including  ladies)  are  invited  ;  annual  Scottish 
concert  ;  annual  social  gathering  ;  Anniversary  dinner. 

No.  169 — WALKER  (Newcaslle-on-Tyne)  Burns  Club.  Federated  Nov.  nth, 
1906.  President,  John  M'Kay,  679  Welbeck  Road,  Walker-on- 
Tyne.  Secretary,  Hy.  F.  Caldwell,  371  Welbeck  Road,  Walker- 
on-Tyne  ;  Treasurer,  R.  M'Rory,  25  Eastburn  Gardens,  Walker- 
on-Tyne.  Special  features  of  Club— To  iJroinote  social  intercourse 
among  its  members  by  means  of  songs,  recitations,  essays,  lectures, 
Scotch  concerts,  annual  supper  ;  summer  months,  bowling  compe- 
titions, etc. 

No.  160— WHITBURN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  23td  February,  1906. 
Federated  November,  1906.  Secretary,  Allan  Johnston,  Lea 
.Street,  Whitburn. 

No.  161 -CHARLESTON  Burns  Club,  Paisley.  Instituted  1905.  Federated 
1906.  Place  and  time  of  meeting,  17  Stevenson  Street,  at  8.30 
p.m.  President,  Joseph  T.  Howard,  Hazclbank,  Elderslie  ;  Vice- 
presidents.  James  Welsh,  Ardenlea,  Elderslie,  and  Alex.  C.  Millar, 
10  Hillview,  Paisley  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Fleming,  Nevvhall  Villas, 
Glenfield,  Paisley.  Committee — W.  A.  Nelson,  Alex.  Smith, 
James  Hamilton,  Hugh  Black,  and  Hugh  Young.  Special 
features  of  Club —To  propagate  the  knowledge  of  Burns's  writings 
in  the  district. 

No.  162— PLY.MOUTH  and  District  Caledonian  Society  Burns  Club. 
Instituted  8th  February,  1898.  Federated,  8th  March,  1907. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Oddfellows'  Hall,  as  arranged. 
President,  James  Thain,  "  Bon  Accord,"'  II  Craven  Avenue, 
Plymouth  ;     Vice-president,    James    Common,    8    Lockyer    Road, 


189 

Mannamead,  Plymouth.  Secretary,  P.  Robertson,  6  Norman 
Avenue,  Devonport.  Committee — Wm.  Johnston,  J-  Masson, 
J.  Stewart  Hamihon,  J-  Lindsay,  P.  PI.  •  Allan,  G.'  II.  Clark, 
and  G.  Allan.  Special  features  of  the  Club— Social  intercourse 
among  the  members,  and  the  celebration  of  Robert  Burns's 
birthday. 

No.  163— GATESHEAD  and  District  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted  1887. 
Federated  1907.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel,  first 
Thursday  of  the  month.  President,  Mr  T.  Hetherington,  3  St. 
Edmund  Place;  Vice-president,  A.  Bennett,  40  Rothbury  Terrace, 
Heaton,  Newcastle  ;  Secretary,  D.  Bain,  13  Denmark  Street, 
Gateshead.  Committee— T.  Thompson,  D.  Morrison,  and  G. 
Porter. 

No.  164— KINNING  PARK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1881.  Federated  1907. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Masonic  Hall,  Rutland  Crescent, 
second  Wednesday  of  month.  President,  William  Dickie,  8 
Walmer  Terrace,  Ibrox  ;  Vice-president,  John  M'Lachlan,  104 
Middleton  Street,  Ibrox  ;  Secretary,  Thomas  Deans,  7  Broomhall 
Street,  Kinning  Park.  Committee— Thomas  Taylor,  R.  S. 
Gordon,  Neil  Downie,  Wm.  C.  Robertson,  Wm.  Walker,  James 
Miller,  James  Mason,  and  Wm.  Lockerbie.  Special  features  of 
Club — Competition  amongst  school  children  for  singing  and  recit- 
ing works  of  Scottish  poets;  lectures  during  the  year  on  Scottish 
literature  ;  holding  of  Burns's  natal  day  ;  and  social  intercourse 
amongst  members. 

No.  165— WALLSEND  Burns  Club.  Federated  18th  April,  1907.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Station  Hotel,  third  Wednesday  of  each 
month,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  Jno.  Macdonald,  10  Laburnum 
Avenue  ;  Vice-president,  Jno.  Campbell,  9  Laburnum  Avenue  ; 
Secretaiy,  Robert  Johnson,  31  Curzon  Road  ;  Treasurer,  Charles 
Scott.  98  Laburnum  Avenue.  Special  features  of  Club — To 
associate  Scotsmen  and  all  admirers  of  Burns  ;  to  cultivate  social 
and  intellectunl  intercourse  and  the  preservation  of  Scottish  songs, 
manners,  customs,  and  affairs,  and  other  kindred  purposes  among 
the  members  and  friends. 

No.  166 -CLEVELAND  SCOTTISH  ASSOCIATION  Burns  Club. 
Instituted  November,  1906.  Federated  September,  1907.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Devonport  Hotel,  fortniglitly  meetings 
(Wednesdays).  President,  Alderman  Forbes,  Old  Ormesby,  near 
Middlesbrough  ;  Vice-president,  Councillor  Crombie,  Linthorpe, 
Middlesbrough.  Secretary,  A.  Wallace,  6  Royal  Exchange, 
Middlesbrough;  Treasurer,  J.  Wilson;  Chairman  of  committee, 
.A.  Rutherford.      Special  features  of  Club  — Leciures,  concerts,  &c. 

No.  167— BIRMINGHAM  Burns  Club.  Instiiuled  I3ih  January,  1906. 
Federated  I3ih  November,  1907.  Place  r>f  meeting,  Imperial 
Hole],  Temple  Street.  President,  Thomas  Martin  Shjan,  15 
Weatheroak  Road,  Sparkhill  ;  Vice-presidents,  Donald  MTntosh, 
31  City  Arcade,  and  Dr  Esslemont,  i  Deritend  ;  Secretary,  Wm. 
Anderson,  3,  4,  and  5  Wrottesley  Street,  Birmingham;  Hon. 
Assistant  Secretary,  D.  B.  Gray.  11  Dean  Road,  Erdington  ; 
Hon.  Treasurer,  R.  M'Kenzie,  10  Reservoir  Retreat.  Special 
features  of  the  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of  Robert  Burns,  Scot- 
land's National  Poet,  to  foster  a  love  for  his  writings,  to  celebrate 
the  Anniversary  of  his  birthday  by  a  Social  Festival,  and  generally 
encourage   a   taste   for  Scottish   songs  and  literature  ;  to  promote 


190 

friendly   nnd    social    intercourse    amonjjst    Scotsmen    resident    in 
Birmingham  and  district. 

No.  i6S— RICCARTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  7tli  February,  1877. 
Federated  14th  January,  190S.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting.  Com- 
mercial Inn,  Wednesday  and  Saturday.  President,  John  P. 
Dickson,  editor,  Kilmarnock  S/aiidan/ \  \'ice-president,  fames  P. 
Moir  ;  Seoefary,  James  P.  Moir,  45  Campbell  Street,  Riccarton. 
Committee— Ex-Presidents  Adam  Mackay,  ex-Bailie  M'Graw, 
ex-Bailie  Burnett,  D.  K.  Porter,  R.  Wyllie,  John  Williamson,  and 
Geo.  Cunningham.  Special  features  of  Club— Social  intercourse  ; 
to  spread  and  become  familiar  with  the  Poet's  works. 

No.  169— GLASGOW  District  Association  of  Burns  Clubs  and  Kindred 
Societies.  Instituted  8th  November,  1907.  Federated  1908. 
Place  of  meeting.  National  Burns  Club.  President,  Rev.  James 
Forrest,  M.A.,  8  Holland  Place  ;  Vice-presidents,  James  liallan- 
line,  83  Renfield  Street,  and  Alex.  Pollock.  52  West'  Nile  Street  ; 
Secretary,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  writer,  109  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 
Committee— a".  C.  Alston  (Rulherglen),  John  Burns  (Nitshill), 
John  Carmichael  (National),  Robert  Carmichael  (Albany),  P.  M'A. 
Carrick  (Clarinda),  Arch.  Clark  (Hamilton),  Alex.  M'Kenzie 
(Tarn  o'  Shanter),  John  Neilson  (Thornliebank),  Jas.  Tudhope 
Tho<.  Struthers  (Old  Kilpatrick),  Laurence  Watt  (Barns  o' 
Clyde),  John  Wilson  (Scottish).  Special  features  of  Club — To 
further  the  interest  of  the  Burns  cult  by  promoting  closer  union 
between  the  clubs  in  the  district  and  bringing  the  members  of 
these  clulis  into  more  harmonious  relationship,  and  to  take  the 
initiative  in  instituting  and  recommending  movements  likely  to  be 
beneficial  to  the  cult. 

No.  170— LARKHALL  TFHSTLK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  November, 
1906.  Federated  i8lh  April  1908.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Victoria  Bar,  every  Saturday  at  7.30.  Hon.  president,  William 
Marton,  Victoria  Bar  ;  Hon.  \'ice-president,  Robert  M'Dowall  ; 
President,  John  Fleming,  Duke  Street  ;  Vice-president,  Thomas 
M'Ghie,  6  High  Miller  St.  Secretary,  John  Crozier,  48  Mont- 
gomery Street,  Larkhall  ;  Treasurer,  William  Nicol,  125  Machan 
Street.  Special  features  of  Club — To  encourage  the  members  to 
take  greater  interest  in  the  Works  of  Burns. 

No.  171  -CHATTANOOGA  Burns  Society,  Tenn.,  U.S.A.  Instituted  25th 
lanuary,  1908.  i^derated  2nd  June,  1908.  Secretary,  Robert  B. 
Cooke,  1005  James'  Buildings,  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  U.S.A. 

No.  172— OREGON  Burns  Club,  Portland,  Oregon,  U.S.A.  Instituted  25th 
January,  1908.  Federated  12th  November,  1908.  Secretary,  A. 
Gavin,  1201  William's  Avenue,  Piedmont,  Portland,  Oregon, 
U.S.A. 

No.  I73~IRVINE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1826.  Federated  i8th  Nov- 
ember, 1908.  President,  William  Mitchell,  M.A.,  W^oodhall, 
Irvine  ;  Vice-president,  W.  G.  M'Andrew,  M.A.,  Netherwood. 
Secreiaiy,  Robert  Boyd,  B. L. ,  Bellevue,  Irvine  ;  Treasurer, 
Robert  F.  Longmuir,  Roseville. 

No.  174 -ARDROSSAN  Castle  Burns  Club.  Federated  November,  1908. 
Place  of  meeting,  Lesser  Assemliiy  Rooms.  President,  Rev.  J. 
Kirkland  Cameron,  the  Manse,  Ardrossan  ;  Vice-presidents, 
Bailie  H.  Flinn,  Glasgow  Street,  and  James  Galloway,  Princes 
Street  ;     Secretary,     William     .Adam,     Craigview,     High    Street, 


191 

Ardrossan  ;  Treasurer,  James  Tyre  ;  Auditor,  William  Shearer, 
Union  Bank.  Committee — William  Tannock,  Robert  Brown.  J. 
C.  Wilson,  William  Muirhead,  and  William  Gibson. 

No.  175— MEIKLE  EARNOCK  Original  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1906. 
Federated  1908.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Mr  John  Craig's, 
Meikle  Earnock,  first  Friday  of  each  month,  at  6.30  p.m.  Presi- 
dent, Richard  II.  Sneddon,  Hazelbank,  Strathaven  Road, 
Hamilton  ;  Vice-President,  William  Kerr,  Eddlevvood  Buildings  ; 
Secretary,  William  Lawson,  8  School  Street,  Lowwaters, 
Mamilion  ;  Assistant  Secretary,  William  Lindsay,  Woodhead, 
Neilsland.  Special  features  of  the  Club — To  keep  ever  green  the 
memory  of  Scotia's  greatest  son,  and  disseminate  the  principles 
he  strived  to  inculcate. 

No.  176— RENFREW  Burns  Club.  Federated  28th  December,  1908. 
President,  John  M'Laren,  Houston  Terrace  ;  Vice-president, 
Archibald      Shearer,      The     Homestead.  Secretary,      Ludovic 

Buchanan,  The  Shelling,  Renfrew. 

No.  177— PRESTWTCK    Burns     Club.       Federated     17th    January,     1909. 

President,   ex-Bailie    Cochrane;    Vice  president,    T.    I.    Fleming; 

Secretary,  D.   S.  Govan,   Dalmeny,   Prestwick  ;5  Treasurer,  Robert 

Mitchell,  Caerlaverock  Road. 
No.  178— KILMARNOCK  Begbie's  Burns  Club.    Instituted  20th  Jan.,  1909. 

Federated    20th   Jan.,    1909.       Place    of   meeting,    Begliie's   Inn. 

President,    Wm.    Johnston,   John    Finnie   Street  ;    Vice-president, 

Tohn     Douglas,    artist.     King    Street  ;    Secretary,    David    Edgar, 

Technical  School,  Kilmarnock. 

No.  179— DAILLY  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted  22nd  January, 
1909.  Federated  22nd  January,  1909.  Place  of  meeting.  King's 
Arms  Hotel.  President,  Robt.  Smith,  Schoolhouse,  Dailly ; 
Vice-president,  Robt.  Cook,  Woodside  Cottage,  Dailly.  Secretary, 
Samuel  M 'Bride,  Dalquharran,  by  Maybole.  Committee — 
Thomas  Dykes,  Samuel  M'Blain,  and  Hugh  M'CuUoch.  Special 
feature  of  Club — Celebration  of  the  Poet's  birthday. 

No.  180— (jL.\SGOW  Tollcross  Burns  Club.  Instituted  November,  190S. 
Federated  13th  February,  1909.  Place  and  time  of  meeting, 
varied.  President,  James  Williamson,  Greenfield  House,  Upper 
Dunlop  Street,  Tollcross  ;  Vice-president,  Robert  R.  Robertson, 
Rozelle,  Mount  Vernon  ;  Secretary,  Walter  Clarke,  Trainard 
Terrace,  Tollcross.  Special  features  of  Club— Monthly  meetings  ; 
tatiie  and  herrin'.  Burns  anniversary,  and  beef  and  greens 
dinners  ;    also  schools  competition. 

No.  iSi— GLASGOW  Primrose  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1901.  Federated 
1909.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Arcade  Cafe,  25th  January. 
President,  John  Russell,  18  Paul  Street;  Vice-president,  J.  II. 
Dennistoun,  2  Woodlands,  Langside  :  .Secretary,  Geo.  R.  Hunter, 
30  Ronald  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  Matthew  Reid,  82  Dundas 
Street;  ex-President,  Thomas  Muir,  141  Dundas  Street. 

No.  182— STANE  (Shotts)  Mos.sgiel  Burns  Club.  Instituted  12th  Feb.,  1908. 
Federated  26th  F"eb.,  1909.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Stane 
Hotel,  first  Wednesday  of  month,  7  30  p  m.  Presidents,  Alex. 
Barr,  Stane  Hotel,  and  Andrew  Barrie,  Southdyke  Farm,  Shotts  ; 
\'ice-presidents,  William  Cairns,  15  Torbothie,  and  James  Cairns, 
13  Torbothie,  Stane,  Shotts  ;  Secretary,  Mr  Alex.  Walker,  i  Char- 


192 

lotte  Street,  Stane,  Shotts  ;  Treasurer,  Archd.  Williams,  Manse 
Road,  Stane,  Shotts.  Special  features  of  Club — Hold  meetings  of 
Club  every  month  to  discuss  Poet's  life  and  works,  celebrate  the 
Anniversary  and  Hallowe'en  festivals,  and  to  have  a  public  lecture 
annually. 

No.  1S3— LONfDOXDERRY  Burns  Club  Caledonian  Society.  Federated 
Itlth  June,  1909.  Place  of  meeting,  Gowdie's  Temperance 
Hotel.  President,  D.  C.  Hogg,  Victoria  Park  ;  Vice- 
president,  Jolin  Howatt,  Great  James  Street;  Secretary, 
Jas.  C.  Scrimgeour,  3  Sunnyside  Terrace.  Committee— Thos. 
D.  Graham  and  Alex.  Wightman.  Special  feature  of  Club — A 
subscripti'iU  and  entry  fee  is  made,  whereby  Scotchmen  in 
poor  and  necessitious  circumstances  may  be  relieved. 

No.  184— BLAIRADAM  Shanter  Burns  Club.  Instituted  2l8t  August, 
1907.  Federated  •28th  August,  1909.  Place  and  date  of  meet- 
ing, Blairadani  Tavern,  on  Mondays,  at  7  p.m.  President, 
John  Ramsay,  Swauley  Cottage,  Kelty  ;  Vice-president, 
William  Morton,  35  Adams"  Terrace,  Kelty  ;  Secretary,  George 
Ireland,  Old  Office  Road,  Kelty  ;  Treasurer,  Thos.  Hunter. 
Committee — John  Miliar,  Thos.  Hunter.  Thos.  Sneddon,  Rob. 
Storrar,  Will.  Hell,  and  Will.  Clark.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Readings,  recitations,  songs,  and  friendly  and  homely  Club. 

No.  1S5— BURTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  December,  1908.  Federated 
15th  November,  1909.  Presi(lei:t,  John  T.  C.  Eadie,  J. P., 
Newton-Solney  ;  Vice-president,  Dr  Docherty,  Branstone  Road  ; 
Secretary,  Geo.  Rae,  85  Belvedere  Road,  Burton-on-Trent. 
Committee  — R.  N.  Robertson,  J.  P.  M'Intyre,  J.  Green,  J.  J, 
Anderson,  R.  F.  Paterson,  A.  Skinner,  J.  B.  Johnstone,  A.  J. 
M'Vicar,  J.  Millar,  and  J.  L.  Thompson.  Special  feature  of 
('lub  — To  foster  a  love  fnr  our  National  Poet  in  the  hearts  of 
all  Scotsmen  in  the  tiistrict. 

No.  186— KILMARNOCK  Glencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1909. 
Federated  1909.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Bridge  Inn, 
Robertson  Place,  Kilmarnock,  second  Friday  of  each  month. 
President,  James  Gilmour,  22  Arbuckle  Street ;  Vice-president, 
D^vid  Burns,  9  Arbuckle  Street ;  Secretary,  Austen  M.  Turnbull, 
Sillerbitha,  Wellington  Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Treasurer,  John 
Smith.  Committee — Arch.  M'Gregor,  Harry  Fingland,  Neil 
Craig,  W^in.  Strain,  .John  M'Gregor.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Pleading  papers  on  Burns  at  the  monthly  meetings  ;  celebrating 
the  Poet's  birth  in  .January  ;  and  to  do  whatever  lies  in  our 
power  to  uphold  the  name  and  works  of  Robert  Burns. 

No.  187— GAL.\SHIELS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1908.  Federated  6th 
December,  1909.  Place  of  meeting.  Burgh  Buildings,  Galashiels. 
Hon.  President,  Sir  John  N.  Bairan,  Bart.,  M.P.  ;  President, 
Philip  Sullev,  F.S.A.,  F.H.H.S.,  83  .High  Street  ;  Vice- 
prebidents,  A.  L.  Brown,  A.  J.  Craig,  and  H.  S.  Murray  ; 
Secretary,  Philip  SuUey,  F.S.A.,  F.R.H.S.,  83  High  Street, 
(ialashiels  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  Hugh  Murray,  63  Channel  Street. 
Committee— J.  Watson,  H.  Tait,  1).  Hislop,  W.  Young,  P. 
M'E^van,  J.  Crawford,  H.  Blanche,  W.  Patterson,  A.  Noble, 
\V.  GiVison.  L.  Lennox,  G.  Elliot,  G.  P.  Sanderson,  and  C. 
Cover. 


.J.  .Maxwkll  &  So.x,  Printers  and  Lithos.,  Uunifriea. 


ANNUAL 


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No.  XX. 
January,  1911 


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CONTENTS. 


A  Sketch  of  Scottish   Literature  from  the  Earhest  Times 

—  JVm.  M'llwraith                    -                    -          -          -  5 

The   Restoration   of  the    Auld    Brig   o'    Ayr— James   A. 

Morris    -         -          -          -         -          -          -          -          -  27 

The  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr  :  Re-opening  Ceremony         -         -  34 

"  Doctor  Hornbook  " — William   Yonug^  R.S.IV.     -  51 
Ayr  Auld  Brig  :    List  of  Subscriptions  by  Burns  Clubs, 

Scottish  Societies,  and  Burns  Federation           -         -  54 

"  Honest  Allan  "  (conchided) — Edivard  Pinniiigtoii           -  62 

Burns  and  Jamaica         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  77 

American   Appreciations  of  Burns — A.  C.   White   -         -  'i^ 

Burns's  Stewarton   Relatives  :    Memorial  Unveiled          -  92 

Reviews         ---------  gg 

The  "  Merry  Muses ''   Again           -          .         _         -         -  105 

Club  Notes   -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  i2o 

Notes  and  Queries        -         -                  -         -         -         -  136 

Annual  Meeti;ig  of  Federation      -  -         -         -149 

Club  Directory       -         -         -         -                   -         -  157 


PREFACE. 


This  number  marks  the  completion  of  twenty  years  since  the 
Chroinch'  came  into  existence,  for  the  greater  part  of  which 
period  its  success  was  the  result  r)f  the  work  of  few  hands. 

Now  that  the  [)ublication  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Federation 
as  a  whole,  it  is  incumbent  on  the  Clubs  to  look  to  its  future 
froui  both  the  commercial  and  literary  points  of  view. 

The  Editor  again  thanks  his  contributors  and  the  members 
of  the  Special  Committee  who  have  taken  such  a  lively  interest 
in  the  present  issue. 


BeNKIG,    KlLMAUKS, 

January   17th,    1911. 


A  SKETCH  OF  SCOTTISH   LITERATURE 
FROM   THE   EARLIEST  TIMES. 

CHAPTER     VII. 


EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY. 

HAVING  now  brought  this  .sketch  to  the  threshold  of  the 
renowned  Poet  who  exercised  so  great  an  influence  on 
the  poetical  literature  of  Scotland,  I  shall  briefly  revert  to  one  of 
his  poetic  contemporaries  who  was  born  in  the  same  year,  and 
survived  him  for  the  long  period  of  forty  years. 

John    Mayne   was   born   in    Dutnfries   in    1759,  but  had  left 
that  town  some  time  before  Burns  took  up  his  abode  there.     In 

his  youth  Mayne   went   to   Glasgow   as   a  com- 
Tohn  Mayne,  .       ,  .  ,  , 

positors  apprentice,  subsequently  removing  to 
London,  where  he  became  proprietor  and  joint- 
editor  of  the  Star  newspaper.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
published  the  nucleus  of  his  chief  poem,  the  "  Siller  Gun,"  in  a 
quarto  page  of  twelve  stanzas,  which  he  continued  to  reconstruct 
and  improve  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1836.  The  final 
edition,  in  five  cantos,  was  published  in  that  year,  and  it  has 
continued  to  be  the  ^andard  edition  ever  since.  The  "  Siller 
Gun  "  is  a  witty  descriptive  poem,  after  the  style  of  "  Peblis  to  the 
Play  "  and  Fergusson's  "  Leith  Races,"  and  has  long  been  valued 
as  a  record  of  an  ancient  custom  once  popular  in  the  author's  birth- 
place. The  poem  describes  a  shooting  competition  for  a  little  silver 
gun,  which  had  been  presented  to  Dumfries  by  James  VI.  Sir 
Walter  Scott  thought  it  superior  to  Fergusson,  and  that  it  came 
nearer  to  Burns  than  any  of  the  effort >;  of  his  immediate  pre- 
decessors;  and  to  Mayne's  further  credit  his  poetical  efforts  did 


not  begin  and  end  here.  He  wrote  some  spirited  verses  on  the 
time-honoured  customs  of  Hallowe'en,  which  were  first  published 
in  Ruddimans  Weekly  Magazine  in  1780,  the  same  periodical 
which  brought  the  early  efforts  of  Robert  Fergusson  before  the 
Edinburgh  public  some  ten  years  previously.  In  "  Hallowe'en  " 
Mayne  delineates  in  Inmiorous  fashion  the  su[)erstitious  and  half- 
forgotten  customs  in  use  amongst  the  young  of  both  sexes  on 
Hallow  Eve  respecting  their  matrimonial  prospects.  In  the 
language  of  the  author — 

"  Showing  I10W  to  ken  their  matrimonial  male, 
The  youngsters  keen 
Search  a'  the  dark  decrees  o'  fate 
At  Hallowe'en." 

This  poem,  which  is  still  well  worth  perusal,  is  believed  to 
have  suggested  to  Burns  his  witty  and  vivacious  poem  bearing 
the  same  title  in  which  he,  too,  sets  forth  in  happiest  vein  the 
merriment  and  superstitious  credulity  connected  with  an  old-time 
institution  which  is  rapidly  dying  out. 

Mayne  also  wrote  a  poem  entitled  "  Glasgow,"  which  was 
published  in  1803,  and  which  was  at  one  time  exceedingly  popular. 
These  constitute  the  author's  principal  narrative  poems,  but  it  is 
evident  from  the  "  W'inter  Sat  Lang''  and  "Logan  Braes"  that 
he  was  not  devoid  of  lyrical  gifts.  His  best  and  most  popular 
poem  is  "  Logan  Braes,"  set  to  the  tune  of  "  Logan  Water." 
The  tune  of  "  Logan  Water "  is  thought  to  belong  to  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  was  originally  attached  to  verses  of  a 
rather  indelicate  character.  Upwards  of  four  years  after  the 
appearance  of  "  Logan  Braes,"  Burns,  who  had  heard  the  tune, 
adopted  the  musical  form,  and  was  induced  to  write  for  it  his 
well-known  stanzas  of  "  Logan  Water." 

Having  noticed  the  more  important  individuals   comprising 

the  dynasty  of  vernacular  poets,  we  now  come  to  the  one  Scottisii 

Poet  who  is  best  known  to  those  who  may  not 
Robert  Burns,       ,  ,        ,     .  .  ,    ,  ,  ... 

have  closely  investigated  the  complete  circle  ot 
1759-1796.         ^        .  ,         .  ,  , 

Scottish    writers  and  poets.      In   most  countries 

which  have  a  literary   reputation  there   is   usually  one   poet    who 

stands  out  above  the  rest,  as  .Shakespeare  in  England,  Moliere  in 


France,  Dante  in  Italy,  Goethe  in  Germany,  -Burns  in  Scotland  ; 
but  perhaps  in  none  of  these  countries  has  the  dominant  poet  so 
completely  overshadowed  all  the  rest  as  this  Poet  of  Scotland, 
This  has  given  rise  to  the  popular  fiction  so  frequently  found  in 
the  mind  of  the  average  Englishman  that  Burns  is  the  only  Poet 
of  whom  Scotland  can  boast.  Indeed,  this  idea  seems  to  have 
been  one  which  loomed  largely  in  the  mind  of  the  late  W.  E, 
Henley,  till  the  reverse  was  revealed  to  him  in  the  course  of  his 
researches  into  Scottish  literature  while  assisting  to  prepare  the 
Centenary  Edition  of  the  Poet's  works. 

From  his  famous,  but  erratic  and  ill-balanced  essay  entitled 
"  Burns's  Life,  Genius,  Achievements,"  it  is  evident  that  though 
face  to  face  with  historical  facts  his  preconceived  notions  on  the 
subject  died  hard,  for  instead  of  frankly  acknowledging  this  new 
revelation  he  did  not  hesitate  to  wound  the  susceptibilities  of 
Burns's  countrymen  by  giving  expression  to  covert  insinuations 
ngainst  the  character  of  their  dead  hero.  From  no  other  critic, 
perhaps,  was  uncharitableness  less  becoming,  and  none  knew 
better  than  he  that  in  the  case  of  authors  it  is  specially  true  "  that 
the  evil  they  do  lives  after  them — the  good  is  oft  interred  with 
their  bones."  As  Henley's  essay  has  already  been  dealt  with  in 
the  Burns  Chronicle,  no  detailed  criticism  of  it  need  be  made  here. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  mere  fact  of  Burns  being  able,  on 
his  literary  side,  to  eclipse  so  many  writers  in  the  same  field  who 
have  been  dealt  with  in  previous  chapters,  is  sufficient  evidence 
of  his  unrivalled  originality  and  force  of  genius.  The  principal 
facts  in  the  life  of  Burns  are  so  well  known  that  they  need  not  be 
dwelt  on  at  length.  Indeed,  the  literature  which  has  grown  up  in 
the  wake  of  Burns  is  of  such  huge  dimensions  that  it  is  apt  to 
confuse  and  render  concentration  perplexing  and  difficult.  The 
Poet  was  born  on  the  25th  of  January,  1759,  at  Alloway,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Ayr,  amid  the  frost  and  snow  of  a  Scottish  winter,  and 
in  a  cottage  built  by  his  father,  who  was  a  farmer  of  the  poorest 
class.  A  few  days  after  the  child  was  born  the  gable  of  the  auld 
clay  biggin'  fell,  and  the  mother  and  child  had  to  take  refuge  in  a 
jieighbour's    house.      The   storm    which    then    broke   upon    the 


infant  brow  foreshadowed  to  some  extent  the  tempestuous  future 

that  was  in  store  for  him. 

It  is  more  than  probable  that   Burns  had  a  well-defined  line 

of  intellectual  ancestors,  and  that  nature,  in  her  secret  resources, 

had  long  been  preparing  for  his  advent  so  that  he  might  take  his 

place  on  the  world's  stage  in  due  season.     On  both  his  father 

and  his  mother's  side  he  belonged  to  a  class  of  substantial  Scottish 

husbandmen  or  yeomen.      In  the  Poet's  autobiographical  letter 

to  Dr  John  Moore,  the  distinguished  physician  and  author,  which 

covers  the  most  important  period  of  Burns's  life,  he  makes  many 

playful  allusions  to  his  own  life  and  that  of  his  family.     While 

there  is  no  perversion  of  facts,  it  is  well  to  make  allowance  for  the 

play  of  the  poetic  imagination  which  may  be  read  between  the 

lines.     What  a  charming  and  instructive  human   document  this 

sketch    would    have    been    had    the     Poet    carried    it    over    the 

subsequent    nine    years    of   his   life    in   the   same    playful    spirit. 

"  When  at  Edinburgh  last  winter,"  he  says,  "  I  got  acquainted  at 

the  Herald  Ofifice,  and  looked  through  the  granary  of  honours.     I 

there  found  almost  every  name  in  the  kingdom,  but  for  me" — 

"  My  ancient  but  ignoble  blood 

Mas  crept  thro'  scoundrels  since  the  flood." 

If  we  trace  the  Poet's  family  no  further  back  than  his 
grandfather,  akso  named  Robert  Burnes,  about  the  year  1700,  he 
and  his  four  brothers  were  sufificiently  wealthy,  it  seems,  to  be 
able  to  display  silver  utensils  at  their  table.  Moreover,  there  is  a 
tradition  that  the  Poet's  grandfather,  with  the  assistance  of  some 
of  his  neighbours,  built  the  first  school  on  his  farm  which  was 
erected  in  the  district,  and  united  to  support  its  teacher.  If  such 
was  the  case,  we  can  readily  imagine  that  heredity  played  some 
part  in  the  love  of  knowledge  displayed  by  the  whole  Burns 
family,  and  also  in  the  aptitude  of  the  sons  in  making  the  best  of 
their  slender  opportunities.  The  strenuous  efforts  in  the  Poet's 
home  to  acquire  the  best  education  within  their  reach  is  supported 
by  the  most  eloquent  testimony.  A  glance  at  their  domestic 
circle  as  it  is  presented  in  the  autobiographical  letter  already  alluded 
to  is  a  most  impressive  picture. 


1> 

When  at  the  farm  of  Lochlea,  during  meal-time,  parents, 
brothers,  sisters  ate  with  a  spoon  in  one  hand  and  a  book  in  the 
other.  All  of  them  were  far  above  the  intellectual  level  of  those 
in  a  similar  social  sphere,  whose  aspirations  seldom  rose  above  the 
grosser  material  comforts  of  life.  Robert,  who  was  highly  strung 
and  delicately  constituted,  was  especially  noted  for  a  retentive 
memory,  and,  according  to  his  own  testimony,  soon  made  an 
excellent  English  scholar,  and  when  ten  or  eleven  years  of  age  he 
was  an  authority  on  English  grammar — absolutely  a  critic  in 
substantives,  verbs,  and  particles.  His  latent  poetic  faculty 
was  first  stimulated  by  an  old  maid  resident  in  the  parish, 
who  was  remarkable  for  her  credulity  and  superstition,  and 
had  the  largest  collection  of  tales  and  songs  concerning 
devils,  ghosts,  fairies,  brownies,  witches,  and  the  like  it  is 
possible  to  conceive.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Burns  was  by  no 
means  the  ill-taught  and  unlettered  Scottish  peasant  he  has  so 
frequently  been  made  to  appear  by  uninformed  apologists. 
In  addition  to  his  knowledge  of  English  grammar  he  knew 
something  of  French,  and  at  the  parish  school  of  Hugh  Rodger, 
Kirkoswald,  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  mensuration,  and  at  the 
Tarbolton  Club  he  diligently  strove  to  qualify  himself  in  general 
questions— taking  up  in  debate  both  the  positive  and  negative 
sides,  so  that  he  might  acquire  a  breadth  of  view  unattainable 
by  other  means  in  those  days  of  superstition  and  narrowness. 
The  existence  of  the  Club  and  its  membership  came  to  the 
ears  of  Burns's  schoolmaster,  who  sneered  at  Burns  and  his 
schoolmate,  WilUam  Neven,  for  their  presumption.  The  story 
has  been  so  often  told  that  we  need  not  repeat  it.  Burns 
challenged  the  dominie  in  argument  and  defeated  him.  This 
incident,  ordinary  though  it  may  appear,  goes  to  illustrate  the 
difference  between  genius  and  talent,  the  former  of  which  was 
born  with  the  Poet,  and  time  served  to  emphasise  it. 

Probably  through  a  long  line  of  ancestors  the  spark  of  poetic 
genius  had  been  silently  gathering  force  and  volume  till  it  found 
expression  in  the  peasant  Poet,  and  the  Goddess  of  the  rustic 
Muses  finally  threw  her  mantle  over  him  at  the  plo'Jgh.     We  know 


10 

thai  his  fatlier  was  no  common  man,  but  a  man  of  strong  moral 
fibre,  shrewd  intelligence,  and  keen  observation,  to  whom,  as 
the  Poet  generously  confessed,  he  was  indebted  for  most  of  his 
preicnsions  to  wisdom.  However  much  the  Poet  may  have  been 
indebted  to  the  debates  at  the  Tarbolton  Club,  the  faculty  of 
criticism  was  no  doubt  awakened  by  his  father,  wiio  was  of  the 
intellectual  type  of  the  best  class  of  the  Scottish  peasant,  possess- 
ing sound  views  on  religion,  on  education,  and  his  duty  to  his 
family.  For  the  instruction  of  his  family  he  drew  up  a  catechism, 
cultivated  friendly  conversation  with  his  sons  on  the  questions 
which  then  engrossed  the  attention  of  men  of  light  and  leading, 
teaching  them  arithmetic  and  other  branches  of  education  of  which 
he  himself  had  gained  more  than  the  ordinary  knowledge.  In 
emulation  of  the  father,  the  son  manifested  a  great  deal  in  common 
with  him.  Even  when  a  mere  youth  he  was  ambitious  of  shining 
in  conversation,  and  soon  became  such  an  adept  in  Socinian 
arguments  as  to  excite  alarm  of  heresy  among  the  more  bigoted 
Calvinists  of  the  neighbourhood.  Actuated  by  a  fervent  desire 
to  develop  the  best  that  was  in  him,  Burns  kept  up  a  correspon- 
dence with  several  of  his  young  companions  in  the  same  rank  of 
life  with  the  view  of  acquiring  a  good  style  in  composition,  and 
'^o  excelled  in  this  that  his  vanity  was  flattered  by  comparing  his 
^rt-n  ejjistles  with  those  of  his  correspondents.  "  I  carried  this 
whim  so  far,"  he  observes,  "  that  though  I  had  not  three  farthings 
worth  of  business  in  the  world  yet  every  post  brought  me  as  many 
letters  as  if  I  had  been  a  broad  plodding  son  of  day-book  and 
ledger."  He  also  kept  a  common-place  book,  in  which  he  wrote 
his  ideas  on  man,  religion,  and  various  other  subjects,  carefully 
criticising  his  own  fir-t  productions.  15y  this  Icind  of  discipline  he 
rose  by  degrees  to  the  level  of  the  highly  cultured,  and  quickly 
discerned  the  weak  and  the  strong  points  in  the  productions  of 
others  in  the  sphere  of  poetry  as  well  as  in  other  branches  of 
literature.  As  an  example  of  his  shrewd  critical  faculty,  the  supreme 
literary  critic  in  Edinburgh  in  his  day  was  I)r  Hugh  Blair,  the 
eloquent  divine,  and  Professor  of  Rhetoric  and  Belle-Lettre,  yet 
Burns   became   sufficiently    critical    to   observe    that    l^lair     had 


.11 

altainments  hut  no  great  depth — -an  opinion  which  is  fully  con- 
firmed in  Blair's  Dissertation  on  the  Ossianic  Poems,  not  to  quote 
other  opinions  from  eminent  literary  authorities. 

Gifted  far  beyond  the  average  of  mankind  Burns  seems  to 
have  been  impressed  with  the  idea  that  he  had  a  mission  to  his 
less-gifted  fellow-countrymen.  "  I  seem  to  be  one  sent  into  the 
world,"  he  says,  "  to  see  and  observe  ;  the  joy  of  my  heart  is  to 
study  men,  their  manners,  and  their  ways.''  Heinrich  Heine,  the 
German  poet,  said  of  himself,  "  Crown  me  not  with  the  laurel 
wreath  of  poetry,  for  I  have  always  looked  upon  poetry  as  a  divine 
plaything,  but  lay  a  sword  upon  my  coffin,  for  I  have  been  a  brave 
soldier  in  the  liberation  war  of  humanity.''  The  idea  th\is 
expressed  by  this  gifted  poet  was  that  though  the  world  claimed 
him  only  as  a  poet  and  the  mouth-piece  of  sweet  sounds  expressed 
to  please  the  fancy,  he  considered  that  his  noblest  achievement 
consisted  in  emancipating  the  minds  of  his  countrymen  from  that 
theological  superstition  and  intellectual  narrowness  which  have 
ever  constituted  the  great  enemies  of  progress.  Surely  it  will  not 
be  thought  invidious  to  make  a  similar  claim  for  Robert  Burns. 

By  the  fearless  courage  and  biting  sarcasm  of  John  Knox 
the  Reformation  was  more  thorough  in  Scotland  than  in  any  other 
country  in  Europe,  but  by  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  the 
Kirk  of  John  Knox  itself  needed  reformation.  Burns,  though 
never  claiming  to  be  either  saint  or  reformer,  by  his  wit  and  satire 
swept  the  Augean  Stables  more  effectually  than  any  other  agency 
could  have  done.  When  he  first  shed  the  light  of  his  genius  on 
his  beloved  land,  Scotland  was  in  the  rigid  grasp  of  Calvinism, 
which  had  acted  throughout  the  seventeenth  century  and  part  of 
the  eighteenth  as  a  petrifying  agency,  stifling  all  originality  and 
freedom  of  thought.  The  Deity  which  the  Calvinist  conceived 
was  an  extension  of  his  own  morbid  and  unhealthy  nature — a 
being  at  one  and  the  same  time  selfish,  jealous,  and  revengeful, 
bearing  the  unmistakable  impression  of  having  been  the  survival 
of  a  more  barbarous  and  ferocious  age.  Burns  caught  up  the 
spirit  of  his  own  day  as  it  existed  in  the  atmosphere  of  advanced 
thought,  but  in  its  moral  application  to  life  and  conduct  he  nevtr 


12 

abandoned  the  sentiment  of  true  religion  in  its  best  sense. 
The  French  Revolution  had  stirred  in  men  new  conceptions 
of  political  and  intellectual  freedom,  and  the  Poet  accurately- 
gauged  its  importance  for  the  future  of  mankind.  In  a  certain 
sense  it  is  true  that  with  all  his  relentless  logic  and  biting  satire, 
Burns  did  not  finally  ?weep  pharisaism  from  the  theological  world 
in  his  own  day,  but  he  put  a  weapon  into  the  hands  of  tiie 
advocate  of  honesty  and  freedom  of  thought  by  which  he  could 
gradually  break  down  intolerance  and  bigotry,  and  put  to  the 
blush  the  hypocrite  and  the  pharisee.  Some  idea  will  be  conveyed 
of  the  extent  to  which  the  spirit  of  Calvinism,  had  narrowed  and 
prejudiced  the  minds  of  many  of  the  people  by  the  fact  that  when 
the  Rev.  George  Whitfield,  visited  Scotland  for  the  first  time,  he  was 
solemnly  and  sternly  rebuked  by  the  Seceders,  because  he  refused 
to  confine  his  labours  to  them.  .\nd  why  ?  Because  they  alone 
claimed  to  be  the  chosen  of  God,  while  all  outside  the  pale  of 
their  theological  cult  were  destined  for  the  Abodes  of  Darkness. 
Whitfield,  however,  administered  a  well-merited  reproof  by 
pointing  out  "  if  that  was  so  they  ha  1  no  need  of  him  or  anyone 
else,  for  according  to  their  own  testimony  they  were  saved 
already  ;  and,  like  the  Master  he  professed  to  follow,  '  he  came 
not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners,  to  repentance.' "  It  was 
against  such  blind  selfishness  and  barbaric  intolerance  that  Burns 
directed  his  satire  of  "  Holy  Willie's  Prayer."  In  addition 
to  the  corruption  of  the  Church,  and  the  false  views 
of  religion  which  were  then  prevalent,  the  majority  of  the 
people  were  fettered  by  a  slavish  fear,  not  so  much  of  their  God 
as  of  their  minister,  and  Burns  had  the  courage  to  tell  them  so. 
The  countrymen  of  Burns  may  not  only  crown  him  with  the 
laurel  wreath  of  poetry  but  hail  him  as  a  brave  soldier  in  the 
liberation  war  of  humanity.  All  who  are  conversant  witli  his 
poetry,  and  the  spirit  of  the  real  Burns,  well  know  how  deep  a 
reverence  he  had  for  true  religion,  which  is  manifest  in  "  The 
Cottar's  Saturday  Night,"  his  "  Prayer  in  Prospect  of  Death," 
"  An  Epistle  to  a  Young  Friend,"  and  others  which  need  not  be 
quoted.      His  satires  against  Presbyterian  theology,  as  exemplified 


13 

in  "  Holy  Willie's  Prayer,"  "  The  Dedication  to  Gavin  Hamilton, 
E'^quire,"  and  the  "  Address  to  the  Unco  Guid,  or  the  Rigidly 
Righteous,"  were  induced  by  the  corruption  and  rampant 
hypocricy  of  the  system,  rather  than  as  justification  of  his  own 
moral  defects,  as  has  been  frequently  alleged.  It  was 
surely  a  great  achievement  for  the  peasant  Poet  to  have 
so  extended  the  intellectual  horizon  of  his  countrymen  that 
their  range  of  vision  could  penetrate  beyond  the  narrow  confines 
the  Church  had  so  firmly  drawn  around  them.  Even  taking  him 
in  a  poetical  sense  alone,  it  is  diflicult  to  imagine  what  the  condi- 
tion of  Scotland  and  Scottish  poetry  would  have  been  to-day  had 
he  never  lived  to  shed  the  fervid  glow  of  his  genius  on  the 
literature  of  his  country.  The  nation  could  have  dispensed  with 
every  other  poet  who  preceded  him  and  not  been  much  the  loser. 
He  was  the  mouth-piece  and  intellectual  exponent  of  the  many 
in  whom  similar  thoughts  and  aspirations  long  had  dwelt,  but 
who  made  little  mark  for  lack  of  a  suitable  vehicle  of  exi)ression. 
However  much  Burns's  poetry  and  song  may  be  read  and 
admired  in  other  tongues,  it  is  only  the  native-born  Scot  to  whom 
they  appeal  in  their  true  measure  and  comprehensive  significance. 
Burns  gave  new  tone  and  vigour  to  national  sentiment,  while  his 
poetic  form  made  the  native  dialect  a  picturesque  and  fascinating 
medium  of  literary  expression.  In  Scotland  no  truly  original 
poetry,  redolent  of  the  soil,  had  arisen  since  Dunbar,  and 
he  had  long  become  as  a  voice  crying  in  the  wilderness, 
conveying  indefinite  sound  and  hazy  imagery.  More  than 
three  hundred  years  before  Burns,  it  is  true,  Scotland 
possessed  a  national  poetical  literature,  in  many  respects 
rich  and  scholarly  ;  but  the  works  of  such  poets  as  Henryson, 
Dunbar,  Gavin  Douglas,  and  Sir  David  Lindsay  appealed  more 
exclusively  to  the  monks  of  the  cloister,  and  were  practically 
unknown  to  the  outside  world  and  the  toiling  masses  of  Scotia. 
The  result  of  this  was  that  by  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
and  in  spite  of  the  brilliant  achievements  of  those  old  lights,  a 
long  period  of  literary  stagnation  fell  upon  Scotland  just  at  the 
time    the    literature    of    her    English    sister,    after    a    period     of 


14 

inactivit),  fDund  new  life  and  L'.\[)ression  in  tlie  great  Elizabethan 
writers.  The  Hterary  history  of  nations  is  that  when  they  have 
attained  a  certnin  intellectual  standard  they  have  their  periods  of 
fluctuation,  of  ebb  and  flow,  of  feel)leness  and  strength  ;  but  the 
main  current  of  thought  and  culture  never  disappears,  and  Scot- 
land was  no  exception.  In  no  period  of  the  literary  history  of 
Scotland  can  it  be  shown  to  have  been  otherwise,  and  it  cannot 
be  said  in  truth  that  Burns,  with  all  his  exceptional  genius,  was  a 
prodigy  whose  advent  was  independent  of  antecedent  influences 
or  environment.  Nay,  rather  he  is  the  culmination  of  a  literary 
movement  which  was  commenced  upwards  of  half  a  century  before 
he  was  born.  The  movement  declared  itself  in  an  outbreak  of 
the  national  literary  s[)u-it,  and  an  ardent  desire  to  make  the 
Scottish  vernacular  a  vehicle  of  form  and  expression,  and  it  was 
stimulated  by  such  writers  as  William  Hamilton  of  Ciilbertfield, 
Allan  Ramsay,  and  Robert  Fergusson. 

Burns  himself  acknowledges,  in  the  most  emphatic  manner, 
his  obligations  to  the  two  latter  poets.  Indeed,  he  rather  over- 
estimates than  under-estimates  his  obligations  to  them,  and  in 
Fergusson  especially  he  recognised  a  man  of  similar  poetic 
temperament,  and  like  passions  with  himself.  To  Fergusson,  with 
all  his  weakness  and  folly,  Burns  extended  his  sympathetic  charity, 
and  regarded  him  as  an  erring  brother  bard,  more  entitled  to  love 
and  pity  than  condemnation  and  neglect.  This  induced  him  to 
pay  the  first  tribute  of  respect  yet  done  to  the  memory  of  poor 
Fergusson,  though  he  had  been  dead  fifteen  years,  by  erecting  at 
his  own  expense  a  memorial  stone  above  his  last  resting-place. 
In  a  passing  reference  to  the  subject  of  Scottish  song  it  must  not 
be  forgotten  that  many  beautiful  songs  circulated  in  Scotland 
before  either  Ramsay's  or  Burns's  day — most  of  them  of  unknown 
authorship  — for  from  very  early  times  the  country  appears  to  have 
been  favourable  to,  or  the  people  susceptible  of,  poetic  inspiration. 
As  far  as  the  substance  of  Ramsay's  poems  are  concerned,  he  was 
not  much  more  than  an  imitator;  but  by  the  function  he  fulfilled 
he  showed  unmistakably  that  original  and  truly  national  forms  \^^y 
ready  to  the  hand  of  the  Scottish  Poet,  and   thus  paved   the  way 


15 

for  a  greater  genius.  The  fact  that  Burns  was  not  the  first  gleaner 
in  the  field  of  Scottish  poetry  does  not  lessen  his  claim  to 
originality,  for  his  treatment  was  original  and  unique. 

Making  every  allowance  for  Burns's  indebtedness  to  Ramsay 
and  Fergusson,  his  obligations  to  them  cannot  explain  why  he  is 
not  only  the  Poet  of  Scotland  but  an  English  classic,  which  the 
others  are  not  and  can  never  be.  The  political  union  of  England 
and  Scotland  in  1707  merged,  to  a  great  extent,  the  life  of  Scotland 
in  that  of  England,  and  thus  introduced  a  rival  to  the  native 
dialect.  The  Lowland  Scots  was  a  speech  the  origin  of  which 
could  be  traced  to  the  same  source  as  Southern  English,  although 
it  had  developed  on  independent  lines,  and  had  fallen  from  its 
former  prestige,  and  become  the  vehicle  of  ribald  songs  and  rude 
ballads.  It  was  by  the  occasional  appearance  of  flashes  of  true 
poetry,  which  gave  some  indication  of  how  much  had  been 
obscured  by  vulgar  and  commonplace  thoughts,  that  the 
potentialities  of  the  native  material  was  gradually  made   manifest. 

Although  Hamilton,  Ramsay,  and  Fergusson  had  done 
much  to  restore  vernacular  poetry  to  its  former  glory,  it  remained 
for  Burns  to  complete  the  work  they  had  begun.  In  comparison 
with  his  models  Burns  is  far  ahead,  and  if  we  search  their 
writings  critically  we  find  they  lack  most  of  his  characteristics — his 
fire,  his  satire,  his  pathos,  his  humour — and  the  result  has  been 
that  he  has  been  an  influence  in  Scotland  more  powerful  than 
them  all  put  together.  Matthew  Arnold,  in  an  impromptu  which 
savours  more  of  smartness  than  truth,  said  ]:)urns  lived  in  a  world 
of  Scotch  drink,  Scotch  religion,  and  Scotch  manners.  The 
provincialism  thus  indicated  cannot  be  correctly  applied  to  Burns, 
whose  works  have  been  translated  into  the  language  of  almost 
every  country  which  makes  any  pretence  10  literary  taste  and 
culture.  Nor  does  the  local  colour  detract  from  his  greatness  and 
universality,  for  the  obvious  reason  that  it  is  in  reality  the  pro- 
duction of  genius. 

In  his  portrayal  of  Scottish  life  and  character  he  embraces 
what  is  eternal  and  true  of  human  nature  everywhere.  The  fact 
of  "  Alloway'.s  auld  haunted  Kirk  "  being  made  the  scene  of  the 


16 

witches' revel  in  "  Tain  o' Shanter '"  does  not  make  Durns  more 
exclusively  the  Poet  of  Scotland  than  the  powerful  scene  on  the 
Brochen  on  Walpurgis  Nicht  confines  Goethe  to  Germany.  The 
Germans  are  proud  to  claim  Goethe  as  their  countryman  as 
Scotsmen  are  proud  to  claim  Burns;  but  his  poetry  is  no  more 
for  Scotland  and  Scotsmen  alone  than  the  poems  of  Goethe  are 
exclusively  for  Germany  and  Germans.  The  fame  of  Burns,  there- 
fore, is  not  wholly  due  to  the  ptrfervidum  ingeuimn  Scoforum, 
however  much  it  acted  upon  himself  and  re-acted  upon  his 
countrymen,  but  rather  because  he  was  a  great  poetic  artist.  His 
mastery  of  his  art  was  the  result  of  intense  and  careful  study, 
and  had  its  origin  in  the  same  intuitive  faculty  which  made  him  a 
critic  of  English  grammar  at  eleven  years  of  age.  Those  who 
have  studied  the  best  examples  of  eighteenth  century  literature 
need  not  be  reminded  that  perfection  of  expression  was  the  ruling 
passion  which  was  carried  to  its  highest  pitch  in  poetry  by 
Alexander  Pope,  who  derived  his  impetus  from  William  Walsh,  a 
man  of  wit  and  fashion.  As  far  as  the  great  republic  of  letters 
■was  concerned,  Walsh  for  some  time  had  been  a  silent  and 
exclusive  influence  who  had  not  yet  proclaimed  himself  on 
the  house-top.  With  Dryden's  translation  of  Virgil's  "  Eclogues  " 
was  published  an  elegant  discourse  on  pastoral  poetry  in  general 
by  \\'illiam  Walsh,  Esquire,  in  the  course  of  which  he  set  forth 
what  pastoral  poetry  ought  to  be  ;  but  his  views  were  too  deeply 
tinged  with  the  imaginary  scenes  of  Arcadia  for  the  more  prosaic 
conditions  of  modern  life.  Thus,  when  Pope  commenced  to 
write,  W'alsh,  deeply  steeped  in  formative  classicalism,  strove  to 
impress  him  with  the  idea  that  the  ancients  had  said  everything 
that  was  worth  saying,  and  there  was  nothing  left  for  the  modern 
poet  but  to  improve  upon  their  manner  of  saying  it.  Burns  did 
not  stand  outside  the  sphere  of  those  tendencies  which  were 
aspiring  after  literary  perfection,  and,  though  he  gained  much 
from  Ramsay  and  Fergusson,  much  of  the  influence  which  made 
him  what  he  was  can  be  traced  to  a  period  anterior  to  theirs.  He 
himself  tells  us  that  "  he  had  felt  early  stirrings  of  ambition,  but 
they   were  but  the  blind  gropings  of  Homer's  Cyclops  round  the 


17 

walls  of  his  cave/'     This  evident))   applied  to  a  time  before  the 
idea  of  a  poetic  mission  had  become  fixed  in  his  mind. 

In  the  course  of  his  literary  development  his  poems  must  be 
divided  into  two  distinct  groups,  the  first  belonging  to  the  period 
when  he  was  more  immediately  under  the  influence  of  Ramsay, 
Fergusson,  and  the  earlier  Scottish  poets.  In  those  belong- 
ing to  the  second  period  we  observe  the  Poet  under  the 
influence  of  wider  reading  and  more  comprehensive  poetical 
ideals,  when  he  has  become  dissatisfied  "  with  a  Muse  sae 
mean  as  his."  By  means  of  his  own  critical  faculty  he  has 
become  deeply  impressed  with  the  idea  that  much  of  his  early 
work  is  at  variance  with  the  prevailing  tone  —  the  measured 
and  artistically  constructed  poetry  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
While  in  this  mood  of  dissatisfaction  he  strove  with  praise- 
worthy effort  to  bring  himself  into  harmony  with  the  popular 
literary  idea.  But  this  was  not  his  true  and  natural  vein,  and  he 
could  not  so  freely  imp  his  wing  as  he  could  in  his  natural  atmos- 
phere. With  all  his  gifts,  it  does  not  appear  that  Burns  had  the 
gift  of  sustamed  dramatic  concentration,  although  he  contemplated 
engaging  in  work  requiring  this.  On  this  point,  however,  no 
critic  can  dogmatise  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  for  his  life  was 
short ;  and  while  his  poems  are  full  of  vivacity  and  dazzling  flashes 
of  genius,  these  are  seldom  long  sustained.  "  No  poet,  with  the 
exception  of  Shakespeare,"  says  Sir  Walter  Scott,  "  ever  possessed 
the  power  of  exciting  the  most  varied  and  discordant  emotions 
with  such  rapid  transition."  The  storm  in  "Tarn  o'  Shanter,''  for 
instance,  is  great  in  conception,  powerful  and  graphic  in  its  descrip- 
tion, and  is  worthy  of  comparison  with  the  storm  which  raged 
round  the  dishevelled  locks  of  King  Lear — 

"  The  wind  blew  as  'twad  blawn  its  last  ; 
The  rattlin'  showers  rose  on  the  blast  ; 
The  speedy  gleams  the  darkness  swallowed  ; 
Loud,  deep,  and  lang  the  thunder  bellowed.' 

"  Before  him  '  Doon  '  pours  all  his  floods  ; 
The  doubling  storm  roars  through  the  woods  ; 
The  lightnings  flash  from  pole  to  pole  ; 
Near,  and  more  near,  the  thunders  roll  : 
When,  glimmering  through  llie  groaning  trees, 
Kirk-AJloway  seemed  in  a  bleeze." 


IS 

Tlie  power  of  tliis  description  proceeds  from  its  inlrusion  as 
the  sudden  unpremeditated  outburst  of  a  mental  state  stimulated 
by  the  weird  and  uncanny  situation.  Passing  from  the  storm  to 
the  witches'  dance  we  get  an  additional  example  of  the  Poet's  dis- 
criptive  power  and  gifts  of  rapid  transition.  The  iiumour  is  not 
vulgar,  and  harmonizes  perfectly  with  the  rest  of  the  picture. 

Great  as  Burns  was  as  a  poet,  he  was  even  greater  as  a  song- 
writer. Indeed,  Carlyle  has  said  that  his  chief  influence  as  an 
author  will  ultimately  depend  on  his  songs.  Unfettered  by  rules 
of  poetic  art  his  songs  are  the  spontaneous  outburst  of  genuine 
heart-felt  emotion  ;  love,  pity,  or  patriotism  is  poured  from  the 
deepest  receptacles  of  his  sensitive  nature.  In  his  songs,  as  in  his 
poems,  he  continued  and  made  more  [)erfecl  the  works  others  had 
begun,  by  building  on  old  foundations,  and  yet  he  is  entitled  to 
the  claim  of  originality.  Out  of  coarseness  and  confusion  he 
brought  forth  order  and  refinement,  and  by  his  inimitable  gift  he 
ranks  as  the  first  of  all  our  song-writers.  We  instinctively  recall 
the  martial  fury  of  "  .Scots  wha  hae  wi'  Wallace  bled,"  the  comic 
archness  of  "  Duncan  Gray,"  the  Bacchanalian  revel  of  "  Willie 
brew'd  a  peck  o'  maut,"  the  tender  pathos  of  "  Mary  in  Heaven," 
and  the  lofty  independence  of  "  A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that."  By 
his  poems  Burns  first  emerged  from  the  obscurity  of  a  Scottish 
peasant,  and  became  entitled  to  an  important  position  in  the 
literature  of  his  country,  but  his  songs  entitle  him  to  rank  among 
the  great  poets  of  the  world.  Just  as  Shakespeare  was  borne  to 
the  proud  pre-eminence  of  the  first  of  dramatic  poets  on  the 
accumulated  genius  of  his  predecessors  in  the  same  field,  so 
Burns  was  borne  to  the  pre-eminence  of  the  first  of  song-writers  on 
the  accumulated  genius  of  a  whole  dynasty  of  lyrical  poets.  To 
the  treasury  of  Scottish  song  many  excellent  examples  have  been 
contributed  since  his  day,  which  do  infinite  credit  to  their  writers, 
but  no  single  one  of  them  has  done  so  much  for  the  abiding  glory 
of  Scottish  song  as  did  Burns.  As  a  prose-writer  he  has  not  given 
hostage  to  fame  to  the  same  extent  as  he  has  done  as  a  poet 
though  in  the  matter  of  quantity  his  prose  exceeds  his  verse. 

His  prose  for  the  most  part  consists  of  letters,  but  it  includes 


19 

a  valuable  fragment  of  autobiography,  three  journals  made  at 
Mossgiel,  Edinburgh,  and  Ellisland  respectively,  also  an  account 
of  his  Border  Tour,  his  tour  in  the  Highlands,  and  historical 
notes  of  two  collections  of  Scottish  song.  These,  however,  are 
but  a  small  proportion  compared  with  his  letters.  Upwards  of 
five  hundred  and  fifty  letters  have  been  published,  nor  does  this 
include  all  the  letters  he  wrote,  though  no  doubt  it  comprises  all 
the  most  important  and  characteristic  of  them.  One  of  the  most 
remarkable  features  of  Burns's  correspondents  is  their  number,  and 
the  difference  of  their  social  status  ;  they  include  all  ranks  and 
conditions — Professors,  Earls,  Dukes,  Doctors,  Lawyers,  Farmers, 
Ploughmen,  and  Servant  Girls.  Indeed  none  of  our  great  letter- 
writing  poets,  including  Gray,  Covvper,  and  Byron,  commanded 
anything  like  so  wide  and  varied  a  circle.  In  their  essence  his 
letters  manifest  much  the  same  features  as  his  poems,  the  same 
strong  personality,  the  same  view  of  life  in  a  theological,  political 
and  social  sense — in  short,  the  same  aggressive,  manly  indepen- 
dence. Indeed,  Jeffrey  maintained  that  the  letters  of  Burns  had 
given  him  a  higher  opinion  of  him  as  a  man  than  did  his  poetry, 
though  both  alike  bore  the  impress  of  genius.  This  is  no  jmall 
compliment  from  so  uncompromising  a  critic  as  the  editor  of  the 
Edinburgh  Revieiv.  Dr  Robertson,  too,  comparing  his  prose- 
writings  with  his  verse,  "thought  his  prose  the  most  extraordinary 
of  the  two  for  its  vigouf  of  intellect  and  wide  range  of  knowledge." 
In  spite  of  the  testimony  of  those  and  other  great  critics, 
however,  the  verdict  of  posterity  generally  is  emphatic  in  its 
opinion  that  Burns's  poetry  far  eclipses  his  prose-writings.  It 
must  be  conceded  that  these  latter  do  not  manifest  the  same 
spontaneous  and  natural  style  apparent  in  the  vigorous  simplicity 
of  his  verse.  The  popular  opinion  as  to  the  defects  of  his  prose 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Poet  was  not  such  a  master  of  the  Eng- 
lish tongue  as  he  was  of  his  native  Doric.  Though  there  is  some 
truth  in  this,  it  is  by  no  means  the  whole  truth,  and  far  too  much 
importance  has  been  attached  thereto.  In  many  cases  his  corres- 
pondents were  people  moving  in  a  more  exalted  social  sphere, 
whose    scholastic  attainments  were    superior  to   his,  and    whose 


20 

relations  to  him  he  had  not  had  opportunities  of  accurately 
gauging.  \\'hen  wiiling  to  such  people,  he  begins  and  ends  on  an 
artificial  note,  with  the  intention  of  being  agreeable  to  them  and 
shielding  his  own  pride  and  independency  from  the  possibility  of 
slight  or  humiliation.  When  he  writes  to  known  and  trusted  friends 
his  style  becomes  natural,  elegant,  and  expressive.  This  is  fully 
illustrated  in  the  Dunlop  Correspondence,  that  of  Dr  Moore,  and 
others  :  while  in  the  Clarinda  Correspondence  we  do  not  get  the 
natural  man,  but  an  artificial  Burns,  striving  for  effect  in  the  estima- 
tion of  a  woman  whose  education  was  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  his 
own.  Moreover,  it  is  probable  that  Burns,  with  all  his  literary 
strength  and  originality,  was  not  free  from  the  faults  of  his  male 
contemporaries  who  were  afraid  to  surrender  that  superiority  of 
wit  and  learning  they  liked  to  assume  over  the  gentler  sex. 
It  matters  not  what  plea  may  be  advanced  in  defence  of  the 
artificial  nature  of  the  Clarinda  Correspondence,  it  has  done 
much  to  damage  the  Poet's  reputation  as  a  prose-writer.  When 
writing  to  a  professor  or  great  nobleman  with  whom  he  had  but 
slight  acquaintance  the  Poet  adopted  a  similar  stilted  .'■tyle,  differing 
in  degree  only  ;  but  after  all,  perhaps  too  much  has  been  made  of 
this  by  the  fastidious  critic.  Even  in  the  province  of  poetry  and 
song,  where  Burns  is  at  his  strongest  and  best,  all  his  productions 
would  not  bear  the  strictest  test  of  critical  analysis.  In  the 
personality  of  Burns  there  is  much  that  is  fascinating  and  noble, 
though  there  is  much  in  his  life  to  regret  and  censure,  but  if  he 
had  not  been  a  man  of  strong  passions  he  could  not  have  been  the 
great  poet  he  was.  All  the  qualities  of  his  highly  strung  and 
sensitive  nature  tended  to  excess,  and  contained  the  elements  of 
the  whirlwind  of  passion  that  devastates  as  well  as  produces  the 
sweet  melody  which  soothes  the  human  soul.  In  censuring  the 
failings  of  Burns,  the  faults  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived  have 
been  too  frequently  overlooked,  for  no  man  can  be  fairly  judged 
apart  from  his  environment. 

In  succession  to  Robert  Burns  no  more  appropriate  name 
can  be  added  than  that  of  Robert  Heron,  his  first  biographer— a 
man    who   from    his   achievements  in    literature,    apart    from    his 


•21 

association  with  the  Poet,  is  entitled  to  a  brief  notice.     Robert 

Heron,  the  son  of  a  weaver,  was  born    at    New- 
Robert  Heron,       „    ,,  ■  ,       .  n     i         ,      ,  , 

Galloway  m  1764,  in  a  small  thatched  house  in 
1764-1807.  /  . 

the  main  street,  which    was   for   the    most  part 

composed  of  thatched  houses,  without  eitlier  fire-places  or 
chimneys,  the  smoke  issuing  from  the  doors.  His  father,  John 
Heron,  was  at  one  time  Bailie  of  the  small  Burgh,  and  was  a  man 
of  some  intelligence,  with  an  instinctive  desire  to  keep  abreast  of 
the  times.  At  that  time  the  only  newspaper  that  came  to  New- 
Galloway  was  the  London  Chronicle,  which  was  lent  to  John 
Heron  by  Gordon  of  Kenmure  Castle.  Heron  was  in  the  habit 
of  reading  its  contents  aloud  to  his  staff  of  weavers,  amongst  whom 
was  John  Lowe,  the  author  of  "  Mary's  Dream."  In  those 
surroundings  Robert  Heron  was  nurtured  until  he  was  nine  years 
of  age,  after  which  he  attended  school  for  two  years.  When 
eleven  years  of  age  he  supported  himself  by  teaching  and  writing, 
and  by  the  time  he  was  sixteen  he  had  earned  sufficient  money  to 
pay  for  the  classes  at  Edinburgh  University  for  one  session. 
While  at  Edinburgh  his  parents  supported  him  on  oatmeal  and 
potatoes  from  New-Galloway,  and  these  formed  his  main  sub- 
sistence. On  his  father's  side  there  was  a  strong  predilection  for 
knowledge,  and  a  desire  for  the  cultivation  of  literary  taste. 

Robert's  grandmother  was  aunt  to  Dr  Alexander  Murray,  the 
famous  linguist  and  orierital  scholar.  In  those  days  there  was 
little  disposition  to  spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child,  and  Heron, 
who  had  a  quick  and  impetuous  temper,  sometimes  punished  his 
pupils  with  unnecessary  severity.  In  his  youth  he  was  a  great 
reader,  and  his  knowledge  soon  became  vast  and  varied.  While 
still  in  his  teens  he  was  appointed  parochial  teacher  of  Kelton, 
where  he  remained  two  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Edin- 
burgh, his  father  having  intended  him  for  the  Church;  but  as  there 
was  no  appearance  of  him  obtaining  patronage  in  the  Church  he 
turned  his  attention  to  literature,  and  in  1798,  when  twenty  years 
of  age,  he  edited  Thomson's  Seasons.  His  introductory  critique 
was  regarded  as  a  piece  of  clever  and  judicious  writing,  and  was 
subsequently  incorporated  in  the  elaborate  edition  of  Thomson's 

2 


poetical  works,  published  at  Perth.  This  was  the  means  of  first 
bringing  Heron  into  public  notice.  Being  an  adept  at  languages 
he  next  applied  himself  to  the  work  of  translating.  He 
translated  Arabian  Tales,  being  a  continuation  of  the  Arabian 
Nights,  also  Niebuhrs  Travels  throi/gh  Arabia,  Letters  bctivcen 
General  Dumourier  ami  Pache,  Garat's  Memories  of  the  Revolution, 
and  a  number  of  others.  Indeed,  few  writers  contributed  to  so 
many  pa()ers  and  magazines  as  did  Robert  Heron.  His  knowledge 
was  great,  and  his  ambition  knew  no  bounds,  and  ultimately  the 
necessity  to  write  as  a  means  of  living  was  a  greater  incentive  than 
all.  He  even  ventured  upon  a  series  of  lectures  on  law  and  juris- 
prudence, but  they  did  not  prove  a  success.  By  this  time  Heron 
had  abandoned  all  idea  of  going  into  the  Church,  thinking  it 
beneath  the  dignity  of  a  man  who  could  earn  more  than  three 
hundred  a  year  by  his  pen. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  a  man  so  ill-adapted  for 
success  as  poor  Heron.  To  use  a  quotation  from  l)r  Johnson's 
life  of  the  poet  Savage,  "  The  reigning  error  of  his  life  was  thai  he 
mistook  the  love  for  the  practice  of  virtue,  and  wns  not  so  much 
a  good  man  as  the  friend  of  goodness."  In  writing  to  his  parents, 
who  had  no  doubt  given  him  some  much-needed  counsel,  he 
gives  expression  to  the  following  :  "  O  forget  and  forgive  my 
follies,  look  upon  me  as  a  son  who  will  anxiously  strive  to  comfort 
and  please  you,  and,  after  all  your  misfortunes,  to  render  the 
evening  of  your  days  as  happy  as  possible." 

"  But  he  returned  like  the  dog  to  its  vomit  and  the  sow  that 
is  washed  to  its  wallowing  in  the  mire."  In  spite  of  his  faithful 
promises  to  his  parents,  a  brief  season  of  prosperity  made  him 
intemperate,  vain,  and  ostentatious,  alluring  him  into  extravagant 
and  imprudent  habits.  No  sooner  did  he  feel  his  feet  than  he 
set  up  a  carriage  and  pair  of  horses,  with  a  lackey  dressed  \n  gay 
and  expensive  livery.  The  result  was  that  his  funds  soon  became 
exhausted  and  his  effects  were  seized  upon  and  sold  by  his  creditors, 
who,  in  addition,  obtained  a  warrant  for  his  person.  For  a  time  he 
escaped  his  pursuers  by  taking  shelter  in  the  Abbey  Sanctuary  of 
Holyrood,    where  he   would   study  and   write    in    his   rooms  for 


23 

sixteen  hours  a  day,  robed  only  in  his  bhirt  and  morning  gown, 
with  a  green  veil  over  his  eyes,  which  were'  usually  weak  and 
inflamed.  Sunday  was  the  only  day  he  ventured  over  the  Strand 
which  divided  the  Sanctuary  from  the  gay  outside  world,  in 
which  Heron  liked  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  freedom  for  a  brief 
space  and  forget  his  misery  and  misfortunes.  He  lingered  once 
too  long  among  his  more  free  fellow-men,  and  was  arrested  and 
lodged  in  jail,  where  he  lay  for  several  months.  His  friends 
suggested  that  he  should  write  a  history  of  Scotland  to  liquidate 
his  debts,  the  publishers  agreeing  to  pay  him  three  guineas  a  sheet. 
The  first  volume  of  this  history  was  written  in  jail,  but  his 
creditors  agreed  that  if  Messrs  Morrison,  the  publishers,  would 
guarantee  them  fifteen  shillings  in  the  pound,  the  copyright  to  be 
held  by  them  as  security,  they  would  set  him  at  liberty.  Heron, 
though  highly  imprudent,  was  honest,  and  honourably  completed 
the  work  in  six  volumes.  It  is  eleganily  written,  and  probably 
unrivalled  by  any  other  publication  in  the  same  field,  except  the 
more  erudite  work  of  George  Buchanan.  The  first  volume  was 
published  in  1793,  and  completed  at  the  rate  of  one  volume 
■every  year.  About  this  time  he  published  A  Journey  through  the 
Westerti  Parts  of  Scotland — a  work  which  was  greatly  appreciated 
by  the  Galloway  antiquarian,  and  indeed  is  still  regarded  as  an 
interesting  production.  Then  came  A  T(>pographica!  Account  of 
Scotland,  Extracts  of  ECegant  Literature,  A  New  and  Complete 
System  of  Universal  Geography  in  two  volumes  octavo.  He  was 
also  employed  by  Sir  John  Sinclair  to  superintend  the  publica- 
tion of  his  Statistical  Account  of  Scotland.  He  also  wrote 
a  short  life  of  Robert  Burns,  with  whom  he  had  a  personal 
acquaintance.  In  Burns's  "  Epistle  to  Dr  Blacklock,'"  dated 
1 7  89,  the  Poet  thus  lampoons  Heron  for  the  non-delivery  of  a 
letter  to  that  gentleman  which  was  entrusted  to  him  : — 

"  The  ill-thief  blaw  the  Heron  south, 
And  never  drink  be  near  his  drouth, 
He  tauld  niysel'  by  word  o'  mouth 

He'd  tak'  my  letter  ; 
I  lippen'd  to  the  chiel  in  truth, 

And  Ijade  nae  better. 


24 

Rut  ahlins,  lionest  Master  Heron 
Had  at  the  time  some  dainty  fair  one, 
To  ware  his  theolofric  care  on, 

And  holy  study  ; 
And,  lir"d  o"  sauls  to  waste  his  lear  on, 

K"en  iricd  the  body." 

As  we  have  already  said,  Heron  had  a  strong,  vindictive,  and 
ungovernable  temper,  and  there  is  a  strong  presumption  that  he 
avenged  himself  on  the  dead  Poet  in  the  "  Life  "  he  wrote.  Far 
too  much  importance  has  been  attached  to  the  fact  that  Heron 
was  a  contemporary  and  the  Poet's  first  biographer.  Reading 
between  the  lines  there  is  ground  for  suspicion  that  Heron  is 
grossly  inaccurate  in  some  of  his  statements.      P'or  instance  : — 

"Foolish  young  men,  such  as  writers,  apprentices,  young  surgeons, 
merchants,  clerks,  and  excisemen  flocked  eagerly  about  him,  pressing  him  ta 
drink,  so  that  they  might  enjoy  his  wicked  wit  ;  and  when  his  friend  Nichol 
came  to  visit  him  at  Dumfries,  they  <lrank  together  till  they  were  as  dead 
drank  as  ever  Silenus  was. "     . 

"The  morals  of  the  town,"  he  continues,  "were  in  consequence  of  it 
becoming  so  much  the  scene  of  public  amusement,  not  a  little  corrupted,  and 
though  a  husband  and  a  father,  poor  Hums  did  not  escape  suffering  by  the 
general  contamination  in  a  manner  I  forliear  to  describe." 

Even  in  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century,  when  the 
population  of  Dumfries  is  probably  more  than  double  what  it  was 
in  Burns's  day,  one  wonders  where  the  army  of  young  writers, 
surgeons,  merchants,  clerks,  and  excisemen  is  to  be  found,  unless 
in  the  imagination  of  a  similarly  gifted  writer.  Doubtless 
Heron  was  an  accomplished  scholar,  but  he  was  no  match 
for  the  keen  satire  and  rapartee  of  Burns.  Hence  it  is 
highly  probable  that  his  method  of  revenge  was  to  depict  the 
Poet's  character  in  a  lurid  light,  and  conceal  the  object  he  had  in 
view  by  a  wail  of  counterfeit  compassion.  This  was  eminently 
characteristic  of  the  man  ;  he  was  jealous  and  revengeful,  con- 
sequently his  friendships  were  generally  of  brief  duration.  His 
letter  to  the  Literary  Fund  reflects  a  man  who,  after  having  lived 
his  life  in  persistent  defiance  of  every  principle  of  temperance  and 
foresight,  and  felt  that  he  was  hoplessly  vanquished,  whines  and 
whimpers  for  tl:e  compassion  and  assistance  of  his  stronger  and 


25 

■more  prudent   fellow-mortals.       Heroti,  in    his-  later   days,  was   a 
typical  example  of  the  confirmed   dipsomaniac   who   has   lost   his 
moral  balance^  and  bade  good-bye  to  principle  and  respectability. 
■Obviously  this  was    not  the   man   to  sit  in  judgment  on  Burns. 
Yet  his  characterisation  of  the  Poet  has  entered  into  the  weft  and 
woof  of  nearly  all   subsequent  biographies.     Moreover,  Heron's 
own  dissolute  habits  were  so  well  known  that  the  presumption  is 
that    he  unduly  exaggerated   the   failings   of  Burns  as  a  set-off 
against  his  own.     As   a   matter   of  fact   Heron's  statements  are 
negatived  by  a  reputable   Burns   contemporary,  in   the   person   of 
Mr   Gray,    the    Rector   of    Dumfries    Grammar    School.       The 
impression  Gray's  pen-and-ink  picture  conveys  to  most  minds  is 
that    it   is    more   consistent   with    real    facts    than    the    tavern 
brawler  so  picturesquely  outlined  by  Heron.     If  the  fool  is  to  be 
judged  according  to  his  folly,  poor  Heron  suffered  more  in  his  life- 
time than  ever  Burns  did,  and  since   his   death   both   works   and 
author  have  been  condemned   to  a   neglect  and   oblivion   their 
merits  scarcely  deserve.     It  is  but  justice  to  Heron  to  say  of  his 
published  works  that  they  do  not  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  his 
accomplishments,  natural  and  acquired.        The  greater  number 
of  them   were  written  for  bread  or  to  pay  his  debts,  and  their 
subjects  were  chosen  by  booksellers.     His  style,  though  frequently 
•declamatory  and  pompous,  is  often  elegant  and  animated.       In 
addition  to  the  works  already  mentioned,  he  produced,  in   1798, 
a  play  entitled  "  St.  Kilda,"  which  was  hissed  off   the  stage  for 
its   coarse   and    indecent    wit    in    the    presence    of    its    author. 
Stung  to  the  quick  by  this   unexpected  reverse  of  fortune,   he 
hurried  home  to  his  apartments,  and  took  to  his  bed  for  several 
days,  but  he  still  hugged  the  delusion  that  this  play  was  a  masterly 
production,  which  had  been  wrongly  condemned  by  the  prejudice 
and  malignity  of  the  dunces.       Nor  would  he  be  deterred  from 
publishing  it  ;    but  the  public  refused  to  accept  it  at  its  author's 
exaggerated  estimate,  and  it  fell  from  the  press  still-born.     Heron 
also  wrote  verses  for  the  magazines  ;  and  he  sketched  the  plan  of 
an  extended  poem   entitled   the  "  Schoolmaster,"  but  he  did  not 
live  to  complete  it.       In  1799  he  removed  to  London,  where   he 


26 

engaged  in  various  kinds  of  literary  work,  and,  at  the  request  of 
the  English  Government,  he  edited  a  newspaper  in  the  French 
language  for  circulation  amongst  the  Royalists  in  France.  More- 
over, he  was  employed  by  several  newspapers  as  Parliamentary 
reporter,  but  no  sooner  did  he  earn  a  little  money  than  he 
squandered  it  in  dissipation,  frequently  betraying  the  confidence 
of  his  patrons. 

The  result  was  that  he  was  constantly  rendering  himself  less 
capable  of  successfully  grappling  with  his  debts  and  difficulties. 
Finally  he  was  thrown  into  Newgate  prison  for  debt,  from 
whence  he  dispatched  his  famous  letter  to  the  Literary 
Fund,  which  is  quoted  by  Isaac  Disraeli  in  his  "  Calamities 
and    Quarrels    of    Authors."  Disraeli     concludes     by    saying 

that  '' the  fate  of  Heron  is  the  fate  cf  hundreds  of  authors  by 
profession  in  the  present  day — of  men  of  some  literary  talent  who 
can  never  extricate  themselves  from  a  degradmg  state  of  poverty." 
Genius  can  scarcely  be  claimed  for  Robert  Heron,  but  few  of  his 
contemporaries  in  any  branch  of  literature  possessed  his  learning 
and  talent,  and  perhaps  none  were  more  the  victims  of  their  own 
folly.  Deprived  of  his  liberty  and  broken  in  health  and  spirit. 
Heron  was  removed  to  the  hospital  connected  with  the  Newgate 
prison,  where  he  died  in  April,  1807,  at  the  age  of  forty-two. 
Only  those  who  know  the  solitary  wilds  which  surround  the  birth- 
place of  Robert  Heron  and  can  form  an  adequate  conception  of 
the  Arcadian  simplicity  of  his  youthful  days  can  realise  the  tragedy 
of  his  dissolute  and  wasted  life. 

WM.    M'lLWKAriH. 


THE    RESTORATION    OF   THE    AULD 
BRIG    O'    AYR. 


THE  Brig  proper  consists  of  four  beautifully  shaped 
segmental  arches,  each  from  52  to  53  feet  span,  three 
massive  piers  of  15  feet  in  thickness  with  triangular  cutwaters 
and  heavy  land  abutments  on  either  bank.  It  rises  27  feet 
above  high-v.ater  mark,  and  the  tidal  fall  is  about  8  feet.  The 
width  of  the  Brig  footway  averages  12  feet  between  the  parapets, 
and  the  steeply  sloping  roadways  that  at  the  south  end  between 
houses  gives  the  Brig  and  approaches  an  approximate  length  of 
over  500  feet;  but  the  Brig  proper  between  the  abutments  is  255 
feet  long.  About  the  Brig  there  is  nothing  mechanical  either 
in  the  setting  out  of  the  work  or  in  the  building,  and  it  has  all 
that  indescribable  charm  of  humanness  which  is  a  distincti\e 
feature  of  all  old  work.  For  instance,  no  two  arches  or  cut- 
waters are  exactly  similar /and  the  northmost  arch,  the  last  built, 
is  two  feet  less  in  height  than  the  others.  None  of  the  arches 
spring  too  accurately  from  the  piers,  and  there  is  that  delightful 
honesty  of  procedure  manifested  throughout  the  work,  showing 
so  frankly  that  where  a  pier  and  its  lower  arch  stones  had  been 
built  four  inches  overmuch  to  one  side  and  the  variation  dis- 
covered, the  builders  accepted  the  fact  and  laid  the  next  arch 
course  four  inches  over  and  into  the  true  line.  The  verv  spur 
stones  of  the  piers'  bases  vary,  and  one  of  them  has  on  its  upper 
surface  a  large  incised  heart. 

This,  then,  is  the  Brig  w^e  set  out  to  preser\e  with  all  its 
curves,  and  twists,  and  settlements,  that  when  the  work  should 
be  completed  few  might  know  it  had  been  touched  at  all ;  more- 
over, we  desired  that  each  separate  movement  of  the  fabric  might 
be  preserved  and  clearly  shown  on  its  face.     The  resolution  of 


28 

rhe  public  meeting  msliiuned  "  that  all  work  falling  to  be  done 
shall  ha\e  for  its  object  the  preservation  of  the  existing  fabric 
as  far  as  possible  in  its  entirety,  and  shall  interfere  as  little  as 
possible  with  its  outward  aj)pcaranre,  construction,  or  form." 
The  south  arch,  therefore,  was  retained,  because  the  engineer 
was  able  lo  make  it  as  secure  and  strong  in  its  existing  shape  as 
it  would  be  if  it  had  been  taken  down  and  rebuilt.  Further,  had 
it  been  taken  down,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  not  10  per  cent,  of  its 
stones  could  possibly  have  been  reused.  Mr  Wilson  early 
recognised  the  possibilities  of  the  heavy  piers  and  cutwaters,  and 
at  once  {)roceeded  to  utilise  them  ;  but  before  pitting  through 
their  middle  he  required  first  to  ensure  the  stability  of  the  arches, 
and  to  that  end  the  outer  joints  of  their  spandril  walls  had  to 
be  securely  and  deeply  pointed  with  pure  cement  to  resist  the 
great  after  pressure  of  forced  grouting  from  within.  In  so 
pointing  we  added  to  the  cement  a  little  fine  gravel,  keeping  also 
the  cement  w-ell  back  from  the  face  of  each  weather-beaten  stone, 
and  bedding  small  })ieces  of  old  slate  in  the  more  open  joints, 
closely  following  in  this — as  in  all  else — the  original  work. 
Moreover,  in  jminting,  each  separate  stone  or  slate  bedding-in 
was  separately  j)ointed  all  round,  in  order  that  the  weather- 
beaten  surface  texture  of  the  Brig  might,  as  far  as  possible,  be 
preserved.  The  outer  casing  of  the  Brig  having  now  been  made 
secure  against  the  pres.sure  of  the  cement  grout  to  be  pumped 
into  the  fabric  from  within,  the  restoration  proceeded  arch  by 
arch,  and  pier  by  pier  successively,  beginning  at  the  south  end. 
Trenches  three  feet  wide  were  first  cut  across  the  roadway 
immediately  abo^•e  the  south  ai)utment  and  its  complementary 
pier;  these  trenches  were  cut  through  tlie  sand  filling-in  of  the 
arch  haunches  and  piers,  strongly  bratticed  as  they  were  sunk, 
carried  downward  to  the  solid  masonry  of  the  piers,  and  filled 
with  concrete.  Thereafter  the  sand  between  the  old  outer 
spandril  walls  was  removed,  the  interstices  between  the  rough 
upper  faces  of  the  arch  stones  carefully  cleaned  out  and  filled  in 
with  cement,  and  a  9  in.  concrete  covering  laid  over  all.  Follow- 
ing  this   work   a    longitudinal    central    spandril    wall    26    ft.    in 


thickness  was  built  of  concrete  in  the  centre. line  of  each  arch. 
The  inner  joints  of  the  outer  spandril  walls  having  been  also 
picked  out  were  grouted  with  pure  cement  under  air  pressure  of 
from  20  lb.  to  30  lb.  per  square  inch.  At  a  much  later  period 
in  the  operations  concrete  jack  arches  were  carried  from  the  side 
to  the  centre  spandril  walls,  thus  forming  a  continuous  concrete 
under-roadway,  upon  which  was  spread  a  specially  prepared 
impervious  coating  of  rock-building  composition  to  within  1  in. 
of  the  outer  edge  of  the  parapet  walls,  and  upon  this  coating  a 
layer  of  sand,  in  which  the  roadway  setts  were  laid. 

The  Brig  was  now  ready  for  the  more  dangerous  work  of 
underpinning.  From  between  the  3  ft.  transverse  concrete  walls 
already  sunk  above  the  piers  and  carried  down  to  their  solid 
stone  work  the  sand  hearting  was  removed,  and  the  old  external 
walls  were  grouted  under  pressure;  thereafter  an  8  ft.  by  4  ft. 
shaft  was  sunk  through  the  stone  heart  of  each  pier  and  down- 
ward through  the  clay  9  ft.  below  the  oak  cradles.  A  12  in. 
concrete  floor  was  laid,  a  powerful  electric  motor  centrifugal 
pump  brought  into  operation,  and  the  mining  beneath  the  piers 
to  their  outward  faces  commenced.  As  these  mines,  each  roughly 
about  3  ft.  wide,  were  foot  by  foot  driven,  they  were  strongly 
timbered,  and  cement  grout  forced  upward  through  the  tem- 
porary boarded  roof  into  the  old  stone  foundations,  which  some- 
times fell  out  like  a  ruckle  of  old  stones  into  the  pit  in  the  more 
dilapidated  piers,  sometimes  from  as  much  as  2  ft.  to  3  ft.  above 
the  oak  cradling,  which  cradling  it  was  unfortunately  found  neces- 
sary largely  to  cut  away.  The  underpinning  of  blue  brick  in 
cement  was  then  built  upon  a  concrete  foundation,  and  in  the 
brickwork  several  2  in.  iron  j)ipes  were  laid  for  dealing  more 
easily  with  seeping  water,  l-ut  also  because  through  these  pipes 
cement  grout  could  afterwards  be  forced  into  the  interior  of  the 
brick  underpinning.  As  the  temporary  timber  roofs  were 
reached  they  were  removed,  and  against  the  smooth  face  of  the 
cement  grout  pre\iouslv  forced  in  the  brick  underpinning  was 
wedged  up  and  grouted  solid  under  high  pressure.  This  pro- 
cedure was  afterwards  successivelv  and  successfully  carried  out 


30 

in  each  of  the  20  mines  or  undL-rpinuinij;  stMions  tif  each  pier 
and  the  corresponding  12  sections  of  the  abutments.  1  lu-rc  was 
no  subsidence  of  the  structure,  not  even  a  single  crack  in  the 
outer  superstructure;  nay  more,  not  one  f)f  the  original  cracks 
in  the  external  stonework  oi)enetl  by  a  fraction,  save  at  one 
point  in  the  east  cutwater  of  the  north  pier,  where  it  was 
infinitesimal — and  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  in  this  pier  there 
was  one  large  old  rent  5  in.  wide,  and  also  that  into  a  cavity  f)f 
the  pier  one  could  work  one's  whole  arm  up  to  the  elbow.  As 
an  instance  of  one  of  the  many  difficulties  incidental  to  the 
carrying  out  of  the  work,  from  one  mine  in  the  south  pier  the 
sinkers  were  driven  out  for  nearly  three  continuous  weeks  by  the 
inrush  of  water,  which  at  full  tide  was  \ery  great,  and  even  at  low- 
water  the  mine  was  nearly  always  full.  Tn  several  of  the  mines, 
looking  from  within  one  could  at  low  water  see  between  the  Brig 
cradle  and  the  boulder  clay  the  blue  sky  of  heaven,  so  much  of 
the  ri\er  bed  had  been  washed  away  from  the  pier  foundations, 
and  it  was  literally  inch  by  inch  that  way  was  made  by  damming 
out  the  water  till  the  underpinning  had  Ijeen  completed.  Often 
day  after  day  at  low  water,  when  the  river  and  wcaUicr  permitted, 
2  in.  boards,  <jverlapping  or  as  sheaths,  were  driven  into  the 
river  bed  outside  the  piers,  and  the  space  between  packed  with 
clay,  grouted  with  cement,  or  cement  in  bags,  packed  round,  and 
as  one  hole  was  stojjped  another  developed.  Patience,  resource, 
and  deliberation  in  the  end  prevailed,  but  there  was  none  the 
less  many  an  anxious  hour  for  those  in  charge. 

Arcii.^oi.ogicai.  Work. 
In  May,  1909,  the  engineering  o])crati()ns  were  sufficiently 
advanr-ed  to  permit  a  serious  beginning  with  the  arch?eological 
work.  The  masonry  of  each  of  the  three  piers,  from  the  splayed 
stone  base  upward  to  nearly  the  corbel  springer  of  the  arches, 
had  been  at  various  times  refaced  with  stone  or  brick  work.  It 
was  mainly  patchwork,  and  the  regular  courses  of  the  original 
work  had  been  wholly  ignored.  Moreover,  many  of  the  later 
facing  stones  had  not  been  ])ro])erly  botulprl  into  the  masom-v  of 


31 

the  piers.  The  west  nose  of  the  south  cutwater  had,  in  its 
lower  courses,  sunk  about  five  inches,  and  the  space  between 
the  oversailing  upper  courses  which  had  remained  in  position 
filled  in  with  stone  patching  and  roman  cement.  Upon  removing 
the  fractured  stones  the  depo.sit  of  fine  river  mud  was  seen  to 
penetrate  for  a  distance  of  2  ft.  or  3  ft.  inward — in  another  pier 
as  much  as  6  ft. — and  this  mud  deposit,  with  the  rotten  lime,  had 
effectually  checked  the  flow  of  cement  grout  driven  under 
pressure  from  within  the  piers.  Structurally,  therefore,  it  was 
necessary  to  clear  away  all  such  mud,  rotted  lime,  and  fractured 
facing  stones  wherever  found,  and  as  the  latter  were  almost 
wholly  new  and  practically  only  patchwork  they  were  archa^o- 
logically  valueless.  After  rebuilding  with  brick  and  cement 
outward  from  the  solid  portion  of  the  piers  to  the  new  stone 
facings,  which  were  built  on  the  original  lines,  and  using  therein 
any  old  stones  found,  the  whole  was  grouted  with  cement  under 
high  pressure,  and  in  order  to  follow  and  ascertain  the  rise  and 
movement  of  the  cement  within  the  piers  open  joints  were  left 
between  certain  of  the  facing  stones  and  closed  as  the  cement 
rose.  When  the  cement  had  sufficiently  consolidated  fresh  grout 
at  full  pressure  was  forced  in  to  make  up  any  space  lost  by 
consolidation,  also  to  wedge  hard  against  all  upper  work  and 
solidly  fill  in  all  open  sjxaces.  After  the  piers  the  abutments 
were  similarly  treated.  The  fractured  portions  of  the  arch 
stones  were  then  cut  out,  from  never  less  than  nine  inches  to 
the  extent  of  fracture,  new  stone  of  identical  size  inserted  and 
clamped  to  the  old  bv  lead  dowels  run  into  the  inter-sections  ;  a 
V  channel  being  also  cut  into  the  top  of  the  stones,  through  which 
chaniiel  li(juid  cement  was  pumped  in,  thus  solidly  binding  all 
new  and  old  work  together.  The  spandril  walls,  where  loosened 
from  their  backing,  were  treated  in  a  somewhat  similar  fashion. 
When  within  comparatively  recent  years  the  roadway  level  was 
altered  and  straightened  from  the  old  curvatures,  caused  by  the 
movement  of  the  arches,  the  original  side  gutter  channelling  was 
then  also  broken  off,  or  torn  out  from  beneath  the  parapet,  thus 
materiallv  decreasing  its  stability.     The  joints  were  badly  worn 


:V2 

iind  so  seriously  decayed  that  tlie  Ayr  and  the  east  parapet  over- 
hung outward  nearly  nine  inches.  The  footings  and  walls,  there- 
fore, required  rebuilding,  so  the  old  side  guttering  and  gargoyles 
were  renewed,  and  the  parapets  carefully  taken  down  in  short 
lengths  and  rebuilt  against  standardised  rods  to  their  old  lateral 
curvature.  A  two-inch  joggle  channel  was  cut  in  the  beds  and 
joints  of  each  of  the  old  stones  and  grouted  with  cement,  and  all 
possible  old  stones  were  re-used.  Where  old  stones  were  very 
much  worn  away  the  joints  were  bedded  in  with  hard  red  tiles 
pointed  with  cement,  so  that  the  old  work  might  be  readily 
distinguishable  from  the  new,  but  the  pointing  was  done  differ- 
ently from  that  of  the  outside  walls,  because  weather-worn  joints 
were  here  forbidden,  and  the  wall  surfaces  had  to  be  kept  as 
even  as  possible.  For  this  reason  all  cement  joints  were  made 
V  shaped,  the  apex  being  of  course  outward.  Unfortunately 
from  an  archaeological  standpoint,  cobble  stones  were  prohibited 
in  the  roadway,  but  small  rough  granite  setts,  with  wide  joints, 
were  used,  in  order  to  repeat  as  far  as  possible  the  texture  and 
scale  of  the  parapet  walls.  The  excavations  at  the  north  end  of 
the  Brig  disclosed  an  early  roadway  of  cobble  stones  and  roughly 
built  guttering,  from  12  to  18  inches  lower  than  the  present 
roadway,  and  with  a  more  steeply  inclined  slope.  The  lower 
walls  of  the  old  triangular  toll  or  guard-house  were  also  exposed, 
and  it  may  be  noted  that  this  chamber  with  its  deep  foundation 
w^alls  all  the  way  up  was  built  against,  and  not  with,  the  earlier 
abutment  wall  of  the  Brig.  The  east  foundation  of  the  arched 
gateway  was  followed  downward  for  over  10  feet  without  reach- 
ing its  bottom,  but  the  corresponding  west  foundation  had 
altogether  disappeared.  All  these  remaining  portions  of  old 
work  have  been  carefully  preserved  exactly  as  found,  and  for 
their  better  preserAation  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing.  In  the 
Brig  parapets  have  been  retained  the  square  holes  in  the  wall 
stones  and  copes,  wherein  rested  the  later  toll-beams  or  barriers. 
As  little  as  possible  of  the  original  work  of  the  Brig  has  been 
touched,  and  any  new  work  or  insertions  essential  for  its  mainten- 
ance have  followed  as  closelv  as  modern  work  mav  the  lines  of 


33 

the  old.  Several  mason's  marks  were  found,  and  of  these  care- 
ful impressions  were  taken  and  afterwards  tabulated. 

It  was  difficult  at  first  to  break  the  masons  working  on  the 
Brig  from  these  characteristics  of  modern  work,  impersonally 
hewn  stones  and  mechanically  plump  and  level  building.  The 
old  curves  and  twists  of  the  Brig  soon,  however,  made  their 
power  felt,  and  the  workmen  gradually  found  that  there  was 
more  beauty  in  the  old  slightly  cambered  and  full  line  than  in 
the  one  absolutely  straight  from  start  to  finish.  When  once 
they  realised  that  preservative  operations  cannot  be  pushed  or 
worked  out  as  is  a  contract  job,  they  settled  down  to  the  order  of 
things  wherein  craftsmen  and  not  merely  operatives  are  required, 
very  many  taking  a  most  keen  interest  in  the  proceedings. 

Now  that  the  Brig  is  finished  the  retrospect  is  not  unsatisfac- 
tory, although  there  is  little  doubt  that  in  the  town  of  Ayr  the 
preservation  of  the  Brig  did  not  commend  itself  to  many.  In 
origin  and  essence  it  was  based  largely  upon  sentiment,  upon 
historic  reverence  and  archaeological  regard.  It  did  not  and 
does  not  appeal  to  utilitarian  instincts,  and  whatever  of  material 
value  it  may  hold  belongs  of  necessity  to  other  generations,  when 
men  shall  more  clearly  see  'and  understand  also  its  intrinsic 
worth.  But  for  one  or  two  staunch  friends  of  the  Brig  in  the 
Town  Council  the  work  would  never  have  gone  through,  and  in 
Mr  J.  B.  Ferguson  of  Balgarth,  then  a  councillor,  the  Brig 
^found  a  warm  and  fitting  friend,  for  his  interests  are  largely 
centred  in  Alloway.  His  home  was  for  long  Doonholm,  where 
William  Burnes  worked  as  gardener,  and  on  near  land  wa.s 
built  the  "  auld  clay  bigging  "  wherein  the  poet  was  born.  Mr 
H.  R.  Wallace,  of  Busby,  a  descendant  of  the  Scottish  patriot, 
also  stood  strongly  for  the  brig  from  the  very  first  day. 

JAMES  A.  MORRIS, 

(In  ilie  Glasgow  Herala). 


HI-:   AULi)   HRic;   w   avr. 


REOPENING    CEREMONV 


ON  Friday,  29th  July,  1910,  ihc  sijecially  invited  parly  met 
in  the  Carnegie  Library,  and  at  noon  they  marched  to 
the  north  end  of  the  Brig,  the  procession  being  headed  by  Lord 
Roseberv.  Provost  Hunlir.  Mr  R.  A.  Oswald  of  Auchencruive, 
and  Mr  P.  A.  Thomson,  the  Town  Clerk,  and  following  them 
came  the  town  officers,  whose  coats  of  red  and  (juaint  headgear 
j)rovided  the  only  note  of  colour,  if  we  except  a  huge  umbrella, 
on  the  cover  of  which  there  was  a  scroll  indicating  that  the 
Mauchline  Jolly  Beggars  were  represented  in  the  procession. 
The  company  included  civic  and  county  dignitaries  and  repre- 
sentatives of  Burns  Clubs.  The  ceremony  at  the  Brig  was  not 
of  long  duration,  the  ]jrinci])al  speeches  being  reserved  for  a 
subsequent  gathering  in  the  Town  Hall,  where  Lord  Rosebery 
and  Air  Oswald  had  the  freedom  of  the  Burgh  of  Ayr  conferred 
upon  them.  At  the  Bridge  tlie  ceremony  was  brief.  Provost 
Hunter,  in  accepting  the  trust,  tendered  to  Mr  Oswald,  as  Chair- 
man, and  to  the  other  members  of  the  Preservation  Committee, 
the  best  thanks  of  the  Council  for  their  continuous  labours  during 
the  past  three  years.  The  work  had  been  a  feat  of  no  ordinary 
merit,  and  reflected  the  highest  credit  on  the  Committee,  on  Mr 
Wilson,  and  on  Mr  Morris.  Ayr  had  been  given  the  sobriquet 
of  "The  Auld  Toon."  She  would  have  forfeited  her  right  to 
such  a  title  had  she  allowed  her  Auld  Brig  to  be  demolished. 
(Applause.)  They  were  there  to  congratulate  themselves  on 
having  successfully  negotiated  the  last  fence  in  connection  with 
the  Auld  Brig,  this  "  ghaist  alluring  edifice,"  as  Burns  had  called 
it,  "whose  wrinkled  arches,"  thev  could  see,   had  been  main- 


tained  partly  by  preserving,  partly  by  restoring,  and  partly  by 
rebuilding.  The  preserving  and  restoring  had  been  done  at  the 
expense  of  a  very  widely  scattered  company  of  loyal  Scotsmen 
and  admirers  of  our  National  Bard,  who  looked  upon  this  Brig 
as  the  finest  monument  they  had  to  his  memory.  The  rebuilding 
would,  it  was  hoped,  be  paid  for  partly  out  of  the  Templeton 
Bequest,  and  a  considerable  portion  of  the  bequest  would  remain 
in  trust  to  meet  future  rebuilding  when  such  became  necessary. 
But  honour  must  be  given  where  honour  was  due,  and  they  could 
not  pass  on  without  a  word  of  praise  to  the  worthy  builders  of 
the  Brig.  Dead  and  forgotten  those  six  centuries  or  more,  their 
work  still  remained  to  put  to  shame  the  more  transitory  work 
which  was  the  outcome  of  the  hurry  and  bustle  of  this  twentieth 
century.     (Applause.) 

Dean  of  Guild  Meikle  presented  Lord  Rosebery  with  a  silver 
key  to  unlock  the  bar. 

Lord  Rosebery,  having  accepted  the  key,  said: — Mr 
Provost,  until  I  arrived  on  this  red  platform  I  was  under  the 
impression  that  the  Bridge  was  to  be  opened  in  perfect  silence. 
All  functions,  I  think,  are  bqst  performed  with  as  much  silence 
as  possible,  and  I  was  quite  prepared  to  abide  b)  that  agree- 
ment ;  and  after  the  speech  that  you  have  delivered  no  words  are 
necessary  from  me.  I  congratulate  Ayr  not  merely  on  a  great 
restoration,  but  on  the  prevention  of  a  great  desecration. 
(Applause.)  It  was  with  incredulity  and  with  horror  that  the 
great  mass  of  Burns  worshippers  throughout  the  world  heard  that 
there  was  any  idea  under  any  circumstances  to  tamper  with  this 
immemorial  Bridge.  Fortunately,  owing  to  the  enterprise  and 
energy  mainly  of  Mr  Oswald  and  Mr  Morris,  that  desecration  has 
been  averted,  and  I  think  we  may  hope  and  believe  that  as  long 
as  the  poet's  works  live  so  long  will  the  Auld  Brig  stand  as  a 
testimony  to  him  for  ever.     (Loud  applause.) 

His  Lordship  then,  amidst  cheers,  unlocked  the  bar  and 
declared  the  Bridge  re-opened.  The  company  passed  over  from 
the  north  to  the  south  end  of  the  Bridge,  and  then  proceeded  to 
the  Town  Hall,  where  the  ceremonv  of  conferring  the  freedom 


36 

took  place.      The  c-rowd  whiiii  had  j^atheied  at   the  soulh  end 
then  streamed  across  tlic  newly  opened  structure. 

Thf.  Fref.dom  ("krkmonv. 

The  ceremony  of  i)resenlinfj;  the  freedom  of  the  Burgh  to 
Lord  Rosebery  and  Mr  C)s\vald  took  place  in  the  Town  Hall 
immediately  afterwards.  Proxost  Hunter  presided  o\er  a  xery 
large  and  representative  audience,  admission  being  by  ticket,  and 
the  platform  party,  in  addition  to  the  burgesses-elect,  included 
the  Earl  of  Glasgow,  the  Earl  of  Stair,  Viscount  Kelburn,  Sir 
Charles  Dalrymple,  Bart.  ;  Sir  James  Bell,  Bart.  ;  Sir  Matthew 
Arthur,  Bart.  ;  Sir  William  Bilsland,  Bart.  ;  Mr  George 
Younger,  M.P.:  Mr  W.  P.  Beale,  M.P. ;  Sheriff  Lorimer, 
Sheriff  Shairp,  the  Rev.  Dr  Dykes,  Major  Julian  Oswald,  Mr 
James  Kennedy  of  Doonholm,  Mr  J.  G.  A.  Baird  of  Muirkirk, 
Mr  R.  F.  MacEwan  of  Bardrochat,  Mr  Walter  NeiLson  of  Ewan- 
field,  Mr  Robert  Knox  of  Ladykirk,  Dean  of  Guild  Meikle, 
ex-Deacon-Convener  Kirkwood,  Mr  F.  Harcourt  Kitchin,  Mr 
James  A.  Morris,  Mr  T.  W.  Macintyre,  Mr  Wm.  Robcrts<^)n,  Mr 
James  P.  Hay,  Mr  David  Cooper.  Mr  Duncan  M'Xauglit.  J. P.  ; 
Mr  Thomas  Amos,  M.A.  ;  Mr  W  .  S.  Wilson,  and  Mr  P.  A. 
Thomson,  the  Town  Clerk. 

Provost  Hunter  said  it  was  most  fitting  that  Lord  Rosebeiv 
should  give  the  finishing  touch  to  the  restoration  of  this  ancient 
monument  to  the  Poet,  as  it  was  very  largely  due  to  his  efforts 
that  they  had  it  with  them  that  day.  (Applause.)  They  had 
asked  him  to  go  with  tlieni  one  mile,  and,  following  Bible  pre- 
cept, he  had  gone  with  them  twain.  This  was  not  the  only  occa- 
sion on  which  his  Lordship  had  assisted  the  municipality. 
(Hear,  hear.)  They  did  not  look  upon  him  as  a  stranger,  but 
they  wished  to  bind  him  still  more  closely  to  their  ancient  burgh 
by  making  him  a  burgess.  (Loud  applause.)  King  William  the 
Lion  granted  a  charter  to  Ayr  in  1202,  and  also  ronfcrrcd  on  the 
community  all  the  lands  between  the  rivers  Ayr  and  Doon  ff)r  a 
considerable  distance  inland  as  a  Common  Grxifl.  Their  pre- 
decessors had  carefullv   handed   down   the   charter,    which   was 


believed  to  be  the  only  one  of  that  date  still  in  existence,  hut  the 
lands  and  other  property  had  not  been  so  carefully  conserved. 
(Laughter.)  However,  there  was  one  pri\ilege  which  had  been 
guarded  most  jealously,  and  that  was  the  freed')m  of  the  burgh. 
(Applause.)  During  the  last  century  it  had  only  been  conferred 
on  six  different  occasions.  The  recipients  numbered  eight  in  all. 
Four  of  the  recipients  were  local  gentlemen.  Two  of  them. 
Lords  Cowan  and  Ardmillan,  had  attained  eminence  in  the  law. 
The  other  two  occupied  positions  of  distinction  in  our  Australian 
colony.  Sir  Thomas  M'llwraith  was  Premier  of  Queensland, 
and  the  Hon.  John  M'llwraith  was  Lord  ^L^yor  of  Melbourne. 
The  other  recipients  were  Louis  Kossuth,  the  Hungarian  patriot ; 
General  Grant,  the  illustrious  soldier  and  President  of  the  United 
States  ;  Sir  William  Arrol,  who  had  become  a  townsman,  and 
whose  achievements  were  too  well-known  to  need  mentioning  : 
and  Dr  Andrew  Carnegie,  who  had  spent  so  much  to  foster 
education.  When  it  became  known  that  Lord  Rosebery  had  so 
kindly  agreed  to  officiate  at  the  re-opening  of  the  Auld  Brig, 
there  was  a  unanimous  desire  to  acknowledge  in  some  form  the 
keen  interest  he  had  all  along  t;fken  in  everything  pertaining  to 
our  National  Bard.  (Applause.)  It  was  agreed  that  this  was  a 
most  fitting  opportunity  for  the  people  of  the  land  of  Burns  to 
testify  their  love  and  admiration  for  one  who  had  guided  the 
destinies  of  our  great  Empire.  (Loud  applause.)  L  had  been 
given  to  his  Lordship  from  early  manhood  to  lead  the  Empire  in 
the  pathway  of  reform.  It  might  be  said  of  him,  as  had  been 
said  of  Kossuth,  "  that  he  desired  rather  to  reform  and  improve 
existing  institutions  and  adapt  them  to  an  age  of  higher  civilisa- 
tion than  that  in  which  they  were  first  devised  than  to  see  those 
institutions  entirely  removed."  (Hear,  hear.)  They  looked  on 
him  as  Scotland's  greatest  orator.  (Loud  applause.)  During 
all  the  thirty  years  past  when  his  Lordship  had  spoken  an  Empire 
had  listened.  (Applause.)  His  words  were  sufficiently  ornate 
to  appeal  to  the  imaginative  and  snthciently  logical  to  convince 
the  reasoning.  They  honoured  him  for  his  many  gifts  and 
graces.     (Applause.) 

3 


The  'r<,)\vii  CU'ik  .it'lerwards  read  ihc  huii;ess  tickrl,  and  the 
Provost,  ill  handing  it  to  his  Lordship,  said  that  it  was  his  pleas- 
ing duty,  as  representing  the  Town  Council  of  Ayr,  to  ask  him 
to  accept  this  document,  and  tor  its  safe  kee])iiig  lie  presciitetl 
him  with  a  silver  casket,  the  plinth  of  which  w.is  made  from  one 
of  the  oak  beams  which  formed  part  of  the  cradle  which  tiad 
supported  the  Brig  for  these  six  centuries.     (Ai)plause.) 

Lord  Roseberv,  on  rising  to  accej)t  the  freedom  of  the 
burgh,  was  loudly  cheered.  He  said: — Mr  Provost  and  fellow- 
burgesses  of  Ayr,  you  say  tiuite  truly,  Mr  Provost,  that  you  could 
confer  no  higher  honour  on  anyone  than  the  freedom  of  vfiur 
ancient  burgh,  and  I  heartily  appreciate  the  distinction  that  \nn 
have  conferred  u])on  me  this  day.  1  am  especially  honoured  by 
the  recollection,  by  the  recital,  rather,  of  my  colleagues  in  the 
freedom,  dead  or  living,  so  few  and  so  illustrious,  when  'he 
antiquity  of  the  burgh  is  considered.  I  cannot  but  be  aware  also 
that  to-day  1  am,  a  little,  receiving  it  under  false  pretences, 
because  I  feel  that  men  like  Mr  Oswald  and  Mr  Morris  and  Dr 
\\'allace  deserve  the  distinction,  for  it  is  a  great  distinction  of 
having  worked  to  ])reser\e  the  old  Bridge,  much  more  than  I  do. 
But  honour  as  we  know  d(jes  not  al\\a\s  go  to  where  it  is  due, 
and  I  am  content  to  accept,  though  with  some  misgiving,  the  gift 
that  you  are  good  enough  to  make  to  me  without  anahsing  too 
closely  my  claims  to  it.  Let  me,  however,  say,  Mr  Provost,  that 
_\ou  have  not  made  the  task  of  accepting  it  any  easier  b\  the 
eulogy  which  you  have  been  kind  enough  to  pass  on  what  Mm  are 
pleased  to  term  my  eloquence.  (Laughter.)  When  an  audience 
is  told  that  something  very  elo(]uent  is  going  to  l)e  said,  and  they 
hear  a  stumbling,  stammering,  stuttering  sort  of  s])eaker,  die 
resentment  and  the  disappointment  are  much  greater  than  they 
ought  to  be.  If,  cm  the  other  hand,  it  is  said--"  I  am  going  to 
give  the  freedom  to  J.ord  Rosebcr),  and  he  has  only  one  defect; 
he  cannot  speak  for  nuts  " — (laughter) — I  might  have  had  some 
chance  of  graciously  accepting  the  gift.  Mr  Provost,  you  made 
an  interesting  enumeration  of  the  names  of  the  freemen,  of  the 
illustrious  freemen,  who  are  inscribed  upon  vour  roll.      I  ai)])re- 


■  39 

•ciate  the  names  (jf  the  freemen.      I  appreciate  all  their  merits, 
but  their  very  merits  make  more  conspicuous  the  absence  of  one 
man  who  ought  to  be  on  that  roll.     Mr  Oswald  and  I  are  here 
to-day  receiving  the  freedom  in  a  vicarious  sense,  because  we  feel 
that  behind  us  there  :h-  always  the  august  shade  of  him  whom 
you    have    reallv    come    to    honour — the    poet    Robert    Burns. 
(Applause.)     Tt  must  be  a  source  of  lasting  and  poignant  regret 
to  the  freemen  of  Ayr  that  the}   did  not  take  the  opportunity, 
which  they  had  so  amply,  of  enrolling  Robert  Burns  among  the 
names  of  their  honorary  freemen.     Dumfries,  which  has  his  body 
and  his  tomb,  did  make  him  a  freeman.     I  do  not  know  if  it 
would  be  possible  for  you,  Mr  Provost,  under  any  municipal  Act, 
bv  anv  retrosj)ective  performance,  to  try  to  place  the  name  of 
Robert  Bin-ns  upon  \our  roll.      Now,  there  are  two  counties  in 
Scotland  which  claim  a  pre-eminency  of  the  memory  and  a  pro- 
perty m  Burns.      They  are  Ayrshire  and  Dumfriesshire.     Dum- 
fries, as  I  lia\e  said,  saw  his  last  melancholy  years  ;  they  have 
the  record  of  his  agony  and  his  death ;    they  preserve  his  body. 
All  pilgrims  trom  across  the  sea  or  from  his  native  land  who  wish 
to  do  honour  to  Burns  cannot  fail  to  go  to  Dumfries.     Those 
who  wish  to  have  the  best  part  of  Burns,  to  visit  the  region  in 
which  he  spent  the  best  years  of  his  life,  must  go  to  Ayrshire. 
(Applause.)     It  was  Ayrshire,  it  is  Ayrshire,  that  has  the  nobler 
part  of  Burns.      It  was  Ayrshire  that  witnessed  his  birth,   wit- 
nessed his  youth,   witnessed  the  best  of  his  manhood.     It  was 
there  he  spent  the  first  28  years  of  his  life.      So  far  as  I  know. 
Burns  did  not  lea\e  Ayrshire  during  all   those  years.      It   was 
there   that   was   seen   the   first   dawning,    and,    indeed,    the   full 
supremacy  of  his  genius.      It  was  there  that  he  first  faced  the 
world  ;  there  that  he  filled  his  mind,  there  that  he  ploughed,  at 
£7  a  year,  better  than  any  ploughman  of  his  day,  and  there  that 
he  looked  out  first  on  the  universe  with  those  marvellous  eyes, 
instinct  with  human  passion — passion  of  piety,  poetry,  and  love 
and  independence.     All  these  events  are  the  property  of  Ayr- 
shire.    (Applause.)     It  was  from  Ayrshire  that  he  drew  his  first 
inspiration.     It  was  Coila  whom  he  always  hailed  as  his  presid- 


40 

inj;  inmph.  The  most  reniaikahle  letter  vwy  written  by  Burns, 
or  I  might  ahnost  say  by  aiixluulx  else,  one  of  the  best  letters  in 
existence,  is  his  letter  to  Dr  John  Moore,  autlior  of  "Zekico," 
in  which  he  sketches  with  a  master  pen,  and  apparently  not  alto- 
gether without  the  imagination  which  is  inherent  both  in 
biographers  and  poets— in  which  he  traces  with  a  master  pen  his 
life  in  Ayrshire.  I  recommend  c\erybody  in  this  hall  who  has 
not  read  that  letter  not  to  go  to  his  bed  to-night  without  having 
perusetl  that  masteri)iece  of  autobiographical  description.  And 
what  is  much  more,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  is  this— it  is  not 
merely  that  Ayrshire  is  the  place  where  Burns  composed  his 
masterpieces  and  where  he  lived  until  he  was  28  years  of  age, 
but  it  was  very  nearly  i)eing  the  only  part  of  Scotland  in  which 
he  was  fated  ever  to  live.  He  was  \ery  nearly — he  was  all  but 
leaving  for  Jamaica  when  something  turned  and  arrested  his 
steps,  and  had  that  l)een  so,  so  far  as  we  am  forecast  a  life  that 
was  not  lived,  he  wt)uld  have  divided  his  whole  life  between  Ayr- 
shire and  Jamaica.  Ayrshire  woidd  have  been  the  only  spot  of 
Scottish  soil  which  he  had  ever  trodden.  How  strange  it  would 
have  been  if  that  had  happened.  I  know  that  every  year  in 
January  we  celebrate  the  birthday  of  Burns,  and  we  celebrate 
Burns  on  every  possible  occasion.  Vou  are  wrong  in  thinking, 
Mr  Provost,  that  I  have  ever  proposed  "  The  Immortal 
Memory,"  because  I  have  alwa\s  chosen  occasions  which  are 
not  postprandial  to  honour  the  memory  of  Burns.  It  was  in  the 
calmness  of  noon  or  in  the  earl\  morning  that  T  ha\-e  unveiled 
statues  or  done  the  like.  But  tb.e  Burns  ban(|uet,  with  its  inter- 
minable toasts,  interminable  songs,  and  inlcnninable  speeches,  is 
a  sort  of  penance  that  I  never  fell  bound  to  undergo  in  the  course 
of  my  life.  (Laughter.)  But  as  I  know  that  they  are  always 
wanting  another  toast  at  the  Burns  dinner,  just  one  more — • 
(laughter) — I  do  suggest  t(j  them  a  toast  -  the  memory  of  a  man 
to  whom  admirers  of  Burns  owe  almost  mcn-e  than  anv  other 
man  who  lived — I  mean  the  Idind  jxjet  Blacklock,  of  Edinburgh. 
Burns  would  have  gone  to  Jamaica  beyond  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt  had  it  not  been  for  a  letter  from  that  blind  poet  Blacklock 


41 

expressing  warmest  admiration  for  his  poems,  and  expressing  a 
wish  of  seeing  and  introducing  him  to  literary  society  in  Edin- 
burgh, and  therefore  I  have  never  been  able  to  understand  how 
it  is  that  we  honour  so  many  persons  in  connection  with  Burns, 
even  Buego,  the  engraver  of  his  portrait,  and  every  human  being 
who  had  anything  to  do  with  him.  yet  we  omit  the  one  great 
benefactor  of  Scotland  connected  with  Burns — I  mean  the  poet 
Blacklock,  who  prevented  his  going  to  the  West  Indies. 
(Applause.)  What  woidd  ha\e  happened  haS  he  gone  to  the 
West  Indies?  He  was  to  go  as  overseer  or  liook-keeper,  one  of 
the  most  odious  situations,  I  suppose,  that  could  be  filled  by 
mortal  man.  (Laughter.)  I  am  not  speaking  of  book-keeping 
as  understood  in  commercial  circles,  but  as  overseer  as  under- 
stood on  a  slave  plantation.  We  should  have  had  indeed  one 
immortal  volume  of  verse.  Nothing  could  ever  have  deprived  us 
of  that.  But  could  we,  do  you  think,  ever  have  had  anything 
more?  Do  you  think,  amid  the  conditions  of  sla\ery  and  the 
tropical  climate  of  Jamaica,  ancj  the  associations  of  life  there 
that  you  may  find  admirably  depicted  in  the  work  of  another 
Scottish  genius  of  whom  we  know  nothing  but  the  name,  Michael 
.Scott,  but  which  you  may  find  admirably  depicted  in  ''  Tom 
Cringle's  Log,"  that  admirable  masterpiece  of  his — do  vou  think 
the  genius  of  Burns  could  have  survived?  I  myself  do  not.  I 
think  that  far  from  these  barren  farms,  the  two  worst  in  Scot- 
land, on  which  he  had  been  accustomed  to  toil — I  hope  I  am 
saying  nothing  disrespectful  to  the  owners  of  these  farm.s — 
(laughter) — that  far  from  his  own  barren  and  ungrateful  soil  of 
Scotland,  amid  the  tropical  luxuriance  of  Jamaica  and  amid  the 
•degrading  conditions  of  shnerv.  together  with  all  the  convivial 
associations  of  that  island  at  that  time,  I  do  not  for  one  moment 
believe  that  we  should  have  heard  much  more  of  Burns.  It  is 
quite  true  that  another  Scottish  genius  of  ours,  though  he  was 
-expatriated,  Robert  I>ouis  Stevenson,  sent  us  from  the  Tropics 
some  of  the  choicest  vohmies  from  his  pen.  But  the  conditions 
there  were  very  different  from  what  they  were  in  Jamaica.  At 
.any  rate,  when  everybody  is  trying  to  write  something  new  about 


42 

Burns.  I  do  su{;i;cst  this  topic  to  his  (•oiiiiiu'iU.itors     an  inia};ina- 
tive  sketch   of  what  would  have  hai)])cned   if   Hums  had   really 
gone  to  Jamaica.      I    think   niyself  tlial   his   genius  would   ha\e- 
evaporated  under  those  conditions;    that  he  indhahly  w<nild  not 
have  lived  long,  and  that  we  should  only  have  known  him  hy  his 
tirst  volume       But,  of  course,  he  might  ha\e  taken  a  differeiu 
line    and    ri.sen    to    wealth    in    the    West    Indies,    as    many    U'est 
Countrv  people  did  in  those  days,  and  he  might  ha\-e  c-ome  hack 
and  strutted  on  the  Broomielaw  as  a  rum  lord,  a  sugar  lord,  or  a 
tobacco    lord,    and    even   then    he    would    ha\e    been    a    totally 
different  Burns  from  the  one  whom  we  hallow  and  remember,      f 
mvself  am  a  believer  in  the  fact  that  his  genius  could  hardly  ha\e 
sur\-ived  the  relaxation  of  wealth.      Poverty    [produces    master- 
pieces and   wealth   smothers   them.      (>Ap])lause. )      \'ou   will    be 
able  to  count  on  your  fingers  the  masteri)ieces  ])roduced  by  ricdi 
people.      Vou  will  find  lliat  they  ha\'e  all  been  written  under  the 
pre.ssure  of  i)o\ertv      almost  all  of  them  ha\e  been  written  under 
the  pres.sure  of  poverty — though  I  believe  Shakespeare  became 
the  owner  of  some  urban  property  in  his  later  years.     (Laughter.) 
But  take   one   instance.      Would    Wordsworth    ha\e   written   any 
better  than  Rogers  if  Wordsworth  liad  been  as  rich  as  Rogers? 
And  my  clear  conclusion  from  a  very  general  sur\ey  of  all  the 
great  masterpieces  of  literature  is  that  a  genius  should  not  l)e 
wealthy,  or  he  is  very  likely  to  see  his  genius  stifled  bv  the  fact. 
Now,  gentlemen,  I  have  alwavs  sworn  that  f  would  never  make 
another  sjjeech  about  Burns,  and  [  am  ;ifraid  you  will  think  that 
I  ha\e  to  some  extent  broken  my  oath   on   this  occasion.      But 
honestly  I  do  not  think  that   I  can  be  accused  of  any  deliberate 
perjur\ .  because  it  is  so  clear  that  the  honour  you  are  paying  to 
me  to-day  is  being  joaid  not  to  myself  in  my  indi\idual  capacitv 
but  as  an  admirer  of  P)urns,  and   I  cannot  hel])  touching  on  the 
subject  that  is  so  dear  [o  me,  well  worn  though  it  be.      f  think 
at  anyrate   I  have   pointed  out   to    Burns   w(irs]n])pers   two   new 
features  which  they  might  explore,  that  of  gratitude  to  the  bliiul 
poet  and  the  possible  career  f)f   Burns  in  Jamaica,   which  may 
lead    tr.    a    not    incr)nsiderable    addition    to     Burns    literature. 


48 

(Laughter  and  applause.)  Now  I  said  in  tlie  first  part  of  my 
remarks  it  was  here  Burns  first  looked  (JUt  on  the  world  with  his 
eyes  burning  with  the  passions  of  love,  and  of  faith,  of  poetry 
and  independence.  Of  poetry  I  need  say  very  little.  He  wrote 
here  "  The  Jolly  Beggars  "  and  "  The  Cottar's  Saturday  Night," 
the  two  supreme  productions  of  this  period  of  his  life,  and 
perhaps  of  his  whole  life.  (Applause.)  But  I  would  only  ask 
you  to  note  the  affluence  of  genius  show^n  by  Burns  writing  "  The 
Jolly  Beggars,"  which  to  many  of  us  is  his  masterpiece — (hear, 
hear) — as  a  peasant  behind  the  plough  in  Ayrshire,  and  then 
tossing  it  aside  as  unworthy  of  being  printed,  so  that  it  was  not 
published  until  after  his  death.  Many  of  us  would  give  half  of 
our  lives  to  have  been  able  to  write  "The  Jolly  Beggars,"  and  we 
should  have  lost  no  time  in  publishing  it  for  the  appreciation  of 
the  world.  (Applause.)  To  Burns  it  was  merely  an  incident, 
tossed  into  a  drawer  and  found  after  his  death.  That  seems  to 
me  a  very  striking  feature  as  regards  his  genius.  As  regards  his 
piety,  which  I  think  commentators  ,'jf  Burns  sometimes  lose  sight 
of  in  consetjuence  of  the  occasional  laxities  of  his  life  which  he 
pararled  with  perhaps  too  great  a  freedom  and  frankness,  we 
have  the  testimony  of  that  letter  which  I  have  quoted  to  his 
religious  bringing  up  and  his  religious  creed,  and  we  have  the 
supreme  testimony  of  the  "Cottar's  Saturday  Night  "  to  show 
what  expression  he  could  give  to  his  faith.  And  as  for  love — 
that  of  course  is  a  delicate  subject.  (Laughter.)  The  fact  is 
that  as  far  as  I  can  ascertain  Burns  fell  in  love  with  every  girl 
he  met  at  that  period  of  his  life.  (Laughter.)  He  saw  them 
through  the  eyes  of  his  imagination,  and  in  consequence  he 
became  enamoured  of  them  all.  I  really  do  not  know  that  it  is 
much  use  following  them  all  up,  as  some  of  his  biographers  have 
done,  because  I  imagine  that  the  passion  of  love  with  him  on 
these  occasions  was  rather  an  imaginative  one  than  anything  more 
definite  and  practical.  I  have  sometimes  wondered,  if  we  could 
see  all  those  ladies  whom  Burns  honoured  with  such  magnificent 
epithets  in  his  impassioned  odes,  if  we  should  not  be  a  little 
disappointed.      (Laughter.)     I  am  ir.clined  to  think  that  he  saw 


tiuMii  with  the  ^lanmur  of  his  _urral  inia^inalinn,  and  that  we, 
without  that  <;lanii)ur  ami  without  that  iiuaj^iuatiou.  slmuld  be 
i^reatly  (Hsai)p()iute(l  in  tlieir  a])i)earani'e.  That  again  is  a  topic 
which  1  offer  to  coninieutators  of  Burns  for  their  forthcc^ning 
annua!.  (Laughter.)  l-!ut  liis  in(lei)en(lenee  was  ])er)ia|)s  a  less 
notieed  but  not  a  less  striking  ])art  of  his  career  than  otlier 
passiou-s  which  1  ha\e  noted.  His  inde])endence  in  those  days 
he  faced  the  world  witli  an  undaunted  front,  ])artly  from  _\outh, 
partly,  I  think,  from  ine\])erience.  Hi'  was  afraid  of  nothing 
and  nobodv.  The  greatest  tyrann\-  that  then  existed  in  these 
isles  was  the  domestic  and  inquisitorial  tyranny  exercised  by  the 
Church  in  Scotland  at  that  time.  It  is  incredible  to  us  that  it  is 
not  more  than  one  hundred  years  ago  since  Biu-ns's  landlord, 
Gavin  Hamilton,  was  subjected  to  the  se\erest  ecclesiastical 
censures  because  he  hacf  ordered  his  gardener  to  dig  a  few 
potatoes  on  Sunday  for  dinner,  and  that  there  was  not  an  incident 
of  life  at  that  time  which  was  not  made  a  subject  of  in(]tiisition 
.'uid  of  se\ere  in(|uisition,  and  received  eccle.siastical  censure. 
Well,  that  was  a  reign  of  terror,  and  Burns  was  not  afraid  to  lift 
up  his  \f)ice  and  boldly  denounce  that  reign  of  terror.  Those 
blistering  satires  that  he  wrote  in  Ayrshire  on  tlie  persons  whom 
he  knew  or  whom  he  lielieved  he  knew  to  be  guiltv  of  hypocrisy 
and  cant  are  the  most  memorable  ])erhaps  of  all  his  writings. 
He  did  iK)t  scruj)le.  indeed  he  raised  his  voice  against  other 
institutions  or  b  idies  whidi  he  also  beliexed  to  be  wanting  in 
duty  to  the  ])ul)lic;.  He  was  moved  b_\  a  birthday  o<le  to  King 
George  HI.  to  write  .1  birthday  ode  of  his  own  to  the  royal  family 
very  different  in  texture  and  s])irit  to  tlie  ode  of  the  Poet 
Laureate,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  ever  addressed,  I  should 
think,  to  a  roval  familv,  not  ill  natin^ed,  but  good  naturedlv 
rebuking  them  for  their  shortcomings.  He  did  a  thing  that  was 
even  more  daring  j)erhaps.  He  addressed  the  Scottish  Members 
of  Parliament  of  his  day — (laughter) — pointing  out  their  short- 
comings. T  do  not  know — I  see  Mr  \'ounger  here  I  must 
touch  on  this  subject  with  delicacy.  lUuns  thought  that  Sc(Jttish 
Members   thought   more   of   Scotland   at    the     time     thev     were 


45 

can\-assing  their  constituencies  than  when  they  got  to  West- 
minster. (Laughter.)  He  begged  them  to  speak  up  a  little 
more  for  poor  old  Scotland  at  Westminster  than  they  did. 
^Applause.)  He  thought  that  more  could  be  done  for  Scotland 
at  Westminster  than  is  done  if  Scottish  members  remained  faith- 
ful to  the  pledges  they  gave  at  the  elections.  (Applause.)  He 
begged  them  to  be  more  independent  of  powerful  influences,  such 
as  those  of  the  Government,  and  to  j)ursue  a  path  unguided  by 
the  hope  of  patronage  or  preferment,  and  to  do  their  duty  to  old 
Scotland  in  spite  of  all.  (Hear,  hear.)  All  these  exhortations 
are  superfluous  now.  (Loud  applause.)  Our  Members  of 
Parliament  are  very  different  now  from  what  they  were  then. 
(Laughter.)  I  will  not  point  out  to-day  the  essential  points  of 
difference.  (Laughter.)  But  I  will  simply  indicate  that  we  have 
the  Members  whom  we  desire  and  deserve.  (Laughter.)  But  if 
these  censures,  if  these  attacks  on  the  Church,  on  the  royal 
family,  and  on  the  Scottish  Members  are,  as  I  believe  in  my  soul 
and  conscience,  superannuated  now — certainly  as  regards  the 
Church  and  the  roval  familv,  and  Mr  Younger  must  answer  for 
the  members  himself — I  am  not  quite  sure  that  all  Burns's  de- 
nunciations are  superannuated  now.  (Hear,  hear.)  His  great 
horror  was  of  anvthing  which  savoured  of  hypocrisy  and  cant,  hut 
what  he  had  mainly  in  his  mind  then  was  religious  hypocrisv  and 
religious  cant.  Cant  survives,  though  religious  hypocrisy  and 
cant  are  but  little  in  fashion  now.  They  do  not  pay  as  they  did 
then.  But  are  we  quite  sure  that  in  a\-oiding  one  kind  of  cant  we 
are  absolutelv  free  from  any  other?  Are  we  ab.solutely  certain 
that  our  public  characters  in  these  days  are  as  free  from  cant  as 
Burns  wished  them  to  be  ?  There  are  a  thousand  forms  of  cant 
which  form  the  dry  rot  of  our  country.  It  is  not  my  task  to-day 
to  point  them  out.  I  might  introduce  di\ision  where  I  only  wish 
to  leave  a  united  Ayr  behind  me.  (Laughter.)  I  do  ask  you, 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  to  applv  to  yourselves  the  touchstone  of 
Burns's  diatribes  against  cant,  and  T  prophesv  for  you  that  you 
will  find  yourselves  none  tlie  worse  for  it.  Now,  Mr  Pr()\ost,  I 
must  apologise  for  having  detained  you  so  long,  but  when  one  is 


•16 

given  the  freedom  of  Ayr  <mio  cannot  but  tmich  upon  Burns,  and 
when  one  touches  upon  Burns  one  caiuioi  put  a  check  upon 
oneself.  As  I  have  said  before.  I  am  (luile  aware  that  you  are 
only  gi\ing  us  this  freedom  to-day  because  we  are  li\ing  admirers 
of  Burns,  and  because  you  cannot  give  it  to  the  dead  man  him- 
self. To  speak  the  honest  truth.  Binns  never  seems  dead  to 
me.  Of  all  dead  men  he  is  the  most  li\ing  to  me,  mucj-i  more 
living  than  many  men  who  to-day  are  alive.  I  know  no  man  who 
has  impressed  his  indixidualitv .  his  \itality  so  strongly  on  his 
fellow  creatures  as  th.is  man  wlio  was  born  here  150  vears  ago. 
His  blood  still  courses  warm  and  strong  through  the  veins  of 
Scotland.  His  spirit  is  abroad  in  all  om-  coimtry.  and  from  our 
country  it  has  passed  over  the  world,  but  its  home,  its  original 
.source,  its  favourite  region  is  this  counlv  of  Avr,  and  I  trust  that 
in  the  long  days  to  come,  when  peoj)le  remember  with  shame  and 
almost  with  terror  that  there  was  once  a  risk  of  the  Old  Brig 
being  demolished,  they  will  also  remember  in  turn  their  responsi- 
bility, that  the  comiection  between  Burns  and  Avr  is  indissoluble 
and  eternal.     (T.oud  applause.) 

In  introducing  Mr  Oswald,  the  Provost  said  that  though 
differing  from  Lord  Roseber)  in  some  respects,  he  was  at  one 
with  his  lordshij)  in  his  lf)ve  for  the  Auld  Brig.  (Hear,  hear.) 
Than  Mr  Oswald  no  one  had  worked  more  earnestly  and  success- 
fully in  getting  the  material  hel])  necessary  to  carry  on  the 
preservation  work.  They  now  felt  it  to  be  a  fitting  time  to 
express  their  appreciation  of  what  he  had  done,  but  it  did  not 
begin  and  end  in  what  he  had  dune  for  die  lirig.  (Applause.) 
The  debt  was  of  much  longer  standing.  Both  the  towh  and 
countv  owed  much  to  him  for  wliat  he  liad  done  and  was  still 
doing  in  their  midst.  As  ('on\-ener  of  the  County  he  rlisplayed 
great  business  ability  in  the  conduct  of  its  affairs.  He  had  done 
much  for  the  success  of  the  Ayrshire  Agricultural  Association. 
A  patron  of  music  and  art,  he  had  always  taken  a  keen  interest 
in  their  local  advancement.  He  was  a  director  of  the  County 
Ho.spital  and  of  many  other  institutions.  In  asking  him  to 
become  a  burgess  thev  were  honouring  the  burgh.      It  was  the 


47 

unanimous  wish  of  the  Council  that  his  name  he  added  along 
with  that  of  Lord  Rosebery  to  the  honoured  roll.  (Loud 
applause.) 

The  burgess  ticket,  which  was  read  by  the  Town  Clerk,  was 
then  presented  to  Mr  Oswald,  the  document  being  placed  within 
a  casket  the  exact  replica  of  that  presented  to  Lord  Rosebery. 

Mr  Oswald,  in  reply,  said  it  was  a  very  difficult  task  for  him 
to  follow  I-ord  Rosebery,  who  was  perhaps  the  greatest  orator 
that  we  had  at  the  present  time  in  Great  Britain.  (Applause.) 
Having  referred  to  the  indebtedness  of  Burns  lovers  to  those  who 
had  taken  principal  parts  in  tlie  restoration  mo\ement,  Mr 
Oswald  went  on  to  say  that  not  only  had  they  been  met  everv- 
vvhere  in  this  countr\  with  most  liberal  subscriptions  but  all  over 
the  world,  from  Canada,  from  Australia,  from  Xew  Zealand  they 
had  large  sums  sent  them  with  e\er\  sort  of  good  wish  that  the 
Auld  Brig  should  be  preserved.  (Applause.)  It  was  only  the 
other  day,  looking  over  the  list  of  subscribers,  tliat  he  realised 
how  the  admirers  of  Burns  and  Burns  f.ocieties  all  o\er  the  world 
came  to  the  front.  Without  them  he  had  no  hesitation  in  saying 
they  would  not  have  been  able  to  have  found  the  money  to  carry 
out  the  work  which  they  had  done.  (Applause.)  Mr  Oswald 
also  paid  a  tribute  to  Lord  Rosel)ery's  efforts  in  connection  with 
the  restoration. 

Lord  Rosel)ery  and  Mr  Oswald  afterwards  signed  the 
burgess  roll  amid  aj)j)lause. 

On  the  motion  of  Dean  of  (hiild  Mcikle  a  cordial  vote  of 
thanks  was  awarded  the  Auld  Brig  Preserxation  (leneral  Com- 
mittee and  the  Executive  Committee  for  their  work.  Mr  Walter 
Neilson,  Vice-Chairman  of  the  Kxecuti\e,  acknowledged.  A 
similar  compliment  was  accorded  the  Chairman  on  the  call  of  Mr 
George  Younger,  ^LP.,  and  the  proceedings  terminated. 

Corporation  Luncheon. 
The  "youngest  burgesses"  were  afterwards  entertained  at 
luncheon  in  the  Council  Hall.     Pro\ost  Hunter  presided,   and 
the    croupiers    were    Bailie    Ferguson,     Bailie    Vincent,     Bailie 


48 

Watson,  and  Dean  of  Guild  Mciklc.  T.ord  Rosebcrv  was  seated 
at  the  Chairman"s  right  hand,  and  Mr  U.  A.  Oswald  at  his  left. 
The  company  numbered  about  one  liundied  p;entlemen.  After 
the  toast  of  "  The  King  ''  had  been  honoured. 

Provost  Hunter  said  that  while  they  liad  no  toastdist  there 
was  a  duty  whi(di  courtesy  demanded,  and  which  must  on  no 
account  be  omitted.  That  was  to  drink  the  health  of  their 
youngest  burgesses.  (Applause.)  They  had  consumated  that 
•day  an  event  which  would  long  be  remembered  in  Avr,  but 
although  the  Auld  Brig  had  been  restored  they  need  not  yet  sit 
down  to  weep,  for  there  were  still  other  worKls  to  conquer. 
Their  Mercat  Cro.ss,  which  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque  in 
the  kingdom,  had  \et  to  be  restored.  It  was  destroyed  many 
years  ago  by  the  ruthless  hands  of  vandalism,  and  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  carved  stones  were  scattered  here  and  there.  In 
preservmg  the  town's  relics  of  anti(|uity  their  youngest  burgesses 
had  set  them  an  e\amj)le  wortlry  of  imitation — (cheers)— and  it 
would  be  but  becoming  if  they  made  an  effort  themselves  in  the 
same  direction.  (Hear,  hear.)  He  asked  them  to  drink  to  the 
health  of  their  youngest  burgesses.      (A])])Iause.) 

Lord  Rosebery,  in  responding,  saiil  :  Mr  Pro\(jst  and 
gentlemen, — I  did  not  anticij)ate  that  the  pleasure  of  this 
banquet  would  be  at  all  imj)aired  by  jiaving  to  return  thanks 
again  ff)r  my  health,  l)ur  to-day  at  this  meal  I  feel  that  having 
made  a  very  long  speech  this  morning,  and  my  colleague  in  the 
freedom  having  made  a  very  short  one — (laughter) — I  may  very 
fairly  hand  over  to  him  the  ta.sk  of  returning  thanks  for  us  both 
and  place  ui)on  him  the  brunt  of  the  ])resent  proceedings. 
{Laughter.)  Of  course  I  quite  agree  that  in  all  respects  but  one 
I  am  inferior  to  Mr  (Oswald  on  this  occasion.  He  has  done 
nmch  more  for  the  Brig  than  I  ha\e.  He  is  a  good  neighbour 
to  Ayr.  He  is  locally  honoured  and  respected,  and  justly. 
But  he  has  not  gone  through  the  sacrifices  that  I  have  in  order  to 
be  present  on  this  occasion.  .\s  I  came  to  Olasgow  last  night  I 
bought  an  evening  pai)er,  and  1  saw  that  war  was  ravaging  the 
part  of  the  country  which  I  immediately  inhabit — that  the  Isle  of 


49 

May  had  been  captured,  Inchkeida  had  surrendered,  the  Port  of 
Leith  was  being  held  Dy  the  enemy,  and  Edinburgh  itself  was 
said  to  be  held  to  ransom.  In  these  circumstances,  although  I 
hold  several  important  ofifires  in  that  country,  I  yet  sacrificed 
everything  in  order  to  be  present  to-day.  (Laughter  and 
applause.)  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  applaud  my  conduct,  but  I 
am  not  at  all  sure  that  it  may  not  be  viewed  in  a  different  light 
by  my  neighbours  in  the  East.  (Laughter.)  What  you  appre- 
ciate as  devotion  to  Burns  may  be  characterised  by  a  more  igno- 
minious term  as  a  retreat  from  the  enemy  in  the  face  of  over- 
whelming disaster.  (Laughter.)  This  afternoon  I  shall  learn 
the  worst.  (Renewed  laughter.)  For  all  I  know,  Dalmeny  may 
be  the  headquarters  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  invading 
army.  I  may  return  to  find  all  the  Lothians  in  the  occupation  of 
the  Blue  Army  or  of  the  Red  Army — I  forget  which  I  have  to  fear 
— (laughter)— but  in  any  case,  whatever  the  disasters  may  be, 
should  they  equal  those  which  Russia  was  compelled  to  make  in 
resisting  the  French  Army  in  1812,  wli'atever  my  Lothians  may 
be  obliged  to  suffer  under  the  pressure  of  this  foreign  invasion,  I 
regard  myself  as  having  been  richly  repaid  by  having  been 
present  to-day.     (Applause.) 

Mr  R.  A.  Oswald,  who  also  responded,  said  that  he  was 
again  placed  in  a  difficult  position.  To  follow  Lord  Rosebery 
in  his  serious  mood  was  difficult,  to  follow  him  when  he  was 
amusing  was  still  more  difficult.  (Laughter.)  He  thought  they 
had  had  a  very  pleasant  day  and  that  things  had  gone  extremely 
well.  He  thanked  them  most  heartily  for  the  way  in  which  they 
had  received  him  and  for  the  kind  things  which  the  Provost  and' 
other  speakers  had  said.  He  should  always  look  upon  that  day 
as  one  of  the  happiest  and  a  day  of  which  he  should  be  proud 
foi  the  rest  of  his  life.     (Applause.) 

The  proceedings  thereafter  terminated  with  the  singing  of 
"  .Auld  Lang  Syne." 


DOCTOR    HORNBOOK. 


ON  opposite  page  appears  a  photogra})hic  reproduction  of 
the  marriage  lines  of  two  relatives  of  the  writer  who 
were  united  in  the  holv  bonds  of  matrimony  in  the  Gorhals  of 
Glasgow  nigh  a  hundred  years  ago.  The  document,  written  in 
a  clear  and  excellent  hand,  attests  "that  James  Grandison  and 
Agnes  Mitchell,  both  in  this  parish,  were  three  times  proclaimed 
in  the  Church  here  in  order  to  Marriage  and  no  objections 
made."  It  is  dated  Gorbals,  31st  May,  1813,  and  signed  r)y 
John  Wilson,  Session  Clerk.  What  brings  it  into  the  pages  of 
the  "  Chronicle  "  is  the  fact  that  this  John  Wilson  was  no  other 
than  Burns's  "Doctor  Hornbook."  In  a  hea\'y  and  somewhat 
clums_\-  hand  is  added: — "  Hutches(Mitown,  June  1st,  1813.  The 
abo\e  i)arties  were  married  by  me. — Wm.  Thomson,  Minr." 
Although  a  poor  penman,  this  minister  was  from  all  accounts 
the  esteemed  pastor  of  the  old  Relief  Kirk,  now  Hutcheson- 
town  United  Free  Church,  and  still  standing  at  the  junction  of 
Rutherglen  Road  and  Hospital  Street. 

On  an  evening  in  1785  Wilson  and  Burns,  who  bv  this  time 
had  entered  in  company  with  his  brother  Gilbert  on  the  occu- 
pancy of  Mossgiel  Farm,  met.  it  is  said,  in  debate  at  the 
Masonic  Lodge  of  Tarbolton.  ^Vilson  was  at  this  time  school- 
master in  the  village,  and  to  eke  out  his  income  had  started  a 
grocery  shop,  and  added  simple  medicines  to  his  stock.  To 
assist  their  sale  he  put  a  placard  in  his  window,  intimating  that 
"  Advice  would  be  gi\-en  in  common  disorders  at  the  shop 
gratis."  On  the  night  in  question  he  aired  his  medical  attain- 
ments to  such  a  degree  that  Burns  felt  annoyed  and  irritated. 
He  thought  the  matter  over  on  his  night-tramp  home  to  Moss- 
giel, and,  according  to  the  testimony  of  his  brother  Gilbert, 
read  out  to  him  on    the    following    evening    his    now    world- 


renowned  "Death  and  Uoctur  Hornbook."  which  had  been 
seemingly  forged  at  one  heat.  A  legend  which  ai)])ear.s  in 
several  editions  of  the  Poets  works  indicates  iliat  the  ridicule 
thrown  on  Wilson  l>y  lUniis  in  this  poem  caused  its  subject 
eventually  to  shut  up  both  shoj)  and  school  and  leave  the 
village.  This,  however,  is  not  so,  for  Mr  F.  K.  Macpherson, 
Scho<.)lhouse,  Tarbolton,  hi  a  communication  to  the  "  Burns 
Chronicle"'  of  1895,  states  that  he  finds  from  reliable  docu- 
ments that  Wilson  was  session  clerk  to  Tarlxdton  parish  as  late 
as  1793.  He  was  also  secretary  to  the  Tarbolton  Lodge  from 
8th  August,  1782,  till  sometime  in  1787.  He  wrote  many  of 
the  minutes,  and  signed  two  of  them  as  Master  pro  tempore,  and 
a  third  as  M.P.T.  It  is  said  that  Wilson  left  Tarbolton  in 
consequence  of  a  dispute  with  the  heritors  regarding  his  salary. 

Despite  the  ridicule  showered  upon  him  by  Burns 's  clever 
satire,  his  record  remains  that  of  a  good  and  worthy  man,  who, 
after  leaving  Tarbolton,  earnestly  prosecuted  his  work,  first  as 
master  of  a  "Commercial  Academy  '  in  Buchan  Street, 
Gorbals.  Glasgow,  and  thereafter  as  session  clerk  of  that  ])arish, 
occupying  this  honourable  post  until  his  death  in  his  home  at 
64  Portland  Street,  I.aurieston,  on  13th  January.  1839,  at  a 
ripe  old  age. 

There  are  in  the  Mitchell  Library,  Glasgow,  two  small 
quarto  MS.  volumes,  entitled  "  Lectures  on  Moral  Philosophy 
delivered  at  the  College  of  Glasgow.  By  Mr  Arthur.  Written 
by  John  Wilson,  Schoolmaster  in  Tarbolton,  in  the  vear  of  tjur 
Lord,  1790."  These  were  gifted  to  the  Library  by  the  late 
Mr  W.  G.  Blackic,  LL.D.,  the  well-known  publisher.  The 
Doctor's  letter,  of  date  30  Oct.,  1883,  which  accompanied  the 
volumes,  and  is  now  neatly  attached  to  one  of  them,  is  addressed 
to  the  late  Bailie  William  Wilson,  at  that  time  Convener  of  the 
Mitchell  Library  Committee  of  the  Corjjoration.  It  runs  thus: 
— "Some  time  ago  I  sent  }f)u  a  few  \oluines  ])rinted  b\  the 
brothers  Foulis  of  this  city.  To  render  your  collection  more 
complete,  I  now  send  other  two  volumes  which  I  discovered  a 
few  days  ago  on  the  back  shelf  of  mv  bookcase.      Along  with 


53 

them  I  send  a  contribution  to  your  '  Burns  Collection  '  two 
vols,  of  MS.  notes  of  Lectures  on  Moral  Philosophy  delivered 
in  the  University  of  Glasgow  and  written  (the  notes)  by  John 
Wilson,  Schoolmaster  of  Tarbolton — '  Dr  Hornbook.'  I  knew 
the  old  gentleman  as  a  boy  could  an  old  man,  and  have  taken 
tea  in  his  house.  He  was  then  Sess.  Clk.  of  the  Gorbals — this 
is  a  veritable  curiosity.''  The  penmanship  in  these  books  is 
excellent,  most  clear  and  legible  from  beginning  to  end,  and 
the  volumes  are  in  good  condition. 

Regarding  the  word  "hornbook,"  the  nickname  with  which 
Burns  dubbed  the  dominie,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  quote  Dr 
Johnson's  brief  definition,  viz. : — "  The  first  book  of  children, 
covered  with  horn  to  keep  it  unsoiled."  A  later  and  more  de- 
tailed description  is — "a  first  book  for  children,  which  formerly 
consisted  of  a  single  leaf  set  in  a  frame,  with  a  thin  plate  of 
transparent  horn  in  front  to  preserve  it.''  An  elaborate  work, 
entitled  "  History  of  the  Horn-Book,"  in  two  quarto  volumes,  by 
Andrew  W.  Tuer,  F.S.A.,  was  published  in  London  by  The 
Leadenhall  Press,  Ltd.,  50  Leadenhall  Street,  E.G.,  in  1896. 
It  is  profusely  illustrated  with  a  fine  series  of  pictures  of  horn- 
books of  all  sorts  and  sizes. 

WILITAM  YOUXG,  R.S.W. 


^^^§^^ 


A  V  R     A  i:  L  D     BRIG. 


List  of  Suhsckiitions  hv   Burns  Ci-ui!S,  Scottish  Societies, 
AND  Burns  Federation. 


Leitli  Hums  Club  (I'resident  and  Secretary)  

The  Tarn  o"  Shanler  Burns  Club  (President  and  Secretary) 
Linlithgow  Burns  Club  (President  and  Secretary).. 
Maybole  Burns  Club  (President  and  Secretary) 
Selkirk  Alpine  Club  (President  and  Secretary) 

AUoway  Concert,  per  Duncan  Gray 

Fettercairn  Burns  Club  (President  and  Secretary) 

Paisley  and  District  Ayrshiie  Association    ... 

Wal.sall  Burns  CI  ul) 

Burns  Club,  Dunoon   ... 

Birmingham  Burns  Club 

Jolly  Beggars,  Mauchline  (collected  in  Poosie  Nansie's)   ... 

Newcastle-on-Tyne  Burns  Clul) 

Johannesburg  Burns  Clul) 

Thistle  Burns  Club      

Burns  Social  Club  of  New  V'ork 
Darlinjjton  Burns  Association,  Darlington  ... 
The    Wallsend  and  District  Burns  Club 
Dumfries  Burns  Club  ... 
Newton-on-Ayr  Burns  Club   ... 

Shields  and  District  Caledonian  Association  

North  Berwick  Burns  Club 

J.    C.    Chapman    Craig  and    P.    Sulley    (proceeds  of  concert 

Dunfermline)         

Dollar  Burns  Club       

Paisley  Burns  Club 

Edinburgh  Ayrshire  Club       

Kilmarnock  Bellfield  Burns  Club      

Caledonian  Society,  1'itt.sburg,  O.R.C 

Dundee  Burns  Club 


55 


Kedliill  District  Scottisli  Associalion  

•Govan  Fairfield  Burns  Club 

Gareloclihead  Burns  Club       

The  Residents  on  the  Premier  Diamond  Mine,  Transvaal 

Cape  Town  Caledonian  Society 

Hamilton  Burns  Clubs  (proceeds  of  lecture)  

Caledonian  Benefit  Club,  Holyoake,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 

Exeter  and  District  Caledonian  Society      

Leadville  Caledonian  Club,  Leadville,  Colorado,  U.S.A. 
■Glasgow  &  Lanarkshire  Association  of  London     ... 

Collected  at  Burns's  Cottage  by  W.  Monaghan      

Edinburgh  Pen  and  Pencil  Club,  per  W.  M.  Macfarlane... 

Freuchie  Lecture  Committee 

Gourock  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club  ...  

Johnstone  Burns  Club  

Wigtown  Burns  Club 

North  Bute  Burns  Club  

Dairy  Burns  Club        

Dumfries  Burns  Club 

East  Stirlingshire  Burns  Club  - 

Dollar  Burns  Club       

Hawick  Gallants'  Club  

Vale  of  Alford  Burns  Club 

Corstorphine  Burns  Club        

Brechin  Burns  Club 

Cumnock  Burns  Club... 

Thornhill  Burns  Club 

Savannah  St.  Andrew's  Society        

Burns  Admirers,  Dundee,  per  Alexander  Neish 

Pathhead  Ford  Burns  Club 

St.  Andrew's  Society,  St.  Catherine's,  Ontario      

Row  Burns  Club  

Bradford  St.  Andrew's  Society  

Denny  and  Dunnipace  Burns  Club 

Greenock  Burns  Club..  

Burns  Federation         

Airdrie  Burns  Club      

Larbert  Burns  Club 

St.  Andrew's  Society,  of  Whitby  and  Pickering,  Ontario 

Kilbirnie  Rosebery  Burns  Club         

London  Ayrshire  Society       

Peterhead  Burns  Club 


Ai 


2 

2 

6 

26 

10 

0 

2 

3 

0 

51 

0 

0 

158 

II 

2 

3 

3 

0 

6 

0 

0 

I 

0 

0 

4 

I 

0 

10 

10 

0 

7 

0 

0 

Birmingham  Ruins  Cliih         

Edinburgh  Burns  Chih  

Londdn  Robert  Burns  Chil)  ... 

Borthwick  Burns  Club 

Cupar-Fife  Burns  Club 

Blackburn  Burns  Club 

Darnconner  Aird's  Moss  Burns  Club 

Girvan  Burns  Club 

Irvine  15urns  Club 

Maybole  Burns  Club  ... 

Kinross  "  Jolly  Beggars  ■' Club         

Walkerburn  Burns  Club 

Beith  Burns  Club  

London  Burns  Club 

North  Staftbrdshire  District  Caledonian  Society    ... 

Auchterarder  Junior  Burns  Club       

Manchester  and  Salford  Caledonian  Association     ... 

Bonnyrigg  Burns  Club 

Caledonian  Society  of  Petermaritzburg 

Inches  Mountain  Daisy  Burns  Club  ... 

Collected  at  the  Burns  Gathering  at  Auchterarder,  per  James  S. 

Leslie        

Musselburgh  Federated  Burns  Club 

Old  Kilpatrick  Burns  Club    ..  

Ercildoune  Burns  Club  

Glendarvel  Burns  Clul) 

Carlisle  Burns  Club 

Greenloaning  Burns  Club       ...  

A  few  Sulwcribers  at  Burns  Celebration  in  the  Conservative  Club, 

Perth,  per  John  Mackay  200 

Caledonian  Burns  Club,  Glasgow o  12     6 

St.  Andrew's  Society,  St.  John,  N.B.  390 

Mossgiel  Burns  Club,  Cowdenbeath...         ...         ...         ...         ...         076 

Juniper  Green  Burns  Club      ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  600 

Ayr  Burns  Club  57     o     o 

Burns  Club  of  Lancaster  and  Columbia       4  13     3 

Western  Club,  Dundee,  collected  at  Burns  .Supper  ...         ...  i     8     6 

Upper  Nithsdale  Burns  Club...         ...  ...         ...         ...  i    11     6 

A  few  Scots,  Newcastle,  Natal,  per  James  llastic...         ...         ...  i    18     o 

A  few  Scots,  Newcastle,  Natal,  per  J.  B.  Mitchell  070 

Leeds  Caledonian -Society      ...         ...  ...         ...         ...        19     60 

Berwick-on-Tweed  Burns  Club         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  580 


6 

10 

0 

8 

15 

0 

I 

14 

0 

2 

12 

6 

2 

6 

6 

82 

3 

4 

5 

10 

0 

8 

0 

0 

I 

0 

0 

3 

I 

6 

10 

0 

0 

5 

5 

0 

0 

10 

6 

8 

0 

0 

4 

0 

0 

8 

15 

0 

2 

0 

0 

4 

12 

9 

8 

10 

0 

3 

14 

6 

2 

0 

6 

I 

16 

0 

4 

0 

0 

3 

10 

0 

57 


4  12 

5  o 

2  O 

3  o 

7     12 
O    lO 

9  14 

5  lo 

lO      o 

6  5 

5     5 


"  Killie  Boys  "  resident  in  Montreal,  per  Kilmarnock  Staiuiaxi...      £2     i 

Liverpool  Burns  Club...  ..         ...         ...  ■  ■        ro     2 

Largs  Burns  Club        ...         ...         ...         ...  •.         ••  i    10 

Kilbirnie  Jolly  Beggars' Burns  Club 

Salt  Lake  City  Thistle  Club 

Ninety  Burns  Club,  Edinburgh         

Linlithgow  Burns  Club 

Newca.stle  and  Tyneside  Burns  Club  

•Chester  Caledonian  Association 

Tranent  Twenty-Five  Burns  Club 

Bristol  Caledonian  Society 

Prestwick  Burns  Club... 

Killearn  Burns  Club   ... 

Barrow-in-Furness  St.  Andrew's  Society     ... 

Whitburn  Burns  Club 

Stewartry  Burns  Club 

Campsie  Burns  Club 

Sydney  Burns  Anniversary  Club       

Hamilton  Junior  Burns  Club... 

Scottish  Thistle  Club  of  Honolulu    ...         ...^ 

Collected  at  annual  Burns  Club  Dinner  in  Melrose,  per  Ralph 
Dunn,  Town  Clerk 

Troy  Burns  Club,  New  York 

Bathville  Burns  Club 

Barns  o' Clyde  Burns  Club 

Baillieston  Caledonia  Burns  Club     ... 

Bonhill  Burns  Club     

East  London  Caledonian  Society,  Cape  Colony     ... 

Alloa  Burns  Club         

Umtali  Caledonian  Society,  Rhodesia 

Newark  Caledonian  Club,  New  Jersey,  U.S.A.     .. 

A  few  Caledonians  in  Leicester,  per  Jolin  Gibson,  i  De  Montfort 

Square,  Leicester... 
■Collected   by  A.    M.    Stewart,    7'he  Scottish   American,    No.    t^t. 
Rose  Street,  P.O.  Box  995,  New  \ork,  per  John  B.  Mair, 
Hon.  Treasurer  Elgin  Burns  Club        32     9     9 

Elgin  Burns  Club        220 

Sum  collected  at  the  Elgin  Burns  Club  Supper,  per  Bank  of  Scot- 
land, West  End,  Edinburgh      3   16     6 

•Oban  Burns  Club         2  10    o 

Montreal  Burns  Club ••■         3^8 

Burns  Benefit  Club,  Springfield,  Mas.sa 100 


58 


Mrs   K.   Gordon,    rresidciil,    the   l)aiiy;lners  of  Caledonia  of  1 

Worth,  Texas,  per  Burns  Federation 
Burns  HowfiClub,  Dumfries 
Xorth  Berwick  Burns  Club    ... 

Aherlady  Burns  Club 

Crailing  Burns  Club    ... 

Lochee  Burns  Club 

Southampton  Scottish  Association    ... 

Scottish  Societies  of  Dunedin  

Leeds  Caledonian  Society      

Birmingham  and  Midland  Scottish  Society... 

Ayr  Burns  Club 

The  London  Burns  Club 

Dundee  and  District  (Natal)  Caledonian  Society   .. 

The  Hilo  Burns  Club  of  Hilo,  Hawaii         

Harrismith  Caledonian  Society,  Oranije  River  Colony 

Kinross  Tolly  Beggars  Club 

Caledonian  Society  of  Melbourne 
Kalgoorlie  Caledonian  Society 

Hawick  Constitutional  Club 

Kippen  Burns  Club 

Caledonian  Society  of  Pretoria 

Caledonian  Society  of  Melbourne     ... 

Leicester  Caledonian  Society... 

The  .\dmirers  of  the  Auld  Brig,  at  Prince  Albert,  Saskatchewan 

Falkirk  Burns  CluV)     ... 

Glasgow  Herald  Vwnd,  per  Joseph  Martin,  Ivsq.,  Secretary  of  th 

Glasgow  Committee 

Caledonian  Society  of  Melbourne 

Caledonian  Society  of  Adelaide  

Glasgoiv  Herald  Shilling  Subscription  Fund,  per  J.    A.    Martin 

Solicitor,  Glasgow  

Hamilton  Burns  Club  subscriptions..  


0  iS 

1  1 


840   15 


«   15 


9    H 
O    li 


59 


CASH    RECEIVED    BY    JOSEPH    BROCKIE    FOR    AYR 
AULD  BRIG  RESTORATION  EUNI). 


1907. 

Jan.  31. — To  Kilmarnock    Burns   Club,  No.   o,  per  Sheets  Nos. 

226  and  63 ^50     4  II 

1906. 
Oct.  29. —  ,,  Cash  received  from  Philip  Sulley,  Cupar,  as  I'ro- 
ceeds  of  Concert  by  Cupar  Burns  Club  on  iSth 

October       17     1     o 

,,   Subscription  from  Mr  [as.  Porter,  Prenlaws,  Leslie  i      i     o 

Dec.    6.^  ,,   Proceeds  of  Lecture  at  Tayport  by  Messrs  Sulley 

and  Craig,  Dunfermline   ...         ...         ...  ...  5     5     o 

,,       10. —  ,,   .Amount  raised  by  St.  Andrews  Burns  Club        ...  24     o     o 

Do.  do.  (29th  Jan.,  1907)  i     o     o 

,,      22. —  ,,   Proceeds  of  a  Concert  and  Lecture  by  Mr  Sulley 

and  J.  Chapman,  Dunfermline,  at  Kincardine...  10  10     o 

,,  27. —  ,,  Amount  collected  at  an  Address  given  by  Mr  P. 
Sulley,  Cupar,  and  j.  O.  Craig,  to  Innerleven 
Golf  Club  ;  nine  of  7/6  and  two  of  1 7/6  collected 

at  a  Dinner  of  the  Club — in  all 12     50 

1907. 
Tan.       8. —  ,,   Proceeds  of  a  Concert  held  at  Culross  under  aus- 
pices of  Mr  Sulley,  per  Torryburn  Burns  Club  3   10     o 
,,       26.  —  -  ,,   Proceeds  of  a  Concert  held  at  Kirkcaldy  under  the 
auspices    of   Kirkcaldy    and    District   Wine  and 
Spirit  Trade  Association  ...         ...         ...          ...         30     o     o 

,,  Interest  received  from  Royal  Bank  of 

^  Scotland  on  Deposit  Receipts     ...        /.on     9 

Less  Com.  on    Cheques      ;,^o     i     9 

Do.    on  Draft      ...       o     i     9 

Collector's  Fee      ...       o     5     o 

086 

o     3     3 

Jan.     29. —  ,,  Collected  at  a  Burns  "  Night  "  held  at  Paisley  by 

the  Glenfield  Residenters  and  Recreation  Club  233 

,,       31.—  ,,  W.  W.  F.  Perth  and  Chums        059 

,,  Charleston  Burns  Club,  Paisley 120 

Feb.       I.-   ,,  Collected  by  Blackburn  Burns  Club       i    14     o 

,,  Collected    at    .Vnnual    Dinner   of   Cupar   Burns 

Club,  per  Philip  Sulley  80 


(iO 


Feb.        I. — To  Crail  Lodge  of  Freemasons 

,,  Amount  received  from  a  Lecture-concert  held  by 
Borthwick  Burns  Club,  Midlothian 
,,        II. —  ,,  Subscriptions  from  Musselburtjh  Burns  Club     .. 

,,  Old  Kilpatrick  Burns  Club  

,,         12. —  ,,   Greenloaning  Burns  Club,  per  James  Baync     ... 
,,   Carlisle  Burns  Club,  per  James  Malcolm 

,,         15.—   ,,   William  Wright,  Kirkcaldy         

,,   Henry  Thomson-Percival,  Buckhaven    ... 
.,         20.^  ,,   George    Dyson,    Springfield   Terrace,    Marsden, 

near  Huddersfield 
,,        28. —  ,,  Newcastle  and  Tyneside  Burns  (!lul),  per  James 

I).  Farquliarson,  Esq.,  M. D 

Mar.       4. —  ,,   Bristol  Caledonia  Society,  Bri.stol 

,,         8. —  ,,  Campsie  Burns  Club         

,,        13. —  ,,   Hamilton  Burns  Club      

,,  J.    Roliert.son,  Inland  Revenue,  Glasgow 
,,       20. —  ,,  Amount  received  (Caledonia)   Baillieston    Burns 
Club,  per  Peter  Greenshields 

22.—  ,,   Alloa  Burns  Club 

,,       28. —  ,,  John  Muir,  Shelburn,  Jacksonhill,  Indiana 
.\pril     6. —  ,,   Burns  IIowfT  Club,  Dumfries 


Oct.    21. —  ,,   Amount     received    from     Kippen     Burns    Club 
No.  115 


£0  15     o 


11 

2       6 

.■;   0 

1     6 

II     0 

4     8 

12     6 

10     0 

5    0 

6     0 

^241 

13  10 

Jan.  31. — By  Amount  received,  as  per  Dr.   side  Z'S^ 

,,  Interest  on  Deposit  Receipts  added  o 


Z,<?5.f  Commission  on  Cheques      £0 
Do.  Bank  Draft     o 

Collector's  Fee,  Kilmarnock 
Burns  Club       ..  ...     o 


/158  19     8 

9 

9 


H\-  .\mount  remitted  to  .\yr,  per  Bank  Draft 
Feb.    I. —  ,,    Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh... 
,,     II.—  ,,    Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh... 
„    12.—  ,,    Remitted  D.  W.  .Shaw  and  Wel.sh  .. 


.^158 

I  I 

2 

16 

19 

0 

12 

4 

6 

61 


Feb.  15.— By  Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

...        £1 

II 

0 

,,    20.—  ,,   Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

0 

0 

,,    28.—  ,,  Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh •. 

II 

2 

6 

Mar.  4.—  ,,   Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

5 

0 

,,      8.—  ,,  Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

I 

6 

,,    13.—  „   Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

15 

8 

„    20  -  „  Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

12 

6 

„    22.—  ,,   Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

10 

0 

Apl.  II.—  ,,   Remitted  D.  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh 

1 1 

0 

^241 

^ 

lO 

Oct.  21.- 


Kemitted  I).  W.  Shaw  and  Welsh... 


HONE  S  T     A  L  L  A  N 

(  Couclusioti. ) 


HAN'IXG  completed  the  Xithsdale  and  Galloway  song 
forgeries,  Allan  Cunningham  went  to  London,  where 
his  doings  can  only  be  baldly  catalogued.  He  wrote  (see 
Fraser  for  June,  1843),  for  Sir  Francis  Chantrey,  a  letter  to 
Sir  Robert  Peel,  knowing  that  several  statements  in  it  were 
untrue.  De  Quincey  tells  of  his  speaking  in  contempt  of 
Wordsworth  at  a  time  when  he  "  knew  nothing  at  all  of  Words- 
worth's works."  In  1820  he  a])peare(l  in  Blackivood  as  "Mark 
Macrabin,"  with  a  clumsy  satire  upon  the  Buchanite  fanatics. 
It  purports  to  be  an  account  of  a  twenty-four  hours'  visit  to  the 
camp  of  the  sect.  That,  although  a  native  of  the  district,  he 
confounds  Lagg  Hill,  of  Grierson  fame,  with  Larghill ;  that  he 
repeats  himself,  that  he  is  not  above  pilfering,  that  he  mingles 
fact  with  invention,  is  all  set  forth  in  "  The  Buchanite  Delu- 
sion ''  ^^i  Mr  John  Cameron.  He  detects  in  the  description  of 
the  translation  fiasco  cjn  Temjjland  Hill  a  wholesale  "crib" 
from  Hossack's,  as  apjjcaring  in  Joseph  Train's  work  on  the 
Buchanites.  "Macrabin  tells  this  sirjiv  of  Luckie  Buchan's 
attempts  to  win  converts: — 

"'James,'  said  our  Lady  to  a  north  country  gardener,  and 
a  shrewd  man,  '  leave  off  tilling  Mr  Copland's  garden,  and  come 
and  dig  in  the  garden  of  the  Lord.' 

'"Ma  conscience!'  said  the  irre\erent  Highlander,  'he 
wasna  owre  kind  to  the  last  gardener  he  had' — referring,  no 
doubt,  to  the  exi)ulsion  of  Adam  from  Paradise." 

The  same  story  is  told  with  slight  variations  in  the  note  to 
Burns's  letter  of  August,  1784,  to  his  Montrose  cousin.  (Cun- 
ningham's   Burns.    VL,    48.)        'J'his   gives    rise   to    a    question 


63 

whether  Allan  inserted  a  true  story  in  the  "  Macrabin  "  romance- 
or  a  fictitious  storv  in  his  edition  of  Burns. 

Cunningham's  biographies  of  painters  are  excluded  from 
the  present  survey.  As  further  showing  the  position  coming  to 
be  assigned  him  in  literature,  Mr  Frank  Miller's  recent  "  Poets 
of  Dumfriesshire  "  may  be  noticed.  That  author's  general 
estimate  of  him  may  be  gathered  from  one  or  two  passages : — 
"Allan  Cunningham  thus  refers  to  the  ballad  of  'Annan 
Water  ' — '  Much  of  it  is  old  and  much  of  it  seems  touched  over 
and  amended  bv  a  hand  equally  lucky  and  skilful.'  The 
version  preserved  in  The  Songs  of  Scotland  is  fitted  only  to 
show  how  well  he  understood  the  are  of  touching  over.''  Mr 
Miller  reads  Cunningham's  assurance  that  numerous  \ariations 
in  the  text  of  the  ballad  were  known  in  his  day  with  blunt 
scepticism — "If,  as  Cunningham  assures  us."  etc.  To  him 
Miller  attributes  nearly  all  the  Dumfriesshire  "Jacobite" 
ballads  and  songs  of  merit.  "  Cumberland  and  Murray's 
Descent  into  Hell,"  printed  in  Hogg's  Jacobiie  Relics,  "is  not 
an  old  piece,  but  a  forger}-  from  the  practised  hand  of  Allan 
Cunningham."  Hogg  prints  "  Lochmaben  Cate  "  also, 
although  he  "sorely  suspected"  that  Cunnhigham  was  its 
author.  Cunningham  reprints  it  in  The  Songs  of  Scotland  with 
a  note: — "I  have  no  doubt  of  its  beauty,  l)ut  much  of  its 
authenticitv.  That  it  was  composed  on  a  heartless  or  a  drunken 
rising  of  some  of  the  Jac()l)ite  gentlemen  of  the  district  is 
certain  ;  that  it  was  written  near  the  time  of  the  rebellion  (jf  1715 
is  far  more  than  (|uestionable.''  Mr  Miller  calls  the  note 
"suggestive,"  which  it  certainly  is,  if,  as  there  is  scant  reason 
to  doubt,  Cunningham  is  discussing  his  own  work.  Tlie  Songs 
of  Scotland  is  ultimatelv  dismissed  in  summary  fashion  by  Mi 
Miller  as  "  an  anthology  materially  lessened  in  \-alue  by  the 
liberties  taken  with  the  text  of  the  j)ieces  given." 

It  is  a  work,  nevertheless,  hi  which  Burns  makes  many 
appearances.  The  treatment  accorded  his  several  heroines  can 
only  be  accounted  for  upon  the  assumption  of  Cunningham's 
having  possessed  an  exceptionally  prurient  imaginatioi-i.      When 


Burns  siiij^s  of  Chloris,  "  that  which  increased  the  rcjjiitation  of 
the  poet  has  lessened  tlic  fame  of  tlie  man.  Cliloris  believed 
in  the  dispensing  power  of  l)eauty,  tlial  Ioac  slvould  he  under 
no  demure  restraint,  and  own  no  law  but  that  of  nature." 
She  was  "a  liberal  lady,'  willinti;  to  reward  "his  strains,"  and 
"gave  him  maiiv  nocturnal  o])portunitics  of  catching  ins])iration 
from  her  jjresence."  This  comes  in  connection  with  "My 
Chloris,  mark  how  green  the  groves  ; "  and  is  bad  enough,  but 
it  is  kejjt  in  coimtenance  by  the  notes  to  "  The  stown  glance  o' 
kindness,"  and  "  Sae  flaxen  were  her  ringlets."  Not  oidy  is 
the  slander  groundless  :  it  holds  a  blacker  libel  than  that  of 
mere  libertinism  on  Kmns.  His  wife  was  as  intimate  with  the 
Lorimers  as  he  was  himself,  and.  when  inxiting  Mr  borimer  to 
dinner,  his  letter  contains  the  clause:  "Mrs  Burns  desired  me 
yesternight  to  beg  the  favor  of  Jeany  to  come  and  partake  with 
her;  and  she  was  so  ol)liging  as  to  ])romise  that  she  would." 
That  Burns  encouraged  his  wife's  intimacy  with  a  lady  who, 
according  to  Cunningham,  was  his  song  ins])iring  mistress,  and 
was  maintaining  social  intercourse  with  William  I.orimer,  the 
father,  at  the  same  time  that — presumal)l\  under  cover  of  it — 
he  was  ])rosecuting  a  guilty  amour  with  Jean  I.orimer,  the 
<laughter.  is  to  attach  to  l^urns  the  stigma  of  de])ra\-ity  so  un- 
natural and  abandoned  that  the  rising  gorge  rejects  it.  if  Cun- 
ningham had  one  scrap  of  evidence  to  advance  in  sup])ort  of  the 
charge,  resentment  might  be  less  bitter,  but  the  insinuation 
is,  from  first  to  last,  the  j)roduct  of  his  own  foul  imagination. 

In  his  lexicon  there  is  no  such  wr)r(l  as  chi\alr\.  Clarnida 
fares  no  better  than  Chloris.  Altliough  lie  could  not  .sj)eak 
with  certainty  of  the  heroine  of  "  Ae  fond  kiss,"  his  instinct 
could  not  be  re])resseil.  The  "song  is  more  creditable  to  her 
charni>  ilian  to  her  good  name  ;'"  the  Poet  "  seems  to  ha\e  drank 
deeply  of  jo\  before  he  j)arted  with  the  cup."  The  libel  is 
repeated  in  a  different  form  in  the  f.ife.  Cunningham  had  no 
authoritN  for  alleging  that  wlien  ]-{iirns  was  lying  witli  his  injured 
limb  in  St.  James'  .Sr|uare.  Clarnida  "  was  now  ami  then  a 
visitor  to  the  crippled  Bard,  and  di\erted  him  with  her  wit  and 


65. 

soothed  him  with  her  presence,''  and  that  he  was  "watched 
by  beautv  on  his  couch."  Burns  had  pointedly  deprecated  such 
a  daring  visit  as  forbidden  by  "cursed  etiquette,''  in  a  letter  of 
28th  December,  1787.  Cunningham  makes  various  references 
to  the  Clarinda  correspondence,  and  as  this  particular  letter 
occurs  amongst  those  published  by  Stewart,  of  Glasgow,  in 
1802,  "Honest  Allan  "  must  have  seen  it. 

Mary  Campbell  he  ciared  not  smirch,  but  he  must  needs 
introduce  a  dash  of  suggestive  sable  in  sketching  her  environ- 
ment. He  says  (Life  and  Works,  I.,  88): — "That  she  was 
beautiful  we  ha\e  other  testimony  than  that  of  Burns :  her 
charms  attracted  gazers,  if  not  wooers,  and  she  was  exposed  to 
the  allurements  of  wealth.  She  withstood  all  temptation,"  etc. 
— all,  either  gossip  retailed  without  examination,  or  pure  in- 
vention spun  out  of  a  diseased  fant^y.  The  treatment  of  the 
Highland  Mary  episode  is  disjointed,  and  displays  not  a  trace 
of  independent  in\-estigati()n  directed  towards  the  expiscation  of 
such  truth  as  may  lie  concealed  in  mystery.  The  statements 
that  she  was  a  ])easant's  daughter,  born  at  Ardrossan,  and  the 
like,  need,  at  this  time  oi  day,  no  discussion.  That  Burns 
became  attached  to  Jean  Armour  soon  after  he  lost  his  High- 
land Mary  is  a  baseless  conjecture,  ser\iceal»le  onlv  as  a  warn- 
ing against  an  author's  indulgence  in  guess-work. 

Regarding  the  generally  accepted  Burns  note  to  "  The 
Highland  Lassie,  O,"  until  its  genuineness  is  placed  above 
doubt  by  the  recovery  of  the  manuscript,  it  lies  outside  the  pale 
of  debate.  Readers  of  Mr  James  C.  Dick  will  remember  that 
the  page  upon  which  it  ought  to  appear  in  the  interleaved  Glen- 
riddel  I  copy  of  Johnson's  Musical  Museum,  is  amissing.  Cun- 
ningham's treatment  of  it.  however,  is  a  different  affair,  and 
savours  strongly  of  the  habitual  practice  of  a  literarv  liliertine. 
He  handles  the  version  of  the  Gleniiddell  Notes  given  in  the 
Reliques  as  freely  throughout  as  if  he  had  been  a  participant  in 
Cromek's  detected  inventions,  garblings,  and  false  ascriptions. 
He  does  everything  but  reprint  them  as  they  stand.  The  note 
at   present   in   question,    to   "The   Highland   Lassie,    O,"    does 


66 

nothing  iiKire  than  cxi-niplify  a  getK-ral  usage.  ( 'umiiiighani 
omits  it  from  its  propt-r  place  in  the  se(|uen(e  of  "  l\.(Mnarks  by 
Burns''  given  in  liis  eighth  xohnnc  (Life  and  Works),  l)ut.  at 
the  end  (tf  his  third  \nhime.  ])rints  the  song  and  the  note, 
without  the  first  sentence.  He  leaves  out,  that  is,  the  words, 
"  This  was  a  composition  of  mine  in  \ery  early  life,  before  I 
was  known  at  all  in  the  world.'  He  substitutes  a  brief  explana- 
tion, that  the  Highland  Lassie  was  Mary  Campbell,  and  ascribes 
the  rest  of  the  note  to  Burns  without  any  mention  of  its  source 
in  Cromek.  It  is  partly  repeated  in  the  Life  (L,  89),  with 
minor  alterations,  and  of  Cromek's  long  footnote  he  gives  a 
few  garbled  lines  only.  Cromek  says  of  the  lovers'  parting:- — • 
"This  adieu  was  jjerformed  with  all  those  simple  and  striking 
ceremonials  which  rustic  sentiment  has  devised  to  prolong 
tender  emotion  and  to  insjjire  awe."  Cunningham,  in  a  more 
business-like  way,  cuts  the  passage  down:-  "'This  adieu  was 
perft)rmcd,'  says  Cromek,  '  in  a  striking  and  moving  way.'" 

It  might,  in  any  ordinary  case,  be  urged  that  Cromek  said 
nothing  of  the  kind,  and  that  "  Honest  Allan  ''  had  no  right  to 
put  words  in  his  mouth.  The  answer  is  the  unsatisfied,  but 
none  the  less  lively  and  insistent,  suspicion  that  Cromek  may 
have  said  nothing  w'.iatever,  and  that  the  footnote  ascribed  to 
him,  and  the  note  attributed  to  Burns,  may  both  be  the  work 
of  the  imaginative  Cunningham.  The  parting  scene  is  described 
as  by  an  eye-witness.  Who  saw  it?  Probably  the  same  eye 
that  witnessed  Burns  in  the  throes  of  "To  ALary  in  Heaven," 
when  "he  threw  himself  on  the  side  of  a  cornstack  " — a  feat 
for  the  performance  of  which  a  poet  like  Cunningham  probably 
preferred  a  corn  stack  to  a  comparatively  prosaic  barn  door,  or 
the  side  of  a  house.  It  is  w^el!  nigh  beyond  human  nature  to 
treat  such  details  with  judicial  seriousness.  It  must,  however, 
be  added  that  when  (IV.,  158-160)  Cunningham  prints  the 
address  he  adopts  Mrs  Burns's  more  reasonable  story  that  she 
found  her  husband  in  poetic  travail  "  stretched  among  some 
corn  sheaves."     As  the  footnote  to  "  The  Highland  Lassie,  O, " 


67. 

stands  in  the  Reliqucs,  it  does  not  appear  in  Cunningham's 
edition. 

If  anywhere,  this  would  be  the  place  to  examine  the  be- 
wildering maze  presented  by  the  Cunningham-Cromek  combine, 
and  to  follow  up  the  Dick  clue  ("  Notes  on  Scottish  Song  by 
Robert  Burns,"  1908)  to  the  authorship  of  the  fabricated  notes 
in  the  Reliques  version  of  the  Glenriddell  MS.,  and  of  the 
additions  falsely  attributed  to  Burns  in  Cromek's  Select  Scottish 
Songs  (1818).  Of  these  latter,  Mr  James  C.  Dick  says  in 
his  Preface  that  they  were  either  written  by  Cromek  himself 
"or  by  his  friend  in  deception.  Allan  Cunningham."  The 
charge  is  direct  and  explicit,  hut  the  testimony  is  not  conclusive. 
A  careful  sifting  strengthens  suspicion,  but  it  does  not  fix  guilt, 
and,  in  an  enquiry  like  the  present,  moral  certainty  is  not 
enough. 

One  or  two  features  of  the  case  may  be  specified,  but  only 
with  the  clear  premise  that  the  exact  parts  played  by  Cunning- 
ham in  either  the  ReUques  or  the  Select  Scottish  Sojigs,  if  he 
played  any,  will  probably  ne\er  be  known.  One  circumstance 
is  that  knowing  the  Glenriddell  copy  of  Johnson's  Musical 
Museum  was  in  the  possession  of  Eliza  Bayley,  Manchester,  he 
does  not  even  pretend  to  have  verified  Cromek's  version  of  the 
Notes.  As  a  reproduction  of  that  version,  genuine  Burns 
remarks  and  spurious  together,  what  he  prints  at  Vol.  VIII., 
p.  ,1,  et  seq.  is  worthless.  Some  of  them  are  dropped  out  of 
their  places  in  the  Cromek  order,  and  have  to  be  traced  else- 
where ;  some  are  discarded  altogether,  some  altered,  and  some 
embedded  in  notes  avowedly  by  Cunningham  himself.  Such 
methods  indicate  little  respect  for  Burns,  none  whatever  for 
Cromek,  and  more  presumption  in  Cunningham  than  is  be- 
coming in  an  editor. 

The  best  test  of  authorship  now  available  is  that  of  com- 
parative analysis.  The  similarities  between  the  three  groups  of 
Notes — the  forgeries  in  the  Reliques,  the  additions  in  Cromek's 
Select  Scottish  Songs,  and  Cunningham's  own  as  given  in  his 
edition  of  Burns — are  so  close  as  to  go    far    beyond    a    mere 


sug'i^e.^tion  of  idcntiu  ot  nrii^iii.  It'  ihe\  he  closel}  lomparcNl, 
in  respect  of  btith  style  and  sui)staiirp.  one  need  not  he  an 
expert  in  coniparatixe  i  riticisni  lo  ])ass  from  doubt  to  certainty, 
that  the  avowed  bv  Cunninj^diam  ami  die  unaxoucd  are  from  the 
same  pen.  The  distinctive  ciualities  of  ( 'unninj^hanvs  athnitted 
notes  may  he  most  clearly  brou^dit  out  by  placing;-  them  beside 
the  genuine  Burns  notes.  Burns  is  brief,  original,  and  very 
often  either  is  personal  or  speaks  from  personal  knowledge; 
Cunningham  inclines  to  be  lengthy,  (hffuse,  and  literarv.  The 
note  in  the  Rclujucs  to  "Saw  ve  mv  Pegg\ ,  condemned  by 
Dick,  is  a  fair  example  of  bookish  invention;  that  to  "The 
Highland  I.addie"  is  a  good  specimen  of  bookish  ex])ansion. 
These  can  be  paralleled  with  a  score  of  Cunningham's  notes  in 
Vol.  IV.  of  his  Burns.  The  family  resemblance  is  .so  striking, 
in  both  b)rm  and  s])iiit,  as  to  leave  but  a  thin  shadow  of  doubt 
of  a  common  parentage. 

In  The  Songs  of  Scotland,  as  previously  noted,  Burns  is 
frequentl}  introduced,  but,  wliile  affecting  anxietv  for  his 
reputation,  (Amningham  does  not  treat  either  his  opinions,  his 
work,  or  himself  with  any  excess  of  generosity.  He  pounces 
eagerly  upon  Burns's  most  careless  slip,  points  out  any  loan  he 
niav  ha\e  le\ied  \\\nm  an  earlier  f)ard,  (|uestions  his  taste,  aiul 
doubts  his  attempted  improvements  upon  old  songs,  but,  for 
ill -conceived  and  misdirected  pseudo-sympathy,  the  comment 
upon  "  For  a"  that,  and  a'  that  ''  bears  the  gree. 

Who,  asks  Allan,  can  blame  him  for  l)eing  something  of 
a  leveller.-'  For  one  vear  he  enjoved  the  friendshij)  of  the 
northern  nobility,  and  for  seven  felt  their  neglect!  They 
caressed  him  as  no  poet  was  ever  caressed.  "  He  expected  this 
sunshine  to  last,  and  looked  for  fortune  to  follow."  He  had 
not  the  fortitude  necessary  to  meet  disappointment !  "  'i\j  go 
at  once  from  the  rich  man's  wine  and  a  table  covered  with  plate 
to  water  from  the  well  and  the  homely  fare  of  a  farmer — to  leave 
my  lady's  hand  for  the  rough  stilts  of  a  plough — were  descents 
beyond  his  expectation,  and  far  too  strong  for  his  spirit : — he 
sank,  and  died  of  a  broken  heart.  " 


69 

Let  it  be  remembered  that,  from  Edinburgh,  in  October, 
1787,  Burns  wrote  Patrick  Miller,  "  I  want  to  be  a  farmer  in  a 
small  farm;"  that,  also  from  Edinburgh,  in  January,  1788.  he 
wrote  the  Earl  of  Glencairn,  "I  wish  to  get  into  the  Excise;" 
and  Cunningham's  assertion  that  Burns  "  looked  for  fortune 
to  follow  "  the  caressings  of  the  titled,  is  reduced  to  a  false- 
hood. He  had  told  the  gentry  of  the  Capital  in  advance,  in 
printed  black-and-white,  "  I  was  bred  to  the  plough  and  am 
independent."  To  completely  disperse  the  misleading  mists  of 
Cunningham's  raising  we  ha\-e  only  to  read  the  letter  Burns 
wrote  Mrs  Dunlop  on  15th  January.  1787,  that  to  Dr  Moore 
two  davs  later,  to  the  Rew  G.  Lawrie  on  5th  Februar\ .  to  the 
Earl  of  Buchan  on  the  7th,  to  Dr  Moore  on  the  15th,  to  Mrs 
Dunlop  on  22nd  March,  and  why  go  further?*  Burns  never  for 
a  moment  lost  his  head  in  Edinburgh,  or  was  dazzled  by  a 
gilded  future.  It  is  Cunningham  who  loses  his  head  over  a 
fancied  weakling  whom  it  is  an  insult  to  the  Poet's  name  to  call 
Burns. 

That,  in  the  Life,  (Cunningham  is  a  little  less  unjust  may 
be  admitted,  Init  even  there  his  fancy  picture  of  Burns  over- 
turnmg  silver  dishes,  garlan<led  decanters,  and  shoxing  opposing 
ladies  and  staring  lords  aside  that  he  might  rush  back  to  the 
plough-tail,  is  pure  pantomime.  Burns  is  supposed  to  cut 
these  capers  on  discovering  the  thing  he  really  had  already  dis- 
covered, viz.,  that  to  Society  he  was  something  of  an  entertain- 
ing curiositv.  He  was  that,  but  he  was  also  something  more, 
and,  while  protesting  against  Cunningham's  grotesque  dwarfing 
of  Burns,  a  protest  must  also  be  entered  against  his  utter  mis- 
measurement  of  the  kindly  intentions  of  the  people  of  rank, 
position,  and  learning,  who  really  were  the  Poet's  friends,  and 
brought  the  future  life  he  sketched  withhi  his  reach. 

Cunningham  represents  Burns,  on  his  first  arrival  in  Edin- 
burgh, rambling  aimlessly  about,  and,  amongst  other  things, 
kissing  the  sod  upon  Fergusson's  grave.  This  Dr  Wallace  (II., 
12)  mildly  suggests  may  l)e  largely  nnaginative.  It  certainly 
does  not  consist  with  Burns's  letter  of  6th  February,   1787,  to 

5 


70 

the  Bailies  of  ranongate- -'' I  am  sorry  to  be  told  that  the 
remains  of  Robert  Fergusson  lie,"  eti-.  He  tlid  not  need  "to 
be  told  "  if  he  had  already  visited  the  spot.  On  the  snbject  of 
Burns's  alleged  irregularities,  Cunningham  begins  by  dis- 
crediting his  own  witness,  by  suggesting  that  Heron  was  not  at 
all  solicitous  about  the  truth.  He  is  then  placed  upon  the 
stand,  and  his  evidence  taken,  although  it  is  admittedly  weighed 
"to  the  dust"  by  that  of  Dr  Blair.  Hyperbole  is  freely 
resorted  to  in  treating  of  both  the  subscription  to  the  Edinburgh 
edition,  its  circulation,  and  the  criticism  it  evoked.  There  were 
not  three  thousand  copies  printed,  and  yet  the  husbandmen, 
shepherds,  and  mechanics  of  Scotland,  "  though  wages  were 
.small  and  money  scarce,"  subscribed  their  crowns  "in  fifties 
and  hundreds,"  and  the  volume  went  "over  the  country,  over 
the  colonies,  and  wherever  the  language  was  spoken."  The 
entire  narrative,  in  short,  dealing  with  Burns  in  Edinburgh,  is 
marred  by  looseness  alike  of  j)lan  and  statement.  It  is  largely 
composed  of  common-place  reflections,  inconsistencies,  ex- 
aggeration, and  untruth.  The  general  impression  it  leaves  is 
that  Burns  played  both  the  boor  and  the  fool,  and  that  in  the 
main,  the  experience  left  him  irritated,  disappointed,  and 
despondent.  The  general  effect  is  as  untrue  as  many  of  the 
details. 

A  hazy  belief  exists  that  Cunningham  knew  Burns  person- 
ally. In  "The  Burns  Country,"  for  example,  Mr  Charles  S. 
Dougall  mentions  a  statement  by  Cunningliam  that  he  was 
willing  to  stand  or  fall  as  an  author  by  his  "  J.ife  of  Burns," 
and  goes  on  to  speak  of  "  his  personal  knowledge  of  the  Poet 
and  f)f  his  associates  in  Dumfries,"  but  no  evidence  of  such 
knowledge  is  led.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  exists,  except  a  story 
first  contributed  by  .Vllan  himself  to  a  periodical  mentioned  by 
Lockhart.  Mr  Frank  Miller  ("The  Poets  of  Dumfriesshire," 
p.  193),  says: — "Whilst  tenant  of  Fllisland,  Burns  was  a 
neighbour  of  Cunningham\s  [i.e.,  of  John  (.'unningham's, 
Allan's  father]  :  and  on  a  memorable  day  in  1790,  Allan,  stand- 
ing at  his  fathers  knee,  heard  the  great  Poet  repeat  'Tarn  o' 


71 

Shanter/  his  beautiful  voice  varying  with  the  character  of  the 
tale."  In  a  footnote,  Mr  Miller  refers  to  Cunningham's  essay 
on  "Robert  Burns  and  Lord  Byron"  in  the  London  Magazine 
of  August,  1824.  A  comparison  of  dates,  to  be  made  presently, 
shows  that  if,  at  his  then  tender  age,  young  Allan  was  captivated 
by  the  modulations  of  Burns's  "beautiful  voice,"  he  was  a 
marvel  of  precocity. 

The  above  story  is,  of  course,  the  original  of  that  com- 
municated to  Lockhart  for  his  "Life  of  Burns,"  published  in 
1828.  It  will  be  found  at  p.  197  of  the  Bohn's  Library 
Lockhart  revised  and  corrected  by  William  Scott-Douglas,  atid 
issued  in  1882.  Lockhart  prefaces  a  long  contribution  from 
"  Honest  Allan  "  with  the  remark  that  he  was  "  almost  a  child 
when  he  first  saw  Burns,  hut  he  was  no  common  child."  Cun- 
ningham fixes  the  time  of  his  reminiscences  at  Burns's  arrival 
in  Nithsdale,  and  says : — "  He  came  to  see  my  father,  and  their 
conversation  turned  partly  on  farming,  partly  on  poetry."  To 
make  sure,  he  repeats  the  assertion,  "  I  said  that  Burns  and 
my  father  conversed  about  poetry  and  farming.  The  Poet  had 
newly  taken  possession  of  his  farm  of  Ellisland."  He  had 
previously  spoken  of  Burns's  "fine  manly"  and  "musical" 
voice.  The  humour  of  the  situation  is  brought  out  by  Scott- 
Douglas.  By  marshalling  dates  he  shows  that  Allan  was  some- 
what under  four — being  born  7th  December,  1784,  he  was  only 
three  and  a  half  when,  on  13th  June,  1788,  Burns  went  to 
Ellisland — when  he  overheard  the  conversation  on  farming  and 
poetry,  and  about  six  when,  "as  he  alleges,"  he  listened  to 
the  recitation  of  "  Tam  o'  Shanter."  "Cunningham,"  the 
caustic  comment  runs,  "  must  have  been,  as  Mr  Lockhart 
observes,  no  ordinary  child."  Concerning  Burns's  "beauti- 
ful" and  "musical"  voice,  Scott-Douglas  simply  repeats 
Stobie  (the  exciseman's)  remark  to  Robert  Chambers — "  Bums 
sang  as  readily  as  a  nightingale,  but  he  had  the  voice  of  a 
boar." 

The  "hazy  belief"  above  adverted  to  can  onlv  have 
originated  in   Cunningham's   own   stories   communicated   to   the 


London  Magazine  and  Ix)ckhait.  taken  possihiv  in  coiintH'tion 
with  his  father's  entry,  in  1786,  upon  the  tenancy  of  Sandbed, 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Nith  across  from  Ellisland.  With  the 
river  between  them,  the  two  farmers  might  \er\  well  have  been 
neighbours,  without  holding  much  intercourse,  and  that  yoimg 
Allan  e\er  saw  the  Poet,  the  above  precocities  ajjpcar  to  be  the 
only  exidence.  When  (Vol.  III.  f)f  the  Works)  he  prints  the 
tale,  he  adds  concerning  it  (page  180)  yet  ant)ther  wonderfid 
memoi)'  of  boyhood  :  ''  I  rememlier  with  what  eagerness  *  Tarn 
o'  Shanter  '  was  circulated  among  the  Scottish  cottages,  and 
how  it  was  scarcely  possible  for  one  peasant  to  meet  another 
without  one  or  l^oth  indulging  in  (luotations."  This  is  one  of 
the  many  self-refuting  assertions  that  disfigure  the  edition,  as 
well  as  the  T.ife.  The  poem  was  onl\  composed  (Wallace- 
Chambers,  III..  210-11)  in  the  autumn  of  1790,  the  year  of 
the  alleged  recitation,  and  it  was  not  published  until  Grose's 
Antiquities  came  out  in  .\])ril,  1791.  A  question  is  thus  at 
once  provoked  as  to  the  source  of  the  peasants'  familiarity  with 
the  tale.  They  could  not  all  have  got  it  from  the  Poet's  read- 
ing of  the  copy,  which,  it  is  asserted,  he  carried  about  in  his 
|X)cket.  Captahi  Grose's  work  is  not  likely  to  have  circulated 
so  freely  among  the  Scottish  cottages  as  t(j  make  its  contents, 
even  though  including  a  poem  by  Burns,  familiar  as  house- 
hold words.  F,\en  if  it  had,  there  is  still  a  doubt  of  the  know- 
ledge which  alone  would  justify  the  confidence  and  comprehen- 
siveness of  the  memory  quoted. 

Credulity  is  strained,  and  a  similar  case  occurs  in  connec- 
tion with  "Does  haughty  Gaul  invasion  threat?''  which  Cun- 
ningham says  (V.,  273)  became  instantaneously  popular,  "and 
was  soon  to  be  heard  on  hill  and  dale."  In  the  Life  (p.  320) 
he  is  equally  extravagant:  "Hills  echoed  with  it;  it  was  heard 
in  every  street,  and  did  more  to  right  the  mind  of  the  rustic 
part  of  the  population  than  all  the  speeches  of  Pitt  and  Dinidas, 
or  of  the  chosen  '  Five-and-forty. '  ''  This  is  manifestly  the 
work  of  an  irresponsible  maker  of  sounding  phrases,  and  far 
from  the  measured  language  of  sober  biographv. 


73 

To  return  to  the  subject  of  Cunningham's  personal 
knowledge  of  Burns,  he  draws  from  memory  a  picture  of  the 
Poet  as  Volunteer,  in  which  attention  is  called  to  his  "  indif- 
ferent dexterity  in  the  handling  of  his  arms."  Can  a  boy  of 
eleven  be  accepted  as  a  judge  of  proficiency  in  manual  exercise 
and  drill  ?  The  words,  "  I  remember,"  are  fatal  ;  the  featureless 
and  commonplace  realism  of  the  portrait  is  smudged  by  the 
shading  of  fiction.  The  sentence  is  also  unfortunate  in  its  con- 
text. It  comes  shortly  before  the  condensation  of  Cunning- 
ham's notoriously  imaginative  account  of  the  Poet's  funeral  as 
supplied  to  Lockhart.  It  is  doubtful  if  he  was  in  the  town  of 
Dumfries  at  this  period,  say  the  year  prior  to  Burns's  death. 
His  story  points  to  either  continuous  residence  or  very  frequent 
visits.  At  the  age  of  eleven  (Miller,  193)  he  was  "placed 
under  the  charge  of  a  brother  resident  in  Dalswinton  village,  to 
learn  the  trade  of  stone-mason."  It  is  extremely  unlikely  that 
the  boy-apprentice  would  be  allowed  to  go  into  Dumfries  to 
see,  as  he  says,  first,  the  Poet  laid  out  for  the  grave,  and  again 
to  take  part  in  the  funeral.  It  is  even  less  likely  that  he  was 
so  familiar  with  what  was  going  on  in  Dumfries  as  to  justify  him 
in  saying  of  the  talk  of  the  town  during  the  Poet's  last  illness 
that  "  w^herever  two  or  three  were  gathered  together,  their  talk 
was  of  Burns,  and  of  him  alone."  A  grown  man  living  among 
the  townsfolk  could  hardly  have  said  more. 

Upon  two  heads  he  certainly  allowed  imagination  to  lead 
him  astray.  He  wrote  Lockhart  of  the  funeral  (p.  295):  "The 
dav  was  a  fine  one,  the  sun  was  almost  without  a  cloud,  and  not 
a  drop  of  rain  fell  from  dawn  to  twilight."  This  Scott-Douglas 
pronounces  unsurpassed  "literary  impudence,"  and  (Edin- 
burgh Burns  VI.,  208)  gives  the  proof,  after  Dr  Waddell,  that 
the  forenoon  was  showery,  the  afternoon  pleasant,  the  evening 
and  night  wet.  Again,  speaking  of  the  Mausoleum  (p.  346  of 
the  Life),  Cunningham  laments  that  the  indifferent  sculpture  is 
not  redeemed  by  the  inscn-iption  : — "  The  merits  of  him  who 
wrote  '  Tam  o'  Shanter  '  and  '  The  Cottar's  Saturday  Night  ' 
•were  concealed  in  Latin."     This   is   unpardonable,    for  Lock- 


74 

hart  himself,  who  g'ues  tlic  T.atiii  ih-al'r  ami  coiulemns  ihe  struc- 
ture, adds  tliat  tlio  uitcndrd  iiiscrijition  "was  never  added  to 
it." 

It  is  true  that,  in  the  Life.  "Honest  Alhiii  "'  either  modi- 
fies or  is  silent  upon  the  more  extraordinary  features  of  his 
letters  to  Ixtrkhart.  but  he  retains  cnoui^h  to  fill  with  amaze- 
ment any  reader  of  the  Prefatory  Notice  to  his  eighth  volume. 
He  there  mentions  among  his  difficulties : — "  I  live  remote  from 
the  land  of  Burns,  and  am  consequently  cut  off  from  all  such 
information  as  persmial  application  might  hope  to  collect  on 
the  Nith  and  Ayr."  It  is  to  he  regretted  that  he  did  not 
generalise  the  application  of  the  plea  of  local  disability,  and 
decide  from  it  to  restrain  his  imagination  and  curb  his  recurring 
tendency  towards  unveracity.  It  ap])lies,  howe\er,  to  other 
matters  than  those  just  detailed,  or  to  such  an  early  memory  as 
the  recitation  of  "Tarn  o'  Shanter,"  w^hich  is  repeated  (I.,  249) 
with  all  the  circumstance  of  melodious  voice  and  sparkling  eye. 
He  says  nothing  to  prevent  the  stuff  he  wrote  Lockhart  being 
repeated  in  later  editions  of  that  author's  Life,  f^lits  the  a.sper- 
sion  on  Burns  in  obvious  connection  witli  " 'I'lie  Merry  Muses," 
and  the  libel  on  "("hloris."  which  Lockliart  reprints  from  the 
Songs  of  Scothuni.  The  enquiry  into  Cunningham's  personal 
knowledge  of  Burns,  that  he  ever  saw  him  in  life,  or  looked 
upon  him  in  death,  or  saw  his  body  lowered  into  the  grave,  thus 
fizzles  out  in  sundry  statements  by  himself.  And  he  has  been 
shown  to  have  written  so  recklessly,  and  to  have  romanced  so 
freelv.  that,  as  a  witness,  he  has  simply  put  himself  out  of 
court. 

Conscious  of  having  done  his  consrjenccless  best  to  draw 
upon  Lockhart  the  odium  of  offering  a  work  of  fiction  for  a 
biography  of  Burns,  he  began  his  own  Life  of  the  Poet  with  the 
avowed  intention  of  making  "a  clear  and  judicious  narrative," 
and  at  the  clo.se  he  flatters  him.self  (VUL,  p.  \i.)  upon  having 
left  little  that  is  "dark  or  mystical  in  either  the  Life  or  Works 
of  the  Poet."  There  is  a  greatness  about  such  effrontery  that 
almost  touches  the  sublime.     The  j)hrases  quoted   apjily   to   a 


75 

work  in  which  no  borrowed  statement  has  been  verified,  which 
is  rank  with  mistifying  annotations,  and  in  which  nothing  is  new 
but  the  fabrications  and  the  rash  substitutions  of  the  probable 
for  the  true.  The  case  is  stated  broadly.  The  opening  pages 
of  the  Life  teem  with  errors,  the  padding  is  enormous,  and  when 
an  incorrect  version  of  eight  lines  of  John  Hamilton's  addition 
to  "Of  a'  the  airts  "'  is  ascribed  to  Burns,  one  is  disposed  to 
ask  if  the  writer's  critical  faculty  was  asleep.  No  wide-awake 
critic  would  surely  think  of  Burns  complimenting  his  Jean  upon 
being  personally  clean.  If,  in  fine,  all  that  is  untrue,  all  that 
is  dubious,  and  all  that  is  irrelevantly  reflective  were  extracted 
from  the  "clear  and  judicious  "  Life,  very  little  would  be  left 
to  stand  for  "Honest  Allan's"  assumed  "candour  and 
accuracy." 

Little  more  can  be  done  here  than  point  the  way  for  any 
wishing  to  carry  this  study  further.  Cunningham  is  freely 
handled,  and  sometimes  deservedly  scourged,  by  Scott-Douglas 
and  Dr  Wallace,  one  subject  being  his  calumnious  charge  against 
James  Johnson.  As  a  critic  of  Burns,  he  is  both  worthless  and 
disingenuous.  In  one  of  his  prefaces,  reprinted  in  1887,  he 
boldlv  differs  from  earlier  editors  in  accepting  and  rejecting 
certain  poems  associated  with  the  name  of  Burns.  If  the  test 
he  applies  to  "The  Tree  of  Liberty,"  which  he  rejects,  be 
turned  to  "The  Vowels — A  Tale,"  which  he  admits,  the  result 
will  be  found  an  eloquent  commentary  upon  his  critical  methods. 
What  he  savs  of  Burns 's  admiration  of  Peter  Pindar,  and  of  his 
preference  of  Fergusson  to  Ramsay,  while  unimportant  as  bear- 
ing upon  Burns 's  taste  and  opinions,  has  no  real  foundation. 
In  his  most  deliberate  prose  utterance — Preface  of  1786 — Burns 
gives  Ramsay  precedence  of  Fergusson.  Cunningham  here 
builds  upon  a  mere  obiter  dictum  in  Poem  and  Common -place 
Book,  purely  incidental  to  the  theme  occupying  Burns's  mind. 
Regarding  Pindar,  it  is  ludicrous  to  find  that  when  Burns 
thought  he  was  speaking  of  him  in  terms  of  warm  praise,  he 
was  in  fact  eulogising  the  "Lord  Gregory  "  of  Dr  Walcott,  or 
Wolcotl     (See  Currie  IV.,  40.) 


76 

Ciiniiiiit;hani  is  yet  iiiDie  disin^emious  in  his  ciiticism  of 
Burns's  i>\])resso(l  \ic\v  (if  tiiannTing  and  addinii,  \o  die  songs  and 
fragmentary  ballads  of  others.  He  charges  the  Poet  with  being 
mistaken  in  thenry.  and  inconsistent  in  practice.  (See  Letters 
to  Tytler  of  Woodhouselee,  of  August,  1787;  to  Mrs  Dunlop, 
of  13th  Xoveniber.  1788;  and  to  Thomson,  April.  1793.)  An 
examination  of  these  entries,  taken  in  connection  with  Allan's 
acH^usation  in  the  Life  and  in  his  chajiter  on  "  The  Ayrshire 
Ballads,"  shows  that  while  fullv  recognising  llie  difference 
between  songs  and  balhuls.  he  wilfulh  mixes  them  up,  and  mis- 
applies to  each  one  the  letters  in  which  Bin-ns  is  dealing  with 
the  other.  The  case  criunhles  into  fragments,  and  the  onlv 
result  is  to  prove  Cunningham  both  inconsistent  and  tricky. 
The  simple  truth  is  that  liurns's  theory  conflicts  with  running- 
ham's  own  practic:e,  and  that  he  had  no  comprehension  of 
Burns's  royal  way  of  borrowing  an  idea  from  an  old  chorus,  and 
returning  the  loan  by  investing  the  old  "makkar  '  with  the  credit 
for  his  own  verses.  In  this  matter  it  is  ne<'essary  to  follow 
Cunningham  in  both  T/zc  Songs  of  Scotland  and  his  Life  and 
Works  of  Burns.  The  sum -total  of  the  whole  enciuiry  is  that 
Cuimingham  is  no  more  to  be  taken  on  trust  for  critical  acumen 
than  for  either  editorial  honestv  or  biographical  veracity. 
Exit,  "  Honest  Allan,"  the  Second. 

l-.DWARI)  PiXMXCTOX. 


BURNS  AND   JAMAICA. 


'T^HE  following    article    which    appeared    in   July,    1896,    in    the    London 
■■■        monthly    Britannia,    fairly    answers    Lord    Rosebery's   query    at     the 
opening  of  the  Auld  Brig  o"  Ayr  : — 

"  '  Plad  Burns  gone  to  Jamaica  '  is  a  subject  for  speculative  writing  which 
lias  so  far  escaped  the  attention  of  that  vast  army  of  scribblers,  who,  with  the 
near  approach  of  the  great  centenary  as  an  excuse,  have  found  profitable 
matter  for  their  pens  in  dealing  with  the  many  '  might-have-beens  '  in  the 
career  of  the  Poet.  We  have  been  gravely — very  gravely — told  that  had  he 
lived  till  after  the  passing  of  the  Reform  Bill  he  most  likely  would  have 
become  the  Parliamentary  representative  of  a  Scotch  burgh— with  a  tendency, 
no  doubt,  to  issue  his  manifestos  in  verse.  Another  gentleman  has  tried  to 
figure  out  what-might-have-been  had  the  Poet's  environment— /o«/;(7«;-ji- environ- 
ment— been  changed  at  the  proper  psychological  moment,  his  idea,  perhaps, 
being  that  in  such  a  case  there  would  have  been  no  necessity  for  the  average 
Burns's  Club  president  feeling  called  upon  to  apologise  for  his  character  as  a 
man  while  extolling  his  work  as  a  bard.  Yet  a  third  has  endeavoured  to  give 
a  clear  indication  of  how  Burns  would  have  acted  under  certain  contingencies 
possible  only  to  this  century  ;  while  a  fourth  has — but  why  go  on  multiplying 
the  might-have-beens  evolved  in  other  brains,  while  there  are  some  in  my  own 
that  seem  to  me  as  well  worth  the  light  of  day  ? 

"  As  an  Anglo-West  Indian  who  at  the  present  moment  has  nothing 
better  to  do  than  shiver  over  the  sitting-room  fire,  nursing  the  remains  of  a 
refractory  liver  and  sighing  for  a  stretch  in  his  cotton  hammock,  which  hangs 
in  the  shadiest  corner  of  the  verandah  of  his  residence  overlooking  Port  Royal, 
I  protest  that  after  all  the  sort  of  thing  that  has  been  permitted,  it  is  only  fair 
and  proper  that  the  field  of  imaginative  speculation  should  be  so  extended  as 
to  include  that  island  lying  on  the  fringe  of  the  Caribbean  Sea  which  zwj  nearly 
played  a  part  in  the  destiny  of  Burns,  and  which  was  the  means  of  invoking 
his  muse  on  more  than  one  occasion. 

"  If  this  inclusion  be  granted,  I  may  [ircjcecd  to  say  that  even  to  this  day 
it  is  a  matter  of  the  deepest  regret  to  white  Jamaicans  that  the  Poet  was 
unable  to  accept  the  overseership  with  its  £Tfi  per  annum  on  a  sugar  estate  in 
the  'Pearl  of  the  Antilles.'  At  certain  seasons  of  the  year  wiicn  their 
ingenuity  fails  to  twist  their  vocabulary  into  a  satisfactory  and  soul-relieving 
expression  of  physical  suft'ering,  this  regret  intensifies  almost  to  poignant  grief. 


They  know  what  he  wrote  alioul  the  toothache,  and  when  that  tropical 
torment  known  as  '  prickly  heat  '  irritates  and  stings  the  skin  and  makes  them 
throw  somersaults  when  the  juice  of  the  lime  is  applied  as  a  cure  to  the  tender 
places,  they  positively  yearn  for  a  permanent  record  of  what  he  might  have 
said  under  similar  circumstances.  To  generate  the  afflatus  necessary  for  such 
an  effort,  the  Poet's  cuticle  would  only  have  had  to  hurst  into  a  glow  of 
prickling  heat  about  the  middle  watches  of  the  night — causing  him  to  rise  and 
remove  his  pyjama  jacket  to  '  touch  the  spot '  (which  is  generally  between  the 
shoulder  blades)  with  the  product  of  the  lime  tree— when  no  doubt  something 
of  a  very  caustic  nature  would  have  been  the  result.  A  few  verses  on  such  a 
subject,  together  with  an  ode  '  To  the  Mosquito  ' — based  on  a  sleepless  night 
caused  by  its  '  venomed  stang " — would  assuredly  have  doubly  endeared  his 
memory  to  all  Anglo-\A'est  Indians,  and  mayhap  have  led  to  the  erection  in 
Kingston  of  a  monument  of  the  Poet  represented  as  a  sugar-estate  overseer  in 
white  linen  suit,  pith  helmet,  and  pugaree  all  complete  !  It  is  true  that  such 
a  statue  might  appear  a  trifle  bizarre  to  those  accustomed  to  picture  Burns 
attired  only  in  the  conventional  garments  of  the  Lowland  Scot  of  the  period, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  it  might  have  been  regarded  by  others  as  a  splendid 
relief  to  the  stereotyped  custom  of  representing  the  Poet  as  holding  a  plough, 
gazing  meditatively  on  a  daisy%  or  trying  to  look  as  if  he  hadn't  been  present 
at  the  masonic  lodge  the  previous  night.  As  an  overseer  in  going  round  the 
estate  to  see  how  the  cultivation  was  progressing,  his  principal  means  of  loco- 
motion would  in  all  probability  have  been  a  mule,  but,  since  he  never  had 
any  e.xperience  of  such  an  animal,  he  lost  a  chance  of  writing  a  poem  which 
would  ha\e  been  sung,  chanted,  or  recited  in  every  countrv'  where  it  plants  its 
hoof. 

"  These  fancies,  or  might-have-beens,  of  course,  are  only  entertained  by 
the  more  flippant  of  Jamaican  society.  There  are  others— those  who  affect 
culture  and  attend  the  '  Al-Homes  '  at  Government  House  a  good  deal  more 
regularly  than  church— who  tell  you  that  if  P.uins  had  resided  in  the  West 
Indies  he  never  would  have  made  such  a  bad  slip  as  alhide  to  the  'apple  on 
the  pine' — a  curious  blunder,  though  excusable  when  one  remembers  that 
pineapples  were  not  then  so  common  as  they  are  now.  They  will  tell  you, 
too,  with  quite  a  convincing  air,  that  the  fruit  alluded  to  does  not  grow  on  the 
pine,  but  in  the  earth,  like  the  common  or  kitchen  garden  cabbage.  If  you 
are  a  new  comer  and  an  admirer  of  the  Poet,  you  will  blush  for  his  ignorance 
and  try  to  apologise  for  his  short-coming  as  ingeniously  as  a  young  curate 
caught  reading  an  unexpurgated  version  of  '  Holy  Willie's  Prayer';  while  if 
you  happen  to  be  seasoned  you  will  sigh  heavily,  a  sign  which  is  always  taken 
to  mean  that  you  are  pondering  over  what  might  have  been. 

"  Seriously  speaking,  however.  Burns  as  a  sugar-estate  overseer  has  ici 
long  l)een   a  favourite   topic  of  discussion  and   speculation  aincjng  the   more 


79 

thoughtful  of  the  West  Indian  plantociac}-.  What  would  have  been  his 
attitude  towards  slavery,  or  the  '  domestic  institution,'  as  the  South  American 
prefers  to  call  it  ?  Would  he  have  rebelled  against  the  scriptural  decree  that 
the  descendants  of  the  '  Graceless  Ham  ' — to  quote  his  own  description  of  that 
unfilial  gentleman — were  doomed  to  be  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water 
to  the  end  of  the  chapter  ;  or  would  he,  well  versed  in  the  Bible  as  he  was, 
with  prophetic  eye  have  seen  that  in  their  bondage  the  Negro  race— like  the 
Jews  who  were  so  greatly  improved  by  their  long  servitude  under  the 
Egyptians — were  working  out  their  own  salvation  and  undergoing  a  preparatory 
training  which  was  to  lift  them  from  a  condition  only  once  removed  from 
savagery  into  the  clear  noonday  of  civilisation  ?     Who  can  say  ? 

"  Whatever  his  idea  might  have  been  on  subjects  such  as  these,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  had  Burns  come  within  the  bewitching  spell  of  the  Tropics — 
where,  according  to  his  own  showing,  he  was  to  '  flourish  like  the  lily  ' — his 
poetry  would  have  borne  an  impress  of  the  charm  of  his  new  surroundings. 
When  one  pictures  the  deep  blue  sky  unflecked  by  speck  of  cloud  ;  the 
generous  sunshine  flooding  the  bountiful  landscape  smiling  peacefully  in  all  its 
variegated  splendour ;  the  glories  of  the  Southern  Cross  ;  and  feels  again  the 
mysterious  influence  of  the  tropical  night,  when  the  air  is  vibrating  with  the 
sharp  whizzing  of  the  wings  of  myriads  of  insects,  there  almost  comes  a  pang 
of  regret  that  Burns  did  not  fill  that  part  of  his  destiny  which  pointed  to  the 
Antilles.  As  it  is,. the  West  Indies  are  still  awaiting  their  poet  laureate,  and 
the  great  rustling  fields  of  waving  sugar-cane — next  to  a  field  of  ripening  corn, 
the  prettiest  sight  in  creation— their  sonneteer  ;  a  fact  which  might  be  noted 
by  our  budding  rhymsters  who  are  overcrowding  the  literary  market  at  home. 
"  Burns  could  not  scrape  together  sufficient  money  to  enable  him  to  take 
ship  for  Jamaica.  To-day,  he  who  would  be  an  overseer,  has  his  passage  paid 
outward,  and  a  salary  secured  twice  the  amount  of  the  modest  allowance  that 
almost  tempted  the  Poet  to  leave  his  own  loved  land  behind. 

"D.    K." 


We    complete    the    answer    by    the    following,    which    appeared    in    the 
Evening  'J'iii/es,  on  January   agtli,    1906  : — 

If  Burn.s  had  gone  to  Jamaica. 

I  WAS  sitting  the  oilier  day  in  a  rough  strip  of  heat-baked  scrub,  heedless 
alike  of  sun  above  and  probable  ants  and  grass-lice  l^elow — tired  :  behind  me 
the  uncultivated  bush,  steeped  in  mid-day  sun-glare  and  silence,  stretched 
away  to  the  distant  hills  ;  in  front  lay  a  great  glistening  ^reen  plain  of  sugar 
canes,  with  the  factory  buildings  rising  from  a  clump  of  tall  waving  cocoanut 
palms  on  its  further  verge:  nearer  at  hand  -giving  life  to  the  picuire  but  in  no 


80 

way  disluibini;  its  peace — lliree  yoke  of  oxen  slowly  emerged  at  an  "interval'" 
from  the  high  enshrouding  rows  of  cane  ;  clumsily  turning,  stolidly  enduring 
the  shouts  and  raw-hide  inflictions  of  the  negro  driver,  they  as  slowly  dis- 
appeared. I  fell  a  dreaming.  .\nd  what,  I  thought,  if  our  Burns  had  come 
to  this  ?     What  if  "  The  gloomy  nicht  is  gatherin' fast  "   had  completed  the 

Scottish  output  ?     What  if .     And  then  my  fuller  knowledge  came  to  the 

rescue,  and,  as  ever,  rendered  the  "  if"  fatuous.  Still,  all  his  arrangements 
had  been  made — his  box  was  on  its  way — his  berth  was  taken  in  the  brig 
Nancy — a  position  on  this  side  had  been  secured  for  him — many  of  his  good- 
byes had  been  said — he  himself  was  hard  in  the  wake  of  his  kist  : — "The 
gloomy  nicht  was  gatherin'  fast"  indeed.  But  here  a  Providence  intervened  — 
Scotland's  own  special  self-created  Providence — hard-headed  Thrift.  Captain 
White  and  his  Nancy  were  bound,  it  seems,  for  Savannah-la-Mar,  a  port  on 
the  south-west  corner  of  Jamaica,  and  Burns's  destination  was  the  vicinage  of 
Port  Antonio,  on  the  nortli-east  coast  line  of  the  island.  Things  were  not 
then  in  Jamaica  as  they  are  now,  and  although  the  computed  distance 
between  the  two  places— practically  the  island's  length  apart — was  a  Irifle  of 
149  miles  the  estimated  cost  to  the  Poet's  employer  totalled  about  ^50.  This 
the  Scottish  agent  of  the  estate  owner  did  not  feel  warranted  in  expending  on 
any  young  ploughman,  even  though  he  was  able  to  write  verses,  and  Robert 
Burns  had  to  wait  for  a  direct  Port  Antonio  boat.  Oh—"  saving  "  grace  ! 
close-fisted  Scot  I  I  wonder  what  his  name  was  ?  Ano  then,  of  course.  Burns 
■didn't  come — other  people  and  other  things  came  in  the  way.  But  had  he 
come  it  would  have  been  to  one  of  the  most  beautiful  parts  of  the  land  of  end- 
less summer,  and,  by  way  of  contrast,  to  one  of  the  most  brutalising  occupa- 
tions followed  by  self-respecting  white  men.  Burns  was  engaged  to  act  as  a 
"  book-keeper  '"  on  one  of  the  sugar  estates  of  Mr  Charles  Douglas,  a  fellow- 
shireman  of  his  own  — .\yr  Mount  and  Nightingale  Grove,  Mr  Douglas's 
properties,  lay  along  the  basin  of  the  Rio  Grande.  The  old  Spanish  name 
had  the  double  distinction  of  being  not  only  descriptive  but  true,  for  around 
here  Nature  has  spread  her  gifts  most  bountifully — and  mountain,  river,  forest, 
and  tilled-land  would  have  held  the  Poet  entranced.  Tropic  vegetation  in 
every  shape  and  every  hue  luxuriated  in  this  kindly  clime.  Per  contra — as  a 
boy  Burns  knew  "the  life  of  a  hermit  and  the  unct^asing  toil  of  a  galley 
slave."  Had  his  adolescence  found  him  in  Jamaica  these  conditions  of  life 
would  have  suffered  little  change — only  that  of  time  and  place.  We  know, 
too,  that  in  the  projected  Jamaican  employment  he  anticipated  being  "  a  poor 
negro  driver,"'  but  I  do  not  believe  he  ever  conceived  what  that  meant.  The 
"  bookkeeper  "  was  at  once  a  slave  and  a  freeman  !  a  slave  and  slave-driver  I 
The  book-keeping  portion  of  the  duties  of  even  a  modern  book-keeper  in 
Jamaica  form  far  and  away  the  least  part  of  these  duties,  and  the  work,  with 
extended  license,  was  similar  in  the  slavery  days.     The  "bookie'"  had  con- 


81 

trol  of  the  gangs  of  negroes  in  the  field,  in  the  boiling  house,  and  in  the  still- 
house.  To  "get  a  move  on,"'  as  the  Vankees  say,  the  whip  was  applied  to 
the  negro  hide  at  that  time  as  thoughtfully,  or  as  thoughtlessly,  as  the  nigger 
driver  had  applied  the  raw  cowhide  to  my  yokes — a  few  minutes  ago.  In 
addition  to  a  liberality  of  whip-cord  the  Jamaican  slave-laws  of  the  period 
admitted  of  such  attentions  for  misdemeanours  as  branding,  dismemberment, 
and  other  mutilations,  and  with  such  cases  the  book-keepers  were  more  or 
less  directly  associated.  The  work  of  the  field jbook-keeper  ran  from  the  sun's 
rise  to  its  setting  in  all  weathers,  in  hot,  humid,  unhealthy  cultivations  ; 
during  crop  time  the  work  in  the  boiling  house  was  practically  continuous — 
"a  weary  slave  frae  sun  tae  sun."  Even  to-day  the  conditions  of  life  and 
labour  of  this  official  on  a  sugar  property  are  in  many  cases  rather  "rummy,'> 
the  work  itself  a  something  short  of  slavery,  while  the  salaries  are  pitifully 
small. 

Hurns's  agreement  was  for  three  years  at  the  salary  of  ^30  a  year,  board 
and  lodging  free.  Board  and  lodging  : — hum  I  Could  he  have  only  guessed, 
these  did  not  by  any  means  represent  the  Jarvian  "comforts  o' the  Saut- 
market."  The  book-keepers  did  not  reside  with  the  "  squire  "  or  his  repre- 
sentative "  the  busha."  Their  residence  was  the  wretched  uncomfortable, 
unhomely  "  barracks  '"  situated  somewhere  near  the  factory  set  in  the  heart  of 
the  malarial  influences  which  always  hang  around  a  sugar  estate.  The  average 
circumstances  of  life,  too,  were  changed  for  the  "  bookie."  He  was  not 
called  upon  to  marry  from  the  eligibles  of  even  his  own  station  in  life — often 
enough  he  was  forbidden  to  marry  ;  but  he  was  assisted  in  the  selection  o.  a 
"  housekeeper"  from  amongst  the  slave  women  of  the  estate.  Rum  could  be 
procured  ad  lib.,  and  it  was  drunk  in  the  corresponding  ratio.  Burns  thought 
he  might  fall  "  a  victim  to  the  inhospitable  clime;"  of  that  there  was  a 
remote  chance.  The  real  cause  of  the  whole  trouble  lay  in  the  fact  that  the 
conditions  of  life  in  Scotland  and  Jamaica  lay  poles  asunder.  Such  refinem.ent 
as  may  have  prevailed  in  the  old-world  homes  of  the  book-keepers  had  no  place 
in  their  habitations  in  the  tropics.  There  were  no  restrictions  on  life  or 
living — society  offered  none,  government  pressed  none,  the  moral  tone  of  the 
period  dictated  none.  Thus  it  is  not  surprising  to  learn  from  authentic 
records  that  no  fewer  than  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  white  book-keepers  who 
came  to  Jamaica  died  from  the  effects  of  imprudent  courses.  Hard  work  and 
hard  drinking  went  hand  in  hand — until  fever  put  in  its  hot-burning  fist  and— 
usually  closed  the  game.  What  sentiments,  I  wonder,  would  these  contrasting 
conditions — where  every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  was  vile — have 
raised  in  the  Poet?  Would  he  here,  too,  as  old  ilohenlinden  Campbell  said 
of  him,  "  brand  each  vice  with  satire  strong  ?  "  Would  we  have  had  a  cycle 
of  slave  poems  live  with  the  passion  which  the  gross  condition  of  the  negroes 
would  assuredly  have  raised  in  the  Poet's  breast  ?     Some   "Scots  wha  hae  " 


S2 

to  Darkcsi  Africa?  Would  the  scenic  i^iaiKleiir  have  i^uaianleed  for  us 
another  "  Isle  of  I'alnis  "  in  loftier  vein?  Would  the  wide  sweeping  Grande, 
the  silver  rapids,  the  encircling  forests  have  given  us  a  new  Doon  and  other 
woods  than  Ballochmyle  ?  Would  a  still-house  wee  sma'  hour  carouse  have 
given  us  another  version  of  the  peck  o'  maul  story  ?  Another  snatch  from  the 
Rubaiyat  ?  Would  a  night  of  Annancy  stories  and  a  negro  "  shay-shay  " 
(dance)  have  given  us  an  Ethiopian  rendering  of  "  The  Jolly  Beggars  ?"  Or 
would  the  ghostly  "  duppies  "  of  the  nigger  ever  have  produced  a  compeer  to 
Auld  AUoway's  "  Cutty  Sark  ?"  And,  lastly,  what  would  we  have  had  from 
the  miseries  ot  his  exile?  Songs  of  exile,  I  know,  with  which  none  extant 
may  be  summoned  forward  for  parallel.  But  this,  you  may  say  is  no  dream. 
No,  I  confess,  it  is  nightmare  1  For  myself,  I  can  picture  our  Burns  in  many 
a  strange  ploy,  but  I  cannot  imagine  him  whip  in  hand  lacerating  the  bare 
glistening  black  bodies  of  his  slaves.  His  whip,  with  its  thong  of  satire  lash- 
tipped  with  scorn,  was,  we  should  thank  Heaven  1  made  to  lay  its  cruel  lines 
across  the  backs  of  the  Mess  Johns  of  the  Presbytery  of  Ayr.  Scotland,  in 
this  and  other  ways,  he  released  from  the  vile  bondage  of  a  crass  hypocrisy  ; 

in  Jamaica  he  might .     But  here  goes  my  "busha"  crossing  a  smudg- 

squdgy  water-logged  "  interval"  between  the  cane-pieces,  his  mule  up  to  the 
saddle  girths  in  glaur.       I  must  go  and  work. 

Iamaica.  S.    R.  G. 


AMERICAN    APPRECIATIONS   OE 
BURNS. 


O 


LIVER   WENDELL   HOLMES  once  wrote  that  "  Burns 
ought  to  have  passed  ten  years  of  his  hfe — or  five  at  least 
— in  America,   for  those  words  of  his, 

'  A   man's  a  man   for  a"   that,' 

show  that  true  American  feeling  belonged  to  him  as  much  as  if 
he  had  been  born  in  sight  of  the  hill  before  me  as  I  write, 
Bunker  Hill."  If  Burns  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  Wash- 
ington and  the  Revolution,  the  American  people  have  certainly 
well  returned  the  homage  ;  they  have  taken  our  Scottish  Bard  to 
their  heart.  Hardly  even  in  Scotland  itself  has  Burns  been  more 
lovingly  studied  and  more  highly  lauded  and  appreciated  than 
-among  the  citizens  of  the  great  transatlantic  Republic.  In 
various  American  towns  and  cities  statues  have  been  erected  to 
the  memory  of  our  Poet ;  throughout  the  United  States  his  natal 
day  is  annually  celebrated  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  ;  and 
numerous  literary  tributes  have  been  issued  from  the  American 
press  in  praise  of  the  Bard  of  Scotia.  The  following  quotations 
from  the  speeches  and  writings  of  representative  American  men 
and  women  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  Burns 
has  been,  and  is,  idolised  in  the  United  States  :  — 

Statesmen,   Orators,   c\:c. 

His  [Abraham  Lincoln's]  republicanism  is  of  the  same  spirit  as  the  songs 

of  his  favourite  Burns. 

Henry  Ekvan  Binns. 

In  the  highest  class  of  lyric  poetry  three  names  stand  eminent.      Their 

field    covers    eighteen    centuries    of   time,   and    the    three    men    are    Horace, 

Beranger,  and  Burns. 

President  Garkiei-D,    1874. 


84 

One  halfof  llie  soni;s  worlh  siiigint;  have  Burns  fcir  their  aiuhur. 

HoRACK   Grkki.ky. 

Oealh  has  cancelled  everything  of  Burns  bul  his  genius  and  virtues. 
E.   A.   Calkins,  al  Wisconsin,    iSsi. 

England  does  not  love  Shakespeare,  nor  Italy  Danle,  nor  (lermany 
Goedie,  with  die  passionate  ardour  with  which  Scotland  loves  Burns.  It  is  no 
wonder,  for  he  is  Auld  Scotia's  thistle,  bloomed  out  into  a  flower  so  fair  that 
its  beauty  and  perfume  fill  the  world  with  joy. 

Gkokce  William  Curtis,  at  New  York,  i8So. 

Of  Burns  I   can  say   tiiat   he   was  the  light  of  my  life  in  my  early  years, 
although  I  had  hut  a  nuililaled  edition,  and  but  a  single  volume,  as  I  believe. 
F.  11.  UNDiCkWOOi),  at  (ilasgow,  1S85. 

Robert  Burns,  I  bow  before  thee  in  reverence  !  Thou  art  the  man  that 
came  to  speak  more  directly  than  any  other  in  the  world's  history —straight  out 
of  his  heart  to  the  heart  of  his  toiling  brethren. 

I  bin.  Wali.ACIC  Bkike,  at  Ayr,  1891. 

Burns  was  contented,  after  doing  his  work,  to  live  in  retirement  ;  feeling 
probably  that  "  not  marble  nor  the  gilded  monuments  of  princes"  would  out- 
live his  "  powerful  rhyme.'" 

Henry  Georc.e. 

The  name  of  Roloert  Burns  can  never  die.  lie  is  enrolled  among  the 
immortals,  and  will  live  for  ever.  This  man  left  a  legacy  of  riches  untold,  not 
only  to  Scotland  but  to  the  whole  world. 

Colonel  K.  d.  Incersoi.l,  at  Chicago,  1893. 

I-?e  was  poet  born,  and  that  includetl  patriot  and  philanthropist —the 
great  trinity  of  attributes  and  gifts  in  one. 

General  Isaac  S.   Ca'II.in,  1895. 

The  poems  of  Burns  need  no  interpretation,  they  are  the  common 
language  of  the  human  heart. 

Hon.  John  W.  Gofk,  at  New  ^'ork,  1896. 


S5 

There  is  only  one  school  that  can  produce  liini,  and  (hat   is  the   school  of 
hardshi;\  privation,  and  daily  toil  that  liurns  attended. 

Hon.  Wkx1)I:i.l  V.  SiWlTdRD,  at  Barre,  Vermont,  1899. 

The   senilis  of  .Scotland    sings   through    the   .soul  of   Burns  like  the  wind 
through  an  .l<',olian  harp. 

Hon.  (Jkouck  F.  Hoak,  at  Boston,   1901. 

His  monument  already  rises  from   the   noble,  liberty-loving   liearts   of  all 
InuLs. 

Hon.  David  B.  HKN-ni':i<.snN,  at  Washington,  1902. 

The  stranger  in  a  foreign  land  loving  Burns  comes   to   luve  Sccjtland   and 
her  [leople,  because  Burns  loved  them. 

Hon.  S.  M.  Taylor,  at  A\r,  iqo^. 


AuTHOK.s,  Critics,  iVx. 

I    passed  a  whole  m..ining  about  "  the  banks  and  braes  of  Bonnie  Doon, 
with  his  tender  little  lo\e-vcrses  running  in  niv  head. 

Wasiiingion   Ir\-i\(;,  I(S6o. 

There  must  have  been  something  very  gr.ind  in  his  imme(Hale  inesence, 
some  .strangely  impressive  characteristic  in  his  natural  beliaviour,  to  have 
caused  him  to  seein  like  a  demigod  so  soon. 

Nathamki,  Hawthoknr,  1863. 

I  do  consider  him  the  most  Poet  that  ever  lived.  I  had  rutht-r  be  anther 
ov  one  p(jum  I  kncnv  ov,  than  tew  be  King  and  (^)ueen  o\-  FJngland,  and  keep 
a  hoss  and  carriage. 

H.  W.  Shaw  (-'Josh  Bii.i.incs  "). 

Of  heavenly  stature,  but  most  human  smile, 

Gyved  with  our  faults  he  stands. 
Truth's  white  and  Love's  red  roses  tendering  us, 

Whose  thorns  are  in  his  hands. 

G.  W.  Cahi.i;. 

The  Scotch — all  classes  of  them- -love  Burns  deep  down  in  their  hearts, 
V)ecause  he  has  expressed  them  from  the  roots  up,  as  none  other  has. 

John  Burroughs,  1S82. 


86 

I  icmeniher  no  more  reverent  pilgrims  than  those  who  turned  aside  from 
that  l>nsthn!:;  city  [Glasgow]  to  seek  the  little  Ayrsliire  village  wliere  a  rudt 
bridge,  a  time-worn  church,  and  a  peasant's  crumbling  cottage  were  enough  Ic 
hold  their  [lulses  and  stay  tlieir  restless  feel. 

l!ui/i    IIaktf,,  1S96. 

HisswTet  and  melodious  genius.  \V.  II.  K  idkinc,  1879. 

The  long  triumphant  .song  of  the  Master  .Singer. 

R.  11.  Stoddaiu),  at   New  York,  1883. 

Tl;e  freedom  of  Burns  must  have  been  a  hcr( ditament  from  far  back. 

MaI'KII  T.    TllOMI'SON. 


I'urns  makes  the  dialect  he  employs  flexible  to  every  mood  of  thought  and 
passion,  from  good  sen.se  as  solid  as  granite  to  tiie  most  bewitching  descriptions 
of  nature  and  the  lofiiest  affirmations  of  conscience. 

Edwin   I'icucv  Wmi'ri.i'.,  1SS7. 

The  commonest  wild-flow  er,  in  the  ver.se  of  this  passionate  singer,  has  its 
roots  beside  the  fountain  of  tears,  and  not  a  leaf  stirs  or  fills  but  its  image  is 
caught  in  the  lumuhuous  sweep  and  current  of  life. 

Hamii.to.n   VViucii'i    Mahik,  1891. 

Whitlier  learned,  with  Burns's  lielp,  to  count  his  treasures  aright. 

W.  C.  Lawtox,  1898. 

Other  poets  we  like  and  admire  ;  to  some  extent  we  may  make  tliem 
ours — Burns  in  his  own  winning  way  charms  us  before  we  know  it,  we  are 
hi.-. 

C.  L.  Han.so.n,  1898. 

I'urns  .shall  be  my  slandbv  of  a  winter  night. 

|.  II.  -MOKSI.:. 

Burns  speaks  the  universal  language  of  passion  not  to  be  learned  in  the 
schools.  His  love-songs  ...  are  among  the  truest  and  best  in  the 
language. 

IIi.nkyS.  Bancoa.st,  1905. 


87 


Some  Poets. 

There  have  been  loftier  themes  than  his, 

And  longer  scrolls  and  louder  lyres, 
And  lays  lit  up  with  Poesy's 

Purer  and  holier  fires  : 
Yet  read  the  names  that  know  not  death  ; 

Few  nobler  ones  than  Burns  are  there  ; 
And  few  have  won  a  greener  wreath 

Than  that  which  binds  his  hair. 


Fitz-Gkeene  E.  Hallkck,  1822. 


The  lark  of  Scotia's  morning  sky  ! 

Whcse  voice  may  sing  his  praises  ? 
With  Heaven's  own  sunlight  in  his  eye 

He  walked  among  the  daisies, 
Till  through  the  cloud  of  fortune's  wrong 

He  soared  to  fields  of  glory  : 
But  left  his  land  her  sweetest  song 

And  earth  her  saddest  story. 


Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  1856. 


From  the  fall  of  Adam  to  this  time,  I  believe,  there  was  nothing  written 
in  the  vein  of  his  "Mountain  Daisy"  ;  others  have  caught  his  spirit  from 
that  poem,  but  who  among  them  all  has  excelled  him  ? 

W.  C.   Bryant,  at  New  York,    1859. 


O'er  rank  and  pomp,  as  he  had  seen 

I  saw  the  Man  uprising  ; 
No  longer  common  or  unclean, 

The  child  of  God's  baptizing  ! 
With  clearer  eyes  I  saw  the  worth 

Of  life  among  the  lowly  ; 
The  Bible  at  his  Cottar's  hearth 

Had  made  my  own  more  holy. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


88 


He  spoke  of  Burns  :   men  riulc  ;iml  louj^li 

Pressed  round  lo  lnjaVjiliu  piaisc  of  one 
Whose  heart  was  made  of  manly,  simple  stuff, 

As  homespun  as  their  own  ; 
And  when  he  read,  they  forward  leaned. 

Drinking  with  thirsty  hearts  and  ears, 
I  lis  l)i<iiik-like  songs  whom  glory  never  weaned 

From  humble  smiles  and  tears. 

J.    K.    l.OWKI 


U   Hums,  Hiuns,  come  hack   to  the   hanks  of  honny   Doon  1      It  is  won! 
while. 

Ji)Ai.)UIN     MlI.l.EK,    1870. 


So  long  as  love  is  precious,  and  bereavement  sacred,  and  hypocrisy  bale- 
ful, and  pretension  ridiculous,  and  labour  honourable,  and  true  manhoiKi  noble 
— so  long  as  poetry,  simple,  natural,  elo(|uent,  is  the  delight  of  mankind,  alike 
in  the  halls  of  the  opulent  and  by  "wee  bit  ingle  blinkie"s  family,"' so  long 
shall  the  memory  of  Burns  endure  1 

John  G.  Saxk,  1S70. 


.Vt  moments,  wrestling  with  his  fate 
His  voice  is  harsh,  but  nt)t  with  hate 

The  brushwood,  hung 
Above  the  tavern  door,  lets  fall 
Its  liiiler  leaf,  its  drops  of  gall 

Upon  his  tongue. 

But  still  the  music  of  his  song 
Rises  o'er  all  elate  and  strong  ; 

Its  master-chords 
Are  Manhood,  Freedom,  Br(jtherhoo( 
Its  discords  but  an  interlude 

Between  the  words. 

11.  W.  L().N< 


Dear  Rob  I  manly,  Avilly,  fond,  friendly,  full  of  weak  spots  as  well  as 
strong  ones.  .  .  .  Perhaps  no  one  ever  sang  "lads  and  la.sses "— ihai 
universal  race,  mainly  the  same,  too,  in  all  ages,  all  lands — down  on  ilieir  own 
pi.ine,  as  he  has. 

Wait  Whitman,  iS<S6. 


89 
Some  Divines 

His  poems  will  be     .     .  read  vviih  admiration  \>y  the  critic  as  lonir 

as  ihe  laws  of  poetry  and  criticism  are  suftered  to  accord  with  the  dictates  of 

nature. 

Abraham   Kkes,  D.  1).,  1819. 


He  is  one  of  the  builders  of  the  new  civilization  of  freedom  and  humanity. 

Dr  Osgood,  1S59. 

Robert  Burns  has  taught  men  the  thoui^hts  of  God  in  nature  more  than  a 

great  many  pulpits  have. 

Henry  Ward  Beechi<:r,  1878. 

Life  is  a  struggle,  and  any  one  who  can,  like  Robert  Burns,  ease  it,  is  a 

benefactor. 

Ur  Tai.mace,  1880. 

His  unadorned  and  simple  verse  has  been  an  inspiration  ofbeaulv  and 
love  to  the  young  poets  of  all  the  generations  that  have  followed. 

Dr   Leroy   |.    Halsev,  1885. 

The  poet  of  freedom  and  of  the  common  human  life— the  man  of  the 
people,  who,  in  "  The  Cottar's  Saturday  Night,"'  painted  a  picture  of  a  poor 
man's  home  such  as  even  Shakespeare  never  dreamed  of,  and  .set  it  in  a  light 
sweeter  and  fairer  than  ever  rested  on  a  palace. 

Rev.  Robert  H.  Coi.lyer,  1888. 

"r;  Burns"s  song  has  evoked  the  more  hallowed  poetry  of  generous  deetls,   of 
guileless  charity,  and  of  genuine  brotherhood. 

Dr  C.  G.  LORIMER,  18S8. 

From  his  s(jngs  the  spiritual  anatomy  of  the  heart  might  be  reconstructed, 
and  a  true  philosophy  of  life  might  be  formed. 

Dr  Wm.  S.  Smart,  1888. 


This  poem  ["'The  Cottar's  Saturday  Night"!.  '"  which  puril\-,  piety,  and 

patriotism  have  their  touching  and  memorable  expression.  .      .      .      Many  a 

time  have  I  gone  over  it  with  pleasure. 

Dr  John  Hall,  1890. 


90 

Huiiis  loves.      Here  is  ilie  secret  of  il  all.      lie  wrcjlc  wilh  the  liearl.      He 
loved  !      He  came  near  his  fellows,  he  dieu  iliL-ni  lo  iiini. 

Rev    KniKiiDdi;  VViiKKi.KK,  1S91. 

ISiinis  was  over  on  llie  side  of  riijlu. 

Rev.   Dr  Ckikt,  1895. 

The  roel-laureale  of  man. 

Dr  KuKKKLL,  at  Ayr,  1S95. 

In  his  family  Hums  was  the  watchful,  kindly,  diligent  father. 

KUWAKI)    KVICKKTT  1  IALK,    I S96. 

This  child  of  sunshine  and  sweet  soni;,  with  his  Hashing  wit,  and  abundant 

laughter. 

Newki.i    Dwicin  Ilii.i.is,  1900. 

(Jne  of  the  most  generous  and  lovii^g  hearts  the  world  lias  ever  known. 
Dr  DoNAi.i)  C.   MACLEOD,   1902. 


Some  Women. 

Poor  Burns  !  how  inseparably  he  has  woven   iiiniself  with  the  warp  and 
woof  of  every  Scottish  association  ! 

Hakkikt  15ke(Iiek  Stowe,  185,:;. 

liurns  is  full  of  the  noble,  genuine  democracy  which  seeks  not  to  destroy 
royalty,  but  lo  make  all  men  kings,  as  he  himself  was,  in  nature  and  in  action, 

Makcaket  Fuller  Os.soi.i. 

If  Spenser  was  resjjonsible  for  the  magnificent  poetry  of  Keats,  Burns  was 

W'hitiicr's  literary  godfather. 

Mary  Ne(;rei'Onte. 

This  peasant    poet  who  had  so  truly  the  lender,  loving,  suffering   "heart 

of  a  man  in  him." 

Caroline  V>.  le  Row,  1878. 

The    genius    and     intluence    of   Burns    is    beyond    analysis   and    beyond 

crii  icism. 

Amelia  E.  Barr,  1883. 


91 


Does   he   listen,    when  in    lands   he  never  saw,  great  poets  sing  of  liim  in 
words  simple  and  melodious  as  his  own  ? 

IIki.en  Hunt  Jackson,  1S.S3. 


Thrfe  vScoto-Americans. 

My  knowledge  of  Americans  in  Scotland  led  me  to  expect  a  love  for  the 
songs  and  poetry  of  Burns  in  this  country,  and  I  have  found  il  lo  he  even  more 
general  and  hearty  than  that  which  surpii-cd  me  at  home.  The  Soiuh  is 
quite  as  enthusiastic  for  Hums  as  the  North. 

I'rofessor  Naikm:,  at  New  N'ork,  1S59. 

Ilis  productions  are  the  propertx-  and  solace  of  mankind. 

General  J  \mi:s  Ckant  Wilson,  1876. 

Burns  was  an  apostle  of  all  we  know  hy  good-fellowsliip,  and  his  supreme 

mission  was  lo  sing  the  hrotherhood  of  man. 

Andrkw  Caknkoik. 


A.  C.   WHITE. 


nrRxss  sTKWAirroN  rhlatixm^s. 


MliMORIAL   UNVEII.i:!). 


OX  Saturday  afternoon,  September  24th,  1910,  the  quiet 
little  town  of  Stewarton  [)resented  a  scene  of  unusual  stir 
and  animation,  caused  by  the  ceremony  attending  the  un- 
veiling of  a  handsome  memorial  in  the  peaceful  churchyard  to  the 
relatives  of  the  National  Bard  who  have  been  laid  to  rest  there. 
The  memorial,  which  has  been  erected  by  the  Stewarton  I.iterary 
Society,  is  in  the  form  of  a  graceful  obelisk  of  Ballochmyle  red 
freestone.  Its  design  is  simple  but  pleasing,  and  standing  twelve 
feet  high  in  the  vicinity  of  the  front  entrance  of  the  church,  it  will 
attiact  the  attention  and  interest  of  all  who  may  in  years  to  come 
visit  this  quiet  spot.  On  the  front  of  the  base  is  cut  the  following 
inscription  :  "  Erected  by  the  Stewarton  Literary  Society,  24th 
September,  19 10,  in  memory  of  Robert  Burns,  uncle  of  the 
National  Poet,  '  Poor  Uncle  Robert,'  who  died  at  Stewarton.  3rd 
January,  1789.  Here  also  are  interred  the  remains  of  his  eldest 
son  John,  who  died  17th  February,  1846."  On  the  north  side  is 
the  sentence,  "The  connection  between  the  Poet  and  his  uncle's 
family  was  a  very  close  one.  See  letter,  Ellisland,  9th  February, 
1789";  and  on  the  south  side  theie  is  the  following  extract: 
"  My  brother  lives  at  Stewarton.  He  hath  two  sons  and  one 
douther  named  John,  William,  and  Fanny.  Letter  of  \Vm. 
Burns  (father  of  the  Poet),  Lochlie,  i4tli  April,  1781."  The 
whole  workmanship  has  been  excellently  carried  out  by  Messrs 
A.  &  W.  Barclay,  builders. 

Prior  to  the  inauguration  ceremony  the  Burgh  Band  marched 
through  the  town  playing  selections,  and  this  was  the  signal  for 
large  numbers  of  the  townspeople  to  make  their  way  10  the 
churchyard,  where  there  were  also  present  many  members  of  the 


Burns  Federation  from  Kilmarnock  and  Glasgmv,  the  scene 
presented  being  one  that  will  remain  memorable  in  the  annals  of 
Stewarton. 

Mr  Andrew  Kerr,  President  of  the  Literary  Society,  presided, 
and   in   the   course   of  a   few  introductory  remarks  said  that  they 
were  met  there  on  a  very  interesting  occasion.     The  erection  of  a 
memorial  to  the  relatives  of  the  Poet  Burns  who  were  buried  in 
that  place  had    been   a   subject   long   talked   of  in  Stewarton,  but 
nothing  had  been  done  until  about  three  years  ago,  when  they  had  a 
lecture  from  Mr  Duncan  M 'Naught,  in   which   he  suggested  that 
the  Literary   Society   should   take   up   the  idea  and  see  it  carried 
through.     The    members    acted    on    his  suggestion,  and  in   this 
stone  they  had  the  result  of  their  effort,  and  he  was  happy  to  say 
that  it  had  been  erected  without  any  of  the  general  public  having 
been    called    upon    to   contribute.     From   all   they  could  gather, 
both  from  Burns's  correspondence   and   from  local   tradition,  the 
uncle   of  the   Poet   and    his   family   who  lived  in  Stewarton  weie 
upright   and   highly   respectable   people.     They    had  never  much 
wealth,    and    at    times  their  circumstances   were    very    far    from 
affluent.     They  belonged  to  that  hardy  peasant  stock  which  had 
given  us   such   men  as   Burns,  Carlyle,  Hugh   Miller,  the  Ettrick 
Shepherd,  and  many  others  whose   names  were  mscriijed   on  the 
scroll  of  fame   and   of  whom    we   in   Scotland   were  justly  proud. 
In  erecting  this  stone  they  were   but   paying   a   humble  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  that  immortal  genius,  the  Poet  whose  legacy  to  us 
had  been  so  great.     So  rich  had  been  that  legacy  that  they  could 
not  afford  to  neglect  any  place  or  person  or  association  connected 
with  him.     In    conclusion,    Mr   Kerr  said   that   in    calling  on  Mr 
Duncan  M'Naught  he  would  offer  him  their  heartiest  congratula- 
tions  on   the  honour   which    he   had   recently   received  of  being 
appointed   President  of  the   Burns    Federation.      No    one    more 
deserved   that  honour,  for    no   one   had   done   more   to  keep  the 
memory  of  the   Poet    fresh    and  fragrant  in  his  native  land.      He 
had  much  pleasure  on  behalf  of  the  Literary  Society  in  calling  on 
Mr  M'Naught  to  unveil  the  memorial. 

Mr  M'Naught,  who  had  a  cordial  reception,  said  that  he  well 

7 


94 

remembertd  over  ihiily  years  ago  making  pilgrimage  to  the 
Stewarton  Churchyard  in  order  to  discover  for  himself  the  exact 
spot  where  lay  the  remains  of  the  relatives  of  the  Poet,  and  from 
that  day  he  had  lost  no  opportunity  of  reminding  the  Stewar- 
tonians  of  the  duty  that  remained  for  them  to  perform  in  connec- 
tion with  the  memory  of  the  National  Bard,  and  he  had  never 
spoken  to  a  Stewartonian  who  had  a  word  to  say  against  such  a 
movement.  But  what  was  everybody's  business  turned  out  to  be 
nobody's,  and  the  matter  was  postponed  and  postponed  until  at 
last  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Literary  Society.  As  he  took  it, 
that  Society  represented  the  intellectuality  of  the  place — though 
perhaps  in  saying  that  he  was  forgetting  the  School  Board  and 
Town  Council — and  he  thought  they  deserved  every  credit  not 
only  for  what  they  had  accomplished  but  also  for  the  method  in 
which  they  had  accomplished  it.  There  had  been  no  a[)peal  to 
the  public.  They  simply  allowed  their  slender  funds  to  accumu- 
late until  they  found  they  had  a  sufficient  sum  on  hand  to  carry 
out  this  task.  It  would  have  been  no  difficult  matter  for  the 
Burns  Federation  to  have  taken  this  thing  in  hand,  but  he 
congratulated  them— and  he  was  sure  the  whole  Burns  world 
congratulated  them — while  they  had  good  reason  to  congratulate 
themselves  on  the  fact  that  this  movement  had  been  originated 
and  carried  on  in  Stewarton  and  brought  to  this  successful  issue 
by  Stewarton  people.  He  was  well  aware  that  many  people 
looked  upon  such  a  movement  as  a  matter  of  sentiment,  and  the 
Burns  sentiment  in  Scotland  had  many  curious  outcomes,  but  he 
might  refer  them  to  the  old  maxim  that  sentiment  rules  the  world. 
What  were  those  frail  memorials  around  them  which  implored 
"  the  passing  tribute  of  a  sigh"  but  expressions  of  sentiment? 
What  was  even  that  sacred  building  before  them  but  the  outcome 
of  the  highest  and  noblest  sentiment  that  could  affect  humanity, 
the  sentiment  that  found  expression  in  religion  ?  And  as  they 
had  individual  sentiment,  so  they  had  national  sentiment,  which 
was  but  the  aggregate  of  the  former.  After  referring  to  some  of 
the  curious  outcomes  of  the  Burns  sentiment,  Mr  M'Naught  went 
on   to   say   that   here   they   had    something   more  solid  and  sub- 


95 

stantial.  Those  who  rested  there  were  men  of  flesh  and  blood, 
they  were  well-known  to  the  Poet,  and  they. were  his  relatives. 
Speaking  of  the  genealogy  of  Burns,  the  most  severe  of  modern 
biographers,  Henley,  had  said  that  he  was  descended  from  the 
"  poor,  lewd,  grimy,  free-spoken,  ribald  peasantry  of  Scotland," 
but  he  had  only  to  go  back  one  step  in  the  Poet's  genealogy 
to  get  a  direct  contradiction  of  everything  he  said  about  the 
Scottish  peasantry.  There  was  to  him  no  more  pathetic  picture  in 
the  whole  life-story  of  Burns  than  that  stooping  figure  of  the  man 
who  maintained  an  unceasing  struggle  against  poverty,  against  the 
want  of  money,  against  the  want  of  capital  to  carry  on  his  legiti- 
mate business.  He  was  a  man  of  the  sternest  and  highest 
principle,  who  would  curry  favour  with  no  man,  and  who  would 
allow  no  man,  however  rich  and  powerful,  to  defraud  him  out  of 
one  jot  or  tittle  of  what  he  thought  to  be  his  rights.  And  such  a 
man  as  William  Burns  was.  Such  also  was  the  man  who  was 
sleeping  where  they  stood,  Robert  Burns,  his  brother.  Concern 
ing  him  ihey  knew  less  than  of  the  Poet's  father.  They  would 
find  on  the  monument  the  sentence  "The  connection  between 
the  Poet  and  his  uncle's  family  was  a  very  close  one,"  with  a  refer- 
ence to  a  letter  written  by  Burns  after  the  death  of  "  poor  Uncle 
Robert,"  a  letter  which  was  a  credit  to  him.  The  interest  that  he 
took  in  his  poorer  relations  was  one  of  the  best  traits  in  his  char- 
acter, and  in  this  connection  they  were  able  to  remove  a  popular 
but  utterly  wrong  impression  that  Burns  lived  a  neglected  life  and 
died  in  poverty.  He  (Mr  M'Naught)  had  been  instrumental  in 
recovering  for  the  Town  Council  of  Kilmarnock  documents  which 
were  now  in  the  Burns  Monument  and  which  showed  that  for 
years  he  had  allowed  his  brother  Gilbert  a  loan  of  ;^i8o  on  which 
interest  at  5  per  cent,  was  running,  while  at  his  death  his  debts  did 
not  amount  to  ^15.  In  conclusion,  Mr  M'Naught  said  that  if 
in  after  years  it  was  said  that  this  was  an  indirect  memorial  to  the 
National  Poet,  be  it  so.  There  was  no  shame  in  that.  He  was  a 
Scotsman  of  whom  they  all  ought  to  feel  proud.  He  had  left  a 
heritage  and  a  message  to  the  world  that  the  world  would  not  let 
die.     In  the  words  of  Henley,  the  most  severe  censor  of  Burns 


1H5 

the  man.  "  His  voice  has  gone  ringing  dcnvn  the  corridors  of 
time  these  hundred  years  and  more,  and  is  lieard  more  loudly, 
more  clearly  now  ilian  when  first  it  fell  upon  the  human  ear." 

Mr  M'Naught  then  unveiled  the  memorial,  which  had  been 
swathed  in  canvas,  amid  applause. 

The  Chairman  said  that  there  was  with  them  that  day  one 
gentleman  who  remembered  well  the  cousin  of  the  Poet.  This 
was  Mr  James  CoUjuhoun,  in  whose  mother's  house  John  Burns 
spent  the  last  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  of  his  life,  and  who  was 
present  at  his  funeral  when  he  was  buried  at  the  spot  where  this 
stone  now  stood. 

Rev.  Alexander  Strang,  Shettleston,  to  whose  initiative 
during  his  Stewarton  ministry  the  Literary  Society  owes  its  exist- 
ence, in  the  course  of  a  few  remarks  said  that  he  did  not  think 
there  were  any  more  fitting  tasks  which  an  Ayrshire  Literary 
Society  could  have  set  itself  than  indirectly  to  commemorate  one 
who  had  made  Ayrshire  famous  throughout  the  world.  He  hoped 
that  the  Society  would  continue  to  flourish  and  would  keep  before 
it  high  ideals. 

Mr  .'\ndrew  Sinclair,  President  of  the  Association  of  Burns 
Clubs  in  Ayrshire,  on  behalf  of  that  body  congratulated  the 
Literary  Society  on  the  worthy  object  which  they  had  achieved. 

Mr  Jeffrey  Hunter,  Glasgow,  also  spoke  briefly,  and  suggested 
that  the  Literary  Society  migiit  use  their  efforts  in  ancjther 
direction  and  interest  the  school  children  in  the  poetry  of  Burns 
and  our  Scottish  literature. 

A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr  M'Naught  brought  the  [iro- 
ceedings  to  a  close. 

Afterwards  the  members  of  the  committee  and  visitors  were 
entertained  to  tea  in  the  Lesser  Institute  Hall.  Mr  Kerr  presided, 
and  after  an  excellent  tea  a  number  of  toasts  were  honoured. 

The  Chairman  gave  the  toast  of  "The  Burns  Federation," 
referring  to  the  valuable  work  carried  out  by  that  body,  and 
wishing  it  every  success  ;  and  Mr  Thomas  Amos,  M.A.,  Kilmar- 
nock, in  replying,  said  he  thought  the  objects  of  the  Federation 
were    being    successfully    achieved,    because   in    his    capacity   as 


97 

Secretary  he  found  that  the  afifiliated  Societies  were  more  and 
more  turning  their  attention  to  the  study  of  Scottish  literature 
and  history. 

Mr  Ballantyne,  Glasgow,  in  a  humorous  speech  gave  the 
toast  of  "Stewarton  Literary  Society,"  and  Rev.  G.  J.  Jeffrey 
replied. 

Other  toasts  were  "  The  Press,"  proposed  by  Mr  David 
Lang,  and  replied  to  by  Mr  T.  Hannah  ;  "  The  Sculptors,"  by 
Mr  Hugh  Eaglesham  ;  and  "  The  Chairman,"  by  Mr  M'Naught. 
Songs  were  rendered  by  members  of  the  company,  and  an  en- 
joyable social  hour  was  concluded  with  the  singing  of  Auld  Lang 
Syne  in  time-honoured  fashion. 


RFAMKWS. 


A  Dictionary  ok  the  Characters  in  the  VVavekley  Novels  ok  Sir 
Walter  Scott.  By  M.  F.  A.  Husband,  B.A.  (London:  George 
Routledge  &  Sons. ) 

Mr  Husband  has  in  this  volume  done  thoroughly  and  judiciously  a  work  the 
need  of  which  has  probably  been  felt  a  thousand  times  for  once  that  it  has  been 
expressed.  It  is  practically  sure  of  a  welcome  alike  from  literary  workers, 
students  of  general  literature  as  well  as  specialists  in  Scott,  and  from  readers 
of  romance  everywhere.  Its  place  will  be  beside  the  Waverley  novels  in  every 
library.  Its  usefulness  for  reference  hardly  needs  demonstration.  It  is  noted 
that,  inclusive  of  37  horses  and  33  dogs,  no  fewer  than  2836  characters  are 
entered  in  alphabetical  order  in  the  Dictionary.  In  such  a  host,  while  none  is 
likely  to  forget  anything  material  concerning  the  M'lvors,  or  Bailie  Nicol 
Jarvie,  Rob  Roy,  or  Jeanie  Deans,  or  any  others  of  the  more  prominent 
immortals,  that  some  of  the  minor  creations  should  have  become  indistinct  in 
place  and  outline  cannot  be  considered  other  than  a  venial  lapse  of  memory, 
even  in  a  professing  admirer  of  Scott.  It  is,  moreover,  not  Scott  alone  whose 
characters  linger  with  the  present-day  reader  of  fiction,  but  those  of  the  many 
who  have  followed  him  in  romance,  down  to  Meredith,  Stevenson,  and  the 
living  Churchill.  Selection  has  become  the  only  resource  of  the  most 
retentive  memory.  To  recall  promptly  from  such  a  "  vasty  deep '"  the  figures 
of  Scott's  Dugald  Garr,  or  Hugh  Houkham,  or  even  Father  Francis,  a  volume 
like  this  of  Mr  Hu.sband's  was  a  necessity.  The  novel  is  indicated  in  which 
the  several  characters  appear,  and  just  enough  is  told  of  each  for  identification 
and  description.     No  attempt  is  made  to  evidence  the  parts  they  play. 

In  addition  to  that,  a  few  of  the  rarer  Scots  words  occurring  in  connection 
with  individuals  are  explained  after  the  entries  dealing  with  them,  and  a 
number  of  historical  notes  are  scattered  through  the  volume,  either  explanatory 
of  the  action  of  the  novels  or  corrective  of  Scott.  The  latter  are  none  too 
long.  It  is  only  said  of  the  Duke  of  Rothesay,  for  example,  that  he  died  in 
1402,  and  not  in  1396  as  indicated  by  Scott.  But  that  is  not  the  only  error 
into  which  he  falls.  Nearly  all  that  is  said  of  Rothesay,  including  the  vicious 
career,  outlined  by  Mr  Husband,  is  either  fiction  pure,  or  not  proven. 
There  is  no  conclusive  evidence    that  the   Duke  was  done  to  death,  and  he 


99 

certainly  did  not  die  in  the  east  wing  of  the  Palace  of  Falkland,  for  it  was  not 
built  until  long  after  his  day.  The  starvation  story  is  included  in  the  note  to 
the  Duke  of  Albany.  As  a  rule,  nevertheless,  Mr  Husband  is  trustworthy, 
careful,  and  illuminative.  Another  valuable  feature  of  the  book  is  a  chrono- 
logical table  of  the  Novels,  given  in  the  order  followed  in  the  edition  of 
1829-33  (48  volumes),  which  Scott  himself  revised  and  corrected,  and  was  the 
first  published  after  his  acknowledgment  of  the  authorship.  The  date  of  the 
first  publication  of  each  is  stated,  and,  though  they  are  not  summarised,  there 
is  a  sufficiency  of  information  given  to  localise  the  incidents  and  fix  the  periods 
to  which  they  severally  belong.  From  what  has  been  said  the  scope  of  the 
work  may  probably  be  gathered,  and  looking  at  it  broadly,  Mr  Husband  can 
hardly  be  too  highly  praised  on  the  score  of  either  industry,  conciseness, 
minuteness  of  detail,  or  a  full  comprehension  of  the  want  he  undertook  to 
supply. 


The  History  of  GlEx\bervie,  The  Fatherland  of  Burns  :  A  Parish  in 
the  County  of  Kincardineshire.  By  George  Henderson  Kinnear, 
F.E.I.S.,  Schoolmaster,  Glenbervie.  (Laurencekirk  :  Archibald  Taylor, 
Kincardineshire  Observer  Office.  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  :  John 
Menzies  cS:  Co.) 

But  for  its  involving  an  act  of  simple  justice,  the  pages  of  the  Burns 
Chronicle  had  assuredly  not  been  used  for  any  reference  to  the  above  attempt 
to  earn  a  literary  reputation.  The  work  first  appeared  in  1895,  under 
the  title  of  History  of  Glenbervie.  In  course  of  preparing  it,  Mr  Kinnear 
helped  himself  so  freely  to  a  series  of  copyrighted  articles  by  Mr  Edward 
Pinnington  that  the  author  of  them  remonstrated.  Mr  Kinnear  pled  ignorance 
of  copyright  law,  that  he  had  no  intention  of  invading  protected  rights,  and, 
in  the  end,  upon  friendly  intervention,  Mr  Pinnington  said  that,  due 
acknowledgment  being  made,  he  would  write  the  Burns  chapter  himself.  He 
did  so,  and  the  Preface  of  1895  states  the  circumstances  in  full.  Finding  that, 
by  reason  of  the  Burns  chapter,  the  book  was  more  widely  noticed  than  it 
otherwise  would  have  been,  Mr  Kinnear  now  brings  out  a  new  edition  with 
the  Burns  chapter  reprinted  verbatim,  and  "The  Fatherland  of  Burns" 
imparted  into  the  title.  At  the  same  time  he  drops  from  his  Preface  al 
reference  to  Mr  Pinnington  and  his  good-natured  contribution  of  the  Burns 
chapter  out  of  copyrighted  material.  The  result  is  that  Mr  Kinnear  has  be^n 
widely  credited  in  the  Press  with  Mr  Pinnington's  work  and  researches.  The 
truth  of  the  matter  has  been  stated  in  one  or  two  weekly  papers  only.  The 
position  Mr  Kinnear  has  succeeded  in  reaching  is,  however,  his  own  affair. 


100 

Thi:  Scottish   and  A.mkkuan   Poems  of  James  Ken  XKnv.     (E(linharc;h 
and  London  :   Oliphant,  Anderson  &  Feriier.) 

I  V  must  be  encouraging;  to  the  Sons  of  Song  tliat,  fust  copyriglited  in  1883,  these 
poems  are  now  in  their  fifth  thousand,  and  that  a  new  issue  is  contemplated, 
the  explanation  probably  being  that,  while  rhymsters  abound,  Mr  Kennedy  is 
t'-Miiperamentally  a  poet.  lie  has,"  furthermore,  the  rare  gift  of  singing  in 
Scots  and  English  with  equal  facilit\',  vigour,  and  grace.  As  pure  poetry,  and 
in  respect  of  high  thinking  one  of  his  most  inemoralile  pieces,  "  In  the  Golden 
Cage,"  beginning — 

"  O'er  the  hills  of  effort  lie 
Fields  of  opportunity," 

is  in  English.  In  English  also  is  his  "  Proem,"  in  which,  addressing  the 
Muse  of  Scotland,  he  pays  eloquent  homage  to  Purns  :  — 

"  I  long  to  see  thy  beauteous  face. 
And  mark  thy  wild  and  winsome  grace ; 
And  catch,  perchance,  some  kindling  thrill 
Of  that  divine,  impassioned  skill, 
Which  flamed  into  imnifjrtal  fire. 
When  Coila's  tninstrel  tuned  the  lyre, 
And  swept  its  thrilling  chords  along 
In  bursts  of  sweet  ecstatic  song." 

There  is  another  poem,  consisting  of  eight  stanzas,  addressed  "  To  the  Shade 
of  Burns,"  and  written  on  the  unveiling  of  a  statue  to  his  memory  in  Central 
Park,  New  York,  in  which  the  feeling  of  reverent  admiration  is  as  grateful  as 
the  melody  of  the  verse.  Speaking  of  the  attendant  thousands,  Mr  Kennedy 
says  :  — 

"They  see  in  monumental  bronze  s^ 

Thy  manly  form  and  face  ; 
They  hear  in  music's  sweetest  tones 
Thy  spirit's  grander  grace. 

And  though  from  many  lands  they  came, 

To  brotherhood  they're  grown  ; 
By  thee  their  pulses  throb  the  same. 

Their  hearts  are  all  thy  own." 

These  quotations  may  give  some  faint  idea  of  Mr  Kennedy's  style  ;  the  latter 
is  made  for  a  second  purpose.  He  is  .Scots  by  birth — what  is  commonly 
called  a  Scottish-American — and  his  ruling  sentiments  are  a  passionate  love  of 
Scotland,  a  faithful  attachment    to  his   adopted  home,  and   an  almost   pathetic 


101 

belief  in  the  brotherhood  of  man.  The  latter  occurs  as  quoted  above.  When 
the  Scots  of  New  York  went  out  to  fight  for  the  North  and  the  Union,  he 
says,  in  "  The  Highlanders  in  Tennessee  " — 

"  And  their's  the  cause  that  strongly  stood 
Alone  for  human  brotherhood." 

The  thought  occurs  in  the  "  Proem"  in  more  impassioned  phrase  — 

"  the  faith  that  fiiintly  hears 

A  far-off  music  in  our  ears  ; 
When  all  the  barriers  that  divide 
The  human  race  are  swept  aside. 
And  man  with  brother  man  shall  be 
Bless'd  in  a  happy  unity."' 

It  recurs,  like  a  refrain,  at  the  close  of  •'  Auld  Scotia  in  the  Field,"  and  again 
in  the  last  verse  of  "  The  Songs  of  Scotland.''  In  such  fashion  the  message  of 
Burns  and  Tennyson  is  taken  up  by  the  poet  of  a  later  generation,  and  carried 
who  can  say  whither?  This  alone  would  show  that  Mr  Kennedy  is  no  idle 
jangler  of  the  lute  strings.  A  peculiar  kind  of  worldly-wise  humour  gives 
point  to  his  character  sketches.  The  majority  of  his  lyrics  are  love-songs, 
although  it  is  doubtful  if,  for  sweetness  and  charm,  they  equal  "  Bonnie 
Noranside"  or  "  Noran  Water."  The  American  element  is  represented  by 
"Among  the  Catskill  M(Hintains,"  "  To  the  Mosquitoes,"  and  the  exception- 
ally beautiful  "  To  the  Humming  Bird,"  with  its  fond  memories  of  home,  that 

"  Come  sudden  on  th'  enraptured  view, 
Then  vanish  in  a  blink — like  you  "  ; 

and  its  closing  address  to  Poesy — 

"  And  though  thy  flashing  fancies  flit 
Like  this  wee  birdie's  restless  fit." 

I'he  Scots  "  fute  "  might  have  looked  better  than  "  fit,"  but,  for  quick  and 
apt  change  of  thought  and  musical  phrase,  the  poem  is  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  poetic  art  in  the  volume.  Two  pieces  are  devoted  to  Robert 
Buchanan.  The  most  ambitious  poem  is  "  The  Highlanders  in  Tennessee," 
but  Mr  Kennedy's  genius  seems  to  be  essentially  lyrical,  and  that  notwith- 
standing the  high  quality  of  some  of  the  other  pieces  named.  If  the  volume 
came  as  a  surprise,  it  has  turned  out  a  pleasure,  and  inspires  a  hope  that  Mr 
Kennedy  may  both  continue  to  sing,  and  live  to  reap  the  Poet's  dearest  reward 
— a  full  meed  of  praise,  and  the  poetic  rank  to  which  he  is  entitled. 


102 

Thr  Poets  ok  Avrsiiikk,  froni  ilie  Kourtcenth  Ceniuiy  lill  the  present  day, 
with  Selections  from  llieir  Writings.  Compiled  and  Edited  Ijy  John 
Macintosh,  Autiior  of  Ayrshire  N'ights''  Eiifertainineiits"  &c.  (Dumfries  : 
Thomas  Hunter  &  Co.) 
This  is  not  a  critics'  book,  and  anything  .sdid  here  must  be  construed  as  matter 
of  suggestion  for  a  second  edition.  The  value  of  such  a  collection  depends 
primarily  upon  the  editor's  construction  of  liis  function,  as  decided  by  his 
observance  or  neglect  of  two  rules.  The  first  is  that  a  clear  line  of  division  be 
drawn  between  poetry  and  prose  masquerading  in  poetic  guise  ;  the  second  is 
that  an  intelligible  principle  be  observed  in  classifying  the  poets  to  be  con- 
sidered entitled  to  admission.  Grouping  poets  by  counties  is,  in  truth,  rarely 
satisfactory  and  often  irritating.  What  is  an  Ayrshire  poet?  If  birth  be  tlie 
test,  then  all  the  "  resident"  poets  brought  together  in  Book  III.  of  this  work 
are  excluded.  If  residence  be  the  test,  then  .Mexander  Smith  and  several 
others  born  in  the  county  are  inadmissible.  .Smith  was  taken  away  in  child- 
hood, drew  no  inspiration  from  Ayrshire,  is  mo.it  intimately  associated  with 
Gla.sgow  and  Edinburgh,  found  his  best  themes  outwith  his  nursery,  and  so  far 
is  not,  in  a  true  sense,  a  "  Poet  of  Ayrshire. "'  Upon  the  residential  qualific:i.- 
tion,  again,  Burns  has  already  been  claimeti  for  I^unifriesshire.  l)Ut  he  also 
lived  in  Edinburgh,  wrote  there  several  pieces,  including  his  matchless 
"  Farewell  to  Clarinda,"  and  if  he  is  to  be  claimed  for  Midlothian,  and  on 
like  grounds  for  other  counties,  a  nice  ([uestion  arises  as  to  the  length  of  time 
necessary  for  county  naturalisation.  Other  objections  to  the  geographical 
assortment  ate  the  tendency  county  boundaries  have  of  becoming  elastic,  and 
the  impetus  given  to  unwarrantably  swelling  the  divisional  quantity  of  verse, 
irrespective  of  quality.  For  example,  Stenhouse  ascribes  "Willie  was  a 
Wanton  Wag '"  to  Walkinshaw  ;  to  keep  him  in  Ayrshire,  Mr  Macintosh 
says  dubiously,  "  the  balance  of  opinion  seems  to  be  in  favour  of  Hamilton," 
of  Gilbertfield,  but  gives  not  a  word  of  the  evidence  behind  the  opinion.  The 
mention  of  quantity  and  quality  leads  back  to  the  above-mentioned  distinction 
Vjetween  poetry  and  prose.  The  editorial  temptation  to  swell  the  bulk  of 
collected  verse  is  admittedly  great,  and  that  for  obvious  reasons.  It  is  desir- 
able to  spread  the  interest  of  the  collection.  But  how  can  the  happy  medium 
be  struck  between  collecting  in  the  spirit  of  the  lowly  chiffonier  and  in  that  of 
a  discriminating  editor?  Going  through  the  volume,  one  would  think  that 
no  sins  of  omission  could  be  laid  at  the  compiler's  door.  \'et  in  his  Intro- 
ductory Note  he  speaks  somewhat  threateningly  of  a  "single  volume,'' in 
connection  with  omitted  names  and  selections  "  which  might  have  enriched  " 
his  work.  This  hint  of  further  explorations  is  the  ground  of  our  reference  to 
a  new  edition.  If  any  of  the  following  suggestions  are  of  value  they  are  at 
the  editor's  dispo.sal. 

There  is  a  chance  of  neatly  defining  the  connection  between  .\yrshire  and 


103 

Burns's  poetry.  He  lived  in  it  for  thirty  years ;  it  inspired  his  outstanding 
poems,  "Tarn  o'  Shanter,'"  "The  Cottar's  Saturday  Night,"'  "  The  Jolly 
Beggars,"  &c.  ;  it  thrilled  him  with  love  and  gave  him  a  wife  ;  it  made  both  a 
man  and  a  poet  of  him  ;  it  was  the  Mount  Nebo  from  which  Burns  looked  out 
upon  the  world.  Mr  Macintosh  is  here  loo  timid  in  his  effort  to  gereralise, 
and  he  only  selects  "  The  Mouse,"  "  The  Unco  Guid,'"and  "  Mary  Morrison," 
to  represent  the  Muse  of  Burns.  In  Book  I.  are  poets  of  whose  productions 
we  get  none.  One  sample,  at  least,  seems  desirable  in  a  volume  of  the  kind, 
in  place  of  such  material  as  a  conjectural  parody  by  Wallace,  of  Cairnhill. 
The  types  are  also  a  little  uncertain,  historic  appearing  for  histrionic,  e're  for 
e'er,  and  the  like.  On  page  30  there  is  room  for  fuller  treatment  of  Isabel 
Pagan— (l)  to  summarise  the  evidence  of  her  having  written  "  The  Crook  and 
Plaid,"  (2)  to  explain  why  it  was  not  included  in  her  published  volume,  and 
(3)  to  show  by  comparison  how  far  Henry  Scott  Riddell  plagiarised.  That 
Jean  Glover  really  wrote  "  O'er  the  moor  among  the  heather,"  would  bear 
a  little  elucidation.  William  Simson"s  authorship  of  the  epistle  attributed  to 
him  is  doubtful,  but  its  merits  hardly  warrant  either  inclusion  or 
discussion.  According  to  the  editor's  own  confession,  Thomas 
Walker  has  no  claim  to  admission,  and  David  Wood  is  in 
the  same  position.  Several  are  admitted  who  possess  no  credentials, 
such  as  the  Rev.  Dr  Thomas  Burns.  The  editor  seems  to  have  a  kindly- 
weakness  for  the  clergy.  Rev.  John  Andrew  is  pilloried,  not  immortalised,  by 
the  halting  and  meaningless  gibljerish  attacb.ed  to  his  name.  Regarding 
Alexander  Smith,  it  is  said  that  he  was  charged  with  plagiarism  on  publishing 
City  Poems  and  that,  by  reason  of  the  charge,  Edwin  of  Deira  fell 
flat.  That  is  not  the  usual  rendering  of  the  facts.  City  Poems  appeared 
\x\  x^^"] ,  SiVA  Edwin  of  Deiia  \x\  i86r.  There  was  no  charge  of  plagiarism 
in  connection  with  the  former,  but  in  1859  Tennyson  published  the  first  instal- 
ment of  his  Idylls  of  the  King,  and  it  was  the  similarity  of  Smith's  Edwin 
to  them  that  evoked  the  imputation  of  plagiarism.  He  was  not  guiliy. 
There  is  strong  reason  for  believing  that  Edxinn  of  Deira  was  nearly  all  in 
MS.  before  the  Idylls  appeared.  Mr  Macintosh  can  probably  redd  up  these 
statements.  He  says,  again,  that  Smith's  poetry  declined  after  Ci/y  Poe/iis. 
One  critic,  on  the  contrary,  says  that  Edivin  of  Deira  contains  "  Smilli's 
finest  poetical  work,"  and  adds  "  it  has  dignity,  pathos,  reserve,  and  a 
haunting  beauty."     Space  will  not  permit  the  lengthening  nf  these  jottings. 


The  Bkk;  of  Ayr— And  Something  of  Its  Story.     By  James  A.  Morris 

(Ayr  :  Stephen  &  Pollock.) 
The  name  of  Mr  Morris  has  been  so  intimately  connected   with  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr,  from  the  inception  of  the  movement  down  to  the 


104 

inauguration  ceremony  whicli  marked  the  completion  of  the  operations,  that  it 
was  most  fitting  that  he  should  become  the  historian  of  the  steps  taken  by  the 
Preservation  Committee  to  prevent  its  demolition.  For  a  long  time  its  fate 
hung  in  the  balance,  more  than  one  eminent  engineer  being  of  opinion  that 
the  proposed  salvage  operations  were  neither  possible  nor  desirable,  and,  but 
for  Mr  Morris's  enthusiastic  and  persistent  advocacy  of  the  preservation 
scheme,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  Brig  at  this  date  would  have  been 
so  modernised  as  to  have  lost  all  value  as  a  landmark  of  the  past  and  memorial 
of  the  National  Bard.  On  the  successful  completion  of  the  restoration  work, 
Mr  Morris  contributed  a  full  and  most  interesting  article  to  the  Glasgow 
Herald,  describing  in  detail  the  various  operations  and  the  engineering  skill 
which  surmounted  all  difficulties  and  gave  the  Auld  Brig  a  new  lease  of 
existence  for  centuries  to  come.  In  the  volume  before  us  he  has  condensed 
that  article  and  strengthened  it  by  making  the  more  technical  parts  of  it  more 
intelligible  to  the  general  reader.  We  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  as  a 
hand-book  of  a  local  memorial  of  world-wide  fame  it  is  a  model  of  its  kind. 
In  the  illustrations  as  well  as  in  the  te.\t  the  antiquarian  element  predominates, 
for  Mr  Morris  is  by  instinct  a  whole-hearted,  yet  discriminating,  admirer  of 
the  art  of  the  past,  and  an  inveterate  opponent  of  vandalism  in  every  shape 
and  form.  In  the  get-up  of  the  volume  even,  his  antiquarian  tastes  are 
observable  in  the  quaint  daintiness  of  type  and  binding.  The  book,  which  is 
now  in  its  second  edition,  should  be  on  the  shelves  of  every  Burns  admirer, 
not  as  a  mere  souvenir  of  a  great  national  movement,  but  as  a  valuable  and 
reliable  contritjuiion  to  the  history  of  the  Town  of  Ayr  and  the  wider  Land  of 
Burns. 


THE    "MERRY    MUSES"    AGAIN. 


\_The  following  is  the  suhslam-e  of  a  Lecture  delivered  by  Mr  ArNanglit 
the  National  Burns   Club,    Glasgoiv,   on  Nov.    iQth,   iqoS.'\ 


NEVER  was  a  man  of  genius  so  unfortunate  in  his  early 
biographers  as  Burns,  so  grossly  abused  by  ignorant 
though  well-meaning  editors,  so  perversely  garbled  and 
misrepresented  by  hacks  and  penny-a-liners  intent  more  upon 
pelf  than  justice  to  their  author.  Take  the  latest  instance, 
Cromek,  whose  Reiiques  have  been  received  as  gospel  for  loo  years 
—unquestioned,  because  considered  unquestionable.  The  MS. 
from  which  he  professed  to  copy  Burns's  notes  on  the  songs  which 
appeared  in  Johnson's  Museum  (the  Interleaved  Glenriddel 
volumes)  have  been  recovered  within  the  last  five  years,  and  what 
has  been  the  result?  Some  of  them  genuine  (more  by  accident 
than  design  apparently),  a  large  proportion  of  them  Riddell's  own, 
as  many  Cromek's  own,  a  goodly  number  nobody's  in  particular  ; 
some,  and  these  not  the  least  important,  not  in  the  original  at  all  ; 
garbling  and  suppression  all  through,  and  yet  all  set  down  in  the 
name  of  Piurns.  If  this  was  possible  in  1808  in  connection  with 
the  compositions  on  which  his  fame  rests,  what  was  likely  to 
eventuate  with  unprincipled  publishers  whose  desire  was  to  label 
the  obscenity  of  the  ages  with  his  commandmg  and  lucrative 
name  ? 

i  had  heard  the  libel  whispered  from  my  youth  up,  but  it 
was  Gilfillan's  Life  of  Burns  (dated  1878)  which  stimulated  me 
to  put  his  assertions  to  the  proof.  The  Gilfillan  Edition  is  in 
two  volumes,  published  by  Mackenzie,  of  Edinburgh,  and  for 
careless  and  ignorant  editing,  swaggering  assertion,  and  deliberate 
and  inhuman  mangling  of  the  Poet's  character  on  gutter  evidence 
of  the  most  improbable  character,  I  will  back   it  against  anything 


ever  written  upon  Burns,  and  that  is  saying  a  good  deal.     This  is 
what  he  says  of  the  Aferrv  Muses.     I  quote  it  in  full  :  — 

"It  was  ahoul  lliis  time  (1793) —surely  one  of  ihe  (krk(>st  points  in  liis 
whole  history —  ihat  Burns,  as  he  tells  Mr  M'.Murdo,  began  to  form  a 
collection  of  licentious  songs  known  as  the  '  Merry  Muses,'  and  which  is 
certainly  the  biggest  literary  blot  on  his  memory.  We  own  to  having  read 
these  unworthy  productions  ;  and  while  we  admit  the  jilea  that  many  of  them 
are  not,  as  a  whole,  from  the  pen  of  Burns,  tlial  those  which  are  manifestly 
his  are  the  purest,  and  that  to  his  hand  we  trace  all  those  strokes  of  quirky 
humour  and  iiaivelt'  which  are  found  in  the  most  and  worst  of  them,  we  freely 
grant  that  the  Merry  Jl/ifcs  may  be  called  what  Leigh  Hunt  calls  Cotton's 
Fi;-^«7,  a  '  beastly  book,' and  is  rank  throughout  with  the  very  miasma  of 
uncleanness.  We  believe  the  most  of  what  Burns  wrote  in  it  was  written 
while  in  a  slate  of  intoxication.  Than  the  gentleman  who  showed  us  the 
copy — the  late  Robert  White,  of  Newcastle,  author  of  Otterhiirne  and 
Bannockhurn,  works  both  of  high  antiquarian  value — a  purer,  sincerer, 
simpler  being,  or  one  who  more  admired  Burns,  never  existed.  Deep  sorrow, 
rather  than  anger,  was  in  both  our  hearts  as  we  went  f)ver  it  together. 
While  told  us  he  knew  an  innkeeper  (he  mentioned  his  name,  l)ut  we,  who 
had  no  thought  then — it  was  in  1872 — of  writing  a  life  of  Burns,  neglected  to 
take  it  down)  whose  house  the  Bard  frequented,  who  said  tiiat  up  to  a  certain 
point  he  was  most  deliglilful  society,  but  beyond  that  he  would  often  spend 
the  rest  of  the  evening  in  singing  obscene  songs  ;  at  a  certain  stage  the  I'oei 
and  the  man  were  spirited  away — the  Burns  evaporated,  the  Brute  only 
remained.  White  mentioned  this  to  us  repeatedly,  and  it  was  undoubtedly 
true.  Chambers  gives  what  is,  wc  suppose,  an  accurate  enough  account  of  the 
way  in  which  the  collection  came  to  see  the  light,  after  Burns's  death,  through 
the  cupidity  of  a  bookseller.  He  calls  it  a  '  mean-looking  volume.'  Tliis  was 
true  of  the  copy  White  showed  us  ;  but  we  once  saw,  for  a  mere  minute  or 
two,  a  better-got-up  edition  (not  for  sale,  however)  in  tvvo  volumes,  in  the 
shop  of  the  late  Maurice  Ogle,  publisher,  Glasgow.  This  miserable  book 
may  probably  be  still  creeping,  like  the  plague  in  Constantinople,  in  obscure 
regions  of  the  country.  Bui  its  very  vileness  prevents  it  from  being  noxious; 
it  kindles  no  feeling  but  disgust,  awakens  no  passion  but  anger,  or  rather 
grief — disgust  at  the  volume  itself,  grief  for  the  author. 

"  While  on  this  ungrateful  subject,  we  may  as  well  quote  what  Byron 
.says  of  Burns's  letters,  which  had  been  shown  him  by  Allen,  Lord  Holland's 
ibrarian — a  man  of  vast  and  curious  erudition  : — '  Allen  has  lent  me  a 
quantity  of  Burns's  unpublished,  and  never  to  be  published,  letters.  They  are 
full  of  oaths  and  obscene  songs.  What  an  antithetical  mind  !  tenderness, 
roughness,  delicacy,  coarseness,  sentiment,  sensuality,  soaring  and  grovelling. 


107 

dirt  and  deity,  all  mixed  up  in  one  compound  of  poor  clay.'  This  is  from  his 
Journal,  but  in  his  letter  to  Bowles  he  says  farther — '  I  have  seen  myself  a 
collection  of  letters  of  another  eminent — nay,  pre-eminent — deceased  poet,  so 
abominably  gross  and  elaborately  coarse  that  I  do  not  believe  they  could  be 
paralleled  in  our  language.  What  is  more  strange  is,  that  some  of  them  are 
couched  as  postscripts  to  his  serious  and  sentimental  letters,  to  which  are 
tacked  either  a  piece  of  prose  or  some  verses  of  the  most  hyperbolical  obscenity.' 
lie  himself  says  that  '  if  obscenity  (he  uses  a  much  coarser  word)  were  the  sin 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  most  certainly  could  not  be  saved.'  We  have  ni>t 
seen  the  letters  referred  to,  but  perhaps  Mr  White's  statement  points  out  one 
way  of  e.\'plaining  them — the  sentimental  part  might  be  written  before  dinner 
and  the  postscript  added  after.  This  is  an  explanation,  though,  of  course,  not 
a  sufficient  paUiative  of  the  offence.  Burns,  writing  to  Mrs  Dunlop,  Dr 
Moore,  and  Dugald  Stewart,  could  not  have  written  obscenely,  since  he 
would  not,  one  would  think,  have  allowed  himself  to  write  to  them  if  he  had 
been  in  this  state.  Writing  to  others  whom  he  respected  less,  he  might  have 
permitted  wine  and  passion  to  have  their  way  ;  and  then,  as  when  he  was 
with  the  innkeeper,  the  Burns  vanished,  the  Brute  survived  (and  is  there  noj 
more  or  less  of  the  brutal  nature  in  all  men),  and  hence  came  the 
'  hyperbolical  obscenity.'  " 

Let  us  look  at  this  a  moment  as  a  typical  example  of  the 
Gilfillan  method.  He  grants  that  many  of  the  pieces  are  not 
Burns's,  that  those  which  are  his  are  the  purest,  still  he  sheds 
crocodile  tears  over  Burns  as  the  author.  It  is  a  printed  book  he 
holds  in  his  hands  entitled  Bur-nss  Merry  Muses — "  gude  black 
prent,"  and  therefore  assuredly  true.  Where  did  the  "  pure, 
sincere,  simple  being,"  known  as  Robert  White,  procure  it,  what 
date  did  it  bear,  and  why  did  such  a  "pure,  etc.,"  person  have  it 
in  his  possession  ?  Where  is  the  manuscript  or  collateral 
evidence?  There  is  no  evidence  whatever  of  any  kind,  but  the 
innkeeper  is  introduced  to  buttress  up  the  charge.  Who  was  he  ? 
Gilfillan  forgot,  though  "  White  mentioned  it  to  him  repeatedly  "  ; 
and  we  are  to  receive  this  nebulous  tale  as  "  undoubtedly  true." 
And  he  read  the  volume  of  obscenities  through  and  through 
with  grief  rather  than  anger  in  his  heart,  though  the  title-page 
bore,  "Not  for  maids,  ministers,  nor  striplings."  He  sneers  at  R. 
Chambers  in  a  covert  way,  "  supposing  "  him  "  accurate  enough  " 
in   dealing  with  a   subject  of  which   he    himself  knew  absolutely 


108 

nothing.      He   enckavouis   to  conceal    his   ignorance,  as  was  his 
wont,  in  the  pompous,  unctuous  phraseology  I  have  read  to  you, 
with  what  success   I  leave  you  to  judge.     Then,  as  for  his  quota- 
tions from   the  Jourfial  and  letters  of  Byron,  to  what  do  they 
refer?     Certainly   not   to   the   ribald   volume,   the   authorship   of 
which  suggested  them.     Who  was  this  Allen  who  gave  Byron  a 
perusal  of  certain  letters  which  GilfiUan  confesses  he  never  saw  ? 
Robert    Cleghorn,    farmer,    Saughton     Mills,    married    a    widow 
named    Mrs   Allen,  who    had  a  son,  John,  by   her  first   husband. 
This  John  Allen,   of   Holland    House,   was   therefore    Cleghorn's 
step-son,  and  inherited  his  step-father's  estate  and  personal  effects, 
amongst  the  latter  being  Burns's  letters  to  his  bosom  Crochallan 
crony,  Cleghorn.     Most  of  these  letters  have  been  published  with 
the   objectionable  addenda  which  shocked   the  virtuous   Byron, 
indicated,  if  not  printed    in  their  entirety.     What  was  the   nature 
of  these  addenda  and  the  other  "hyperbolical  obscenities"  referred 
to  ?     I  need  not  rehearse  to  my  present  audience  the  history  and 
membership    of   the    Crochallan    Club    in    Edinburgh,    of  which 
Burns  was  a  member.     So  also  were  Wm.   Dunbar,  W.S.,  AUx- 
ander   Cunningham,    Peter    Hill,    Robert    Cleghorn,    and    other 
Edinburgh  acquaintances  of  the  Poet.     It  was  a  convivial  club,  a 
club  of  high  jinks  and  broad  humour — in  short,  a  Bachelor  Club 
in  which  the  proprieties  were  kept  in  abeyance  during  most  of  the 
sederunt.     Cleghorn  got  closest  to  Burns's  heart,  and  having  a 
penchant    for   the  canticular   facetiae   of  his   native   land,    which 
Burns  was  engaged  collecting  as  hints  for  expurgated  rendeiings 
in   Johnson's  and    Thomson's    Collections,  whenever  the    Poet 
came  across  a  specially  brilliant  "  black  diam,ond  "  he  passed  it 
on   to  Cleghorn   "  for   his   spiritual    nourishment   and  growth   in 
grace,"  and  as  often  as  not  "  with  the  Devil's  blessing."     One  of 
these   free-spoken  ditties,  "The  Gre)-  Goose  and  the  Gled,'  lie 
sent,  in  a  spirit  of  mischief,  to  staid  George  Thomson  as  a  candi 
date  for  admission  to  his  immaculate  drawing-room  collection,  on 
the   plea   that   the   tune   was   entitled    "  Cunmock    Psalms,"  and 
nobody  could  reasonably   object  to  a  psalm.      We  can  fancy  old 
George  transfixed  with  horror  at  this  ])roof  of  the  depravity  of  the 


109 

Scottish  peasantry,  and  the  uproarious  hilarity  amongst  the 
Crochallan  Fencibles  when  Burns  related  the  incident.  This, 
then,  is  the  true  explanation  of  the  "  postscripts  "  attached  to  Cleg- 
horn's  letters  which  Byron  could  not  possibly  understand,  and  which, 
being  in  Burns's  hand,  led  to  his  utter  bewilderment  and  the 
strong  expressions  to  which  he  gave  utterance.  GilfiUan's  ignor- 
ance left  him  as  far  at  sea  ;  but  mark  how  he  uses  the  material  to 
buttiess  up  the  main  charge.  We  will  have  something  to  say 
about  GilfiUan's  predilections  and  mental  characteristics  further 
on.  Having  proved  his  case  to  the  hilt,  as  he  thought,  he  could 
afford  to  be  generous.  Burns  wrote  what  of  the  Merry  Muses  is 
attributed  to  him,  he  says,  "  while  in  a  state  of  intoxication." 
Apud  moriuis  riil  nid  bonum  ;  yet  "  Blessed  are  the  merciful,  for 
they  shall  obtain  mercy."  Gilfillan  certainly  knew  something 
about  alcohol.  The  "  postcripts  "  which  appear  in  the  Cleghorn 
correspondence  were  really  advance  co{)ies  of  the  old  ribald 
effusions  which  Burns  wrote  down  in  a  book  devoted  to  the 
purpose,  which  was  kept  under  lock  and  key  and  shown  only  to 
the  rollicking  members  of  the  Crochallan  Club  or  to  most 
intimate  friends,  like  M'Murdo.  This  is  what  he  said  when 
forwarding  that  book  to  M'Murdo.  The  letter  is  dated 
December,  1793. 

"  I  think  I  once  mentioned  something  of  a  collection  of  -Scots  songs  I 
have  for  some  years  been  making  ;  I  send  you  a  perusal  of  what  I  have  got 
together.  I  could  not  conveniently  spare  them  above  five  or  six  days,  and  five  or 
six  glances  will  probably  more  than  suffice  you.  A  very  few  of  the  mare  my  own. 
When  you  are  tired  of  them,  please  leave  them  vvilh  Mr  Clint  of  the  King's 
Arms.  There  is  not  another  copy  of  the  collection  in  the  world  ;  and  I 
should  be  sorry  that  any  unfortunate  negligence  should  deprive  me  of  what  lia^ 
cost  me  a  good  deal  of  pains." 

This  speaks  for  itself.  There  is  no  gloating  over  the  garnered 
obscenity  ;  it  was  the  raw  material  from  which  he  evolved 
"  John  Anderson,  my  jo,"  ''  Gin  a  body,"  "  Green  grows  the 
rashes,"  &c.,  the  filthy  originals  of  which  have  to  be  perused 
before  the  true  value  can  be  put  upon  Burns's  work  and  the  full 
measure  of  thanks  accorded  him  for  the  lyrical  reformation  he 

8 


110 

effected  at  the  cost  of  the  libel  upon  his  memory  we  are  presently 
examining. 

Observe,  then,  that  in  every  examination  of  the  subject,  a 
di-tinction  must  be  made  between  tlie  "  Crochallan  "  confidences 
of  his  correspondence  and  the  coilecuMn  which  he  niade  of  "The 
Merry  Muses  of  Caledonia."  No  doubt  much  of  the  latter  found 
its  way  into  the  former,  but  the  Cleghorn  letters  cannot  be 
founded  on  as  proof  of  the  main  charge,  and  Gilfillan  refers  to 
them,  as  he  did  to  the  nanieless  innkeeper,  only  as  collateral 
and  utterly  irrelevant  evidence  for  the  prosecution.  It  will  be 
evident  to  you  by  this  time  that  I  huld  the  opinion  that  (liifiilan 
had  an  anmuis  against  Burns.  Well  !  nut  exactly  He  dis- 
claimed this  again  and  again  in  his  own  iuipetuous,  vehement 
\\ay  ;  yet,  nevertheless,  the  fact  remains  that  he  has  done  more 
to  blacken  the  reputation  of  Burns  than  any  writer  before  or 
since  his  day.  The  reason  is  that  he  was  a  most  dogmatic  and 
overbearing  man,  possessed  of  the  most  overweening  conficlence 
in  himself,  impatient  of  the  opinions  of  others,  and  obstinate  to 
the  last  d'-gree  in  holding  to  first  conclusions  against  the  strongest 
and  clearest  evidence  that  they  were  nntenable.  The  late  I)r 
James  Adams,  of  this  city,  whose  warm  friendship  I  long  enjoyed, 
and  whose  memory  I  revere  as  the  G.O.M.  of  the  Burns  cull, 
knew  Ciilfillan  personally,  and  I  have  scores  of  letters  from  him 
on  this  and  many  other  subjects  connected  with  the  Bard.  He 
told  me  that  Gilfillan  began,  when  a  young  man,  with  the  fi>;ed 
belief  that  Burns's  record  in  Dumfries  was  of  the  blackest 
character,  so  black  indeed  that  he  considered  him  fit  for  anything 
ai^d  everything  that  could  be  alleged  against  him.  He  shut  his 
ears  to  everything  that  told  in  Burns's  favour — the  testimony  of 
Findlater,  Gray,  Maria  Riddell,  Syme,  and  all  else — and  held 
blindly  aiid  doggedly  to  what  he  had  first  committed  himself  to. 
His  opinions  in  1878  were  precisely  those  he  held  in  1847,  which 
were  built  on  similar  flimsy  foundations.  In  the  143rd  number 
of  f^oggs  Instructor  (1847)  he  thus  delivers  himself: — 

"  Burns,  hy  all  the  accounts  we  heard  on  tlie  spot,  did  sink  very  low  in 
Dumfries,  associate!    with    vile   persons,  and   made   himself  viler  than  they; 


Ill 

and  that  raging  animalism,  which  was  loo  ofieii  predominant,  came  here  to 
its  height.  Dr  Wightman,  of  Kirkmahoe,  totd  us  he  had  met  him  once^  but 
by  this  time  he  was  desperate  and  at  bay,  vomiting  forth  obscenity,  blasphemy, 
fierce  ribaldry,  and  invective.  Alas  !  the  mouth  which  once  chanted  the 
"  Cottar's  Saturday  Night  "  on  the  Sabbath  day,  to  his  entranced  brother 
Gilbert,  was  now  an  open  sepulchre,  full  of  uncleanness  and  death.  His 
eloquence,  once  so  pure,  even  in  its  wildness  and  mirth,  was  now  a  hideous 
compost  of  filth  and  fire.  Death  never  did  a  more  merciful  act  than  when  he 
closed  the  most  living  lips  that  ever  spake  in  Scotland — the  lips  of  Robert 
Burns." 

This  is  not  germane  to  our  subject  ;  but  mark  again  the 
Gilfillan  method.  A  hair-raising  indictment  founded  on  what 
"  Dr  Wightman  told  me,"  for  he  had  met  Burns  once.  The 
corroborating  witness  is  "  all  the  accounts  we  heard."  He  was 
not  allowed  to  get  off  with  this.  Hugh  Macdonald,  of  Rambles 
fame,  at  once  tackled  him  and  gave  him  such  a  trouncing  that 
the  Great  Gilfillan  lost  his  temper  and  gave  himself  away  in  the 
most  complete  and  ignominious  way.  The  correspondence, 
which  appeared  in  the  Citizen,  was  afterwards  published  in 
pamphlet  form  (now  exceedingly  scarce),  which  was  reproduced  in 
the  Ch'oniclt  (No.  IV.,  1895),  to  which  volume  I  refer  all 
interested  for  a  rare  Burnsian  treat.  Gilfillan's  reply  shows  the 
man  he  was,  better  thin  any  description — 

"  '  So  over  violent,  or  over  civil, 

That  every  man  with  him  was  god  or  devil ' — 

as  my  revered  friend,  Dr  Adams,  described  him."  I  have  referred 
to  this  pamphlet  in  order  to  show  the  drift  at  that  date  of 
enlightened  Burnsian  opinion  on  the  Merry  Muses  question. 
Gilfillan,  writhing  under  the  lash  of  "good  old  Hugh,"  forsakes 
"  Dr  Wightman  and  all  accounts  "  and  lugs  in  the  following  : — 

"  Did  Burns  write  nothing;  el^e  in  Dumfries  ?  Did  '  a '  Mr  Hugh 
Macdonald  ever  happen  to  hear  of  a  production  called  the  Merry  Muses,  or 
did  he  ever  hear  of  a  collection  of  MS.  letters  which  Allen,  Sir  James 
Mackintosh's  friend,  showed  Lord  Byron,  in  which  high-drawn  raptures  of 
sentimentalism  ('  glittering  froth,'  I  fear)  and  beautiful  songs,  were  intermixed 
with  scraps  of  disgusting  obscenity — letters  which  made  Byron  call  him 
(anticipating  his  own  epitaph)  a  combination   of  'dirt  and  deity'?     ^  A'   Mr 


11-2 

Hus^h    MacdoHHk!   oui^lil    really   to   know   ;i  little   nmie  of  his  subject  eie  he 


b  rues 


He  adds  a  "  P.S.,'"  fully  as  long  as  the  letter  itself,  containing 
the  follovvmg  return  to  the  charge  :  — 

'■  Hut  when  we,  on  the  other  hand,  look  to  the  evidence  of  general 
impression — to  the  testimony  of  such  men  as  Dr  Wightman — and,  above  all, 
to  the  dreadful  documentary  evidence  contained  in  the  disgusting  lewdness  of 
the  Merry  Muses  and  the  unpublished  letters,  I  am  forced  lo  conclude  that 
Gray,  &c.,  have  only  told  part  of  the  truth." 

I  forbear  remark  on  this.  What  did  Dr  Hedderwick,  of  the 
Citizen,  say  to  all  this  ?  He  "  inserts "  Gilfillan's  splenetic 
effusion  ''  with  considerable  pain,  c\:c."  On  the  Merry  Muses  he 
ventures  o.ily  this  :  — 

"  With  regard  to  the  disreputable  book  on  which  he  lays  so  much  stress^ 
we  have  always  understood  that  it  contained  an  amount  of  trash  which  Burns 
never  could  have  written.  On  this  subject,  however,  we  speak  with 
deference." 

What  did  Hugh  say  %— 

"'^"  Mr  Hugh  Macdonald  has  heard  of  the  .'l/^/vj  il/«j£5,  and  from 
parties  well  qualified  to  judge  whether  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  spark  of 
Burns  in  the  book,  and  has  been  assured  that  a  production  so  devoid  of 
'  sense  and  mirih  and  wit,'  not  to  .speak  of  decency,  could  not,  by  the  most 
distant  possibility,  have  come  from  the  pen  of  Robert  Burns.  Mr  Gilfillan 
may  be  better  able  to  speak  of  the  production,  as  he  has  apparently  had  an 
opportunity  of  '  wallowing  in  its  mire.'  " 

Very  good — but  not  nearl\-  strong  enough  to  meet  the  attack. 
He  should  have  called  for  "the  dreadful  documentary  evidence," 
and  brought  the  house  of  cards  at  once  to  the  ground.  But  the 
clauses  of  the  indictment  were  so  vague,  and  the  facilities  for 
reference  so  few  in  those  days  (the  MS.  market  had  scarce  made 
a  beginning),  that  Hugh  Macdonald  did  wisely  in  confining 
himself  to  what  he  knew,  and  meeting  the  swaggering  statements 
of  the  Rev.  Swashbuckler  with  cjuiet  and  firm  denial  in  absence 
of  the  slightest  tittle  of  proof.  'Fhe  Merry  Muses  insinuation  was 
always  Gilfillan's  trump-card,  and  when  he  threw  it  on  the  table 
he  demanded  the  stakes,  though,  when  it  was  examined,  it  was  but 


113 

a  piece  of  cardboard  with  no  face  value.  Gilfillan  was  in  1878 
exactly  what  he  was  in  1847,  and  he  would  have  continued  the 
same  to  the  present  day  had  life  been  vouchsafed  him,  so 
unreasoning  was  his  obstinacy,  so  persistent  his  belief  in  his  own 
infallibility.  He  refused  to  be  guided  by  modern  research,  and 
scorned  the  labours  of  previous  editors.  What  Gilfillan  thought 
was  Burns's  was  bound  to  be  Burns's,  and  so  we  find  such 
heresies  as  (I  cull  them  at  random)  "  Happy  vve  are  a' 
thegilher,"  "To  a  Kiss,"  "To  My  Bed,"  "Jocky's  ta'en  the 
Pairtin'  Kiss,"  and  many  others  authoritatively  incorporated 
in  his  text.  And  so  far  as  a  cursory  glance  at  the  con- 
tents informs  me,  about  one-fourth  of  the  songs  he  credits 
to  Burns  are  old  fragments  amended  in  line  or  stanza  Irom 
the  rough  copies  in  the  very  MS.  book  which  formed  the 
basis  of  Gilfillan's  repeated  attacks.  A  third  party  intervened 
in  the  Citizen  controversy — Mr  Pattison.  of  Carnbroe,  son  of  Mr 
Pattison,  Kelvin  Grove,  Glasgow — who  gives  an  account  of  a 
visit  his  father  and  he  paid  to  Burns  in  the  autumn  of  1795  — 
nine  or  ten  months  before  the  Poet's  death — and  of  dining  with 
Burns  and  Dr  Maxwell  in  the  chief  hotel  at  Dumfries.  He  goes 
into  details  of  what  he  saw  of  Burns's  behaviour  and  the  general 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  ;  in  the  end  characterising  the 
Giilillan  Wightman  statement  as  "an  abominable  calumny."  But 
a  hundred  testimonies  of  this  kind  would  have  no  effect  upon 
Gilfillan,  who,  to  the  last,  stuck  to  the  printed  volume,  White  and 
Wightman,  the  "  other  accounts,"  and  "general  impression,"  as 
evidence  incontrovertible  by  his  own  age  and  all  the  ages  to 
come. 

Careful  and  painstaking  Robert  Chambers  writes  :— 

"  Unluckily,  Burns's  collection  of  these  facetia'  (including  his  own 
essiiys  in  the  same  walk)  fell,  after  his  death,  into  the  hands  of  one  of  those 
publishers  who  would  sacrifice  the  highest  interests  of  humanity  to  put  an 
additional  penny  into  their  own  purses  ;  and,   to   the   lasting  grief  of  all   the 

friends  of  our  Poet,  they  were  allowed  the  honours  of  the  press 

It  may  also  serve  as  a  curious  study  to  those  who  take  a  delight  in  estimating 
-the  possible  varieties  of  intellectual  mood  and  of  social  sensation  of  which  our 


114 

nature  is  capable.  The  '  niean-lookint;  volume  "  should  he  a  warning;  to  alF 
honourable  men  of  letters  against  the  slightest  connection  with  clandestine 
literature,  much  more  to  the  degradation  of  contribuiing  to  it." 

Dr  Wallace  adds  that  all  the  editions  of  the  book  differ  from 
each  other,  which  is  substantially  correct  ;  but.  being  bound  by 
Charnbers's  text,  he  has  not  gone  further.  1'he  "  s/ightest 
cofinectiojt"  says  Robert  Chambers — and  we  are  of  ojjinion  that, 
when  he  wrote  this  (1851),  the  evidence  before  him  did  not  show 
how  "slight"  that  connection  was  in  Burns's  case. 

When  I  wrote  the  Chronicle  article  I  was  not  aware  that 
Scott  Douglas  had  previously  broken  the  silence  which  had  too 
long  prevailed  upon  the  subject.  His  contribution  will  be  found 
in  the  Appendix  to  Lock  hart  s  Life  of  Burns  :  (London  :  George 
Bell  <.V  Sons  :  1892.)  Incorporated  in  it  is  the  opinion  of 
Wordsworth,  who  in  1816  had  perused  the  "mean-looking 
volume  "  : — 

"  He  must  be  a  miserable  judge,"  says  Wordsworth,  "of  poetical  com- 
positions who  can  for  a  moment  fancy  that  such  low,  tame,  and  loathsome 
ribaldry  can  possibly  be  the  production  of  Burns.  With  the  utmost  difficulty 
we  procured  a  slight  perusal  of  the  ab  miinable  pamphlet  alluded  to.  The 
truth  is  (and  we  speak  on  the  best  authority  this  country  can  produce)  there  is 
not  one  verse  in  that  miscellany  that  ever  was  publicly  acknowledged  by 
Burns,  nor  is  tbere  above  a  single  page  that  can  be  traced  to  his  manuscript.  " 

I  know  not  on  what  authority  Scott  Douglas  extends  that 
page  to  "at  least  a  dozen  of  wildly  witty  productions  that  would 
certainly  have  lietrayed  their  own  parentage,  even  if  copies  of 
them  did  not  exist,  as  they  certainly  do,  in  Burns's  handwriting." 
He  knew,  or  ought  to  have  known,  that  a  MS.  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Bnrns  is  no  proof,  per  se,  that  he  is  the  author  of  it.  I 
have  seen  genuine  MSS.  of  two  of  these  ribald  ditties,  and  both 
were  in  circulation  before  Burns's  da)-.  Scott  Douglas,  in  his  Kil- 
marnock Edition,  speaks  of  a  number  of  these  MSS.  bought  by  a 
Mr  Greenshields,  of  Lesmahagow,  who  made  a  bonfire  of  them, 
to  his  lasting  credit,  but  whether  they  were  dismembered  sheets 
of  the  Poet's  MS.  book,  or  "  Crochallan  "  copies  of  them,  we  are 
left   to  guess.        Sett    Douglas   discovered,  as   I  did,  after  much 


115 

nauseating  effort,  "  that  no  two  printed  copies  of  the  book  areahke 
in  the  quantity  and  quality  of  their  respective  contents.  The 
most  geiiuine-lo<;king  of  these  (judging  from  the  a[)parent  age  of 
the  paper  and  printing)  that  has  come  to  our  hands  is  a  i2mo. 
volume  of  127  pages,  in  pretty  large  type  of  obsolete  fount,  con- 
taining about  ninety  songs,  among  which  are  at  least  half-adozen 
that  are  found  in  every  ordinary  edition  of  Burns's  poems."  This 
hall-dozen,  then,  that  everybody  knows  of,  fall  to  he  subtracted 
from  the  dozen  which  "betray  their  own  parentage,"  leaving  half- 
a-dozen  as  the  extent  of  Burns's  sinning  out  of  a  total  of  ninety. 
Curiously,  the  identical  copy  which  passed  through  Scott  Douglas's 
hands  also  fell  into  mine.  It  contained  his  notes  in  pencil  on  the 
margins  or  under  the  titles,  and  I  must  say  they  formed  rather 
curious  reading.  Some  were  marked  "Certainly  by  Burns"; 
others,  "Perhaps  by  Burns";  a  third  set,  "Amended 
by  Burns";  and  a  fourth,  "Old."  There  was  no  hint 
given  in  the  book  itself  of  authorship,  and  I  looked 
in  vain  for  corroboration  of  the  pencil  notes  ;  I  found 
none.  They  were  Mr  Douglass  own  opinions,  and  nothing 
more — the  outcome  of  his  Burns  instinct  (to  coin  a  phrase),  and 
therefore  not  to  be  relied  upon,  to  say  the  least  of  it.  It  is  the 
written  record,  and  the  written  record  alo?ie,  to  which  we  mu>t 
appeal  for  proof  of  Burns's  connection  with  "  this  clandestine 
literature,"  and  that  record  I  laid  bare  in  the  Chronicle  article 
I  have  so  often  referred  to,  and  utilised  it  fairly  and  honestly  to 
the  best  of  my  ability.  The  sum  total  I  make  out  to  be  six 
(surely  a  proof  itself  when  two  independent  enquiries  resulted  in 
the  same  figure),  and  one  of  these  is  the  well  known  "  Gouden 
Locks  o'  Anna."  "  A  few  of  these  are  my  own."  Yes  !  Burns 
never  yet  has  been  convicted  of  lying ;  on  the  contrary,  his 
honesty  in  this  connection,  as  in  every  other,  has  been  his  un- 
doing. What  more  is  there  in  that  confession  than  half  the 
world,  were  it  only  half  as  honest,  could  confess  of  the  "original 
sin  "  of  bachelor  stories  in  bachelor  clubs,  the  modern  demand 
for  prurient  novels,  and  the  insatiable  curiosity  which  centres 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  divorce  courts  ? 


no 

On  our  siibi(.'(-i  1  U  nlr\-  savs.  and  he  s,i)s  no  nioie  :—  "  He 
wns  made  welcome  (in  Edinburgh)  by  the  ribald,  scholarly,  hnrd- 
drinking  wits  and  jinkers  of  the  Crochallan  Fencibles,  for  whose 
use  and  edification  he  made  the  unique  and  precious  co/Iecfion  now 
called  the  Merry  Muses  of  Calfdoniar  This  is  a  remarkable 
statement,  coming  from  such  a  source,  yet  scarcely  correct.  The 
first  purpose  of  the  ''Collection  ""  was  for  Burnss  own  use  and  the 
purification  of  Scottish  song.  The  evidence  still  stands  in  the 
Chrdiiicie  unassailed,  and  the  conclusions  unquestioned.  Il  may 
be,  but  I  make  no  assertion,  that  the  Burns  Federation,  through 
its  accredited  organ,  the  Bums  Chronic/e,  had  something  to  do 
with  Mr  Henley's  unwonted  restraint  when  he  reached  the 
Gilfillan  indictment  in  the  composition  of  his  essay.  It  would  be 
remiss  on  my  part,  when  speaking  of  Henley's  views  on  this 
subject,  if  1  passed  over  what  he  says  of  a  letter  which  found  its 
way  into  the  modern  reprints  of  The  Merry  Muses  along  with  the 
English  and  Irish  filth,  which,  from  time  to  time,  was  ndded  as 
caviore  to  the  putiifying  mass.  "  The  original  must  be  read,  " 
says  Henley,  "or  the  reader  will  never  wholly  understand  what 
manner  of  man  the  writer  was.  The  letter  was  addressed  to 
Robert  Ainslie,  and  bears  date  3rd  March,  1788,  and  it  was 
posted  at  Mauchline.  I  say  at  once  that  it  would  have  been 
better  this  Irtter  had  never  been  written,  and  it  certainly  should 
never  have  been  preserved  tiy  a  friend  of  Burns,  not  to  speak  of 
an  intimate  like  Ainslie.  It  is  a  bachelor  cominunicaticn  to  a 
bachelor  friend,  and  Burns  never  did  things  by  halves.  But 
much  of  the  Henleyan  sting  is  taken  away  by  the  reflection  that 
Burns  was  married  to  Jean  Armour  in  the  spring  of  1786,  and.  in 
the  letter  under  discussion,  he  was  speaking  of  his  wife.  Old 
Armour's  burning  of  the  "  matriage  lines  "  could  not  annul  the 
"irregular  marriage  '"  for  which  Burns  and  Jean  were  reproved  in 
1788,  and  taken  bound  to  adhere  to  each  oiher  during  their 
natural  lives.  All  Jean's  children  were  b(  rn  in  wedlock,  and 
when  Mr  Auld  gave  Burns  a  certificate  as  a  bachelor  he  was  in 
entire  ignorance  of  the  mairiage  which  had  taken  place  previous 
to  the  appearance  of  both   before  the  Session  for  discipline  as 


117 

unmarried  persons.  This  is  how  Ainslie  treated  Burns.  How 
did  Burns  treat  "  his  little  affair ''  with  the  ploughman's  daughter 
at  Dunse?  *  Robert  Ainsle,  W.S.,  Berrywell,  Dunse,  died  in  the 
odour  of  respectability  and  conventional  sanctity  long  after 
Burns  ;  but,  to  my  thinking,  he  does  not  appear  well  in  the 
correspondence  he  had  with  Cromek.  Whatever  he  may  have 
been  in  his  earlier  years  he  certainly  developed  more  than  a 
suspicion  of  priggishness  in  his  later.  Burns  thus  writes  of  him 
to  Clarinda  (June  25tb,  1794)  :  — 

"  I  had  a  letter  from  him  a  while  ago,  but  it  was  so  dry,  so  distant,  so 
like  a  card  to  one  of  his  clients,  that  I  could  scarce  bear  to  read  it,  and  have 
not  yet  answered  it.  He  is  a  good  honest  fellow,  and  can  write  a  friendly 
letter.  .  .  .  Though  Fame  does  not  blow  her  trumpet  at  my  approach 
tww,  as  she  did  then,  when  he  first  honoured  me  with  his  friendship,  yet  I  am  as 
proud  as  ever  ;  and  when  I  am  laid  in  my  grave,  I  wish  to  be  stretched  at  my 
full  length,  that  I  may  occupy  every  inch  of  the  ground  I  have  a  right  to." 

I  must  now  draw  the  threads  of  the  discussion  together 

I.  It  may  be  held  proved  that   Burns  did  form  a  collection  of  old 

Scots  songs  of  a  ribald  nature  for  his  own  use  and  the 
amusement  of  the  Crochallan  Club. 

II.  'I'hat  he   was  aware  of  its  value  as  a  historical  and  literary 

curiosity,  and  treasured  it  as  similar  records,  such  as  The 
\\\stmi)ister  Drolleries  and  Pills  to  Purge  Melancholy,  have 
been  preserved  in  England  ;  but  he  was  keenly  alive  to  the 
necessity  of  keeping  it  from  the  gaze  of  the  merely  curious 
and  prurient-minded. 

HI  'i'h;,t  It  was  filched  from  his  wife  after  his  decease,  or  from 
I)r  Currie  on  false  pretences  and  never  returned. 

IV.  'Iluit  the  probability  is  (it  is  only  a  probability)  that  it  was 
|iiinted  in  Dumfries,  circa  1800,  roughly  and  coarsely,  and 
a  bmited  number  put  in  circulation. 

V.  PiesLiming  that  it  was  a  faithful  reproduction  of  the  original,  it 

coniains   85  compositions   in  verse.        Burns's  name  appears 

■••  See   "  Robin  shure  in  hairst.'' 


118 

nowhere  in  the  hook,  tlie  title  of  which  is  "  The  Merry  Muses 
of  CaleJouia — A  Collection  of  Favourite  Scots  Songs  (ancient 
and  modern)  selected  for  the  use  of  the  Crochallan  Fencibles." 

VI.  Of  these  85  compositions,  only  40  appeared  in  any  subse- 
quent reprint,  nor  did  any  subsequent  leprint  pretend  to  be 
in  any  way  connected  with  the  first  or  "  Crochallan  "  edition. 

VII.  That  a  collection  of  filth  was  [)rinted  in  Dublin,  prior  to 
1827,  bearing  the  title  Merry  Muses,  without  any  reference 
whatever  to  Burns, 

VIII.  That  in  1827  a  similar  collection,  with  42  additional  pieces, 
was  '•  Privately  Printed  "  somewhere.  On  the  title-page  we 
read  "  The  Merry  A/uses — A  Choice  Collection  of  Favourite 
Songs  gathered  from  many  sources,  by  Robert  Burns ;  to 
which  is  added  two  of  his  Letters  and  a  Puem — hitherto 
suppressed — and  never  before  printed."  One  of  the  letters 
is  that  which  I  have  just  referred  to,  the  other  will  be  found 
in  almost  any  standard  edition.  'i"he  poem  is  "The  Court 
of  Equity,"  which  the  curious  will  find  printed  almost 
verbatim  in  the  last  issue  of  the  Aldyne  Edition,  edited  by 
my  friend,  Mr  G.  A.  .A.itken. 

We  need  go  no  further.  It  was  in  1827  that  the  name  of 
Burns  was  first  associated  with  the  omnium  ga'herum  of  the 
canticular  abominations  of  the  three  countries,  which  is  as  like 
the  "  Crochallan  "  volume  as  "  Tom  Jones  "  to  the  "  Vicar  of 
Wakefield.  "  The  modern  reprints  are  merely  copies  of  the 
villainous  issue  of  1827,  and  are  produced  everywhere — the  copy 
in  my  possession  being  printed  some  twenty  years  ago  in  Glasgow 
— a  book  costing  6d  in  the  get-up  and  sold  at  20/-,  or  as  much 
more  as  can  be  got  for  it.  That  is  the  secret  of  its  perennial 
appearance  as  an  exceedingly  rare  and  valuable  book,  of  which 
new  copies  are  produced  whenever  the  old  ones  are  worked  off. 

When  you  come  across  a  copy,  read  the  preface,  and  note 
the  printer's  errors.  It  is  disreputable  in  type,  careless  and 
deplorably    ignorant    in    the    editing,    loathsome    in    its  illiterate 


119 

attempt  to  make  out  Burns  to  be  a  very  small  figure  in  the  galaxy 
of  cloven-hoofed  saints  who  are  set  down  as  the  authors  of  nine- 
tenths  of  the  odoriferous  anthology.  The  book,  apart  from 
antiquarian  considerations,  is  fit  only  for  the  dunghill  after  merci- 
ful mutilation.  And  so  I  leave  the  subject.  "  An  honest  man's 
the  noblest  work  of  God  "  was  a  favourite  quotation,  and  Bums 
was  such  a  man  — so  honest  that  he  is  always  the  chief  witness  for 
his  own  prosecution. 

[We  understand  thai  a  limited  reprint  of  the  Crochailan  volume,  wiili 
introduction  and  notes,  is  about  to  he  issued  by  the  successors  of  James  M'Kie, 
Kilmarnock,  for  subscribers  only.  The  niolif  is  commendable,  and  we 
wish  it  all  success. — Etmtor.] 


CLUB     NOTES. 

ICUMMUNJCA  TED.] 
THE   LONDON   ROBERT   BURNS    CLUB. 

FoHuded  jS68.       Federated  iSS^. 
Foktv-Sk.cond  Annual  Genkrai,    Meetinc. 

The  Forty-second  Annual  General  Meeting  was  held  in  the  Royal  Scottish 
•Corporation  Hall,  7  Crane  Court,  Fleet  Street,  E.C.,  on  Thursday,  September 
29lh,  1 9 10. 

The  President,  Mr  James  Thomson,  occupied  the  chair,  and  was 
supported  by  the  Vice-President,  Mr  Neil  Turner,  a  strong  attendance  of 
past  presidents,  officers,  and  other  members  of  the  Club. 

The  Minutes  of  last  General  Meeting  having  been  read,  were  approved 
of,  and  signed  by  the  President. 

Correspondence  having  been  duly  dealt  with,  the  Hon.  Secretary  read  the 
Report  of  liie  Delegates  from  the  Club  to  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Burns 
Federation,  held  at  Lanark  on  September  3rd. 

The  President  then  made  his  report  upon  the  work  of  the  year,  and  the 
Hon.  Treasurer  gave  his  financial  statement,  which  were  received  with  great 
satisfaction.     The  President's  speech  is  printed  in  extenso  herein. 

Votes  of  thanks  were  moved  and  carried  unanimously  to  the  Delegates, 
the  Hon.  Treasurer,  the  Committee,  the  Auditors,  the  Hon.  Pipers,  the  M.C.'s, 
and  to  the  ladies,  and  a  special  message  was  heartily  passed  to  be  sent  to  Mr 
Andrew  G.  Soulter,  the  father  of  the  Club. 

Mr  Neil  Turner  having  expressed  his  acceptance  of  office,  became 
President-Elect,  and  Mr  G.  St.  John  M 'Donald  was  elected  Vice-President  for 
the  ensuing  year. 

It  was  resolved  to  hereafter  hold  the  Annual  Business  Meeting  towards 
the  end  of  the  month  of  May. 

A  past  president's  jewel,  with  a  miniature  portrait  of  Burns,  was 
unanimously  voted  to  be  presented  to  the  retiring  President,  Mr  James 
Thomson,  at  the  Hallowe'en  Festival. 

The  sum  of  two  guineas  was  voted  to  the  Royal  Scottish  Hospital. 

Mr  Duncan  M'Naught,  J. P.,  President,  and  Mr  Thomas  Amos,  M.A., 
Hon.  Secretary  of  the  Burns  Federation,  were  unanimously  elected  to  honorary 
iiiembersliip  of  the  Club. 


121 

Mr  Durham  having  declined  re-election  as  Hon.  Secretary,  was  accorded 
a  warm  vote  of  thanks  for  his  voluntary  services  during  the  past  year,  to  which 
he  replied  vvith  feeling,  expressing  his  regret  at  being  unable  to  continue  the 
onerous  duties  longer  than  the  approaching  Hallowe'en  Meeting. 

Several  new  members  were  elected,  but  as  the  President  reported,  there 
are  still  some  vacancies  caused  by  deaths,  and  resignations  of  members  moving 
from  London  or  gone  abroad,  and  a  few  who,  having  allowed  their  subscrip- 
tions to  fall  into  arrears,  have  been,  in  accordance  with  the  rules,  struck  off 
the  roll. 

After  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman,  who  responded,  the 
meeting  terminated  with  "  Auld  Lang  Syne  "'  and  National  Anthem. 

THE  PRESIDENT'S  REPORT. 

The  members  will  be  gratified  to  learn  that  the  London  Robert  Burns 
Club  has  had  not  only  a  successful  year  socially,  but,  as  is  shown  by  the  Hon. 
Treasurer's  audited  accounts  and  statement,  a  most  satisfactory  financial 
result,  with  a  pleasant  balance  at  the  bank  to  go  on  with. 

My  reign  of  office  has  been  a  short  and  happy  one.  From  the  moment 
of  my  investiture  with  the  presidential  collar  and  jewel  until  now  it  has  been 
everything  a  man  could  wish  for.  I  have  been  most  loyally  supported  by 
every  past  president  and  member  of  the  executive,  and  I  may  well  add  by 
every  active  member  of  the  Club,  for  which  my  appreciative  thanks  are  due 
and  given  with  all  sincerity. 

There  is  one  member  in  particuhr,  however,  to  whom  not  only  I  as  your 
President,  but  to  whom  the  whole  Club  is  very  deeply  indebted,  and  you  all 
know  I  refer  to  our  Hon.  Secretary,  Henry  Durham.  At  this  time  last  year, 
when  the  difficalty  unexpectedly  arose  of  finding  a  successor  to  the  acting 
Hon.  Secretary  pro  teiii.,  Mr  Durham  proffered  his  services  for  the  ensuing 
twelve  months.  This  was  readily  accepted,  and  I  can  only  say  that  his 
loyaltv  to  the  President,  his  zeal  and  work  on  behalf  of  the  Club,  has  been 
in  a  great  measure  the  means  of  bringing  us  into  the  happy  position  we  are  at 
this  time.     \'erily,  one  volunteer  is  truly  worth  twenty  pressed  men. 

Our  forty-second  Anniversary  Festival  fortunately  proved  more  successful 
than  was  feared  from  the  lack  of  a  room  large  enough  for  such  a  big  function. 
Yet  everything  passed  off  well,  as  was  recorded  in  the  most  handsome  brochure 
published,  without  expense  to  the  Club,  by  the  kindness  of  our  Vice-President, 
Neil  Turner.  Our  next  Festival  is  to  be  held  in  the  Empire  suite  of  rooms  at 
the  Trocadero,  which  offers  us  double  the  accommodation  of  last  year,  .so  you 
can  all  invite  as  many  guests  as  you  wi-h,  with  promise  of  even  a  better  night 
than  last. 

The  three  assemblies  of  our  forty-second  season  were  each  and  all 
thoroughly  enjoyable  gatherings.     The  attendance  was  a  marked  increase  upon 


122 

previous  years,  and  the  dancers  expressed  satisfaction  with  the  excellent  music 
provided,  especially  the  two  sets  of  Lancers,  written  by  Mr  Tom  Taylor  for 
the  Club,  introducing  many  of  the  beautiful  melodies  of  Burns's  love  songs, 
which  gave  great  delight. 

As  was  stated  in  the  last  circular  issued,  the  Summer  P'estival  was  a 
complete  success — delightful  weather,  perfect  catering,  splendid  accommoda- 
tion, and  excellent  company.  The  attendance  this  year  was  back  again  to 
twenty  less  than  last  year.  So  the  question  arises — was  last  year's  better 
attendance  because  the  picnic  was  held  on  a  Saturday  ?  If  that  is  so,  then  let 
us  try  Saturday  again.  If  that  is  a  busier  day  on  the  river  or  other  pleasure 
tesoris,  well,  after  all,  a  bit  of  a  stir  only  adds  to  the  gaiety  of  the  occasion. 

You  have  heard  the  report  of  the  Delegates  to  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Burns  Federation  held  at  Lanark  on  3rd  inst.  It  was  a  matter  of  poignant 
disappointment  to  me  that  I  was  unable  at  the  last  moment  to  accompany  the 
delegates  to  represent  No.  i  Club,  but  the  best  thanks  of  us  all  are  due  to  our 
Vice-President  (Neil  Turner),  Hon.  Treasurer  (C.  J.  Wilkinson- Pimbury),  and 
Hon.  Secretary  (Henry  Durham)  for  travelling  such  a  long  distance  and  so 
abiy  representing  our  Club.  As  you  have  learned,  our  Hon.  Secretary,  being 
a  Vice-President  of  the  Federation,  was  invited  to  attend  the  Executive 
meeting  at  Kilmarnock  in  August,  summoned  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
Lanark  meeting,  and  it  was  a  great  compliment  to  our  Hon.  Secretary  in 
person  and  to  our  Club  in  general  that  he  should  have  been  called  to  occupy 
the  chair  at  this  imporiant  meeting  of  the  officers  of  the  P'ederation. 

It  is,  of  course,  a  furllier  compjimeni  to  tlie  Club  as  well  as  a  liigh  honour 
to  me  that  I  should  have  been  elected  Representative  of  the  Burns  Federation 
in  the  Metropolis.  It  is  a  compliment  I  confess  that  I  am  very  proud  of,  and 
I  hope  the  Club  will  give  me  support  in  furthering  the  Federation  ideals.  Let 
us  concur  with  our  delegates  in  the  hope  that  some  day  not  many  years  hence 
the  Federation  Delegates  will  hold  their  annual  meeting  in  London  and  let  us 
give  them  a  great  time. 

The  Club  has  every  reason  to  be  grateful  to  the  ladies  for  so  graciously 
and  loyally  supporting  by  their  charming  presence  all  the  festivals,  assemblies, 
and  other  social  gatherings  of  the  Club.  We  have  no  discontented  suffragettes 
demanding  full  membership.  The  ladies  rather  recognise  that  we  grant  them 
a  full  measure  of  our  allegiance,  every  possible  privilege  ;  and  while  we  miss 
their  society  on  this  occasion  we  do  not  forget  that  they  are  a  large  asset 
towards  the  C(jniinued  prosperity  of  the  Club. 

But  recollect  this  :  We  are  Club  No.  i  on  the  roll  of  the  Burns  Federa- 
tion, and  as  such  we  must  take  the  lead.  We  offer  excellent  value  for  the 
subscription  demanded — no  London  Club  gives  more  or  better  opportunities 
for  social  reunions,  and  our  motto  is  an  imperishable  principle  ever  before  us, 


123 

•while  the  memory  of  our  patron  Bard  and  founder    must  flourish  for  ever,  for 
which  it  is  our  great  privilege  to  uphold  the  banner  in  the  world's  Metropolis. 

Programme  of  the  Forty  Third  Season. 
1910. 
Oct.      5.    Opening  Concert. 
,,       31.   The    Hallowe'en    Festival   and    Installation   of  Neil  Turner,    Esq., 
Pre.-ident-Elect — Venetian  Rooms,  Holhorn  Restaurant. 
Nov.  27.  Annual    United    Church    Service    (St.     Coluniba's) — Pont    Street, 

Bejgravia,  S.W.,  at  3.15  p.m. 
Dec.     9.   First    Assembly    of  Forty-Third    Season — Portman    Rooms,     Baker 

1911.  Street. 

Jan.  25.    Forty-Tliird  Annual  Birthday  Anniversary  Festival — Empire  Rooms, 

Trocadero. 
Fell.    10.    Second  Assembly — Portman  Rooms. 
Mar.    10.   Third  Assembly — Portman  Rooms. 
Apr.    II.   (probably)— Whist   Parly. 

May    —    Annual  General  Meeting — Royal  Scottish  Corporation  Hall. 
June      -  Summer  Festival— A  visit  to  Stratford-on-Avon. 
Sep.     2.   Annual  Meeting  of  the  Burns  Federation — Glasgow. 


Any  gentleman  desiring  to  join  the  Club  can  have  all  information  of  the 
Honorary  Secretary,  London  Robert  Burns  Club,  Byron  House,  85  Fleet 
Street,  E.C.     Telephone  No.,  4047  Central. 


GREENOCK    BURNS    CLUB. 

Club  Meetings  are  held  in  Club  Rooms,  36  Nicholson  Street,  at  8  p.m. 

Another  successful  season  lalls  to  be  recorded.  The  attendance  and 
interest  of  the  members  have  been  well  maintained.  Lectures  were  delivered 
by  Mi.ss  M'Donald,  Mr  A.  S.  Mories,  and  Mr  J.  Fra.ser  Paton.  Smoking 
Concerts  were  held  on  the  Annual  and  Quarterly  Meetings  and  on  St.  Andrew's 
Night,  when  a  deputation  was  received  from  the  Rosebery  Burns  Club, 
Glasgow.  The  Ladies'  Nights  were  very  successful,  and  the  accommodation 
was  taxed  to  the  utmost,  the  concerts  being  given  by  parties  introduced  by 
Mr  J.  G.  Mackail  and  Mr  Ernest  C.  Brown. 

The  108th  Annual  Celebration  was  held  in  the  Tontine  Hotel.  Sir 
Hugh  Shaw  Stewart,  Part.,  proposed  the  "Immortal  Memory"  in  a  very 
interesting  speech. 

The  Annual  Pilgrimage  of  members  and  lady  friends  took  place  in 
September  to  Ayr,  Kirkoswald,  and  Culzean  Castle.  The  weather  being 
perfect,  a  most  enjoyable  day  was  spent. 


124 

On  25th  January  the  "  Immorlal  Memory"  will  be  proposed  by  the 
Hon.  President,  The  Right  Rev.  ,\rclui.  Kan  Campbell,  D.D.,  Bishop  of 
Glasgow  and  Gallowa)-. 

SYLLABUS  — 1 910- 191 1. 

1910. 

Oct.    27.  Annual  Meeting.      Election  of  Office-bearers,  &c. 

Nov.   22.  Visit  to  Rosebery  Burns  Club,  Glasgow. 

,,     25.  Ladies' Night.     Concert  Party — Introduced  by  Mr  John  T.   Park. 

..     30.  St.  Andrew's  Night. 

Dec.      8.  Lecture,  "  Choosing  ""  —  Rev.  James  M'Kechnie. 

1911. 

Jan.     17.  Lecture,  "  Maeterlinck  and  his  Works  "'—Rev.  ,\.  C.  Baird. 

,,     25.  109th  Annual  Celebration. 

Feb.      —  Ladies'    Night.       Concert    Party  —  Introduced    by    Mr    Ernest    C. 

Br(jwn. 

March  9.  Lecture,  "  Scottish  Song" — Mr  James  Beatlie. 

April   12.  Quarterly  Meeting. 


SUNDERLAND     BURNS     CLUB. 
Thirteenth  Annu.\l  Report— Atril,  1910. 

The  report  of  our  Burns  Club  for  the  year  ending  April,  1910,  is  much 
the  same  as  formerly.  Like  most  institutions  of  this  nature,  we  seem  to  have 
reached  a  standard  of  perfection  and  development  which  leaves  little  room  for 
expansion. 

The  broadening  out  of  the  rules  of  the  Club  is  a  point  whicii  must  com- 
mend itself.  Let  me  just  in  passing  touch  the  fringe  of  the  question.  Burns 
is  not  confined  to  Scotland  as  a  poet,  why  confine  the  admiration  of  his  genius 
to  Scotsmen  ?  Bums  is  a  world's  inspiration.  Why  not  ask  the  whole  com- 
munity to  come  and  worship  at  the  shrine  of  him  who  has  given  every  man 
(who  can  use  it)  the  inspiration  of  higher  and  nobler  things? 

ANNUAL  MEETING. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  last  year  was  well  attended.  It  is  pleasing  to 
note  the  interest  maintained  in  our  Annual  Meetings,  which  is  a  healthy  sign. 

Notice  of  motion  to  alter  Rule  VII.,  so  that  the  meetings  could  be  held 
monthly,  was  defeated  by  a  large  majority.  In  order  to  comply  with  the  new 
arrangements  this  rule  was  altered  so  that  our  meetings  would  be  held  on  the 
second  and  fourth  Wednesdays  from  October  to  March,  and  the  second 
Wednesdays  of  April,  May,  and  September.  The  reports  \*ere  well  received, 
the  Librarian  reporting  several  additions  to  the   Librar\-.       The  Treasurer  re- 


125 

ported  a  reduction  of  the  credit  balance,  which,  however,  was  considered 
satisfactory  in  view  of  the  conditions  prevailing  throughout  the  previous  year. 
The  election  of  officers  filled  up  a  pleasant  and  final  meeting  in  the  Grand 
Hotel. 

DINNER. 

The  Annual  Festival  of  1910  will  be  remembered  as  a  crowning  point  in 
our  history.  Mr  Samuel  Storey,  M.P.,  was  the  guest  of  the  evening,  and, 
without  the  least  discourtesy  to  our  former  guests,  we  may  say  Mr  Storey  did 
what  no  other  man  has  done  for  us,  i.e.,  he  presented  a  picture  of  Burns  from 
a  tragic  point  of  view  ;  added  value  was  given  to  his  utterances  from  the  fact 
that  he  looked  upon  Burns  from  an  Englishman's  standpoint.  Herein  we 
were  fortunate,  for  Mr  Storey  knew  his  subject,  and  did  ample  and  complete 
justice  to  it.  Let  me  quote  from  his  speech  : — "  To  pass  to  the  serene 
heights  of  poesy  to  do  honour  to  the  name  and  to  celebrate  the  memory  of  a 
man  who  though  dead  yet  liveth,  and  will  for  ever  live  in  the  hearts  not  only 
of  his  own  countrymen  but  of  the  civilized  world." 

The  other  speeches  were  well  delivered,  and  the  musical  programme  well 
sustained.  Our  Honorary  President,  Aid.  W.  Burns,  J-I'->  occupied  the 
chair,  and  directed  the  proceedings. 

CONCERT. 

The  Annual  Scottish  Concert  of  tlie  Club  was  held  in  the  Victoria  Hall 
on  Tuesday,  February  ist,  1910.  The  weather  immediately  preceding  this 
date  was  the  most  severe  experienced  for  many  years,  and  may  have  somewhat 
affected  the  attendance. 

The  musical  arrangements  were  again  in  the  hands  of  Mr  J.  C.  Lumsden, 
Edinburgh. 

The  Artistes  were — Miss  Kate  Wallace,  Miss  Nina  Horsburgh,  Mr 
John  Jamieson,  Mr  Philip  Malcolm,  and  Mr  Bob  Sloan. 

Our  Hon.  Piper,  Mr  Geo.  Murray,  gave  selections  on  the  bagpipes,  which 
were  much  appreciated. 

The  question  of  our  connection  with  the  Concerts  Association  is  one 
which  demands  our  immediate  attention.  I  feel  sure  the  time  has  now 
arrived  when  we  should  fall  into  line  with  the  larger  towns,  or  even  go  on  our 
own  ;  it  would  be  better  for  us  and  for  the  North  of  England  in  general. 

THE  "CHRONICLE." 
The  number  of  readers  shows  a  slight  increase  on  the  previous  year. 
Surely  we  could  do  a  little  better — the  works  deserve  it — and  I  feel  sure  the 
editor  does  everything  possible  to  make  it  attractive.  Let  us  support  him  and 
his  colleagues  of  the  Federation  Executive  by  each  of  our  members  being 
readers  of  the  annual  Btinis  Chronicle  and  Chth  Directory. 

9 


1909. 

Oci. 

13- 

,, 

27. 

Nov 

.   10. 

,, 

24. 

1  L'C. 

Good  liuok^  and  yuod  liicialiuc  arc  hy  sjido  reason  or  other  not 
appreciated,  but  as  Burns  said  "  The  day  will  come."  It  is  coming,  but 
meantime  we  want  our  members  to  carefully  read  the  lUinis  Chrcuiclc. 

MKMBERSIIIP. 

We  started  the  )ear  with  sixty  members,  during  the  year  three  members 
have  been  added,  one  has  resigned,  one  has  left  the  district,  five  have  been 
struck  off,  leaving  us  with  fifty-six  active  members  at  the  close  of  the  year. 

The  question  of  opening  the  membership  has  been  under  consideration, 
with  the  result  that  at  this  meeting  the  question  of  altering  Rule  XI.  will  come 
up  for  consideration. 

.SYLLABUS. 

President's  Address — Mr  M.  MacLennan. 

"  Land  o'  the  Leal"'  Authorship — Messrs  Mackay  and  Turner. 
"Orkney  and  the  Orkney  Folks"— Mr  W.  R.  Rae. 
"Jacobite     Song    and     Story"     (illustrated) — Mr     W.    Jackson 
(Gateshead). 
Dec.     S.     Visit  to  North  Shields  Caledonian  Society. 

1910. 
Jan.     12.     Visit  from  Newcastle  Burns  Chib. 

,,     25.     Anniversary  Dinner  (Palatine  Hotel) — Samuel  Storey,  Es(i.,  J.P. 
Feb.      I.     Scottish  Concert  (Victoria  Hall). 
9.     "  \"oltaire"'— Mr  G.  W.  Gardiner. 
,,       23.     X'isit  from  North  .Shields  Caledonian  Society. 
Mar.      9.     \'isit  to  Newcastle  Burns  Clui). 

,,        23.     Smoking  Concert. 
Apr.    13.     Business  Meeting. 

May    II.     Annual  .Meeting  :   Election  of  Ofticers. 
Sept.  13.     Business  .Meeting. 

During  the  year  we  have  to  acknowledge  the  great  kindness  of  our  Hon. 
President,  Aid.  W.  Burns,  J.P.  With  his  usual  forethought,  he  has  pro- 
vided us  with  a  suitable  bookcase  for  the  use  of  the  Librarian. 

It  was  quite  an  interesting  gathering,  on  February  23rd,  when  the 
Alderman  attended  and  asked  the  Club's  acceptance  of  the  handsome 
mahogany  bookcase,  which  now  graces  our  meeting  room,  at  the  same  time 
presenting  the  Library  with  a  copy  of  Scottish  Poems.  The  President,  Mr 
MacLennan,  on  behalf  of  the  Club,  accepted  the  gift,  and  thanked  the  .\lder- 
man,  expressing  the  wish  that  he  might  be  long  spared  to  go  out  and  in 
amongst  us. 

Our  Hon.  Piper,  Mr  George  Murra\-,  has  always  been  ready  and  willing 
at  all  times  to  do  whatever  lies  in  his  power  in  the  interests  of  the  Club.      He 


127 

has  appeared  at  our  Annual  Scottish  Concerts  and  our  Anniversary  Dinners 
with  honour  to  himself  and  credit  to  our  Club.  It  was  felt  that  we  ought  to 
acknowledge  in  a  small  way  our  appreciation  of  his  services  thus  willingly 
rendered  for  our  enjoyment.  Alderman  Burns,  on  behalf  of  the  Club,  asked 
Mr  Murray  to  accept  three  sets  of  bagpipe  reeds,  and  hoped  that  he  would 
find  thein  useful  in  discoursing  our  national  mc.sic  at  cur  gatherings.  Mr 
Murray  thanked  the  Alderman  and  Club  for  the  unexpected  token  of  apprecia- 
tion, and  would  be  ready  and  willing  at  all  limes  to  do  his  best  for  the  Club. 

IN    MEMORIAM. 

We  have  to  record  the  loss  by  death  of  our  esteemed  Hon.  Vice- 
President,  the  late  Rev.  David  Tasker,  which  took  i)lace  in  Newcastle  on 
Tuesday,  April  I2lh,  1910.  The  deceased  gentleman  proposed  the 
"  Immortal  Memory"'  at  our  Anniversary  Dinner  in  1901,  and  was  present  in 
the  following  year,  when  he  replied  to  the  toast  of  "  The  Lasses,  O."  He 
always  took  a  keen  interest  in  the  welfare  of  our  Club,  nnd  was  a  true  Scot, 
and  much  admired  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Our  sympathy  was  conveyed 
to  the  bereaved  widow  and  family. 

M.    Neii.son.   Hon.  Scireta-'V. 


TAM  O'  SHANTER  BURNS  CLUE. 
Annual  Rkpokt — Session  1909-10. 
The  Club  is  now  in  its  ^oih  year  and  isthe  third  oldest  club  in  Cla-gow  It 
is  tlie  oldest  affiliated  Burns  Club  in  Glasgow.  The  membership  now  stands 
at  seventy,  and  the  funds  are  in  a  satisfactory  state.  The  meetings  during 
the  year  have  been  fairly  well  attended,  and  the  Annual  Dinner  was  a  great 
success.  There  were  two  suppers  and  two  literary  evenings.  The  Club  was 
represented  at  the  P'edcralion  meeting  at  Lanark.  The  members  have  not: 
yet  added  to  the  Fund  of  /"4  is  raised  for  the  Chair  of  Scottish  History- 
waiting  to  see  the  result  of  the  Exhibition  to  be  held  in  Glasgow  next  year. 
Life  membership  was  successfully  introduced,  and  has  been  largely  taken 
advantage  of.  The  committee  deeply  regret  to  report  tiie  loss  by  death  of  a 
former  Director  and  member,  Mr  G.  II.  Forrest.  The  most  interesting 
operation  of  the  Club  during  the  year  was  the  renovating  nf  Mary  Morrison's 
tombstone,  which  work  was  successfully  accomplished  during  the  summer,  and 
a  photograph  of  the  stone  has  been  put  in  the  Club  Minute  Book.  During 
the  year  visits  were  interchanged  with  the  Albany  Club.  The  Club  also  took 
part  in  a  theatrical  matinee  for  the  Chair  of  Scottish  History,  which  was  very 
successful.  The  Club  declined  lo  be  represented  at  the  opening  of  the  Auld 
Brig  of  Ayr,  being  displeasetl  with  the  manner  in  which  the  proceedings 
were  carried  out. 


128 


ALBANY      BURNS      CLUB. 

Secretary's  Rkpoki- — 1909-10. 

During  the  past  year  the  work  of  the  Club  has  followed  its  usual  lines  for 
the  promuls^ation  of  the  Burns  cult. 

There    were  seven  meetings  of  Directors 

©and   six    meetings   of    Members    held    during 
the  Session. 
The  Member.shipis  still  maintained  at  150, 
according  to  the  Rules. 
Papers    were    given   during    the    year    by 
I'asl- President    Ileadrick  ;     Mr     John     Mac 
whannel,  Treasurer,   Glasgow  School   Board  ; 
Kev.     James    Forrest,     M.A.  ;    Mr     Andrew 
Black,         R.S.W.  ;      and        Past  -  President 
Taylor. 
Jamks  Rakside.  Picsi.l.-ni  The   first   Smoking   Concert   of  the    Club 

was  held   on    3rd    November  in    the   Trades'    House    Restaurant,   and  was  a 
great  success  ;  about  150  being  present. 

The  Anniversary  Dinner  of  the  Club  was  held  in  the  Grand  Hotel, 
Chaiing  Cross,  on  25th  January,  the  "  Immortal  .Memory'"  being  proposed  by 
Mr_Geoege  EyreTodd,  author. 

Greeting  Cards  were  exchanged  with  Clubs  at  home  and  abroad. 
The  Yearly  Singing  and  Reciting  (;om[ietition  from   the    IFor/.s  of  Burns 
by  the  children  in  Provanside  Higher  (jrade  School  was  held  in  December 
last.     The   prizes   given   by   the   Club   being   four  siher  medals  with  clasp  in 
cases,  and  1 2  volumes. 

The  Club  was  represented  this  year  at  the  Burns  I'^ederation  Meeting  at 
Lanark  by  Past- President  Taylor,  Mr  R.  D.  Donaldson,  and  Mr  R. 
Carmichael,  the  Secretary. 

The  Representatives  to  the  Glasgow  and  District  Burns  Association  were 
the  President  and  Secretary. 

The  meetings  of  the  Club  have  been  well  attended,  and  the  Club  is  in  a 
highly  successful  and  flourishing  condition. 

SYLLABUS. 
1910. 
Oct.      5.   Opening  Address — Ex-President  John  A.  Headrick. 
Nov.      2.   '■  G(Kthe"s  Early  Manhood" — Louis  Lubovius,  Esq.,  Ph.D. 
Dec.       7.    "Song-Singing" — ^John  Russell,  Esq. 
,,        16.   Singing   and    Reciting    Competition — Provanside   School,    North 
Montrose  Street,  at  7.30  p.m. 


129 

igii. 
Jan.      II.    "  Robert  Louis  Stevenson" — Ex-Presideiit  J.  Wilson  Bain. 

,,      25.    "Immortal  Memory" — Rev.  J.  H.  Dickie,  .M.A.,  New  Kilpatricl<. 
Feb.      I.   "  Odd  Thoughts  "—W.  G.  Hay,  Esq. 
Mar.      I.    "  Charles  Kingsley  "—Rev.  David  Dickie. 

The  Club  meets  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  each  month  (from  October  till 
March  inclusive)  in  Thomas  Smith  &  Son's  Trades'  House  Restaurant,  89 
Glassford  Street,  at  7.30  p.m.  Members  have  the  privilege  of  introducing 
friends. 

"  Maclennaii^'  Bowling  Cup  Covipelition. — This  competition  takes  place 
in  August,  and  members  desirous  of  taking  part  in  the  game  should  send  in 
their  names  to  the  Secretary  not  later  than  ist  May.     Entry  Money,  is  6d. 

ROBERT  CARMICflAEL,  Hon.  Srry. 


MOSSGIEL  BURNS   CLUB. 
Session  1910-11. 


The  Mossgiel  Club  was  instituted  in  1893,  and  has  for  its  objects  the 
Annual  Celebration  of  the  Birthday  of  Robert  Burns,  occasional  re-unions  for 
the  cultivation  of  social  and  intellectual  intercourse  amongst  the  members  and 
friends,  the  encouragement  of  Scottish  Literature,  and  to  have  a  Summer  Trip 
to  some  of  the  places  dear  to  the  lovers  of  the  Poet. 

The  Ordinary  Meetings  of  the  Club  are  held  in  Baronial  Halls,  45  South 
Portland  Street,  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  each  month— November  till  April — at 
8  o'clock  p.m. 

SYLLABUS. 
Nov.    I.    Lantern  Lecture,    "Aberdeen  City,  Ancient  and    Modern" — Wm. 

Tough,  Esq.      Followed  by  a  Concert. 
Dec.    6.   Address,  "Scottish  Songs  and  Ballads"  (Vocal  Illustrations) — T.  L. 

Anderson,  Esq.,  Headmaster,  Abbotsford  Public  School. 
Jan.  25.   Annual   Dinner   in    Bath    Hotel.       "Immortal    Memory''  by  Wm. 

Lobban,  Esq.,  M.A.,  Classical  Master,  Glasgow  High  School, 
Feb.    7.    "  At  Home." 
Mar.   7.    Lantern   Lecture,   "  A  Glimpse  into  the  Mauchline  Land  of  Burns '" 

(Vocal  Illustrations) — Thos.  KilHn,  Esq.,  Treasurer,    Mauchline 

Burns  Homes. 
Apr.    4.   Address — Duncan  M'Naught,  Esq.,  President,  Burns  Federation. 


130 

r()si:bI'.ry   burns  club. 

The    Rii;lu    lion.    The    Kaui.   ok    Roskukkv,    K.(;.,   K.T.,  X:c. 

SVLL.ABUS  — 1910-11. 
1910. 
Ocl.    18.   Smoking  Symposium  (I'lesidenl's  A(ldress)  —  Mv  Ilui^h  I'nton,  J. P. 
Nov.     I.    "  Hr  Samuel  Johnson'' — Rev.  James  Forfar. 
,,       22.   \"isit  from  Cireenock  Burns  Club.      ''  Peer,  PeasaiU  and  Poel "' — Mr 
James  .Angus. 
Dec.   13.   \isit  from  Carlton  Burns  Club.      "  Songs  of  the  Poet,"  with  musical 
illustrations  (Special  Ladies"  Night) — Rev.  Munro  Sommerville, 
M.A. 
1911. 
Jan.    10.    "  Scoikmd's  Debt  to  Burns'" — Mr  J.  S.  Jamieson. 

,,      25.   Annual  Dinner — Rev.  I)r  Smith. 
Feb.  14.   Visit  to  Carlton  Burns  Club.      "The   Land  of  Burns"   (\'iews  and 
Songs) — ^John  Taylor  Gibb,  Fsq.,  of  .Mauchline. 
,,       —  Band  of  Hope  Competition  —  Messrs  .\ngus  and  Pollock. 
Mar.     7.    Lecture,    "  Arran ''  (illustrated  by    Limelight   Lantern)— Mr  JameS 

Baillie. 
Apr.      4.   Tattie-an'-Herrin'  Supper. 
,,       25.  Annual  Business  Meeting. 

The  Club  meets  on  Tuesdays  at  7.45  p.m.  in   the   Alexandra   Hotel,  iJaih 
Street. 


NATIONAL  BURNS  CLUB,    LIMITED, 

93  I)or(;i.AS  Stkkki-,  Gi.ascow. 

SYLLABUS— 191011. 
1910. 

Oct.     13.  Opening  Supper. 

,,       27.   Lecture,  "  The  Urama  " — W.  firaham  Moffai,  1".m(. 
Nov.    10.   Smoking  Concert—  Mr  IL  Turnbull. 

,,       24.   Lecture,  "  The  Editions  of  Burns's  Poems  printed  in  his  lifetime 
J.  C  Ewing,  Esq.,  Baillies  Library. 
Dec.      I.  St.  Andrew's  Day  Supper. 
,,        8.   Smoking  Concert — Mr  John  Waterson. 

,,      22.   Lecture,  "  Robert  Burns  :  Tiie  Alleged   Decadence  at  Dumfries.' 
D    ^M'Naught,  Esq.,  J. P. ,  President  of  the  fjurns  l-'ederatinn 


131 
igii. 
Jan.     19.   Smoking  Concert — Mr  Thomas  Bishop. 

,,       25.    Informal  Gathering  of  Memliers  and  Friends,  .f  i  p.m. 
Feb.     2.    J>ecture — Professor  Glaister. 

,,        16.   Smoking  Concert — Mr  Joseph  Martin. 
Mar.     2.   Lecture,  "Spiritual  Aspects  of  Sir  Walter    Scott" — Dr   Wallace, 
late  Editor  GIa\oow  Herald. 
,,       16.   Smoking  Concert — Mr  James  Ballantyne. 

The  Meetings  are  held  in  the  Club  Rooms  at  S.30  each  evening. 


OLD   KILl'ATRICK    BURNS   CLUB. 

SVLL.VBUS— 1910-11. 
1910. 
Sept.    15.    "  Burns's  Life  and  Teaching'"  (with  songs) — Rev.  Jas.  Barr,  B.D., 

of  Govan. 
Oct.     13.    "Prince    Charlie's   War''    (as   told   in   song) — John    Wilson,    Esq., 

Secretary  of  National  Song  Society. 
Nov.    10.   "  Burns's  '  Holy  Fair  '" — Rev.  David  Graham,  St.  Gilbert's  Parish 

Church,  Pollokshields. 
Dec.       I.   "  Mary  Queen  of  Scots '"  (with  views) — Chas.   W.  Thomson,  Esq., 
M.A.,  F.E.LS.,  Rector  of  Larkhall  Academy. 
1911. 
Feb.     9.   "Tennyson's    'In    Memoriam  " "'    (an    appreciation) — Rev.    George 

Simpson  Vuille,  Parish  Church,  Rutherglen. 
Mar.     4.    "  The  Kailyard — and  its  Cock-Lairds '' — T.  G.  Forbes,  Esq. 

Syllabus  of  the  Course  of  6  Lectures,  i/-;  Admission  to  Single  Lecture,  6d. 


CARLTON  BURNS  CLUB. 

Instituted  iSg^.  Federated  18Q4. 

SYLLABUS -1910-1 1. 
1910. 
Oct.    4.   Business  Meeting. 

Nov.  8.   Musical  Evening.     Arranged  by  Mr  James  Robertson. 
Dec.  13.  Joint   Meeting   with   Rosebery  Burns  Club.     "  Songs  of  the  Poet," 
with  musical  illustrations.     Lecturer,  Rev.  Munro  Sommerville. 
1911. 
Jan.  10.    Musical  Evening.      Arranged  by  Mr  Robert  Tennant. 
,,     25,   Annual    Dinner.     "  Immortal    Memory,""    Rev.     George    Simpson 
Yuille,  B.D. 


1 32 

Feb.  14.  Joint  Meeting  with  Rosebeiy  Burns  Club.      "  The  Land  ol   Burns, 
illuslratecl  l>y  views  and  song.      Lecturer,  Mr  J-  Taylor  Gihb,  of 
Maucliline.      \ocalist,  Mr  T.  Dickie. 

Mar.  14.    .Smoking  Ccncert. 

Apr.  II.    "  What  makes  a  man  ? "     Lecturer,  J.   Wishart   Kerr,    M.B.,  Ch.B. 

May  —  .  Annual  Outing. 


WESTERN  BURNS  CLUB. 

Instil  tiled  n)OS-  Federated  1^04. 

SYLLABUS— 1910-1 1. 
1910. 

Oct.    27.    Hallowe'en  Supper. 

Nov.  24.   Lecture — Mr  M'Callum. 

Dec.  22.   Christmas  Festival  and  Musical  I'^vening. 

1911. 

Jan.    25.   Anniversary  Dinner  (Sloan's  (^afe) — Rev.  W.  Brownlie,  ^LA. 

Feb.  23.   Lecture — The  Rev.  D.  Ness. 

Mar.  23.   Lecture,  "  Robert  Burns  "^Mr  J.  Shaw  Simpson 

Apr.  20.   Tattie-and-IIerrin'  Supper. 

May  — .   Annual  Outing. 


CLARINDA  BURNS   CLUB. 

Instituted  iS()g. 
SYLLABUS— 1910-191 1. 


1910. 
Oct.     10.    "  A  little  talk  on   three    kinds    of   humour — Micawber,    Swiveller, 

and  Weller  " — Geo.  M'Ruer,  Esq. 
Nov.    14.    "  Robert  Burns  and  Scottish  Theology — Rev.  David  Graham. 

,,     28.   Ladies'  Night.     Tea,  &c.     Harmony. 
Dec.    12.   Selections.     "  The  message  of  Tom  Hood  "  (with  Readings)— Sam- 
^L  Brown,  Esq. 

1911. 
Jany.     9.    "Burns'":   An  appreciation — J.  H.  Thomson,  Esq. 

,,     22.  Church  Parade. 

,,     25.  Burns  Anniveksakv. 
Feb.   13.   Ladies'  Night.     Progressive  Whist,  Music,  Dancing. 
Mar.    13.  Annual  Business  Meeting. 


133 

HURLET    AND    NITSHILL    BURNS    CLUB    AND 
LITERARY  SOCIETY. 

SYLLABUS— Session     igio-ii. 
1910. 

Sept.    20.    Lecture,  "  Fiction  as  an  Educative  Force  '  —Mr  [as.  Ballanlyne. 

Oct.       4.    Lecture,    "Wit  and   Humour,   with   reference   to   some   of  Burns's 

Writings" — Ex-Bailie  Martin. 

,,       iS.    Lecture,  "  Some  Thous^iits  on  Astronom)- "" — Mr  William  Palmer. 
Nov.     I.    Lecture,  "  Tlie  Poet  :  His  Constituent  Parts" — Mr  Donald  Stalker. 

,,       15.    Lecture,  "A  Model  Newspaper"' — Mr  J.  Jeft'rey  Hunter. 

,,      29.    Lecture,  "  Mining  "  —  Mr  William  Shaw. 
Dec.  13.    Lecture,  "  Science  and  Morals  and  ihj  Brotherhood  of  Man '"  —  Mr 
John  Burness  (deceased). 

,,      27.    Lecture,    "The    Horse,    His    Origin    and    Ancient    History" — Mr 

Robert  Donarhie. 
1911. 
Jan.    10.    Lecture,  Subject  will  he  dtily  ai!noim.-M—\\.ii\ .  Thos.  Cook,  M.A. 

,,      25.   Burns  Anniversary. 
Feb.    14.    Lecture,    "A  Talk  on   my  Trip   to  India  and  Japan "' — Councillor 
D.  iNL  Stevenson. 
,,      28.    Musical  Evening — Mr  Archibald  Dickson. 
Mar.  14.    Lecture,  "  Shakespeare's  Comedies" — Mr  George  G.  Omand. 
,,      14.   Business  Meeting. 


SHETTLESTON     BURNS    CLUB. 

InUiliited  iSij-j. 
S  VLLABU  S  — 1911. 


Jan.    25.  Anniversary  Dinner. 

Mar.  — .  Social. 

,,      — .  Annual  Pic-nic. 

Oct.   — .  Annual  Business  Meeting. 


CLYDEBANK  BARNS  O' CLYDE   r.URNS  CLUB. 

SYLLABUS  — 1910-n. 
1910. 
Sept.    21.    Musical  Evening — Bailie  Hogg. 

Oct.     12.    Lecture,  "  Burns  and  the  Border "' — Mr  M'Callum,  PoUokshaws. 
,,       28.    Hallowe'en — Bailie  Hogg. 


i;u 

Nov.   30.   Musical  Evening. 

Dec.   21.   Lecture,   "The  Works  cf  Burns   Clul)s'"— Mr  J.    Jeffrey    Hunter, 

Writer,  Glasgow. 
1911. 
Jan.    iS.   Lecture,  "  Did  Shakespeare  write  '  Shakespeare  '  ?" — Mr  J.  Paterson, 

Clydebank. 
Jan.   27.    Annual  Festival.       "The   Immortal   Memory" — Mr  Bennet  Miller, 

M.A.,  Clydehank. 
Feb.   22.    Lecture,    "The    History    of   Scottish     Literature'' — Mr    Kaeburn, 

Clydebank. 
I\Lir.   22.    Lecture,    "Scottish   Lakes"    (with    Limelight    \'iews)— Mr    G.    J. 

Miller,  ProcuratorT^'iscal,  Clydebank. 
April  12.   Business  \ight. 

Meetings  are  held  in  Mr  Hulcheon's  Restaurant,  Clydebank. 


KILBOWIE  JOLLY  BEGGARS'  BURNS  CLUB. 

SNLLABUS-igio  II. 
1910. 

Sept.     I.   Annual  Business  Meeting. 

,,       15.    Harmony — Mr  1'.  Delacourt  and  Party. 
Oct.      6.    Lecture,  "  Robert  Ferguson  "—Mr  M.  Hunter. 

,,      20.    Harmony— Mr  Wm.  Paterson  and  Party. 

,,      29.   Hallowe'en  Social. 
Nov.     3.    Lecture,  "  A  Tour  Through  the  Highlands"— Mr  A.  Raeburn. 

,,       17.    Harmony — Mr  J.  Brown  and  Party. 
Dec.     I.    Lecture,     "Nature's    Songster,    the    World's    Bard  ' — Mr    J.     E. 
Masterson. 

,,      15.    Harmony    -Mr  T.  Barcla\-  and  I'arty. 
1911. 
Jan.     5.    "  Oor  Ain  Cluij  \iclu.'' 

,,     28.    Annual  Supper  and  Dance. 
Feb.    2.    Lecture,  "  Genius  and  the  School  " — Mr  John  L.  Kinloch,  M.A. 

,,      16.    Harmonv — Mr  Wm.  Allan  and  Party. 
Mar.   2.   Lecture,  "  Prince  Charlie  and  the  '  45  ' '" — Mr  Wm.  Bryson. 

,,     16.    Harmony — Mr  Wm.  Speedie  and  Party. 
Apr.  — .    Grand  Smoking  Concert. 

Place    of  meeting,    Mr   T.    F.    Ross's   Cross   Restaurant,    Clydebank,   at 
7.30  prompt. 


135 


KILMARNOCK  JOLLY  BEGGARS'  BURNS  CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— 1910-11. 


[910. 


Sep. 

20. 

Oct. 

3- 

Nov. 

2. 

,, 

7- 

Dec. 

5- 

191 

I. 

Jan. 

2. 

Feb. 

6. 

Mar. 

6. 

Apr. 

3- 

"Ruskin" — D.  Lang. 

"  Unknown  Songsters  " — J.  Stewart. 

"Burns — His  Soul  and  Song'"— A.  S.  M 'Bride. 

"The  unspeakable  Scot  " — J.  P.  Dickson. 

"J.  M.  Barrie"— J.  Smith. 

"  Minor  Irish  Poets" — A.  Laird. 

'  R.  L.  Stevenson  " — ].  Douglas. 

'  James  Thomson '" — G.  S.  Stevenson. 

'Dunbar — The  Pre-Reformation  Burns" — Thos.  Amos. 


I9I0. 

Sept. 

6. 

Oct. 

4- 

Nov. 

I. 

Dec. 

6. 

191 

I. 

Jan. 

3- 

Feb. 

7- 

Mar. 

7- 

Apr. 

4- 

Club 

S  p.m 

BAILLIESTON  "  CALEDONIAN  "  BURNS  CLUB. 


SYLLABUS— 1910-11. 

Lecture — Rev.  Alex.  Andrew. 

"  Neglected  Gems  in  Scotland's  Lyric  Crown  "—Mr  Alex.  Pollock. 
Tattie-an'-Herrin'  Supper — Members  and  Friends. 
"  Life  and  Works  of  Janet  Hamilton,  the  Monkland   Poetess"— Mr 
William  Birrell. 

Anniversary  Dinner. 

"  Bonnie  Prince  Charlie  " — Mr  James  M'llwraith. 

"  Fiction  as  an  Educative  Force  " — Mr  James  Ballantyne. 

General  Meeting  and  Social. 

meets  first  Tuesday  in  each  month   in    the   Free   Gardeners"  Hall  at 


«<3 


NOTES    AND    O  U  E  R  I  P:  S. 


THE   ARMOUR   FAMILY. 

A  few  years  ago  I  was  informed  thai  the  Armour's  buried  in  St.  Peter's 

Churchyard  and  Cemetery,  Aberdeen,  are  of  the  same  stock  as  Burns"s  wife. 

Having  had  occasion  to  search  the  burial  records  of  the  place,  which  start 

from  I3lh  April,  1769,  I  made  it  a  point  to  transcribe  any  entries  relating  to 

that  surname.     The  search  was  made  to  the  end  of  1909. 

1794 — ^I^y  II. — Munca  Armour,  aged  l  year,  daughter  of  William,  soitldier. 

1830— July  28. — William  Armour,  aged  70,  carpet  weaver,  Gilcomstone. 

1875 — September  11. — Ann  Buyers  or  Armour,  wife  of  James  Armour,  shoe- 
maker, Hadden  Street,  Woodside,  aged  75. 

iSSo^uly  6. — James  Armour,  late  shoeniaker,  94  Hadden  Street,  Woodside, 
aged  76. 

1889— October  19. — Margaret  Armour,  spinster  (from  Incurable  Hospital, 
Aberdeen),  aged  52. 

A  headstone  is  inscribed  :  1881 — Erected  in  loving  memory  of  father  and 
mother  ;  also  their  daughter  Margaret,  who  died  i6th  October,  1889, 
aged  52  years.  .  .  .  Armour.  A  sister  of  Margaret  mentioned, 
viz.,  Isabella  Aiken  Armour,  wife  of  Alexander  Mefif,  baker, 
Woodside,  died  5th  April,  1899,  aged  56  years,  and  is  buried  in 
another  part  of  the  Cemetery. 

ROKEKT    MiRDOCH-LAWRANCK. 


AN    ENGLISH    READING    OF    BURNS. 

"  Gifiie  ■'  is  a  new  name  for  Providence — Scottish.,  of  course.  Perhaps  a 
capital  "  P"  would  have  assisted  the  Sassenach,  who  wrote  the  following,  to 
grasp  the  meaning  of  the  line.  We  simplify  it  for  his  benefit — "  O  !  wad 
some  Power  gie  us  the  giftie." — Ediior. 

A  Gkrman  Staff  Officer  in  India  :  being  impressions  of  the  Travels 
of  an  Officer  of  the  German  General  Staff  through  the  Peninsular. 
By  Count  Hans  von  K(£nigsmarck,  Major  in  the  Dragoons  of 
Bredow  and  Captain  on  the  General  Staff  of  the  German  Army. 
With  thirty-two  full-page  illustrations  from  original  photographs. 
Roval  8vo. 


137 

IVhen  the  giftie  gies  the  gift,  as  apparently  he  is  frequently  in  the  habit  of 
doing  nowadays,  to  other  people,  and  especially  those  of  another  nationality— 
to  show  us  how  we  appear  to  them— it  is  as  a  rule  by  no  means  flattering  to 
our  self-conceit,  and  the  giflie  has  been  so  profuse  in  his  gifts  lately  that  some 
who  are — territorially,  at  any  rate — of  ourselves  have  outgifted  the  giftie,  at  any 
rate  as  far  as  India  and  Egypt  are  concerned.  So  much  has  this  been  the 
case  that  the  average  Englishman  has  almost  begun  to  doubt  the  infallibility 
and  uprightness  of  his  own  nation.  Against  this  the  voice  of  the  Englishman, 
however  well  he  knows  his  subject,  avails  but  little.  But  when  a  foreigner, 
and  a  foreigner  of  a  nation  whose  criticisms  on  our  policy  are  seldom  inclined 
lo  leiiiencv,  comes  on  the  scene  it  is  a  different  matter. 


The  following  entry  occurs  in  our  .Matriculation  Album  for  1767  : — 
'■'■  [acobus  M''Lehose  filius  nalu  secundtis  quondam  Gulielmi  Mercatoris  Glas- 
i^iiensis."  Is  this  the  husband  of  "  Clarinda"  ?  If  we  knew  for  certain  the 
Christian  name  and  designation  of  the  father  of  Clarinda's  husband  the 
evidence  would  be  tolerably  complete. 

W.  iNNiis  Addison, 

The  University,  Glasgow. 

1  have  had  an  opportunity  of  compaiing  the  signature  of  James  M'Lehose 

in  our  Matriculation  Album  of  1767  with  two  signatures  of  Clarinda's  husband 

in  the  records  of  the  Faculty  of  Procurators,  and  all  three  are  undoubtedly  the 

handwriting  of  the  same  person.       In  other  words,  our  alm/inus  oi  1767  was 

the  husband  of  Clarinda. 

W.   Innes  Addison, 

The  University,  Glasgow. 


A  CONTEMPORARY  CRITIC  OF  BURNS. 

In  the  Evening  Times  of  August  loth  extracts  appeared  from  Heron's 
/oitrney  Through  the  Wester  a  Counties  of  Scotland  (Perth,  1793),  giving  his 
very  extraordinary  views  of  the  religious  and  moral  state  of  Glasgow  at  that 
time.  Heron  extended  his  journeys  to  what  is  now  called  "The  Land  of 
Burns."  That  was  in  1792,  four  years  before  the  death  of  Burns.  He  after- 
wards wrote  a  "  Life  of  the  Poet,"  which  I  have  not  had  the  good  fortune  to 
"  pick  up,"  and  I  have  seen  the  statement  made  that  it  is  the  worst  biography 
in  existence — an  almost  incredible  assertion  in  the  face  of  dozens  upon  dozens 


l.SS 

in  my  possession,  including  essays  and  "  apprccialiim.s."  If,  in  llial  liici^raphy, 
he  criticises  the  poems  of  Burns — judginj,'  from  the  work  before  me— I  can 
well  understand  the  low  estimate  of  his  '"life."  For  instance,  here  is  a  curious 
extract,  which  that  eminent  literary  body,  "  The  Jolly  Beggars  "  of  Mauchiine, 
will  read  with  special  interest  :  — 

"  Kennedy,  whose  Flyting  with  Dunbir  is  preserved  in  Ramsay's  Ever- 
green, is  not  the  only  poet  that  Ayrshire  has  produced.  Tiie  poems  of  Robert 
Burns,  a  native  of  the  parish  of  Mauchiine,  in  Kyle,  are  in  every  jjersun's 
hands." 

That  was  in  1792,  llie  year  of  Heron's  journey.  Heron  tlien  launciies 
into  "  criticism,"  and  there  is  a  delicious  flavour  of  patronage  in  all  he  writes. 
Heron,  the  literary  hack,  on  Burns,  is  worthy  of  a  "  leeterary  '  anniversary 
oration  :-- 

"  The  poems  which  brought  Mr  15urns  into  fashion — for  a  winter  -liave 
all  conside7-able  merit.  .  .  .  The  poem  on  the  rustic  rites  and  festivity  of 
Halioive'en  is  finely  fanciful  and  most  divertingly  comic,  but,  the  subject  was 

indeed  rich  in  materials  for  the  man  of  fancy  and  humour \s  a  tale 

('  Tam  o'  Shanter  ')  it  wants,  indeed,  the  inimitable  arch  simplicity  of  the  tales 
of  Fontaine.  But  it  has  l^eauties  of  a  higher  kind.  .  .  .  Burns  seems  to 
have  thought,  with  Boccace  and  Prior,  that  some  share  of  the  indelicacy  was 
a  necessary  ingredient  in  a  tale.  Pity  ihat  he  should  have  debased  so  fme  a 
piece  by  anything  having  even  the  remotest  relation  to  obscenity  !  " 

Heron  appears,  to  have  gone  from  Mauchiine  to  "  Lugar  Braes,"  and 
launches  out  in  a  criticism  of  James  Boswell  and  his  works,  curious  to  read  in 
these  limes.  "  If,"  he  writes,  "  there  has  been  a  descent  from  becoming 
dignity  in  Mr  Boswell's  makinghimself  the  humble  follower  of  Dr  Johnson,  and 
the  historian  of  all  his  petty  habits,  our  lively  countryman  has  been  sufficiently 
punished  by  the  ridicule  which  it  has  drawn  upon  him  ; "'  which  is  interesting 
in  the  face  of  realised  facts  and  Carlyle's  essay  on  Boswell. 

Bai.lochmvlic. 
Evening  Times,  September  6ih,  1910. 


THE  "AULD  BRIG  ■  RESTORATION. 

Some  delay  having  taken  place  in  the  preparation  of  these  blocks,  they 
could  not  be  inserted  in  their  proper  place,  but  rather  than  omit  them  we  give 
them  here.  No.  i  shows  one  of  the  shafts  sunk  through  the  piers  ;  No.  2,  the 
grouting  of  the  cement  under  pressure  ;  No.  3,  tlie  roadway  laid  bare  ;  and 
No,  4,  a  general  view  of  the  operations. 


139 


No.    1. 


IKI 


141 


No.  3. 


141] 


143 

The  following  sketch  appeared  in  the  Aberdeen  Weekly  journal,  1 8th 
May,  1910  :— 

Mrs  Alexander  Alowat,  Ivy  Bank,  Drumlithie,  has  lived  under  six 
Sovereigns.  Mrs  Mowat,  whose  maiden  name  is  Catherine  Burness,  was 
born  at  Midtown,  Barras,  1816,  the  year  following  the  battle  of  Waterloo. 
Her  Father,  James  Burness  (third  cousin  of  our  National  Bard),  was  one 
of  the  largest  farmers  in  Kincardineshire.  A  man  of  considerable  prominence 
throughout  the  county  as  a  valuator,  his  advice  was  freely  asked  by  rich  and 
poor  alike.  It  had  been  his  custom  to  pay  one  guinea  to  the  Crown  annually 
for  the  honour  of  wearing  a  wig  and  knee-breeches,  with  brass  buttons  having 
the  Crown  embossed  on  them.  In  these  days,  very  few  in  the  land  could  pay 
for  such  honour,  and  those  fortunate  persons  who  were  able  to  do  so  were 
invited  annually  to  dine  with  Lord  Arbuthnott  of  Arbuthnott  House,  an  event 
"  Old  Middy,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  seldom  missed. 

The  subject  of  oui  sketch  has  lived,  as  stated,  under  si.x  Sovereigns — 
namely,  George  HI.,  George  IV.,  William  IV.,  (^ueen  Victoria,  Edward 
VII.,  and  George  V.  Of  the  events  still  fresh  in  her  memory  are  the  death  of 
George  IV.  in  1830,  the  ascension  of  William  I\^  to  the  Throne,  and  his 
death  in  1837.  The  Coronation  of  Queen  \'ictoria  looks  like  an  event  of 
yesterday  to  the  old  lady,  so  to  speak,  and  she  remembers  well  Queen 
Victoria's  first  visit  to  Balmoral,  and  the  soldiers,  when  on  their  march  to 
Balmoral,  being  billeted  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  district,  who  were  com- 
pelled to  keep  them,  or  pay  for  their  maintenance  elsewhere.  ;\Irs  Mowat 
also  recollects  the  operations  of  the  press  gang,  and  of  her  father  being  called 
upon  to  lend  his  services  to  Queen  and  country,  but  eventually  he  paid  the 
tax  of  £(iO  to  the  Government  to  be  relieved — "  A  gey  sum  in  thae  days," 
remarked  the  old  lady.  Mrs  Mowat  remembers  well  the  messenger  being 
sent  to  Balmoral  on  horseback  to  give  Queen  Victoria  the  tidings  of  the  fall 
of  Sebastopol.  One  great  catastrophe  still  fresh  in  her  mind  was  the  wreck  of 
the  Oscar  and  Williatn  in  Aberdeen  Bay,  in  which  a  number  of  lives  were  lost. 
The  old  lady  remembers  the  first  policeman  being  appointed  in  the  county 
town — a  man  M'Robb,  whose  forebears  tenanted  the  farm  of  Ferniebrae.  It 
was  the  custom  (as  at  present)  for  the  policeman  to  go  through  the  county 
district  and  get  his  book  signed  by  the  leading  farmers.  M'Robb,  who  was 
attired  in  a  uniform  consisting  of  a  blue  coat  and  brass  buttons,  was  a  terror  to 
the  country,  and  the  people  ran  to  hide  until  he  had  passed.  Mrs  Mowat, 
who  resides  with  her  son,  Mr  James  Mowat,  Ivy  Bank,  has  been  a  widow  for 
over  46  years,  and  is  much  cared  for  by  her  family.  Although  94  years  of 
age,  Mrs  Mowat  is  as  fresh  and  as  nimble  as  many  who  are  only  half  her 
-age,  and  attends  to  the  duties  of  her  son's  household. 

Robert  M'ukdoch-Lawrancic,  Aberdeen. 


144 

"  rRicic  oi'  iiiK  Skirnim;  BiKNS. — As  announced  in  the  Glasgow- 
Herald  of  yesterday,  the  Skirving  drawing  of  the  National  IJard  has  been 
acquired  for  the  Scottish  National  Portrait  Gallery,  Edinburgh.  The  price 
paid  for  the  drawing,  which  was  in  the  possession  of  the  executors  of  the  late- 
Sir  Theodore  Martin,  was  ^500."— August  24th,  1910. 


JOHN  BURNESS  ("THRUMMV  CM'"). 

Tlie  following  paragraph  was  contributed  by  the  writer  to  the  Aberdeen 
Weekly  Journal  "  Notes  and  (^)ueries  "'  c(»lumn,  27th  April,  1910  : — 

It  is  agreed  by  at  least  two  able  editors  of  County  Anthology 
that  tiie  author  of  the  wonderful  story  of  "  Thrumniy  Cap  "  was 
born  at  Bogjorgan,  a  farm  in  the  parish  of  Glenbervie,  on  23rd 
iSIay,  1771,  but  the  date  of  his  death  is  erroneously  given  by  a 
well-known  local  author  as  having  taken  place  in  1824.  Determined  to 
probe  the  matter  to  the  bottom,  in  order  to  satisfy  myself  and  other  gentlemen 
interested  in  Burnsiana,  I  searched  the  burial  records  of  the  Spital  Burial 
ground,  Aberdeen,  and  failed  to  find  the  name  recorded  in  the  year  men- 
tioned, but  on  17th  January,  1S26,  I  found  the  entry — "John  Burness,  53 
years,  baker,  Stonehaven,"  which  settles  the  question  lieyond  all  further 
doubt. 

My  friend,  Mr  Alan  Reid,  F.S..'\.  (Scot.),  in  his  excellent  Bards  oj 
Angus  and  A/earns  makes,  on  page  17,  the  following  suggestion,  which  could 
easily  be  carried  out  : — "  Might  n;>t  the  Burns  Clubs  of  the  counties  combine 
to  mark  the  grave  of  the  poetic  kinsman  of  the  most  distinguished  scion  of  the 
Mearns?"  John  Burness's  burial  lair,  in  the  old  days,  the  superintendent  of 
the  Cemetery  informs  me,  would  be  32  '24  — now  converted  into  a  walk.  But 
a  suitable  memorial  could  easily  be  placed  adjacent,  and  reference  made  on 
the  stone  to  1  hat  effect. 

Robert  MtRnocH-LAWKA-NXE. 


EL.'\CK  RUSSEL  AND  THE   MASONS. 

Collectors  of  Barnsiana  and  Burnsiies  generallv  who  arc  keen  to  amplify 
their  knowledge  of  the  National  Poet  and  of  those  \\li()  live  in  the  shadow  of 
his  fame,  cannot  fail  to  be  interested  in  the  note  concerning  Black  Russel, 
which  appears  in  the  Stirling  Sentinel  of  Tuesday,  .March  8,  1910.  When 
the  ranting  Highland  "  herd '"  (and  what  herd  like  Russel  tell'd  his  tale?) 
relinquished  his  oversight  of  the  "lirutes"  in  Kilmarnock  he  was  translated 
to  Stirling.       For  many  years  he  was  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  that  good  old 


145 

town.  In  addition  to  his  ordinary  duties  as  one  of  the  clergymen  of  the 
burgh,  he  discharged  the  functions  of  chaplain  to  the  Loyal  Stirling  \'olunteers, 
and  served  the  community  on  any  special  occasion  demanding  the  attention  of 
a  Preacher  of  the  Word.  It  is  in  this  last-mentioned  connection  that  he  is 
referred  to  by  the  author  of  An  Old  Slii-ling  Diary,  an  extremely  interesting 
record  of  events  that  is  at  present  being  published  by  Mr  W.  B.  Cook,  into 
whose  hands  the  MS.  has  come. 

The  Diary  covers  the  period  from  i8oS  to  1821.  One  of  the  local 
happenings  which  it  chronicles  is  that  of  the  laying  of  a  foundation  stone  with 
Masonic  honours.  This  events-doubtless  big  with  importance  to  .Stirling 
people — came  oft"  on  the  21st  of  June,  1815,  and  I  find  that  it  is  referred  to  by 
the  candid  Diarist  in  these  terms  :  — 

"The  foundation  stone  of  a  new  building  with  a  steeple  was  laid  where 
the  Meal  Market  formerly  stood.  On  this  occasion  there  was  a  procession. 
The  Magistrates  and  town  ofticers  walked  first  ;  next  came  a  crowd  of  Masons 
belonging  to  diff'erent  Lodges,  among  whom  were  observed  several  dissolute 
young  men  belonging  to  the  town.  There  were  besides  a  great  number  of  ragga- 
muttins  and  mean  fellows  in  the  procession.  The  Magistrates  and  Council 
<lined  in  Masons'  Inn.  The  .Masons  and  riff'-raff  got  a  dinner  in  the  Trades 
Hall.  The  night  was  spent  in  riot  and  drunkenness,  as  is  usual  on  such  occa- 
sions, and  John  Russel,  the  minister,  instead  of  consecrating  the  intended 
building,  pronounced  a  severe  philippic  against  all  such  ceremonies  that  are 
used  on  such  occasions." 

The  Merry  Masons  have  long  been  famous  for  their  joviality,  and  their 
deeds  in  an  age  of  hard  drinking  probably  deserved  the  severe  strictures  of  the 
Diarist.  There  is  a  touch  of  bias  in  his  remarks,  however.  "  Masons  and 
riff-raff"  are  coupled,  though  their  conjunction  was  doubtless  wholly  due  to 
accident.  The  victim  of  Burns's  satire  was  quite  equal  to  the  task  of  pro- 
nouncing a  severe  philippic  against  Masonic  ceremonial — whatever  his  faults 
may  have  been.  Black  Russel  certainly  did  not  lack  courage — but  unless 
there  was  something  very  extraordinary  in  the  proceedings  the  Scriptural 
solemnities  of  Freemasonry  might  have  been  expected  to  rouse  some  little 
response  of  sympathy  in  the  breast  of  even  an  ultra-Calvanistic  divine. 

VVii.LiA.M  Harvey,  F.S..V. ,  Scot., 

in  Dundee  Advertiser,  March  14,  1910. 


.}rOTTO     ".-7   .l/./.r.S-  .-/  MAY  FOK  A'    THAT: 


The  Burns  Federation 

INSTITUTED  1885. 


Hon.    Presidents— The  Right   Hon.  The   Eari.   ok   Rosekkky,    K.C;.,    K.T. 

Andrew  Carxi:(;ie,  LL.D.,  Skiho  Castle. 
Hon.   Fire-Trestdeni's—'WM.  Wallace,  LL.  J).,  42  Altiole  Gardens,  Glasgow. 
Professor  I^AWSON,  D.I).,  The  University,  St.  Andrews. 
Sir  James  Sivewrkuit,  K.C.  M.G.,  Tulliallan  Castle. 

OFFICE-BEARERS. 
/V^j7c/^///— Duncan  M'Nahiht,  J.P.,  Benrig,  Kilmnurs. 
Vice-Presidents — Provost  M.  SiMiTit,  Kilmarnock. 

Ex-Provost  Wii,soN,  Pollokshaws. 

Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  S  Holland  Place,  Glasgow. 

James  Bai.lantyne,  21  Rose  Street,  Garnethill,  Glasgow. 

Thomas  Brown,  Maryfield,  Low-waters,  Hamilton. 

Ex-Bailie  Hugh  Mayberry,  J.P.,  St.  \'incent  Street,  Glasgow. 

Philip  Sulley,  F.S.A.,  Galashiels. 

J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  109  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 

A.  M'Callum,  News  Office,  Pollokshaws. 

Alexander  Pollock,  52  West  Nile  Street,  Glasgow. 

Joseph  Martin,  163  West  George  Street,  Glasgow. 

Alderman  William  Burns,  Sunderland. 

W.  H.  Turner,  9  The  Oaks,  Sunderland. 

]'.  Patekson,  23  Bruce  Street,  Dunfermline. 

Henry  Durham,  F.C.S.,  F. Ph.Sc,  13  Colheme  Road,  S.  Kensington, 
London,  S.W. 

John  Carmichael,  27  Blytheswood  Drive,  Glasgow. 

Ex-Dean  of  Guild  Stevenson,  Falkirk. 

Police-Judge  Wm.  Munro,  J. P.,  Howard  Park  Drive,  Kilmarnock. 

?>x- Bailie  John  Ross,  Caledonian  House,  Lanark. 
Hon.  Secretary — Thos.  Amos,  M.A.,  19  Glebe  Road,  Kilmarnock. 
Assistant  Secretary— (^v.o.  A.  Innes,  F.E.I.S.,  Kilmarnock. 
Hon.   Treasurer— JoiiEin:  Brockie,  T.  P.,  Royal  Bank,  Kilmani.ick. 


U7 

Editor  "■  Burns  Chronicle"— V).  M'Naught,  J- 1^,   Benrig,  Kilmanr.s. 
Auditors — Captain  D.  VuiLLK  and  Adam  Mackay,  Kilmarnock. 
Local  A'epreseniatii'es — 

London — James  Thomson,  85  Fleet  Siieet,  PIC. 

North  of  England— W.  11.  Turner,  Sunderland. 

Glasgow  and  District — J.  Jei-krey  Hunter,  109  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 

CONSTITUTION. 

1.  The  Federation  shall  consist  of  an  Hon.  President,  Executive  Council, 
and  the  afliliated  mernhers  of  each  Cluh. 

2.  The  Executive  Council  shall  consist  of  a  President,  Vice-Presidents, 
Hon.  Secretary,  Hon.  Treasurer,  Editor  of  Annual  Bums  Chronicle,  and 
two  iVuditors — all  of  whom  shall  be  elected  annually  and  he  eligible  for 
re-election — also  of  the  President,  Vice-President,  and  Secretary,  or  any 
other  three  members  of,  and  nominated  by,  each  affiliated  Club,  and  other 
gentlemen  of  eminence  as  Burnsites  nominated  by  the  Executive. 

3.  All  Past  Presidents  of  the  P'ederation  shall  ^,v  c^ffic/o  be  members  of 
the  Executive  Council. 

OBJECTS  OF  THE  FEDER./VTION. 

1.  To  strengthen  and  consolidate  the  bond  of  fellowship  existing 
amongst  the  members  of  Burns  Clubs  and  kindred  Societies  by  universal 
affiliation. 

2.  To  superintend  the  publication  of  Works  relating  to  Burns. 

3.  To  acquire  a  fund  for  the  purcha.se  and  preservation  of  Holograph 
Manuscripts  and  other  Relics  cnnnecled  with  the  Life  and  Works  of  the 
Poet,  and  for  other  purposes  of  a  like  nature,  as  the  Executive  Council 
may  determine. 

RULES. 

1.  The  Headquarters  of  the  Federation  shall  be  at  Kilmarnock,  the 
town  in  which  the  Federation  was  inaugurated  and  carried  to  a  practical  issue, 
and  which  contains  the  only  properly  organised  Burns  Library  and  Museum 
in  the  United  Kingdom. 

2.  Properly  organised  Burns  Clubs,  St.  Andrew's  Societies,  and 
kindred  Associations  may  be  admitted  to  the  Federation  by  application  in 
writing  to  the  Hon.  Secretary,  enclosing  copy  of  Constitution  and  Rules. 

3.  Tlie  Registration  Fee  is  21s,  on  receipt  of  which  the  Diploma  of 
the  Federation  shall  be  issued,  after  being  numbered  and  signed  by  the 
President  and  Hon.  Secretary. 

4.  Members  of  every  Burns  Club  or  kindred  Association  registered  by 
the  Federation  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  a  Pocket  Diploma  on  payment 
of  Is.      ( I'hese  Payments  are  final— not  annual. ) 

5.  The  Funds  of  the  Federation  shall  be  vested  in  the  Executive 
Council  for  the  purposes  before-mentioned. 

6.  A  Meeting  of  the  Executive  Council  shall  be  held  annually  during 
the  Summer  or  Autumn  months  at  such  place  as  may  be  agreed  upon  by 
the  Office-bearers,  when  reports  cm  the  year's  transactions  .shall  be  submitted 
by  the  Hon.  Secretary  and  Hon.  Treasurer,  and  Office-bearers  elected  for 
the  ensuinir  year. 


14S 

■J.  A  mecliiii;  of  Uie  Otiice-bearers  shall  lake  place  .some  time  before 
the  Annual  Meeting;  of  the  Kxeculive  Council,  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  the  same. 

8.  That  each  Federated  Club  shall  subscribe  los  6d  per  annum  towards 
the  fund  for  the  publication  of  the  Nums  Chronicle. 

9.  Notice  of  any  amendment  or  alteraticm  of  ilie  Constitution  or  Rules 
of  the  Federation,  to  be  considered  at  the  Annual  Meetini;,  must  be  in 
writing  to  the  lion.  Secretary  noi  later  than  31st  Maicli 

BENEFITS. 

1.  Registered  Clubs  are  supplied  free  vviili  copies  of  newspapers  con- 
taining accounts  of  meetings,  demonstrations,  etc.,  organised,  conducted, 
or  attended  by  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Federation,  and  of  the  Annual 
Meeting  of  the  Kilmari^ock  Burns  Club. 

2.  Exchange  of  fraternal  greetings  on  the  anni\crsary  of  the  Poet's 
natal  day. 

3.  Members  of  Registered  Clubs  who  have  provided  themselves  with 
pocket  diplomas  are  entitled  to  attend  meetings  of  all  Clubs  on  the  Roll  of 
the  Federation,  they  being  subject  to  the  rules  of  the  Club  visited,  but 
having  no  voice  in  its  management  unless  admitted  a  member  according  to 
local  form. 

4.  Members  are  entitled  to  be  supplied  through  the  Secretaries  of  their 
respective  Clubs  with  copies  of  all  Works  published'  by  the  I'^ederation  at  a 
discount  of  t,'}^]^  per  cent. 

BOOKS  PUBLISHED  BV    THE  FEDERATION. 

Burns  Hoi^ookaph  Maxusckipts  in  the   ] 

Museum,  with  Notes 
Bt'ii.vs  Chronkt.k  and  Ci.i;b  Dikeciokv 


(.ml 


A  few  copies  of  the  back  vols,  may  sill  b 
Hon.  Secretary.  Increased  prices  are  chaiged 
print. 


•nock    M 

onument 

.      1889 

is6d 

.      1892 

is  od 

1893 

is6d 

.      1894 

is6d 

1895 

is6d 

,      1896 

is6d 

1S97 

is6d 

1898 

is6d 

.899 

is6d 

1900 

is6d 

1901 

is6d 

1902 

is6d 

1903 

is6d 

1904 

is6d 

J  905 

is6d 

1906 

is6d 

1907 

IS  6d 

1908 

is6d 

1909 

is6d 

1910 

is6d 

191 1 

is6d 

had    on 

application  to  the 

hen    the 

vols,    are 

out  of 

MINUTES  OF  THE    ANNUAL    MEETING 

Of    THE 

BURNS   FEDERATION. 


Burgh  Court  Room,  Lanark, 
^rd  Sepiember,  igio. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  tlie  Executive  Council  of  the  Burns  Federation  was 
held  here  to-day  at  11.45  a.m. 

The  following  Delegates  were  present  :  — 
Mr  D.  M'Naught,  J. P.,  Editor  of  the  Hums  Chronicle. 
Mr  Thomas  Amos,  M.A. ,  Hon.  Secretary. 
Mr  George  A.  Innes,  F.E.I.S.,  Assistant  Hon.  Secretary. 
Glasgow  and  District  Association  of  Burns  Clubs— Rev.  James  Forrest, 
M.A.,  and  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter. 

Falkirk— Dr  D.  Mitchell  and  H.  B.  Watson. 
Sandyford  Burns  Club— Ex-Bailie  Mayberry  and  James  Michie. 
Barns  o'  Clyde,  Clydebank— Lawrence  Watt. 

Glasgow    Albany  Burns  Club — James   Taylor,    Robert   Carmichael,    and 
Richard  Donaldson. 

Glasgow    Primrose    Burns    Club — Thomas    ^luir,     G.    R.    Hunter,     and 
Robert  Gibson. 

Londonderry — Thomas  D.  Graham. 

Bridgeton  Burns  Club— Thomas  Potter,  jun.,  and  David  Baird. 
Greenock— William  Lees,  B.A.,  and  Alexander  Ramsay. 
Thornliebank — James  Andrew  and  James  Chalmers. 

Jolly  Beggars,    Kilmarnock — Robert  J.    Green,    Andrew  Campbell,    and 
Alexander  Begg,  jun. 

Thistle   Burns   Club,  Glasgow— Richard   Bogie,    Alexander    Liddell,  and 
Alexander  Allan. 

East    Stirlingshire — Alexander    Glen,     James     M'Williams,     and     Hugh 
Rowand. 

Brechin  Burns  Club— F.  C.  Anderson  and  James  A.  Hutcheon. 
Carlton  Burns  Club — David  Davidson,    Robert    M'Kenzie,    and    Wm.  J. 
Straiton. 

Kinning     Park     Burns    Club — William    Crum    Ivobertson    and     Thomas 
Deans. 


150 

llamiliun  Junior  Hurns  Club — Robert  Brown  and  William  Wilson. 

Prestwick — Thomas  S.  Fleming  and  ex-Bailie  Cochrane. 

Karlinnio — Alexander  I\Iacka\-. 

Larkhall  Burns  Club — ^John  Rodger,  William  Nicol,  and  John  Fleming. 

Ayrshire  Association  of  Federated  Burns  Clubs— Andrew  Sinclair, 
William  Lennox,  and  James  Queay. 

Bellfield  Burns  Club— Dan.  Picken  and  James  Neilson. 

Begbie's,  Kilmarnock— John  Douglas. 

Hamilton  Mossgicl— Arch.  Clark,  ju!i.,  William  Maxwell,  and  William 
Ilindshaw. 

Western  Burns  Club,  Parlick--IIugh  M 'Coll  and  James  Webster. 

Tam  o"  Shanter  — T.  P.  Thomson  and  James  Ballantyne. 

Rutherglen  Cronies — ^John  Robb. 

National  Burns  Club— Joseph  Martin  and  John  Carmichael. 

Glasgow  Haggis — David  MacFarlane. 

Mossgiel,  Glasgow— John  W.  Black  and  William  Patrick. 

Kilmarnock  — Dean  of  Guild  M.  Smith  and  ex-Bailie  W.  Munro. 

Glasgow  Co-operative — Peter  Glass. 

Meikle  Earnock  Original — Alexander  Laird  and  Robert  Lees. 

Jolly  Beggars,  East  Calder — George  Young  and  James  Robertson. 

Auciiinleck  Boswell — Matthew  Wallace. 

Winsome  Willie,  Cumnock — Gilbert  M'Kissock  and  liugh  Campbell. 

Lanark  —Thomas  Lithgow,  Wm.  Brown,  and  John  Ross. 

Carlisle  Burns  Club — William  Reid. 

Stirling — John  Craig. 

Blairadam  Shanter — John  Ramsay  and  Thomas  Sneddon. 

Stane  Mossgiel  Burns  Club — Alexander  Walker  and  David  Cairns. 

Newart  Hill  Burns  Club — George  Cook,  John  W'att,  and  Tlsomas 
I\I 'Alpine. 

Sunderland — A.  W.  Semple. 

Fairfield,  Govan — Hubert  Gray  M'Laren. 

The  London  Robert  Burns  Club — Neil  Turner,  C.  Wilkinson 
Pimbury,  and  H,  Durham. 

The  Dunfermline  United  Burns  Club — T.  Paterson. 

Glasgow  Rosebery — John  A.  Biggs,  L.D.S.,  George  Armour,  and 
Peter  Smiih,  jun. 

Ricc.irton — John  P.  Dickson,  John  Ford,  and  David  Lang. 

Hamilton  Mossgiel — Tom  Brown. 

^Vpologies  for  absence  were  intimated  from  Mr  Adam  Mackay, 
Kilmarnock,  and  from  Row  and  Alexandria  Burns  Clubs. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Jeffrey  Hunter,  Mr  D.  M 'Naught  was  appointed 
chairman. 


151 

Provost  Macleay,  on  behalf  of  the  Magistrates  and  Town  Council  of 
Lanark,  extended  to  the  Delegates  a  very  hearty  welcome,  which  the  Chair- 
man suitably  acknowledged,  expressing  the  great  appreciation  the  Delegates 
had  of  the  kindly  welcome  and  generous  hospitality  of  the  Ancient  and  Royal 
Burgh  of  Lanark. 

The  Hon.  Secretary  read  his  Annual  Report,  in  which  he  referred  to  the 
principal  events  of  interest  to  Burns  lovers  during  the  past  year.  He  paid  a 
just  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  late  President,  Capt.  David  Sneddon,  one 
of  the  three  founders  of  the  Federation. 

On  the  motion  of  the  Chairman,  it  was  agreed  to  record  this  appreciation 
in  the  minute  book,  and  the  Secretary  was  requested  to  send  an  excerpt  to 
Mrs  Sneddon. 

On  the  motion  of  ex-Bailie  Hugh  Mayberry,  Glasgow,  the  Secretary  was 
thanked  for  his  report. 

In  the  absence  of  the  Hon.  Treasurer  (Mr  Brockie)  the  Treasurer's  state- 
ment was  submitted  by  Mr  G.  A.  Innes,  Kilmarnock.  It  showed  that  the 
funds  at  the  credit  of  the  Federation  now  amount  to  ^299  i8s  gd.  On  the 
motion  of  Dean  of  Guild  Smith,  Kilmarnock,  seconded  by  ex-Bailie  Mayberry, 
the  report  was  unanimously  adopted. 

Mr  M'Naught  agreed  to  continue  the  editorship  of  the  Ckroin'c/c  for 
another  year.  At  the  same  time  he  impressed  on  the  Delegates  that  at  the 
next  Annual  Meeting  an  important  part  of  the  business  would  be  to  consider 
the  future  of  the  Chronicle.  On  the  motion  of  Mr  James  Ballantyne,  Glasgow, 
seconded  l)y  Mr  Craig,  Stirling,  the  Editor  was  awarded  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks. 
It  was  unanimously  agreed  on  tlie  mf)tion  of  Mr  Andrew  Sinclair, 
Kilmarnock,  to  continue  the  grant  of  ^25  towards  the  publication  of  the 
Chronicle,  and  the  existing  Chronicle  Committee  was  re-appointed. 

The  Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  Glasgow,  submitted  a  report  on  the 
Chair  of  Scottish  History  and  Literature.  From  all  sources  tlie  sum  of  /,"5000 
had  been  received  for  the  scheme.  Of  this  sum,  ;^500  had  lieen 
definitely  promised  or  subscribed  by  Burns  Clubs.  Apart  from  this 
sum,  a  very  great  deal  of  the  total  amount  of  the  fund  was  owing  to  the  work 
and  enthusiasm  of  Dr  Wm.  Wallace,  ex-President  of  the  Federation.  The 
report  was  adopted,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  given  to  Mr  Forrest. 

The  Rev.  James  Forrest  moved  that  a  Committee  be  appointed  to  revise 
the  Rules  and  Constitution  of  the  Federation.  After  some  discussion,  this 
was  agreed  to,  and  the  follov,ing  Committee  was  appointed  : — Rev.  James 
Forrest  (convener),  Messrs  D.  M'Naught,  T.  Amos,  G.  A.  Innes,  A.  Sinclair, 
Jos.  Martin,  J.  Ballantyne,  AIck.  Pollock,  J.  Jeffrey  Plunter,  Peter  Paterson, 
and  F.  C.  Anderson.  On  the  motion  of  Mr  Philip  SuUey,  Galashiels, 
seconded  by  tlie  Rev.  James  Forrest,  the  meeting  unanimously  and 
enthusiastically  appointed  Mr  D.  M'Xaught,  J.  P.,  to  the  ofificp  of  President. 


Mr  JetViey  Hunter  moved  thai  Professor  Lawson,  St.  Andrews  University, 
along  vsiih  Sir  James  Sivewrigiit,  K.C.M.G.,  be  appointed  Hon.  Vice-Presi- 
dents, ar.d  that  the  other  office-bearers  be  re-appointed. 

In  addition  to  the  existing  Vice-Presidents,  the  following  gentlemen  were 
proposed  and  seconded:  Ex-Bailie  John  Ross,  Lanark;  ex-Provost  Wilson, 
Pollokshaws  ;  Police  Judge  W.  Manro,  J.P.,  Kilmarnock;  Dean  of  fhiild 
Smith,  J. P.,  Kilmarnock  ;  and  Mr  Philip  Sulley,  F.S.A.,  Galashiels.  Dean 
of  Guild  Smith  moved  that  il  he  left  to  the  Executive  Committee  to  go  over 
the  names  of  the  \'ice- Presidents,  and  submit  a  list  for  approval  at  next 
meeting.     This  was  agreed  to. 

On  the  motion  of  the  Secretary,  Mr  James  Thomson,  President  of  the 
London  Robert  Burns  Club,  No.  i,  was  appointed  K.epresentative  of  the 
Federation  in  London. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Alex.  Pollock,  Glasgow,  it  was  agreed  that  the 
Clubs  on  the  roll  of  the  P>deration  should  endeavour  to  promote  the  study  of 
Scottish  poetry,  songs,  and  history,  by  holding  competitions  among  the  school 
children  in  their  neighbourhood.  Mr  Peter  Smith,  jun.,  suggested  to  the 
Committee  for  the  revision  of  the  Constitution  and  Rules,  that  provision 
should  be  made  for  the  representation  by  proxy  of  affiliated  Clubs  across  the 
seas. 

On  the  motion  of  ex-Bailie  Mayberry,  seconded  by  Dr  Wm.  Wallace,  the 
Chairman  was  awarded  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks.  This  terminated  the 
business  meeting. 

LUNCHEON  AND  DRIVE. 

The  delegates  were  afterwards  entertained  to  luncheon  by  the  Provost, 
Magistrates,  and  Town  Council  of  Lanark  in  the  County  Hall. 

Provost  Macleay  presided,  and  was  supported  by  the  office-bearers  of  the 
Federation  ;  while  Bailie  Lamb  discharged  the  duties  of  croupier.  After  an 
■excellent  repast  a  short  toast-list  was  submitted.  The  company  was  after- 
wards photographed  outside  of  the  County  Hall. 

The  delegates  then  left  Lanark  for  a  drive  of  eighteen  miles  through  the 
charming  scenery  for  which  Upper  Clydesdale  is  so  franed.  In  the  course  of 
the  excursion  Stonebyres  Falls  were  visited,  and  at  Mauldslie  Castle  they  were 
■welcomed  by  Lord  Newlands.  The  local  arrangements  were  admirably 
carried  out  under  the  guidance  of  ex- Bailie  Ross,  Secretary  of  the  Lanark 
Burns  Club. 

The  local  Burns  Club,  under  the  genial  chairmanship  of  Mr  Thomas 
Lithgow,  entertained  the  delegates,  who  arrived  on  Friday  evening,  at  a  most 
enjoyable  smoking  concert,  which  was  enlivened  by  a  perfect  galaxy  of  talent. 

T^O^LAS  AMOS,  Hon.  Secv. 


153 


List  of  Clubs  which  haue  subscribed  for  the  Publishing  Fund 
from  1st  Sept.,  1909,  to  1st  Sept.,  1910. 


Corstorpliine 

.^o 

lO 

6 

Greenock  Cronies 

.^o 

lO 

6 

Glasgow  Mossgiel... 

o 

to 

6 

Prestwick   ... 

O 

lO 

6 

Liverpool    ... 

o 

lO 

6 

Dumbarton 

O 

lO 

o 

London 

I 

I 

O 

Old  Kilpatrick       

o 

lO 

6 

Glasgow  Tam  o"  Shanter.. 

o 

lO 

6 

Falkirk        

o 

lO 

6 

,,        Sandvford 

o 

lO 

6 

Newcastle-on-Tyne 

o 

ro 

6 

Larkhall  Thistle    .. 

o 

lO 

6 

East  Stirlingshire 

o 

lO 

6 

Shettleston... 

o 

lO 

6 

Walker-on-Tyne    ... 

o 

lO 

6 

Darnconner  Airds  Moss 

o 

lO 

6 

Paisley  Charleston 

o 

lO 

6 

Partick  Western 

o 

lO 

6 

Barlinnie,  Glasgow 

o 

lO 

6 

Stane  Mossgiel 

o 

lO 

6 

Derby          

o 

lO 

o 

Paisley        

o 

lO 

6 

Glasgow  Albany 

o 

ID 

6 

Meikle  Earnock  Original.. 

o 

lO 

6 

Carlisle       

o 

lO 

6 

Blairadam  Shanter 

o 

lO 

6 

,,     (arrears)      .. 

o 

lO 

6 

Kirn 

o 

lO 

6 

Glasgow  Thistle    ... 

o 

lO 

6 

liirmingham 

o 

lO 

6 

Musselburgh 

o 

lO 

6 

Blackburn  

o 

lO 

6 

Glasgow  Carlton   ... 

o 

lO 

6 

Sunderland 

o 

lO 

6 

Cowdenbeath  Haggis 

o 

lO 

6 

Dundee 

o 

lO 

6 

Row 

o 

lO 

6 

Thornliebank 

o 

lO 

6 

Glasgow  Rosebery 

o 

ro 

6 

Rutherglen  Cronies 

o 

lO 

6 

Bristol  Caledonian  Society 

o 

lO 

6 

Edinburgh  Ninety 

o 

lO 

6 

Edinburgh  ... 

o 

lO 

6 

Cowdenbeith  Glencairn 

o 

lO 

6 

Brechin       

o 

ID 

6 

Ardrossan 

o 

TO 

6 

Nottingham  Scottish  Asso 

Kilmarnock  Jolly  Beggars 

o 

lO 

6 

ciation 

o 

lO 

6 

Dublin         

o 

lO 

6 

Dairy,  Ayrshire 

o 

ID 

6 

Greenock    ... 

o 

lO 

6 

St.  Andrews 

o 

lO 

6 

Blackburn  on  Almond 

o 

10 

6 

Kilmarnock 

o 

lO 

6 

Vale  of  Leven  Glencairn.. 

o 

lO 

6 

Newarthill 

o 

lO 

6 

Ercildoune 

o 

lO 

6 

Stirling        

o 

lO 

6 

East  Calder  and   Dislrici.. 

o 

]0 

6 

Stonehouse              

o 

ID 

6 

Glasgow  and  District  A.sso 

- 

elation  of  Burns  Clubs.. 

o 

lO 

6 

Ci-, 

0 

6 

5S   at    10/6 
2  at    10/- 

Arrears 


ABSTRACT. 


£1 


I  o 

30     9  o 

I     o  o 

o  10  6 


£V:> 


l.H 


List  of  Clubs  which  haue  subscribed  for  the  Publishing  Fund 
from  1st  Sept.,  WW. 


Darlington  Burns   Associa- 

'  Blackburn  

...^o 

10 

6 

tion  (arrears) 

.^o 

lO 

6 

Thornliebank 

...       O 

10 

6 

Barlinnie 

o 

lO 

6 

Blackburn-on-Avon 

...       O 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Tam  o'  Shanter... 

0 

lO 

6 

Cowdenbeath  Glencaim 

O 

10 

6 

Birmingham            

o 

lO 

6 

Meikle  Earnock  Original. 

..     o 

10 

6 

Kirn 

o 

lO 

6 

Blairadam  Shanter 

...     o 

JO 

6 

Hamilton  Mossgiel 

o 

lO 

6 

Falkirk        

..     o 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Albany    ... 

o 

lO 

6 

Hamilton 

•     o 

10 

6 

Paisley        

o 

lO 

6 

,,       (arrears)    .. 

..     o 

10 

6 

Sunderland              

o 

lO 

6 

Row 

..     o 

10 

6 

Stirling 

o 

10 

6 

Corstorphine 

..     o 

10 

6 

Stane  Mossgiel 

o 

lO 

6 

Paisley  Charleston 

..     o 

ID 

6 

Londonderry    Burns    Cluli 

1 

Dundee       

..     o 

10 

6 

and  Caledonian  Society 

o 

lO 

6  ! 

Glasgow    District    Associa- 

Glasgow Mossgiel 

o 

lO 

6 

tion  of  Burns  Clubs 

..     o 

10 

6 

Baillieston  Caledonian     ... 

o 

lO 

6 

Newarthill 

.     o 

10 

6 

Airdrie 

o 

to 

6   ' 

Rutherglen  Cronies 

..     o 

10 

6 

Larkhall  Thistle      

o 

lO 

6 

I'artick  Western    ... 

o 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Thistle    ... 

o 

lO 

6  1 

(ireenock    .. 

..     o 

10 

6 

East"   Calder   and     District 

Old  Kilpatrick 

..     o 

10 

6 

Jolly  Beggars      ... 

o 

lO 

6 

St.  .-\ndrews 

..     o 

10 

6 

Walker-on-Tyne     

o 

lO 

6 

.Musselburgh  Federated    . 

..     o 

10 

6 

Aberdeen    ... 

o 

lO 

6  i 

Edinburgh  Ninety 

o 

10 

6 

\'ale  of  Leven  Glencaim... 

o 

10 

6  i 

Glasgow  Carlton    ... 

..     o 

10 

6 

Kilmarnock  [oily  Beggars 

o 

lO 

6 

,,         Sandy  ford 

..     o 

10 

6 

Newcastle  and  Tynesiile  ... 

o 

lO 

6 

,,         Mauchline  Society    o 

10 

6 

Prestwick   ... 

o 

to 

6 

Brechin 

..       0 

10 

6 

Port-Glasgow 

o 

lO 

6 

Ercildoune 

o 

lO 

'\ 

£27 

6 

0 

155 


Alphabetical   List  of  Federated   Clubs. 


No.  40. 

Aberdeen 

No.  86. 

Cumnock— The  Winsome 

84. 

Abington 

Willie 

23- 

Adelaide 

62. 

Cupar 

20. 

Airdrie 

179. 

Dai  11 V 

143- 

Airdiie — Galeside 

3.S- 

Dalrv 

Alexandria 

158. 

Darlington 

6. 

Alloa 

122. 

Darnconner 

82. 

Arbroath 

55- 

Derby 

174. 

Ardrossaii  Casile 

Si- 

Dollar 

12.^. 

Auchinleck 

ne. 

Dublin 

19. 

Auckland 

10. 

Dumbarton 

192. 

Ayrshire  Associaiion 

S2. 

Dumfries — Mechanics 

157- 

Baillieston  Caledonia 

104. 

Oak 

99- 

Barlinnie 

Howfif 

12. 

Barrow-in-Furness 

14. 

Dundee 

64. 

Beith 

69. 

Dunedin 

15- 

Belfast 

80. 

Dunoon — Cowal 

167. 

Birmingham 

^■ 

Dunfermline  —United 

30- 

Blackburn 

188. 

Duns— Working  Men 

125- 

Blackburn-cjn- Almond 

134. 

Duntocher— Heron 

184. 

Blairadam  Shanter 

5 

Earlston 

%■ 

Bolton 

108. 

East  Calder 

29. 

Bolton  Juniors 

22. 

Edinburgh 

119. 

Bonhill 

III. 

Edinburgh — South 

142. 

Bonnybridge 

124. 

Edinburgh— Ninety 

76. 

Brechin 

155- 

East  Stirlingshire 

120. 

Bristol 

149- 

Elgin 

114. 

Brodick 

126. 

Falkirk 

106. 

Broxburn— Rosehery 

44. 

Forfar 

185. 

Burton 

187. 

Galashiels 

4- 

Callander 

90. 

Garelochhead 

no. 

Cambuslang 

163. 

Gateshead  and  District 

87. 

Campsie 

3' 

Glasgow— Tarn  0'  Shanter 

71- 

Carlisle 

!               7- 

Thistle 

102. 

Carlisle— Border 

9. 

Royalty 

81. 

Carstairs  junction 

24. 

Bank 

171. 

Chattanooga,  U.S.A. 

27 

,,            Springburn 

11. 

Chesterfield 

1             ^•5- 

Haggis 

51- 

Chicago 

!            34- 

Carrick 

138. 

Cleland 

36. 

, .             Rosebery 

166. 

Cleveland  Scottish  Association 

38. 

,,            Tolly  Beggars 

93- 

Clydebank 

39 

St.  David's 

189. 

Clydebank  Barns  0"  Clyde 

41. 

,,            Dennistoun 

103. 

Coalburn — Rosebery 

43- 

,,             Northern 

79- 

Corsiorphine 

47. 

St.   Rollox 

127. 

Cowdenbeath— Haggis 

49. 

,,             Bridgeton 

128. 

Cowdenbeath  -Glencairn 

61. 

,,            Glencairn 

42. 

Crieff 

63. 

Mossgiel 

66. 

Crossgates 

67. 

,,            Carlton 

45- 

Cumnock 

68. 

, ,            Sandyford 

15G 


o.    70.    Glasgow — St.  RoUox  Jolly 

1  No.  194.   Middlebie 

Beggars 

1              8.    Morpeth  (dormant) 

74.          ,,            Miuchline  Soc. 

\          loi.    Motherwell 

78.         ,,            Ardgowan 

56.    Muirkirk — Lapraik 

83.          ,,            Co-operative 

'           65.    Musselburgh 

88.         . ,            Caledonian 

32.   Newark 

107.          ,,             liutchesontown 

133    Newarlhill 

lOQ.         ,,            Caledonia 

j          156.    Newcastle  and  Tyneside 

117.         ,,            Southern 

131.    Nottingham 

118.          ,,            Albany 

17.              ,,          (dormant) 

139.         ,,            National 

I  SI.   Old  Kilpatrick 

I4S-         ,,            Central 

172.    Oregon,  U.S.A. 

153.         .,            The  Scottish 

48.    Paisley 

129.         ,.            Gorbals 

77.       ,,       Gleniffer 

164.         ,,            Kinning  Park 

161.        ,,        Charleston 

180.         ,,            Tollcross 

72.    Partick 

181.          ,,            I'rimrose 

135.       „       Western 

169.   Glasgow  and  District 

26.  Penh 

59.  Gourock— Jolly  Beggars 

54.       ,,     St.  Johnstone 

53.    Govan—Fairfield 

162.    Plymouth'and  District 

116.    Greenloaning 

140.    Pollokshaws 

21.   Greenock 

190.   Port-Glasgow 

148.          ,,          Cronies 

177.    Prestwick 

152.    Hamilton 

176.   Renfrew 

100.         ,,         Mossgiel 

191.    Renfrew  Moorpark 

121.          ,,         Junior 

132.    Riccarton— Kirkstyle 

136.          ,,          Royal  Oak 

168.    Riccarton 

137.    Ipswich 

130.   Row 

173.    Irvine 

105.    Rutherglen 

96.  Jedburgh 

193.    Rutherglen  Jolly  Beggars 

154.  Johannesburg,  S..\. 

31.   San  Francisco 

92.    Kilbowie 

91.  Shettleston 

0.   Kilmarnock 

195.   Sliiremoor 

97.          ,,              Bellfield 

13.   St.  Andrews 

150.          ,,             Jolly  Beggars 

182.   Stane  Mossgiel 

178.         ,,             "Begbie's 

50.   Stirling 

186.          ,,              Glencairn 

141.   Stonehouse 

115.   Kippen 

147.             „          Haggis 

58.   Kirkcaldy 

89.   Sunderland 

75.   Kirn 

16.   Sydney 

98.    Lanark 

57.   Thornliebank 

144.    Larbert  and  Steiiliousemuir 

94.    Uphall 

170.    Larkhall 

113.    Vale  of  Leven— Glencairn 

73.   Lenzie 

159.    Walker-on-Tyne 

18.   Liverpool 

165.   Wallsend-on-T)ne 

I .    London 

46.    Warwickshire 

183.    Londonderry 

160.    Whitburn 

28.    Mauchline— The  Jolly                j 

25.   Winnipeg 

Beggars 

60.   Wolverhampton 

173.    Meikle  Earnock                          ) 

OF 

BURNS  CTX'BS  AND  SCOTTISH  SOCIETIES 

ON    THE 

ROLL    OF    THE    BURNS    F  E  D  E  R  A  T  I  ON,   1911, 


3— KILMARNOCK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  iSo8.  Federated  1885, 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  George  Ilotel,  25th  January.  Presi 
dent,  Neil  D.  M'Michael,  B.L.,  John  Finnic  Street;  Vice 
president.  Police  Judge  Munro,  J.  P.,  Howard  Park  Drive 
Secretary,  Thomas  Amos,  M.A.,  19  Glebe  Road,  Kilmarnock 
Committee — D.  M 'Naught,  J.  P.  ;  Joseph  Brockie,  J.  P. 
Provost  Smith,  J. P.  ;  Geo.  A.  Innes,  F.E.I.S.  ;  Captain  D 
Yuille  ;  James  Middleton,  J.  P.  ;  Wm.  M'Menan,  B.A.  ;  ex 
Bailie  M.  Robertson,  J. P.  ;  Wm.  Heron,  Robert  Wylie,  and 
ex-Bailie  Kerr,  B.  L. 

—The  LONDON  Robert  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1868.  Federated 
1885.  President,  Neil  Turner,  Daily  Chronicle,  Salisbury  Square, 
E.C.  ;  Vice-president,  G.  St.  John  M'Donald,  2  Middle  Temple 
Lane,  E.C.  ;  Secietary,  James  Thomson,  Byron  House,  85  Fleet 
Street,  E.C.  Committee — Arthur  R.  Molison,  T.  Ernest  Price,  H. 
D.  Faith,  Stewart  Stockman,  T.  W.  Jacobs,  jr.,  R.  A.  Walker,  W. 
A.  Herbert,  jr.,  W.  S.  Birch.  M.  D.  Kerr,  A.  T.  Bromfield,L  A.  W. 
Dollar,  M.R.C.V.S.,  F.R.S.E.  ;  Henry  Rose,  Leonard  Elking- 
ton,  A. R.I. B.A.  ;  J.  W.  Patterson,  William  Salmon.  Assembly 
M.C.'s~R.  A.  Walker  and  A.  T.  Bromficld.  Honorary  Auditors 
— Alexander  Neill  and  A.  E.  Jarvis.  Honorary  Pipers — Pipe- 
Major  Reith,  George  Shand,  and  James  Cowie. 

!— ALEXANDRIA  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated  1885. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Village  School,  7.30,  first  Friday  of 
each  month.  President,  Wm.  Livsey,  20  Leven  Bank  Terrace, 
Jamestown  ;  Vice-president,  Matthew  Campbell,  20  Susannah 
Street,  Alexandria  ;  Treasurer,  James  Mirrilees,  Charleston  House, 
Alexandria  ;  Secretary,  Duncan  Carswell,  Linnbrane  Terrace, 
Alexandria.  Committee — Richard  Thom.son,  James  M'Kenzie, 
Donald  M'Dougall,  W.  M'Gregor,  Toseph  Irvine,  and  Gavin 
Hunter. 

;— GLASGOW  Tam  o'  Shanter  Club.  Instituted  18S0.  Federated 
1885.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Trades'  House  Restaurant,  89 
Glassford  Street,  last  Tuesday  of  October,  November,  February, 
and  March.  President,  John  Carmichael,  27  Blythswood  Drive, 
Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  Wm.  Warden,  10  Mount  Stewart 
Street,  Shavvlands,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  v\riter. 
109  Bath  Street.  Glasgow.  Committee — Messrs  H.  J.  Altman, 
Jas.    Ballantine,   Geo.    Fisher,   Alex.    Izatt,   Alex.   M'Kerzio.   Tns, 


158 

Ritchie,  Jolin  Sniitb.  T.  P.  Thompson,  1).  M.  Threshie,  j.  A.  K. 
VValson,  Edward  Wilson,  and  l)i  j.  M'Lachhm.  Special  features 
of  Club — Literary  evenings  and  usehd  movements  for  the  pro- 
motion of  the  Burns  cult. 

No.  4— CALLANDER  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S77.  Federated  1SS5. 
Scciefary,  James  S.  Anderson,  Callander. 

No.  5  -FRCILDOUNE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  18S5.  Federated  26th 
November,  1SS5.  I'lace  of  meeting,  Red  Lion  Hotel.  Presi- 
dent, Adam  N.  Tolmie,  Marion  House,  Earlston  ;  \'ice-presidents, 
G.  B.  Miles,  High  Street  ;  A.  A.  Burt,  M. A.,  Williambank, 
Earlston  ;  Sea-etary,  Arch.  M.  Black,  Market  Place,  Earlston. 
Special  features  of  Club — Celebration  of  Poet's  birthday,  and  trip 
to  places  of  interest,  lectures,   -^cc. 

No.  6— ALLOA  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1873.  Federated  1S85.  Secretary,  R. 
Tait  Melville,  44  Mill  Street,  Alloa. 

No.  7— THISTLE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1882.  Federated  1885.  Presi- 
dent, \Vni.  Wingate,  10  Oswald  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president, 
Neil  Toye,  132  North  Street,  Gla.sgow  ;  Secretary,  D.  R.  Mont- 
gomery, 122  Sou;h  Portland  .Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  Jno. 
Eadie,  12  Bridge  Street,  S.S. ,  Glasgow. 

No.  8— MORPETH  and  District  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Last  Secretary, 
John  Dobson,  Oldgate  Street,  Morpeth. 

No.  9— GLASGOW  Royalty  Burns  Club.  InMJtuted  1S82.  Federated 
1886.     Secretary,  Wni.  C.   Rodger,  44  lialh  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  10— DUMBARTON  Burn.s  Club.  Instituted  1859  Federated  i886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Elephant  Hotel,  25th  January,  191 1. 
President,  James  Nimmo,  Barloiin  Crescent,  Dumbarton  ;  Vice- 
president,  Walter  Scott.  Ivy  Bank,  Dumbarton  ;  Secretary,  Wm. 
Baird,  Union  Bank  House,  Dumbarton.  Committee — Provost 
M'Farlan,  Major  David  Cockburn,  Dean  of  Guild  Wilson.  John 
Macpherson,  Robert  M 'Murray,  Jolin  M'Clelland,  and  Charles 
MacKinniin.  .Special  features  of  Club — Celebration  of  the  Poet's 
birthday. 

No.  II— CHESTERFIELD  Burns  Society.  Federated  1886.  Secretary, 
Geo.  E.  Drennan.  77  Salter  Gate,  Chesterfield,  FJerbyshire. 

N.  .  12— BAREOW-IN-FURNESS  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  18S6. 
Federated  1886.  Last  Seoetary,  .\lcx.  M'Nauglil,  4  Ramsden 
.Sq  uare,  Barrow-in-Eurness. 

No.  13— ST.  ANDREWS  Bums  Club.  Instituted  1869.  Federated  1886. 
Date  of  meeting,  25th  January,  1911.  I're.sidenl,  Rev.  A.  D. 
Sloan,  M.A.,  li.Sc,  1  Howard  Place,  St.  Andrews;  Vice-presi- 
dent, I-;.  E.  Morrison,  IJonnyioun,  St.  Andrews  ;  Secretary,  W. 
Macbeth  Robertson,  solicitor,  St.  Andrews.  Committee — T.  E. 
fohnston,  A.  Bennett,  Dr  Orr,  Charles  Freeman,  Wm.  Duncan, 
"W.  G.  M.  Brown,  M.  B.  Wilson,  and  Andrew  Rolls. 

N...  14— DUNDP:E  Burns  Club  Instituted  i860.  Federated  5th  March, 
1S86.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  36  Nethergate,  first  Wednesday 
of  month  after  first  Monday.  Hon.  President,  J.  Martin  While, 
Esq.,  Balruddery  ;    Hon.    Librarian,  1).  Mitchell  ;  President,  John 


159 

A.  Purvis,  36  Nethergate  ;  Vice-president,  Frank  Ogg,  36  Nether- 
gate  ;  Secretary,  Percy  Allison  Morris,  36  Nethergate  ;  Treasurer, 
D.  R.  Roberts.  Special  features  of  Club — Literary  and  musical 
evenings  ;  library  of  valuable  editions. 

No.  15— BELFAST  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1872.  Federated  1S86. 
Secretary,  Barclay  M'Conkey,  Belfast. 

No.  16— SYDNEY  Burns  Club  (N.S.W.).  Instituted  1880.  Federated  1 886. 
Secretary,  W.  Telfer,  School  of  Arts,  Pitt  Street,  Sydney. 

No.  17- NOTTINGHAM  Scottish  Society  (dormant).     Federated  1886. 

No.  i8~LIVERP00L  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1866.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Hotel  St.  George,  Lime  Street,  Liver- 
pool, 25th  January.  Vice-president,  Colonel  Richard  Bulman, 
V.D.,  Mersey  Chambers,  Liverpool  ;  Chairman  of  committee, 
Alex.  Smith,  Esq.,  104  Salisbury  Road,  Wavertree,  Liverpool  ; 
Secretary,  Major  Robert  Sinclair  Archer,  V.D.,  Clifton  House, 
Clifton  Road,  Birkenhead  ;  Chairman  for  1911  dinner,  Robert 
Hield,  Esq.,  Editor  Liverpool  Courier.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Annual  dinner  on  25th  January  and  winter  lectures. 

No.  19— AUCKLAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  P^ederated  1886. 
Secretary,  John  Horn,  Wellington  Street,  Auckland,  New 
Zealand. 

No.  20— AIRDRIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1885.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel,  Airdrie,  25th  January. 
President,  Wm.  M'C^regor,  Ardcoille,  Airdrie  ;  Vice-president, 
Cuthbert  R.  Larkman,  Albert  Schoolhouse,  Airdrie  ;  Secretary  ana 
Treasurer,  Gavin  B.  Motherwell,  jun.,  sohcitor,  4  East  High  Street, 
Airdrie.  Committee — Walter  Cochrane,  Wm.  Anderson,  John  B. 
Allan,  James  Ramsay,  Robert  Sutter. 

No.  21— GREENOCK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1802.  Federated  1886. 
Place  of  meeting,  Club  Rooms,  Nicolson  Street.  President,  Mr 
Alex.  Lanibie,  Ravenshall,  Bogslon  ;  Vice-presidents,  J.  Fraser, 
Paton,  Home  Cottage,  and  Hugh  Macintosh,  42  Campbell  Street  ; 
Joint  Secretaries — George  Dunlop,  27  Ardgowan  Street,  and  James 
Hannah,  99  Dempster  Street.  Special  features  of  Club — Cluli 
rooms  are  open  to  members  at  any  time  ;  keys  with  Curator  on 
premises,  36  Nicolson  Street.  Library  has  valuable  collections  of 
editions  of  Burns,  Fergusson,  Gait,  etc.,  and  the  walls  are  covered 
with  signed  portraits,  including  those  of  some  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished men  in  the  country,  who  are  honorary  members  of  the 
Club.  The  Club  makes  a  special  feature  of  inter-visitation  meet- 
ings with  Burns  Clubs  in  the  West  of  Scotland,  also  of  ladies' 
nights.  Visitors  are  always  welcome  to  attend  Club  meetings. 
The  Greenock  Club  is  the  oldest  Burns  Club  in  the  world. 

No.  22— EDINBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1848.  Federated  1886. 
President,  Thomas  Carmichael,  S.S.C.,  10  Duke  Street,  Edin- 
burgh ;  Vice-president  J.  M'Intyre  Henry,  F.R.I. B. A.,  7  S. 
Charlotte  Street,  Edinburgh  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Duncan,  32 
Netherby  Road,  Trinity,  Edinburgh  ;  Treasurer,  Kenneth 
Henderson,  C.A.,  8  York  Buildings,  Edinburgh. 

No.  23—  ADELAIDE  South  Australian  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted 
1881.  Federated  1886.  Secretary,  II.  Tassie,  Gay's  Arcade, 
Adelaide,  South  Australia. 


160 

No.  24— GLASGOW  Bank  Burns  Club  (dnrmanl).  Instiluled  1S84. 
Federated  1886. 

No.  25— WINNIPEG  Si.  Andrew'.s  Sociely.  Federated  18S6.  Sccie/aiy, 
David  Philip,  Government  Buildings,  Winnipeg. 

No.  26 -PERTH  Burns  Club.  Instiluled  187.5.  I-'cdcraled  1886.  Seiic'tary, 
John  Harper,  68  St.  John  Street,  I'enb. 

No.  27— GLASGOW  Springburn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  18S4.  Federated 
1886.  Sccittary,  Cameron  Henderson,  Syriam  Terrace,  Spring- 
burn,  Glasgow. 

No.  28— MAUCHLINE  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club. 

No.  29— BOLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1881.  Federated  1 886.  S,-Liehiry, 
Harry  George,  32  Ilalstead  Street,  The  Harregh,  Bolton. 

No.  30  BLACKBURN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated  9th  July, 
1886.  Place  of  meeting.  Victoria  Hotel,  Cort  .Street,  Blackburn, 
Lanes.  President,  Dr  .\.  Reid,  Mayfield,  126  Accrington  Road, 
Blackburn,  Lanes.  ;  \'ice-president,  J.  C.  Sharpies,  21  Queen's 
Park  Road,  Blackburn  ;  Secretary  and  Ireasitrer,  Robert 
Ferguson,  9  Tacketts  Street,  Blackburn,  Lanes.  ;  Auditors,  J. 
Rutherford  and  W.  Maxwell.  Committee — T.  Anderson,  Wm. 
Ferguson,  T.  Ferguson,  J.  Forbes,  S.  Leigh,  J.  Little,  J.  M'Vittie, 
J.  Smith,  W.  Wallbank,  F.  Wilkinson,  and  Prank  S  Jaidine. 
Special  features  of  Club — (i)  To  commemorate  the  birthday  of 
Burns  ;  (2)  to  encourage  llie  study  of  Burns  and  of  the  other 
Scottish  Poets,  and  of  literature  generally. 

No.  31— SAN  FRANCISCO  Scottish  Thistle  Club.  Instituted  1882. 
Federated  18S6.  Secretary,  Geo.  W.  I'alerson,  801  Guerero 
Street,  San  Francisco,  U.S.A. 

No.  32— NEWARK  Burns  Club.  Federated  1886.  Secretary,  John  Hogg, 
Caledonian  Club,  Newark,  New  Jersey,  U.S.A. 

^'"-  33— GLASGOW  Haggis  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1872.  Federated  1886. 
Place  of  meeting,  National  Burns  Club,  Ltd.,  93  Douglas  Street. 
President,  Major  J.  R.  Metcalfe,  J.P  ,  140  London  Street  ;  Secre- 
tary, William  .S.  Baird,  writer,  185  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  34-CARRICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1859,  Federated  1887. 
I'lace  and  date  of  meeting,  62  Glassford  Street,  Glasgow,  last 
Tuesday  of  each  month  at  7  30.  President,  Robert  Thorley,  30 
Aberfeldy  Street,  Dennistoun,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  lames 
Welsh,  46  Dixon  Road,  Crossbill,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  Matthew 
Ferguson,  412  Parliamentary  Road,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  William 
Morrison,  62  Glassford  Street,  Glasgow.  Special  feature  of  Club 
— Study  of  Burns  and  kindred  literature. 

No.  35— 1).\LRV  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S26.  Federated  1887.  Place 
and  dale  of  meeting.  Turf  Inn,  Courlhill.  Dairy,  evening  of  Friday 
nearest  birthday.  President,  .Andrew  Aitken,  J.P. ,  One  Ash, 
Dairy  ;  Secretary,  David  Johnstone,  Tinlagel,  Dairy  ;  Treasurer, 
Patrick  Comrie,  factor.  Waterside,  Dairy.  Special  features  of 
Club — This  Club  has  met  annually  since  1826  in  the  same  place, 
and  the  minutes  are  complete  for  the  whole  period. 


161 

No.  36-ROSKBERV  Bums  Clul).  Instituted  1884.  Federated  1887. 
Place  and  date  of  meetinir,  Alexandra  Hotel,  .Glasgow,  Tuesdays 
at  8  p.m.  ['resident,  Hugh  Paton,  T-P-,  Rowallan,  West  Kilbride; 
Vice-president,  James  Murray,  28  Bellgrove  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Sr'creimy,  A.  G.  Andrew,  59  Ilutclieson  Street,  Glasgow.  Com- 
mittee— Messrs  Armour,  J.  A.  Biggs,  .Scott,  Shakleton,  Brown, 
Colquhoun.  Ferguson,  Twycross,  Kelso,  M'Kinlay,  and  J.  Thomson. 
Special  features  of  Club — Competitions  in  Band  of  Hoj-ie  and 
Schools,  singing  and  reading  Scottish  songs  and  poems. 

No.  37— DOLLAR  Burns  Club.  Insliluted  14th  January,  1S87.  Federated 
29th  December.  1887.  Place  of  meeting.  Castle  Campbell  Hotel. 
President,  ex-Bailie  Waddell,  Dollar;  Vice-president,  Dr  Butcharl. 
Institution  Place,  Dollar ;  Secretary,  William  Vounger,  Chapel 
Place,  Dollar  ;  Treasurer,  John  Halley,  Eastbourne,  Dollar. 
Special  feaUres  of  Club — To  foster  the  memory  of  Robert  Burns. 

No.  38- GLASGOW  Tolly  Beggars  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1887. 
Federated  1888 

No.  39— GLASGOW  St.  David's  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1887. 
Federated  1889. 

No.  40— ABERDEEN  Burns  Club.  Insliluted  1S87,  Federated  1889. 
Resuscitated  1910.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Balmoral  Temper- 
ance Hotel,  first  meeting,  December  gib,  7.45  p.m.,  others  as 
arranged.  President,  William  P"errans.  207  Clifion  Road  ;  Vice- 
president,  lames  Donald,  10  Justice  Mill  Lane;  Seoe/ary,  T. 
M'Laren  Lind.say,  2  Dee  Place.  Committee — Messrs  Thomson, 
Ironside,  R.  Ferraris,  W.  Donald,  Ewen,  and  Philip.  Auditor, 
R.  Stuart  M'Kay.  Special  features  of  Club — Literary  and  musical 
evenings  held  once  a  moith  during  winter  ;  essays  on  Burns's 
works,  etc.  ;  recitations  and  songs  of  Burns.  Visitors  always 
welcome  :  Secretary  will  exchange  essays  (returnable)  with  anv 
affiliated  Club. 

No.  41— DENNISTOUN  Bum.s  Club  (doimanl).  In.stiiuted  1887.  Fede- 
rated 1889.  Last  Seartary,  Jnjm  B.  .M'Into.sh,  300  Duke  Street, 
Glasgow. 

No.  42— CRIEFF  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1889.  Federated  1891.  Secre- 
tary, Wm.  Pickaid,  Meadow  Place.  Crieff. 

No.  43— GLASGOW  Northern  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Federated  1891. 
Last  Secretary,  James  Weir,  216  New  City  Road,  Glasgow. 

No.   44— FORFAR  Burns  Club  (dormanl).      Instituted  1890.     Federated  1891. 

No.  45— CUMNOCK  Pn-.rrs  Club.  Instituted  1SS7.  Federated  1891. 
Secretary,  H.  R    M'Culley,  Hazlebank,  Old  Cumnock. 

No.  46— WARWICKSHIRE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1880.  Federated 
1891.  Secretary,  Robert  Greenfield,  F.K.IT.S.,  Ranelegh 
Nursery,  Leamington. 

No.  47  — GLASGOW  St.  Rollox  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1889. 
Federated  1891. 

No.  48— PAISLEY  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1805.  Federated  1891.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Globe  Hotel,  Paisley,  first  Thursday  of  each 


162 

iiiuiul).  Inini  Oiiulicr  till  M;iv  inclusive.  President,  John  M. 
L;in!4.  M  A.,  LI,.  15.,  Kndlicid,  Meikleriggs,  Paisley";  Vice- 
president,  josluKi  Ferguson,  M.l).,  Orr  Square,  Paisley  ;  Secretary, 
Cjeorye  II.  Cockburn,  F.E.I.S.,   Si.  Ives,  Whilehaugh,  Paisley. 

No.  49— t;LASGO\V  Bridgclon  Burns  Cluli.  Instituted  1S70.  I<"ederated 
1891.  President,  Thomas  Potter,  jr.,  41  Cumberland  Street, 
Calton,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  David  Baird,  10  Stonelaw 
Terrace,  Rulherglen  ;  Secretary,  William  Cochran,  solicitor,  190 
West  George  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Assistant  Secretary,  J.  Tullis 
Cochran,  solicitor,  190  West  George  Street,  Gla.'^gow  ;  Treasurer, 
William  Rcid,  69  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow.  Directors — Peter 
White,  Andrew  Hoy,  I).  L.  Stevenson,"  William  Baird,  J.  M. 
Campbell,  CK-Bailie  Wm.  Nicol,  J-P..  G.  II.  Laird,  Dr  R.  Wilson, 
and  R.  Miller.  Special  features  of  Club — Children's  competition, 
school  class  literary  competition,  boys  and  girls  singing  competi- 
tions, school  choir  competition. 

Xo.  50— STIRLING  Burns  Club.  Instituted  icSSj.  Federated  1 89 1.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting.  Golden  Lion  Ilcjtel,  January  25th.  President, 
Bailie  Ridley  Sandeman,  22  Forth  Crescent,  Stirling  ;  Secretary, 
Alexander  Dun,  37  Murray  Place,  Stirling ;  Treasurer,  J.  S. 
Henderson,  solicitor,  Stirling.  Committee — Messrs  John  Craig, 
J.  C.  Muirhead,  Ronald  Walker,  J.  F.  Oswald,  W.  A.  Weir, 
Peter  Hunter,  Councillor  Menzies,  Alex.  Love,  Win.  Cunningham, 
1.  W.  Paterson,  J.  Crawford,  f.  A.  Gordon,  Councillor  M'Culloch, 
and  T.  L.  Reid. 

Nc.  31- CHICAGO  Caledonian  Society.  Federated  1892.  Secretary, 
Charles  T.  Spence,  3002  Wabash  Avenup,  Chicago. 

No  52— DUMFRIES  Mechanics'  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Secretary, 
James  Anderson,  55  St.  Michael  Street,  Dumfries. 

No.  53— GOVAN  Fairfield  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1886. 
Federated  23rd  September,  1892.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
4  Holm  Street,  first  Wednesday  of  months  September  to  March. 
Hon.  President,  ex-Bailie  Hugh  Lymburn  ;  Hon.  Vice-president, 
Thomas  Black  ;  President,  Thomas  Fullarton,  917  Govan  Road, 
Govan  ;  Vice-president,  Hugh  IVTarr,  37  White  Street,  Govan  ; 
Secreiaiy,  Charles  Maltman,  16  M'Kechnie  Street,  Govan.  Com- 
mittee— James  Wands  and  Donald  M'Callum. 

No.  54— PERTH  St.  Johnstone  Burns  Club.     Federated  1892. 

No.  55- DERBV  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Royal  Hotel,  9  p.m..  Friday.  President.  Councillor  G.  Innes  ; 
Vice-presidents,  J.  \}.  Seaton,  33  Renals  Street,  Derby,  and  J. 
Peacock,  Tresilian,  Duffield  Road,  Derby  ;  Secretary,  C.  D. 
Shand,  Glencairn,  Leopold  Street,  Derby.  Special  features  of 
Club^Tf)  unite  Scotsmen  and  to  foster  a  spirit  of  friend.ship,  and 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  Immortal  Bard. 

No.  56— LAPRAIK  (Muirkirk)  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated 
1893.  Place  of  meeting,  Eglinton  Arms  Hotel.  President,  Jas. 
Clark,  J. P.,  Crossfiatt,  Muirkirk  ;  Vice-president,  Thos.  Weir, 
X'ictoria  Buildings,  Main  Street,  Muirkirk  ;  Secietary,  Hugh 
Bell,  Roslyn,  Wellwood  Street,  Muirkirk  ;  Treasurer,  Andrew 
Pringle,  Linkieliurn  Cottage,  S.S.,  Muirkirk.  Committee — R. 
Bell,  II.  Cameron,  E.  Anderson,  J.  Taylor,  Geo.  Morrison. 
Special  features  of  the  Club — Anniversary  of  Burns. 


163 

No.  57— THORNLIEBANK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1891. 
Federated  1893.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Club  Room, 
occasional  and  anniversaries.  President,  Jumes  Andrew,  10 
Maxwell  Terrace,  Thornliebank  ;  Secretary,  William  B.  Dalzell, 
Speirsbridi^e,  Thornliebank  ;  Treasurer,  James  C.  Scobie.  Com- 
mittee— 15  members.  Special  features  of  the  Club— School 
children's  competition,  Scotch  concert,  annual  ouiing,  and  Club 
meetings. 

No.  58  — KIRKCALDY  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Secre/aij,  ]nhn  A. 
.Miller,  13  Quality  Street,  Kirkcaldy. 

No.  59— GOUROCK  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Fede- 
rated 1893.  Place  of  meeting.  Gamble  Institute,  Gourock. 
President,  John  M.  Adam,  Cove  Point  House,  Cove  Road, 
Gourock  ;  Vice-president,  Edward  Geddes,  Waterloo  House, 
Cove  Road,  Gourock  :  Secretary,  Robert  M'Gechan,  2  Torridon 
Terrace,  19  Cardwell  Road  Gourock.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Club  meetings,  annual  outing,  and  encouragement  of  Scottish 
literatuie. 

No.  60— WOLVERHAMPTON  Bums  Club.  Federated  1893.  Secretary, 
C.  G.  Webster,  Lichfield  Street,  Wolverhampton. 

No.  61- GLASGOW  Glencairn  Burns  Club  (dormant).     Federated  1893. 

No.  62— CUPAR  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1893.  H^^i- 
President,  H.  T.  Anstruther  :  President.  Major  W.  Anstruther- 
Gray,  .\1.P..  of  Kilmmy  ;  Vice-uresident,  the  "Rev.  J.  H.  Leckie  ; 
Secretary,  David  F.  Esplin,  Diiuace  tow  icr  Office,  Cupar-Fife; 
Treasurer,  George  While,  County  Buildings  :  Chairman  of 
Committee,  George  Innes. 

No.  63— MOSSGIEL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1893. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  45  South  Portland  Street,  Glasgow, 
first  Tuesday  of  each  month,  November  till  April,  at  8  p.m. 
I'resident,  John  W.  Black,  18  Catlicart  Road,  Glasgow  ;  Vice- 
president,  William  Patrick,  150  Cumberland  Street,  .S.S.,  Glasgow  ; 
Secretary,  Robert  Parker,  5  Barrland  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Interim 
Treasurer,  Wm.  Thomson,  186  Cumberland  Street  ;  and  seven 
members  of  Committee.  Special  features  of  Club — Annual 
celebration  of  the  birthday  of  Robert  Burns,  occasional  re-unions 
for  the  cultivation  of  social  and  intellectual  intercourse  amongst  the 
members  and  friends,  the  encouragement  of  Scottish  literature,  and 
to  have  a  sunnner  trip  to  some  of  the  places  dear  to  tlie  lovers 
of  the  Poet. 

No.  64— BEITH  Burns  Club.  Federated  12th  iJecember,  1893.  Secretary, 
Neil  M 'Innes,  (irahamsfield  Place,  Beith. 

No.  65— MUSSELBURGH  Federated  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1886  Fed- 
erated 1894.  J'lace  and  date  of  meeting.  Central  Rooms,  25th 
January,  1911,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  B  ulie  Will  Constable, 
84  Inveresk  Road,  Musselburgh  ;  Vice-President,  A.  W.  Millar, 
2  Beulah,  Musselburgh  ;  Hon.  Secretary,  Andrew  B.  Hall,  6 
Albert  Terrace,  Musselburgh  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  Wm.  Paterson, 
33  Eskside,  Musselburgh.  Committee — W.  B.  Gardiner,  Alex. 
Lauder,  Jno.  Gordon,  B.  .M  Nerval,  W.  Gowan,  W.  i\.  Dudgeon, 
James  Thom,  George  Bain,  Peter  M'Ewan.  Bard,  J.  E.  Brooks. 
Special  features  of  the  Club— Competitions  for  school  children. 
Membership  about  180. 


No.  66  CROSSGATES  Burns  Club.  Federated  1S94.  Secretary,  Robert 
Dall,  Addison's  TUiildings,  Crossgates. 

No.  67— CARLTON  Burns  Club.  In.stiluled  1894.  Federaled  r894.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  .Arcade  Cafe,  Glasgow,  8  p.m.,  October  to 
Aiiril.  President,  Robert  M'Kenzie,  Reformer  Office,  Ruther- 
glen  ;  Vice-president,  David  M.  Duff,  31  Abbolsford  Place,  Glas- 
gow ;  Secretary,  Win.  I.  Straiton,  26  .\berdour  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Donald  M'Neil,  21  University  .Street.  Gla.sgow. 
Directors — 15ailie  Catiipbell,  G.  Stark,  T.  Cameron,  Jas.  Ballan- 
tyne,  J.  Tudliope,  W.  Moffat,  ^T.A.,  Andrew  Maclure,  D. 
David.son,  W.  Thom.son,  D.  Gilmour,  W.  G.  M'Leod,  C.  W.  C. 
M'Farlane,  C.  Taylor,  J.  Robertson,  R.  Bowes,  J.  B.  Gibson, 
and  R.   Miller.     Special  features  of  Club — Literary  and  social. 

No.  68— SANDYFORD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1S94. 
Place  of  meeting.  Secretary's  Oftice,  100  W.  Regent  Street, 
Glasgow.  President,  Bailie  Malcolm  Campbell,  18  Gordon  Street, 
Gla.sgow  ;  Vice-president,  Alexander  Dulhie,  Kversley,  Newlands, 
Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  Andrew  P.  Hamilton,  writer,  100  West 
Reee't  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  James  P.  M'Phie,  6 
Bisliop  Street.  Anderston,  Glasgow.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Annual  dinner  and  dance  on  215th  January  ;  also  kcturesand  social 
and  musical  evenings  in  Giand  Hotel,  Glasgow. 

No.  69— DUNEDIN  Burns  Club.  Federated  1894.  President,  R. 
Sandilands,  (Queen's  Drive,  Musselburgh,  Dunedin,  N.Z. 

No.  70-GL.\SGOW  St.  Rollox  Jolly  Beggars  Bums  Chib  (dormant). 
Federated  1894 

No.  71  -CARLISLE  Burns  Club.  In.stituled  25th  [anuary,  1889.  Federated 
1895.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Crown  and  .Mitre  Hotel, 
Carlisle,  monthly  (Saturdays).  President,  Dr  Doughty,  Dalston, 
Carlisle  ;  Vice-Presidents,  Dr  Bird,  fames  Porteous,  F.  [ones, 
T.  Caion,  D.  Main,  G.  C.  Muir,  G.  "Morion,  Wm.  Reid,"  John 
Jardine,  and  Thomas  WeLsh.  Secretary,  Walter  A.  Mather,  Mid- 
land Bank  Chambers,  Carlisle.  Special  features  of  the  Club  - 
Literary. 

No  72  — PARTICK  Burns  Club.  I'^ederated  1895.  Secretary,  Wm.  Scott 
Wyllie,  149  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.   73— LENZIE  Burns  Club  (dormant).     Federated  1896. 

No.  74— GL.\SGOW  Mauchline  Society.  Instituted  1888.  Federated  1895. 
President,  Wm.  .M'Adam  Sharp,  275  Nithsdale  Road,  Dumbreck, 
Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  John  Taylor  Gibb,  Mauchline  ;  Secre- 
tary, Wm.  Campbell,  14  St.  Vincent  Place,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer, 
Thomas  Killin,  Claremont,  Stewarlon  Drive,  Cambusiang. 
Special  features  of  Club  — Promote  sociability  amongst  natives  of 
Mauchline  and  friends,  and  manage  the  National  Burns  .Memorial 
and  Cottage  Homes,  Mauchline. 

Nm.  75— KIRN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  251I1  January,  1892.  Federated  loih 
February,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Kirn  Hotel,  25th 
January.  President,  Councillor  James  Urummond,  Willow  Bank, 
Kirn  ;  \'ice-presidenl,  e:c-Provost  Wm.  Warner,  V'ork  Cottage, 
East  Bay,  Dunoon  ;  Secretary,  John  MacNair,  house  agent,  Kirn  ; 
Treasurer,  Councillor  Wm.  Lees,    Firny  Crag,    Kirn.     Committee 


1(55 

— Councillor  Dunbar,  James  Reid,  Alex.  Murdoch,  R.  D.  Brown, 
R.  Nicholson,  and  A.  M'Leod.  Special  features  of  Club— Singing 
and  reciting  competition  for  boys  and  girls- from  the  Works  of 
Burns  ;  debating  and  recreation  branch  every  Monday  in  Kirn 
Brae  House  ;  annual  excursion  in  September  :  anniversary  supper, 
2jih  January. 

No.  76- BRECHIN  Burns  Club.  Ins'ituted  January,  1S94.  Federated  ytb 
iMaich,  1S96.  Place  and  dale  of  inefiiny,  ?Uechanics'  Hall.  25th 
January.  I'resident,  William  Anderson,  solicitor,  2  Airlie  Street, 
Ikechin  ;  Vice-president,  Charles  Thomson,  lia'-ibank,  Brechin  ; 
Sfiretaiy,  ¥.  C.  Anderson,  10  St.  Mary  Si  reel,  Brechin.  Com- 
mittee— Edward  W.  Mowat,  James  A.  lluicheon.  J.  Scott  Lindsay, 
J.  W.  Lammond,  George  W.  Mitchell,  and  George  Henderson. 

No.  77— PAISLEY  Tannaliill  (Glenifter)  Hums  Club.  Instituted  1892. 
Federated  1S96.  Secretary,  Thomas  Campbell,  19  Kilnside  Road, 
Paisley. 

No.  78— GLASGOW  Ardgowan  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1S93. 
Federated  1896.  Secreiaiy,  John  Fuirley,  1(0  Cathcart  Street, 
Kingston,  Glasgow. 

No.  79— CORSTORPHINE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  18S7.  Federated 
1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Public  Hall,  Corstorphine,  25th 
January,  March,  and  November.  President,  J.  E.  Cowan, 
J.  P.,  Bank  of  Scotland,  Corstorphine  ;  Vice-president,  James  R. 
Watson,  Romano,  Corstorphine  ;  Secretary,  W.  Wilson, 
C.E.,  7  Bellgrave  Place,  Corstorphine;  Bard,  Rev.  James  Fergus- 
son.  Committee — 8  members.  Special  features  of  Club — Two 
quarterly  meetings,  at  which  a  paper  is  read,  and  afterwards 
social,  Burns's  songs,  etc.  ;  anniversary  festival,  25th  January. 

No.  8o^DUNOON  Cowall  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S96.  Federated  1896. 
Secretary,  Walter  Grieve,  James  Place,  Dunoon. 

No.  81— CARSTAIRS  Junction  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S96.  Federated 
1896.  Secretary,  William  Neill,  Burnside  Cottages,  Carstairs 
Junction. 

No.  82— ARBROATH  Bums  Club.  Instituted  1888.  Federated  1896. 
Secretary,  Harry  Lorimer,  solicitor,  25  Market  Place,  Arbroath. 

No.  83^GLASGOW  Co-operative  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S96.  Fede- 
rated 1896.  President,  J.  leffrey  Hunter.  109  Bath  Street, 
Glasgow  ;  Secretaiy,  H.  Kelly,  Greenlodge  Terrace,  Greenhead, 
Glasgow. 

No.   84— ABINGTON  Burns  Club  (dormant).      Federated  1896. 

No.  85— DUNFERMLINE  United  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1812.  Fede- 
rated I2th  November,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Royal 
Hotel,  Dunfermline,  25th  January.  President,  Wm.  Black, 
Charlestown,  Dunfermline  ;  Vice-president,  P.  Donald,  East  Port 
Street,  Dunfermline  ;  Secretary,  P.  Paterson,  23  Bruce  Street, 
Dunfermline.  Committee— A.  T.  Wilkie,  W.  D.  Imrie,  Wm. 
Robertson,  Thomas  Don,  Bailie  Jas.  Stewart.  J.  C.  Craig,  Andrew 
Lyon,  Wm.  Fitzpatrick,  R.  Taylor,  Jas.  Rodger. 

12 


166 

No.  S6— CUMNOCK  Winsome  Willie.  Instituted  1856.  Federated  12th 
November,  1896.  Place  of  meeting,  Hotel  Royal,  occasionally. 
President,  George  Begg,  Back  Row,  Lugar,  l)y  Cumnock  ;  \'ice- 
president,  William  Mitchell,  Strand,  Cumnock  ;  Secretary,  Hugh 
Campbell,  43  Barrhill  Road,  Cumnock  ;  Treasurer,  Gilbert 
M'Kissock,  kilnholm  Place,  Cumnock.  Committee— Robert 
Hislop,  William  Hislop,  Douglas  Clark,  James  M'Crindle,  Hugh 
M'Crindle,  James  Logan,  Andrew  Hart,  and  William   M'Kie. 

No.  87— CAM rSIE  Burns  Club.  Insiituied  1890.  Federated  1896.  Place 
of  meeting,  Lenno-\  Arms.  Sccrc/aiv,  R.  W.  Robertson,  Russell 
Place,  Lennoxtown. 

No.  88— GLASGOW  Caledonian  Burns  Club.  Instituted  October,  1896. 
Federated  2nd  March,  1897.  Place  of  meeting,  25  Caledonia 
Road.  Secretary,  John  Muirhead,  c/o  Drunmiond,  136  Roselea 
1  'rive,  Glasgow. 

No.  89— SUNDERLAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1897.  Federated 
April,  1897.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Palatine  Hotel,  2nd  and 
4lh  Wednesd.ays,  October  to  March,  2nd  Wednesday  April,  May, 
September — 8  p.m.  President,  W.  A.  Culshaw,  119  High  Street, 
W.  Sunderland;  Vice-president,  M.  M'Kay,  12  Frederick  Street, 
Sunderland;  Sec)eiary,y\..  Neilsoii,  i4Whickham  Street,  E.  Sunder- 
land ;  Treasurer,  A.  W.  Semple  ;  Librarian,  G.  Mackay;  Auditor, 
W^  P.  Eastwood  ;  Pianist,  C.  Pelrie  ;  Hon.  Piper,  G.  Murray. 
Committee — W.  II.  Turner,  D.  Condie,  W^  P.  Eastwood,  M. 
MacLennan,  and  G.  Murray.  Special  features  of  the  Club — 
Anniversary  dinner,  Scottish  concert,  ftapers  and  lectures, 
visitation  of  clubs,  and  interest  in  the  \vell-l)eing  of  .Scotsmen  in 
and  around  Sunderland,      \isitors  cordially  welcomed. 

No.  90  -  GARELOCHHEAD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  i8lh  Novemlier,  1S95. 
Federated  21st  May,  1897.  Place  of  meeting,  the  Hotel,  Gare- 
lochhead.  President,  Rev.  John  Patterson,  Tine  Manse,  Gareloch- 
head  ;  Vice-president,  David  Starl<,  Anchorage,  Gareloch- 
head  ;  Secretary,  John  Douglas,  Dahlandhui,  Garelochhead. 

No.  91— SHETTLESTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1897.  Federated  1897. 
Place  of  meeting,  Loudoun  Arms  Hf)ie],  Duke  Street,  Glasgow. 
President,  County  Councillor  W.  J.  Grant,  i  Beechwood  Terrace, 
Sandyhills,  Shetlleston;  Vice-president,  R.  H.  Milholm,  Sommer- 
ville  Place,  Glasgow  ;  Sec7-etary,  Hugh  'S'.  Reid,  209  Main  Street, 
Shettleston  ;  Treasurer,  Thos.  Barrie,  Hasplaw,  Shettleslon. 

No.  92— KILBOWIE  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted  August,  1897. 
Federated  September,  1897.  Place  and  time  of  meeting,  Cro.ss 
Restaurant,  Clydebank,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  Alex.  M'Donald, 
53  Montrose  Street,  Kilbowie  ;  Vice-president,  William  .Allan  ; 
Secretary,  Peter  Delacourt,  46  Crown  Avenue.  Radnor  Park, 
Kilbowie;  Pianist,  John  Cusick.  Committee — D.  M'Williams, 
1).  M'Farlane,  T.  Walters,  Wm.  Paterson,  I).  J.  Clark,  John 
Stewart,  Alexander  Lockhart,  and  Alexander  Davidson. 

N,,.  93— CLYDEBANK  Burns  Club  (dormant).      Federated  1897. 

No.  94— UPHALL  Tarn  o'  Shanter  Burns  Club.     Federated  1897. 

No.  95— BOLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  September,  1881.  Federated 
1897.  Secretary,  Chas.  H.  Mallison,  Oaklands,  .Seymour  Road, 
Bolton. 


167 

No.  96— JEDIJURGII  Burns  Club.  liisULuled  1869.  Federaled  1897. 
Seartary,  Peter  Telfer,  58  Castlegate,  Jedburgh. 

No.  97— KILMARNOCK  Bellfield  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1895.  Fede- 
rated 189S.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Bellfield  Tavern,  first 
Friday  of  month,  at  8  p.m.  President,  John  Borland,  Megland, 
S.  Andrews  Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Vice-president,  Alex.  Rodger, 
68  S.  Andrews  Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Secretary,  R.  Ritchie,  1 1 
Welbeck  Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Treasurer,  T.  Neilson,  Paxtoii 
Street.  Committee— James  Neilson,  W.  Brown,  James  Fccles,  J. 
I^indsay,  and  G.  Benham.  Special  features  of  Club — Socinl 
intercourse  amongst  the  members  and  kindred  clubs  :  celebration 
of  the  Poet's  birth  ;  meetings  for  the  reading  of  literary  papers 
relative  to  the  life  and  \V(3rks  of  Burns,  and  kindred  subjects. 

No.  98— LANARK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1891.  Federated  17th  January, 
1898.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Market  Hotel,  quarterly  meetings. 
President,  Thomas  Lithgow,  Fuirowflat,  Lanark  ;  \'ice-president, 
William  Brown,  Ruliislaw,  Lanark  ;  Seo-elaiy,  John  Ross, 
Caledonian  House,  Lanark  ;  Treasurer,  Robtit  Martin.  Com- 
mittee— Jas.  Elylh,  R.  Flemington,  W.  Fergus,  G.  C.  Arnot,  A. 
Neilson,  and  James  M.  Cassels.  Special  features  of  Club — Burns 
competition  to  be  held  annually  amongst  the  children  attending 
schools.      50  members. 

No.  99 — BARLINNIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1893. 
Federated        20tii        January,         1898.  Place      of       meeting, 

Barlinnie.  President,  Ca]3t.  R.  P.  II.  Munro  ;  Vice-president, 
Dr  W.  J.  H.  Sinclair,  M.B.,  CM.  ;  Secretai  y,.\.  Mackay,  Officers' 
Quarters.  Barlinnie  ;  Treasurer,  A.  Rein.  Committee — G.  I). 
Stoliie,  D.  Gardiner,  j.  Murray,  and  J.  M'(,)uakcr.  Director  of 
Entertainments,  T.  Wilkie.  Delegates  — 1).  G.  Stobie,  G.  D.  D. 
Geekie,  A.  M'Kay.     Auditors,  J.  Scott  and  A.   Chisholm. 

No.  100— HAMILTON  Mossgiel  Burns  Clnb.  Instituted  1892.  Federated 
4th  April,  1898.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel, 
Hamilton,  first  Tuesday  in  the  month,  at  8.15  p.m.  President, 
John  D.  Lightbody,  Ardenlea,  Portland  Park,  Hamilton  ;  Vice- 
president,  George  Thorpe,  2  Park  View,  Portland  Park,  Hamilton  ; 
Secretary  James  Wilson,  18  Avon  Street,  Hamilton  ;  Treasurer, 
William  Hamilton,  Burnfoot,  Hamilton.  Committee — Hugh 
Mair,  Wm.  Maxwell,  John  Campbell,  Wm.  Ijjndshaw,  Tames 
Bell,  Wm.  Stewart,  and  Arch.  Claik,  juii. 

No.  loi— MOTHERWELL  Workmen's  Burns  Clul'.  Federated  1898. 
Secretary,  John  King,  128  Muir  Street,  Motherwell. 

No.  102— CARLISLE  Border  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  189S. 
Last  Secretary,  ^Vndrew  Rafell,  36  London  Road,  Carlisle. 

No.  103— COALBURN  Burns  Club.  Federated  189S.  Secretary,  John 
Woodburn,  Coalburn  Inn,  Coalburn. 

No.  104— DUMFRIES  Oak  Burns  Club.  Federated  1898.  Secretary, 
Thomas  Haining,  jun.,  26  Swan's  Vennel,  Dumfries. 

No.  105— RUTHERGLEN  Cronies  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896  Federated 
1898.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Burnhill  Rest,  last  Friday  of 
every  month.  President,  William  Stewart,  24  West  Muir  Place, 
Rutherglen  ;    Vice-president,  James  Robertson,    12  Chapel  Street, 


168 

KuUiert;leii  ;  Sciitfair,  Robert  M'Lulchie,  12  Wallace  Slreet, 
Rmheiiilen  ;  Treasurer,  Samuel  Stevenson,  60  Burnhill  Slreet, 
Kutliers;len.  Committee  A.  Anderson,  R.  Ferguson,  A. 
M'llveen,  J.  Palerson,  and  William   Donaldson. 

No.  106— HROXBURN  Roseherv  TUitns  Clnl).  Federated  189S.  Secre/ajy, 
Joseph  Millar,  Ashfield  Huildini^s,  Uphall. 

Jvo.  107— GLASGOW  Mulchesontown  Ikuns  Cluh  (dormani).  Federated 
1898. 

No.  108— EAST  C.\LDER  and  District  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
February  3rd,  1S97.  Federated  June  7th,  1899.  Place  and  date 
of  meelini:.  Grapes  Inn,  East  Calder,  at  S  o'clock.  President, 
William  Noung,  Merchant,  East  Calder;  Vice-President,  James 
Millar,  Limekilns  Farm,  East  Calder  ;  Secretary,  George  Young, 
Limefield  Cottage,  Fast  Calder  :  Treasurer,  James  Robertson. 
Special  features  of  Club — To  study  Burns  and  his  works. 

Xo.  109— GLASGOW  Caledonia  Burns  Club.  Instituted  September,  1S98. 
Federated  24th  March,  1899.  Secretary,  William  Galloway,  77 
I'reston  Street,  Govanhill,  Glasgow. 

Xo.  110— CA.MBUSLANG  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1850.  Federated  1898. 
Secretary,  James  Robertson,  Monkcastle  Drive,  Canibuslang. 

No.  Ill— SOUTH  EDINBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1879.  Federated 
1899.     Secretary,  John  .S.  T.  Walker,  i  Sumnierbank,  Edinburgh. 

No.  112— DUMFRIES  Burns  HowftClub.  Instituted  18S9.  Federated  loth 
August,  1899.  Pkice  of  meeting.  Globe  Hotel,  High  Street. 
Hon.  President,  J.  W.  Howat,  St.  Michael's  Terrace,  Dumfries  j 
President,  James  Bell,  English  Slreet,  Dumfries;  \'ice-president, 
E.  Campbell,  Henry  Street,  Dumfries;  Secretary,  Jno.  Connor, 
61  St.  Michael  Street,  Dumfries  ;  Treasurer,  T.  Robertson, 
Dockhead,  Dumfries;  Auditor,  J.  Grierson,  Nellieville  Terrace, 
Maxwelllowii.  Committee — T.  Craig.  T.  Batey,  A.  Cochrane,  T. 
Draflfan,  J.  Houston,  R.  Kerr,  J.  Maxwell,  and  T.  Robertson. 

No.  113— VALE  OF  LEX'ENGIencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S97.  Feder- 
ated 1899.  Place  and  time  of  meeting,  .Albert  Hotel,  Alexandria, 
last  Saturday  of  each  month,  at  7.30.  Hon.  President — William 
White,  44  Bridge  Street,  Alexandria  ;  President,  Hugh  M'\'ean, 
Mossgiel,  Dalmonach  Road,  Bonhill  ;  A'ice-president,  James 
M'Innes,  Napierston  Terrace,  Jamestown  ;  Secretaiy,  Daniel 
Macmillan,  38  W'ilson  Street,  Alexandria ;  Treasurer,  W^illiam 
Smith,  Bridge  Square,  Alexandria.  Committee — Daniel  .MInnes, 
John  M'Gowan,  Thomas  Peters,  and  Walter  Clark.  Special 
"features  of  Club — Celebration  of  the  25th  Jaiuuu}-,  summer  outing, 
and  occasionally  short  papers  by  members, 

No.  114— BRODICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1899.  Federated  1900. 
Secretaiy,  John  S.  Currie,  I-irodick. 

No.  115— KIPPEN  and  District  liurns  Club.  Instituted  2ist  July,  1S96. 
F'ederated  20th  January,  1900.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting, 
Gillespie  Hall;  Annual  Meet  ng.  Novemberi2.  President,  Thomas 
-Syme,  Middle  Kerse,  Kippen  .Station,  by  .Stirling  ;  Vice-president, 
Andrew  Main,.Strewiebank.  Kippen  Station,  by  .'Stirling;  ^ecie^ary, 
Archd.     M'Di.irmid.     Woodsid^,     Kippen     Station,    by    Stirling. 


169 

Committee— [as.  M'Ewen,  Peter  Watson,  J'jhn  M'Lean,  John 
M.  Syme,  David  Wilson,  Robert  Jackson,  Sam  Thompson,  Robert 
Seekie,  Thomas  Ingles,  Alexr.  M'Diarmid,  and  George  M'Queen. 
Special  features  of  the  Club— To  promote  a  knowledge  of  the  life 
and  works  of  Burns,  and  establish  a  fund  for  the  cultivation  and 
learning  of  the  works  of  Burns  and  Scottish  literature  among  the 
schoolchildren  of  our  district,  and  having  competitions  for  which 
handsome  prizes  are  given. 

No.  ii6— GREENLOANING  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1SS9.  Federated 
1900.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Greenloaning  Inn,  25th 
January.  President,  Thomas  Stewart,  The  Braes,  Greenloaning, 
Braco  ;  Vice-president,  Francis  Sands,  Glenbank  Farm,  Green- 
loaning, Braco ;  Secretary,  James  Bayne,  Kinbuck,  Dunblane. 
Committee— J.  M'Naugh'ton,' G.  Robertson,  J.  :\ITlldowie,  J.  C. 
Couper,  R.  Taylor. 

No.  117— GLASGOW  Southern  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1S99. 
Federated  1900. 

No.  i]8— GLASGOW  Albany  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Federated  1900. 
Place  of  meeting,  Trades'  House  Restaurant,  89  (jlassford  Street, 
Glasgow.  Honorary  President,  Professor  John  Glaister,  M.  D. ; 
President,  James  Raeside,  125  North  John  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  Andrew  Black.  R.S.W.,  69  St.  Vincent  Street, 
Glasgow,  and  John  R.  Mirrlees,  27  Woodend  Drive,  JTordanhill, 
Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  Robert  (yarmichael,  89  Elderslie  Street, 
Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  Alexander  Gray,  67  Great  Hamilton  Street, 
Glasgow.  Directors — G.  W.  Gillies,  R.  K.  Philson,  John  Grant, 
R.  D.  Donaldson,  P.  M'Fryde,  and  W.  G.  Hay.  Pa"st  Presidents 
—  Robert  Goodall,  J.  Wilson  Bain,  James  Taylor,  Thomas 
Kennedy,  |ohn  Brown,  N.  Macwhannell,  and  John  A.  Headrick. 
Special  features  of  Club — Lectures  and  harmony,  and  to  cultivate 
a  knowledge  of  the  works  of  Burns  among  school  children,  in  con- 
nection with  which  a  compel ii ion  is  held  yearly,  and  medals  and 
volumes  given  to  the  successful  competitors.  Membeiship  limited 
to  150. 

No.  119— BONHILL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Federated  1900. 
Secretary,  George  Moir,  75  Dillichip  Loan,  ISonhill. 

No.  120— BRISTOL  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted  1S20.  Federated  19CO. 
President,  Aid.  H.  W.  Twiggs,  J. P.,  N'ictoria  Street,  Bristol  ; 
Secretary,  A.  J.  Gardner,  C.A.,  4  St.  Stephen's  Chambers,  Bristol  ; 
Treasurer,  W.'  Armour,  Castle  Green,  Bristol.  Special  feature  of 
Club — Benevolent. 

No.  121— HAMILTON  Junior  Burns  Club.  Instituted  September,  1886. 
Federated  April,  igor.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Robert  Bell's, 
Union  Street.  Hamilton,  Monday,  8  p.m.  President,  James 
Brown,  61  (Quarry  Street,  Hamilton  :  Vice-iircsident,  John 
M'Intyre,  17  Kemp  Street,  Hamilton;  .SV,vvA7;  r,  William  Wilson, 
27  Duke  Street,  Hamilton;  Treasurer.  John  SieAart  ;  Minute 
Secretary,  Archibald  Thomson  ;  Steward,  James  Gourlay.  Com- 
mittee—A.  Dickson,  J.  M'Millan,  C.  Stewart.  Special  features 
of  Club — Reading  of  essays  on  various  subjects,  concerts,  competi- 
lions,  summer  rambles,  and  social  evenings. 


170 

No.  122 -DAKNCOXXKR  Aini"s  Moss  Durns  Cluln  Insiiuiied  igcx). 
T'edeiated  41I1  November,  1901.  I'lace  of  meeling,  Sorn. 
I'resident,  Ilutrh  Sloan,  71  Walker  Row,  Aucliinleck  ;  Vice- 
President,  Andrew  Neil.  90  Darnconner,  Aucliinleck  ;  Secretary, 
.Andrew  Sievenson,  (ilenlos^an,  iMaiichline.  Committee — Hugh 
Re\  nulds,  John  Lyons,  John  Morion,  janies  Naismith. 

No.  123— .\UCliINLKCK  Boswell  I^urns  Clul).  Instituted  loth  December, 
1901.  Federated  loih  December,  1901.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting,  Boswell  Arms,  last  Saturday  of  every  month.  President, 
Matthew  Wallace,  Coal  Road,  Auchinleck  :  "\'ice-president,  George 
M'Comb,  Shilock  Terrace,  Auchinleck  ;  Secretary,  William  Hall, 
High  Hou.se,  Auchinleck  ;  Hon.  Presidents— W.  T-  W.  Morton, 
W.  Wilson,  J. P.,  and  W.  J.  Grahame.  Special  features  of  Club — 
To  meet  and  study  the  works  and  ideals  of  Kabbie  Burns. 

No.  124— EDINHL'RCIH  Ninety  Burns  Club.  Instituied  1S90.  Federated 
1S92.  Place  of  meeting,  various.  President,  Robert  Burns 
Brown,  44  Hanover  Street  ;  Vice-president,  James  Hewat,  37 
Forrest  Road  ;  Secretary,  G.  VV.  Taylor,  39  George  l\.  Bridge  ; 
Treasurer,  John  Munro.  85  Shandwick  Place.  Committee — Or 
W.  D.  Osier,  John  Currie,  H.  Campbell  (iranl,  J.  C.  Scott,  J. 
Augustus  Beddie.  Special  features  of  Club — Annual  dinner, 
dance,  summer  outing. 

No.  125-BLACKHLRN-OX-ALMOND  Rabbie  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
1900.  Federated  1902.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Almond  Inn, 
first  Thursday  of  month  from  October  to  .\pril.  President,  Alex. 
Gardiner,  Margaret's  Cottages,  Blackburn,  Bathgate  :  Vice- 
president,  George  Greig,  Turf  Inn,  Blackburn,  Bathgate  ; 
Secreiaiy,  Peter  Brutin,  8  Paul's  Buildings,  Blackburn,  Bathgate  ; 
Treasurer,  Jo-eph  Fleming.  Committee— James  Robb,  Sam. 
Boslock,  James  Middleton,  Robert  Carlyle,  and  T.  Wallace. 
Special  features  of  Club — Annual  dinner  on  January  25th  and 
social  last  P'riday  in  March,  with  singing  and  reciting  competitions 
on  Burns's  works  for  school  children. 

No.  126— F.VLKIRK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  uS66.  Federated  1902. 
Place  of  meeting,  Maihieson's  Rooms,  High  Street.  President, 
Dr  Dugald  Mitchell,  J. P.,  Dunoran,  Camelon,  Falkirk  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  Sheriff  Moffat,  Arnotdale,  and  e.x-Provost  Christie, 
Elmbank  ;  Secretary,  H.  B.  Watson,  121  High  Street,  Falkirk  ; 
Treasurer,     R.     S.     .\itchison,     solicitor.  Committee — F.     I). 

P'erguson,  T.  C.  Wade,  Jas.  M.  Wilson,  F.  Johnston,  and  A. 
C.  Mackay.  Special  features  of  Club — .Annual  dinner  on  25th 
January  ;  half-yearly  literary  meetings  open  to  lady  friends  ; 
annual  excursion  to  places  associated  with  Burns. 

No.  127— (X)WDhNBE.\TH  Ilaggis  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1903. 
Federated  7th  November,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Foulford  Rooms,  every  alternate  Tuesday,  at  7  p.m.  President, 
William  Miller,  (Slenview,  P'oulford  Road,  Cowdenbeath  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  John  Bain,  Hall  Street,  and  Sam.  White,  c/o  John  Bain, 
Hall  Street  ;  Secretary,  James  Petrie  Glen,  16  Poulford  Road, 
Cowdenbeath.  Committee  -D.  Jamieson,  T.  Lark,  II.  Pinlip, 
and  A.  Campbell. 


171 

No.  12S— GLENCAIRN  (Cowdenbeath)  Burns  CUih.  Instituted  1898. 
Federated  14th  May,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Raith 
Anns  Inn,  Friday,  at  7  p.m.  Hon.  President,  Peler  White; 
President,  David  Smith,  Rose  Street  ;  Vice-president,  Thos. 
Wilson,  Auriher's  Street;  Secretary,  Wm.  Breingan,  Raith  Arms 
Inji  ;  Treasurer,  Tom  Ferguson.  Committee — Alex.  Thomson, 
Peter  Banks.  Jas.  Gillind,  fohn  Banks,  Jas.  Bonnar.  Special 
leatiires  of  CIuU — To  keep  alive  tlie  memory  of  Scotland's  greatest 
Bard,  Robert  Burns. 

No.  129— GORBALS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1902.  Federated  nth  June, 
1903.  President,  Bailie  Archibald  Campbell,  Albert  Drive, 
Pollokshields  ;  Vice-president,  James  Milligan,  2  South  Portland 
Street  ;  Secretary,  .Andrew  Ailken,  solicitor,  212  Bath  Street, 
Glasgow.  Special  features  of  Club — To  foster  the  study  of  Burns's 
works. 

No.  130 — ROW  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  February,  1902.  Federated 
1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Colquhoun  Arms,  January, 
yune,  and  October,  at  8  p  m.  President,  Major  John  M'Farlane, 
I  West  Clyde  Street,  Helensburgh;  Vice-presidents,  N.  M.  M'Le(5d, 
Fiunary,  Shandon  ;  Captain  G.  S.  Deverell,  R.N.,  Clyde  Training 
Ship  "  Empress,"  Row  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Sloan,  Greenside 
Cottage,  Row  ;  Treasurer,  George  Walker,  Laggray  Lodge,  Row. 
Special  features  of  club — Social  intercourse  among  its  members. 

No.  131  -  NOTTINGHAM  Scottish  Association.  Instituted  October,  1902. 
Federated  November,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Mechanics'  Institution,  Room  75,  2nd  and  4th  Tuesdays,  October 
to  March  inclusive,  at  8  p.m.  President,  John  Crawford,  The  Old 
Rectory,  Bulwell  ;  Vice-presidents,  Dr  J.  Smith,  Raleigh  Street  ; 
N.  C.  Stewart,  8  Newstead  Grove  ;  Treasurer,  G.  E.  Bain,  The 
Capital  and  Counties  Bank,  Ltd.,  Market  Place  ;  Se  retary,  J.  G. 
Simpson,  loi  Portland  Road.  Council — J.  Chapman,  J.  Currie, 
Dr  W.  Hunter,  M.  J.  Kay,  D.  Macadie,  A.  C.  .Vlacdonald,  D. 
Macgregor,  J.  M'Meeking,  E.  Merson,  Dr  j.  Mdler,  G.  A. 
Mitchell,  Dr  T-  Watson,  A.  C.  Watt,  and  A.  W.  Whyte.  Auditors, 
T.  II.  Inglisand  A.  M'Gougan. 

No.  132— RICCARTOX  Kirk^,tyle  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1904. 
Federated  l6tb  Nrvember,  1904.  Secretary,  Arclid.  X'oung.  88 
Campbell  Sircct,  Riccarlon. 

No.  133— NEWARTHILL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  26ih  September,  1903. 
Federated  28ih  March,  1904.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Miss 
Janet  Wipers,  last  Saturday  every  month.  President,  John 
Henshaw,  North  Road,  Newarthill,  Motherwell  ;  Vice-president, 
Thomas  Nimmo,  Co-operative  Buildings,  Newarthill,  Motherwell  ; 
Secretary,  William  Moore,  Big'^ar  Road,  Newarthill,  Motherwell  ; 
Treasurer,  George  Cook,  Voung's  Place,  Newarthill,  Motherwell. 
Committee— T.  Crombie,  J.  Lafferty,  A.  M'Given,  H.  Moore, 
and  W.  M'Kissock.  Special  features  of  the  Club— To  promote 
social  intercourse  among  its  members  by  means  of  songs,  recitations, 
essays,  &c. 

No.  134— "THE  HERON"'  Burns  Club,  Duntocher.  Instituted  i8th 
November,  1897.  P>derated  7th  April,  1904.  Secretary,  K.  R. 
Chalmers,  Main  Street,  Duntocher. 


172 

No.  135— PAKTICK  VVesiciii  Uiirns  Cliih.  Insiilulcd  1903.  Federated 
1904.  riaco  ofnu-elinj;,  Windsor  Restauianl,  I'ariick.  I'resident, 
Daniel  Menzies  ;  Vice-president,  Isaac  Hislop  ;  Secretary,  James 
Gilchrist,  6  Dudley  Drive,  Partick  ;  lion.  Treasurer,  James 
Webster.  Committee— H.  M 'Coll,  A.  Fer.ujuson,  M.  Bertram,  J. 
A.  Biggs,  F.  Jones,  J.  M'Barnet,  J.  L.  D.  M'Cay,  B.  C. 
M'Donald,  D.  M'Neisli,  A.  Monat,  Jas.  Newall,  Jno.  Roy,  W. 
A.  Roberison,  D.  Simpson,  J.  D.  Smith,  A.  A.  Stewart,  Jno. 
Stewart,  E.  Gough.  jas.  Waison,  jun.,  D.  Davidson,  and  John 
Grant.  Special  feature  of  Club — Meet  once  a  month  for  lectures 
throughout  the  .session. 

No.  136— HAMILTON  Royal  Oak  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1S9S.  Federated 
6th  June,  1904.  Seitr/ary,  Robert  Brownlic,  7  Downie  Street, 
Lowwaters,  Han^ilton. 

No.  137— IPSWICH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  I2th  Feb.,  1902.  Federated 
1st  November,  1904.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Fox  Hotel, 
Ipswich,  first  Tuesday  of  every  month,  at  8  p.m.  President, 
Wm.  Morrison  ;  \'ice-president,  James  Campbell  ;  Secretary,  S. 
Dobbin,  Fox  Hotel,  Brock  Street,  Ipswich. 

No.  138— CLELAND  Burns  Club.  Instiiuled  19th  October,  1904.  Fede- 
rated 22nd  November,  1904.  Secretary,  Robert  M'Millan, 
Hornshill,  Cleland. 

No.  139— NATIONAL  Burns  Club,  Ltd.  Instituted  1904.  Federated  1904. 
Place  of  meeting,  Club  Rooms,  93  Douglas  Street.  President, 
John  Carmichael,  27  Blythswt)od  Drive  :  Vice-president,  Peter 
Glrtsse,  185  liyers  Road  ;' Seo-etary  ami  Treasurer,  Joseph  Martin, 
solicitor,  163  West  George  Street. 

No.  140— POLLOKSHAWS  Burns  Club.  Insiituied  1S65.  Federated 
1905.  Place  of  meeting.  Burgh  Halls,  Pollokshaws.  President, 
County  Councillor  Andrew  M 'Galium.  35  Harriet  Street  ;  Vice- 
president,  George  C.  Mearns.  Auldfield  Place  ;  Secretary,  James 
Milne,  Burgh   Halls,  Polloksliaws. 

No.  141— STONEHOUSE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1904.  Federated  1905. 
Place  of  meeting.  Buck's  Head  Inn.  .SVivr/a;;;',  James  Graham, 
58  New  Sireet,  Stoiiehouse. 

No.  i42~BONNYBRIDGE  Bums  Club.  Instituted  loih  January,  1905. 
Federated  22nd  February,  1905.  ."secretary,  John  Towers,  Allan- 
hill  Cottage,  Bonnybridge. 

No.  143— AIRDRIE  Galeside  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  Novenilier,  1904. 
Federated  1st  May.  1905.  Secretary,  Alex.  W.  Ritchie,  Lajrel 
Bank,  Queen  Victoria  Street,  Airdrie. 

No.  144— LARBERT  and  STENHOUSEMUIR  Temperance  Burns  Club. 
Instituted  1904.  P'ederated  1905,  Secretary,  Jolm  Richardson, 
Annslea,  South  Broomage,  Larbert. 

No.  145— GLASGOW  Central  Burns  Club  and  Literature  Institute,  Limited. 
Instituted  1905.  Federated  August,  1905.  Place  of  Meeting,  42 
Argyle  Sireet.  Secretary,  W.  I).  M'Laren,  42  Argyle  Street, 
Glasgow. 


17:^ 

No.  146— DUBLIN  Burns  CUilj.  Instituted  1905.  Federated  1905.  Patron, 
Mis  Excellency  the  Karl  of  Aberdeen,  K.P.,  K.T.,  Lord 
Lieutenant  of  Ireland  ;  President,  Thomas"  A.  Stoddart,  16 
Northumberland  Road  ;  Vice-president,  John  Beatty,  2  Harry 
Street  ;  Seciefary,  John  Farquhar,  21  Windsor  Avenue.  F'airview, 
]~)ublin  :  Treasurer,  Alex.  Lyon,  ill  Botanic  Road,  Glasnevin  ; 
Auditors,  Messrs  John  Bigi^ar  and  J.  B.  Taylor. 

No.  147- STONEIIOUSE  Haggis  Burns  Club.  Eederaled  28th  October, 
1905.     Secretary,  R.   Whitelaw,  22  Camnethan  Street,  Stonehouse. 

No.  14S— GREENOCK  Cronies  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1899. 
Federated  9th  November,  1905.  Place  of  meeting.  Shepherds' 
Hall,  Cathcart  Street.  President,  Angus  Mitchell,  18  Wellington 
Street,  Greenock  ;  Vice-president,  William  Trottar,  S  Brisbane 
Street,  Greenock  ;  Secretary.,  Hugh  Cammack,  28  Lynedoch 
Street,  Greenock  ;  Treasurer,  William  Burnside,  25  Bruce  Street, 
Greenock.  Special  features  of  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of 
Robert  Burns  and  foster  a  love  for  his  writings,  and  generally  to 
promote  good-fellowship. 

No.  149 — ELGIN  Burns  Club.  Resuscitated  1900.  Federated  1905.  Secre- 
faiy,  John  Foster,  Sheriff-Clerk  of  Elginshire  ;  Treasurer,  John  B. 
Mair,"  Chief-Constable,  Elgm. 

No.  150— KILMARNOCK  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1905. 
Federated  1905.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  "Wee  Thack,'' 
Grange  Street,  first  Monday  of  each  month  and  every  Saturday 
night  at  7.45.  Hon.  Presidents — Arch.  Laird,  Alex.  Kerr,  and 
Andrew  Sinclair,  P.C.  ;  President,  Alex.  Begg,  jun.,  4i  Nursery 
Street  ;  Vice-president,  John  Douglas,  65  King  Street  ;  Secre- 
tary, R.  J.  Green,  58  Park  Street.  Special  features  of  Club — To 
keep  in  touch  with  Burns  and  foster  the  spirit  "  Shall  brithers  be 
for  a' that."  Also  lectures  during  the  months  of  September  and 
April  inclusive,  and  rambles  during  the  months  of  May  to  August 
inclusive  ;  and  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  liis  birtli  in  supper, 
sung,  and  sentin.ent. 

No.  151— OLD  KILPATRICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1904. 
Federated  20th  [anuary,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Gentles'  Hall,  monthly  meeting,  8  p.m.  President,  Hugh  Miller, 
Hillview,  Station  Road,  Old  Kilpauick  :  \  ice-president,  Robert 
Newlands,  Gavinhurn  Terrace,  (  )1(1  Kilpairick  :  Secretary, 
Robert  Smith,  Maryville,  Old  Kirkpainck  ;  Treasurer,  John 
Brock,  Dalnottar  Terrace,  Old  Kilpatrick.  Special  features  of 
Club — Course  of  lectures,  children's  singing  and  recitation  com- 
petition, general  study  of  Burns's  works,  i\:c. 

No.  152— HAMILTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1877.  Federated  1906. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Commeiciul  Hotel,  Hamilton,  during 
winter  as  arranged.  I'resident,  William  Gunn,  Mminda,  Hamil- 
ton ;  Vice-president.  James  D.  Rankin,  Rockburn,  Hamilton  ; 
Secretary,  John  Main,  Almada  Street.  Hamilton  ;  Treasurer,  W. 
Martin  Kay,  Craigton  Lodge,  Hamilton.  Special  features  of 
Club — Lectures  at  meetings  ;  prizes  offered  for  competition  in  the 
Burgh  Schools  for  proficiency  in  Scottish  literatine. 

No.  153— SCOTTISH  Burns  Clu1),  Instituted  January  25th,  1904.  Fede- 
rated 2nd  March,    igo6.      Place  and   date   of  meeting,   60    Union 


174 

S.reel,  Glasgow,  VVatldel's  Rooms,  first  Tluusday  of  each  month. 
1  "resident,  Mr  John  S.  Gilchrisl,  20  Marlljorough  Ciardens,  Old 
Cathcan  ;  \'ice-presiilents,  Dr  James  Devon.  6  Cathedral  Square, 
and  Ninean  M'Whannell,  1366  Tollokshaws  Road;  Secretary,  W. 
Roljcrtson  Wilson,  6  Ralston  Drive,  Ihrox,  Glasgow.  Committee 
— ^John  K.  M'Dowall,  J.  1'.,  and  Thomas  Devlin.  Special  features 
of  Clul) — Burnsiana,  social,  lectures,  etc. 

No.  154— JOn.ANNESBURG  Bums  Club.  Insiituied  1900.  Federated 
1906.  Secretary,  Riciiard  Rusk,  solicitor,  Natal  Bank  Buildings, 
>Iarket  Square,  Johannesiiurg. 

^'o-  155— K.\ST  STIRLINGSHIRE  Burns  Clul).  Instituted  25th  January, 
1905.  Federated  1st  September,  1900.  I'licc  of  meeting,  Cross 
Roads  Inn,  Bainsford,  (juarterly.  President,  folin  Duncan  Silcock, 
13  Gordon  Terrace,  Carron  Road,  Falkirk  ;  \'ice-president, 
William  Galbraiih,  M'Callum  Terrace,  Carron  Road,  Falkirk  ; 
Secretary,  .\lexander  Glen,  12  Gordon  Terrace,  Carron  Road, 
Falkirk  ;  Treasurer,  James  M 'Williams.  Committee — John  Dow, 
Robert  Greenaway,  Hugh  Rowand,  George  Taylor,  Robert  C. 
Young.  Special  features  of  the  Club — To  foster  and  maintain  an 
intimate  and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  life  an'.l  works  of  Burns  ; 
to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  his  i)irth  in  supper,  song,  and 
sentiment  ;  and  to  propagate  and  encourage  a  kind,  social,  and 
brotherly  feeling  one  towards  another. 

No.  156--NEWCASTLE  and  TVNESIDE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1864. 
Federated  4th  October,  1906.  Place  of  meeting.  Central  Exchange 
Hotel.  President,  Dr  R.  Anderson,  4  Gladstone  Terrace,  Gates- 
head ;  Vice-president,  I).  N.  Brims,  Springbank,  Benwell  ; 
Secretary,  W".  H.  Blackstock,  22  Nelson  Street,  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne  ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  .Ma.xwell,  So  Osborne  Road,  Newcastle- 
on-Tyne.  Special  feature  of  Club — Keeping  in  touch  with  Burns 
and  fostering  the  spirit  "  Shall  brithers  be  for  a'  that." 

N.I.  157-BAILLIESTON  CALEDONIAN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1901. 
Federated  4th  October,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Free 
Gardners'  Hall,  first  Tuesday  in  each  month,  8  p.m.  President, 
lames  Adams,  68a  Main  Street,  Baillieston  ;  Vice-president,  Jas. 
Russell,  152  Main  Street,  Baillieston  ;  Secretary,  Charles  G. 
Paterson,  39  .Muirside  Road,  Baillieston  ;  Treasurer,  Peter 
Greenshields.  Committee— G.  Tait,  T.  Waugh,  John  Logan, 
James  Birrell,  and  R  Adams.  Special  features  of  Club — To 
encourage  the  cultivation  of  a  belter  knowledge  of  Robert  Burns 
nnd  his  works,  and  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  his  birth  with  a 
.social  gathering. 

No.  158  :).\RLINGTON  Burns  Association.  Instituted  8th  March,  1906. 
.edcrated  i8th  October,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Tem- 
perance Institute  (average  fortnightly  during  winter— no  fixed 
night).  President,  Philip  Wood,  M.  A.,  Grammar  School,  Darling- 
ton :  Vice-presidents,  Wm.  Forster,  J.  P.,  John  Henderson,  and 
John  M.  Gall;  Secretary,  R.  M.  Liddell,  37  Langholm  Crescent, 
"Darlington  ;  Assistant  .-secretary.  R.  G.  Brebner  ;  Treasurer,  Geo. 
Lawson.  Committee— John  C.  Veitch,  Jas.  Shirlaw,  Robert 
Storar,  Wm.  Rodger,  Andrew  .Morton,  John  Macfarlane,  Dr 
Munro,  Gavin  Struthers,  and  Wm.  Stevenson.  Special  features  of 
Club— Series  of  lectures  (admi.ssion  free,  and  also  open  to  both 
lady  and  gentlemen  friends  of  members)  ;  social  evenings  ;  annual 
Scottish  concert  ;  anniversary  dinner. 


175 

No.  159 — WALKER  (Newcastle-on-T)-ne)  Burns  CIuIl  Federated  nth 
November,  1906.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting',  Stack  Hotel, 
Walker,  Thursday,  once  a  fortnight,  at  7.30,  from  September  till 
April.  President,  Jno.  M'Kay,  623  Welbeck  Road,  Walker; 
Vice-presidents,  Jno.  Keith,  663  Welbeck  Road,  Walker,  and 
Jas.  Crawford,  74  Rochester  Street,  Walker  ;  Secretary,  Andrew 
D.  Bell,  47  Whitworth  Street,  Walker-on-Tyne  ;  Treasurer, 
Robert  M'Rory,  29  Eastbourne  Gardens,  Walker.  Special 
feature  of  Club — To  cultivate  better  friendship  amongst  Scotsmen, 
and  especially  to  spread  a  knowledge  of  our  national  Poet,  his 
songs,  and  works  amongst  his  admirers,  &c. 

No.  160— WHITBURN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  23rd  February,  1906. 
Federated  November,  1906.  Secretary,  Allan  Johnston,  Lea 
Street,   Whitburn. 

No.  161— CHARLESTON  Burns  Club,  Paisley.  Instituted  1905.  Federated 
1906.  Place  of  meeting,  17  Stevenson  Street,  at  8.30  p.m. 
President,  James  Welsh,  Ardenlea,  Elderslie  ;  Vice-presidents, 
A.  C.  Miller,  Arkleston  Road,  Paisley,  and  Alexander  Smith,  4 
Mary  Street,  Paisley  ;  Seo-etaiy,  J.  C.  Mackay,  24  Stock  Street, 
Paisley.  Committee — Jas.  Hamilton,  Hugh  Black,  Hugh  Young, 
Robert  Fleming,  and  Thomas  Summers.  Special  features  of  the 
Club — To  propagate  the  knowledge  of  Burns's  writings  in  the 
district. 

]\j,,.  162— PLYMOUTH  and  District  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted  8th 
February,  1898.  Federated  8th  March,  1907.  Place  of  meeting, 
Oddfellows'  Hall.  President,  James  Thain,  "Bon  Accord,"  11 
Craven  Avenue  ;  Vice-president,  Wm.  Johnston,  10  Seaton 
Avenue,  Mu'.Jey  ;  Secretary,  P.  Robertson,  6  Norman  Avenue, 
Devonport. 

No.  163— GATESHEAD  and  District  Burns  Club.  Instituted  18S7. 
Federated  1907.  Place  and  dale  of  meeting,  Royal  Hotel,  first 
Thursday  of  month.  President,  T.  Hetheringlon.  3  St.  P^dmond 
Place,  Gateshead  ;  \ice-piesidenl,  E.  Bennett,  6  Parkville, 
Heaton,  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ;  Secretary,  D.  Bain,  13  Denmark 
Street,  Gateshead  ;  Treasurer,  W.  Bain.  Committee— G.  Porter, 
T.  Thompson,  J.  Matthewson.  Special  features  of  Club — To 
associate  Scotsmen  and  admirers  of  Burns;  to  keep  up  Scotch 
custom  and  study  works  of  Burns. 

No  164— KINNING  PARK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1881.  Federated  1907. 
Place  and  time  of  meeting.  Masonic  Hall,  Retland  Crescent,  2nd 
Wednesday  of  month,  at  8  p.m.  President,  James  Miller,  15 
Walmer  Terrace,  Ibrox  ;  \'ice-president,  William  Crum  Robert- 
son, I  Ibrox  Place,  Ibrox;  Seoetury,  Thomas  Deans,  54  Lamb- 
hill  Street,  Plantation,  Glasgow.  Committee — Neil  Downie, 
Wallace  B.  Tod,  ex-Bailie  R.  Neilson,  John  M'Lachlan,  William 
Dickie,  Thomas  Taylor,  Robert  Alsto"n,  and  Robert  N.  Bain. 
Special  features  of  Club — Competition  amongst  school  children  for 
singing  and  reciting  works  of  Scottish  poets  ;  lectures  during  the 
year  on  Scottish  literature  ;  holding  of  Burns's  natal  day  ;  and 
social  intercourse  amongst  member^;. 

No.  165— WALLSEND  Burns  Club.  Instiluled  1898.  Federated  i8th 
April,  1907.  Place  and  lime  of  meeting,  Juvel's  Cafe,  High 
Street,     ;rd    Wednesday    in    every    month.       President,    Andrew 


176 

Gray,  3  Hum  Avenue;  N'ice-president,  Jno.  Cainphell,  9  Laliuinum 
Avenue  ;  Sccretai  y,  lvol)eil  Johnson,  31  Cuizon  koad  ;  Treasurer, 
Charles  Scott,  98  Laburnum  Avenue.      Special  features  of  Club 
Lovers  of  Burns  and  Scottish  literature  ;  Scottish  concerts. 

No.  166 — CLEVELAND  Scottish  Association.  Instituted  January,  1907. 
Federated  July,  1907.  Place  of  meeting,  Devonport  Hotel, 
fortnightly.  President,  Alderman  Forbes,  Old  Onnesby  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  Dr  Steel,  Southfield  Villas,  and  Councillor  Crombie, 
Linthorpe  ;  Secretary,  A.  Wallace,  6  Royal  Plxchange,  Middles- 
brough ;  Treasurer,  John  Wilson  ;  Chairman  of  Committee,  D. 
Sn-.ith.  Special  features  of  the  Club — The  promotion  of  friendly 
intercourse  among  the  members,  and  to  welcome  brither  Scots 
arriving  from  across  the  border. 

No.  167— BIRMINGHAM  Burns  Clul).  Instituted  13th  Jinuary,  1906.  Fede- 
rated 13th  November,  1907.  Place  of  meeting,  Imperial  Hotel. 
President,  Donald  M'Intosh,  31  City  Arcade,  Birmingham  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  Dr  A.  I.  Essleinont,  I  Deritend,  and  R.  P.  Leslie, 
Burlington  Chamljers,  New  Street,  Birmingham  ;  Hon.  Seirefary, 
Wm.  Anderson,  3  Wrottesley  Street,  Birmingham  ;  Hon. 
Assistant  Secretary,  D.  B.  Gray,  11  Dean  Road,  Erdinglan  ;  Hon. 
Treasurer,  R.  M'Kenzie,  10  Reservoir  Retreat,  Edgbaston. 
Special  features  of  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of  Robert  Burns, 
Scotland's  National  Poet,  and  to  foster  a  love  for  his  writings,  and 
generally  encourage  a  taste  for  .Scottish  songs  and  literature  ;  to 
promote  friendly  and  social  intercourse  amongst  Scotsmen  resident 
in  Birmingham  and  district  ;  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  tlie 
Poet's  birthday  by  a  social  festival,  and  to  renew  our  expressions  of 
admiration  for  our  great  National  Poet  at  other  times  and  dates 
made  famous  in  Scottish  history  through  h.is  writings. 

No.  168-RICCARTON  Hums  Club.  Instituted  71I1  February,  1877. 
Federated,  14th  January,  1908.  Place  of  meeting.  Commercial 
Inn.  President,  Tas.  P.  Moir,  45  Campbell  Street,  Riccarton;  Vice- 
president,  R.  P.  Walker,  11  Kay  Park  Terrace,  Kilmarnock; 
Secretary,  J.  P.  Moir,  45  Campbell  .Street,  Riccarton.  Com- 
mittee— Ex-Bailie  Burnet,  D.  K.  Porter,  las.  Cunningham,  ex- 
Bailie  M'Graw,  and  R.  Wyllie.  Special  features  of  the  Club — 
•Social  intercourse  amongst  the  Burns  fraternity  ;  to  spread  and 
become  familiar  with  the  Poet's  works. 

No.  i69~GLASG()W  AND  DISTRICT  Association  of  Hums  Clubs  and 
Kindred  Societie.s.  Instituted  8th  November,  1907.  P'ederated 
1908.  Place  of  meeting.  National  Burns  Club.  President,  James 
Ballantine,  83  Renfield  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-presidents,  Alex. 
I'ollock,  52  W.  Nile  Street,  and  Hugh  M'CoU,  249  W.  (Tcorge 
.Street,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  writer,  109  Bath 
.Street,  Glasgow.  Committee  -John  Carmichael  (National).  Robt. 
Carmichael  (Albany),  Archibald  Clark  (Hamilton),  Thomas 
Deans  (Kinning  Park),  G.  K.  Hunter  (Primrose),  Alex.  M'Kenzie 
(Tarn  o'  Shanter),  John  Neilson  (Thornliebank),  Joe  .Silcox,  James 
Tudhope  (Carlton),  Laurence  Watt  (Barns  o'  Clyde),  and  James 
Webster  (Western).  Special  features  of  Club — To  further  the 
interests  ol  the  Burns  cult  by  promoting  closer  union  between  the 
Clubs  in  the  district  and  bringing  the  members  of  these  Clubs 
into  more  harmonious  relationship,  and  to  take  the  initiative  in 
instituting  and  recommending  movements  likely  to  be  beneficial  to 
the  cult. 


177 

No,  170— LARKIIALL  Thistle  Burns  Club.  Inslituled  November,  1906. 
Federated  i8th  April,  1908.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Victoria 
Bar,  7.30  every  Saturday.  President,  John  Fleming,  Duke 
Street;  Vice-president,  Alex.  Grieve,  82  Drygate  Street ;  Secretary, 
]i)hn  H.  Crozier,  48  Montgomery  Street,  Larkhall  ;  Treasurer, 
William     Micoil.  Committee— Hugh    Cairns    and    Alexander 

Henderson.      Special  features  of  Club — To  encourage  the  members 
to  lake  greater  interest  in  the  works  of  Burns. 

No.  171— CHATTANOOGA  Burns  Society,  Tenn.,  U.S.A.  Instituted  25th 
(anuary,  1908.  Federated  2nd  June,  1908.  Secretary,  Robert  B. 
Cooke,  1005  James'  Buildings,  Chattanooga.  Tenn.,  U.S.A. 

No.  172— OREGON  Burns  Club,  Portland,  Oregon,  U.S.A.  Instituted 
25th  January,  iqo8.  Federated  I2th  November,  1908.  Secretary, 
A.  Gavin,  1201  William's  Avenue,  Piedmont,  Portland,  Oregon, 
U.S.A. 

No.  173— IRVINE  Burns  Clul).  Instituted  1826.  Federated  18th  Novem- 
ber, 190S.  President,  W.  G.  M'Andrew,  M.A. ,  Netherwood, 
Irvine  :  Vice-president,  James  Borland,  Meadowview,  Irvine  ; 
Secretary,  Roljert  Boyd,  B.L.,  Bellevue,  Irvine;  Hon.  Treasurer, 
Robert  F.  Longmuir,  Roseville,  Irvine. 

]S'o.  174— ARUROSSAN  Burns  Club.  Federated  November,  1908.  Place 
of  meeting,  Lesser  Assembly  Rooms.  Sccielary,  William  Adam, 
Craigview,  High  Street. 

No.  175— MEIKLE  EARNOCK  Original  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1906. 
P'ederated  190S.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  John  Craig's,  first 
Friday  of  each  month  at  6.30  p.m.  President,  Richard  H. 
Sneddon,  Hazeibank,  Strathaven  Road,  by  Hamilton;  Vice- 
president,  Tames  Shepherd,  2  Moore  Street,  Cadzow,  Hamilton  ; 
Secretaiy,  "William  Ross,  63  Eddlewood  Buildings,  Hamilton  ; 
Assisiant  .Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Wm.  Lindsay,  Woodhead, 
Ncilsland.  Special  features  of  Club— To  keep  ever  green  the 
memory  of  Scotia"s  greatest  son,  and  disseminate  the  principles  he 
strove  to  inculcate. 

No.  176— RENFREW  Burns  Club.  Federated  28th  December,  1908. 
President,  A.  Shearer,  The  Holmstead,  Renfrew  ;  Vice-president, 
I).  K.  Michie,  Deanside,  Renfrew  ;  Secretaiy,  L.  Buchanan,  The 
Sheiling,  Renfrew. 

Nu  177  — PRESTVVICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1902.  Federated  1908. 
Place  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel.  President,  Councillor  T.  S, 
Fleming,  Berelands  Road,  Prestwick  ;  Vice-president,  Walter 
.Jarvie,  Roval  Hotel,  I'restwick  ;  Secretary,  Alexander  Smith, 
Munton,  Prestwick,  Committee — ex-Bailie  Cochrane.  Special 
features  of  Club — The  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  the  Poet's 
l)irth,  and  the  cultivation  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Poet's  works  and 
Scottish  literature  generally. 

No.  1 78— KILMARNOCK  Begbie's  Burns  Club.  Instituted  20lh  Jan.,  1909. 
Federated  20th  January,  1909.  Place  of  meeting,  Begbie's_  Inn. 
President,  Wm.  Jolinston,  John  Finnic  Street  ;  Vice-president, 
John  Douglas,  artist,  King  Street  ;  Secretary,  David  Edgar, 
Technical  School,  Kilmarnock. 


ITS 

No.  179  -DAILLV  Jolly  Bei;gais  Burns  Club.  Insliluled  22nd  January, 
1909.  Federated  22nd  Tan uary,  1909.  Place  of  meeting,  King's 
Arms  Hoiel.  President,  Robt.  Smith,  SchooUiouse,  Dailly  ; 
\'ice-president,  Robt.  Cook,  VVoodside  Cottage,  Dailly.  Secretary, 
Samuel  M'Bride,  Dalquharran,  by  Maybole.  Committee — 
Thomas  Dykes,  Samuel  M'Blain,  and  Ilugii  M'Culloch.  Special 
feature  of  Club  -Celebration  of  the  Poet's  birthday. 

No.  180  GLASGOW  TOLLCROSS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1908. 
Federated  1908.  Place  and  time  of  meeting,  Hilliar's  Rooms, 
Main  Street,  2nd  Thursday,  S  p.m.  President,  John  Watson,  24 
St.  Vincent  Place,  Glasgow  ;  \'ice-president.  Jas.  Petrie,  Daraar, 
Hamilton  Drive,  Shettleston  ;  Secretary,  Rol)ert  .Manson,  7  Rock- 
don  Gardens,  Tollcross  ;  Treasurer,  Walter  Newton,  706  Main 
Street,  Tollcross.  Special  features  of  Club— Promote  the  study  of 
Burns's  works. 

No.  181— GLASGOW  Primrose  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1901.  Federated 
1909.  IMace  and  date  of  meeting,  Alexandra  Hotel,  January 
24lh.  President,  John  H.  Dennistoun.  2  Woodlands,  Langside, 
Glasgow ;  Vice-president,  John  L.  Robertson,  14  Rowallan 
Gardens,  Partick  ;  Secretary,  George  R.  Hunter.  30  Ronald 
Street,  Glasgow  ;  e.\-Presidents,  Thomas  Muir,  58  Holmhead 
Street,  and  [ohn  Russell,  18  Paul  Street,  Gl.isgow  ;  Treasurer, 
Matthew  Reid,  82  Dundas  Street,  Glasgow.  Special  features  of 
Club — Musical  evenings  with  Scotch  readings,  and  anniversary 
dinner  to  celebrate  the  Poet's  birthday. 

No.  i8j  STANE  (Sholts)  Mos^giel  Burns  Club.  Instituted  3rd  February, 
1908.  P'edcrated  27th  February,  1909.  Place  of  meeting,  Stane 
Hotel.  President,  .Mr  Andrew  Barrie,  Southdyke  Farm,  Shotts  ; 
Vice-president,  Mr  William  Cairns,  Torbothie,  Stane,  Shotts  ; 
Secretary,  Mr  Alex.  Walker,  i  Charlotte  Street,  Stane,  Shotts  ; 
Treasurer,  Mr  Archd.  Williams.  19  Manse  Road,  Stane,  Shotts. 
Special  features  of  Club -- Study  of  Scottish  song  and  Poet's 
works;  papers  and  debate;  celebration  of  Hallowe'en  festival 
and  birthday  anniversary. 

No.  183— LONDONDERRY  Burns  Club  and  Caledonian  Society.  Fede- 
rated loth  June,  1909.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Gowdie's 
Hotel,  Candlemas,  Whitsuntide,  Lammas,  and  Martinmas. 
President,  D.  C.  Hogg,  F^sq.,  J. P.,  Victoria  Park;  Vice-president, 
Thos.  D.  Graham,  55  Strand  Road  ;  Secretary,  Jas.  C.  Scrimgeour, 
3  Sunnyside  Terrace  ;  Treasurer,  John  Harley,  136  Bishop  Street, 
bpeci.d  features  of  Club — The  objects  of  the  Society  shall  be  to 
cherish  the  memory  of  Burns  ;  to  study  his  works ;  to  discuss 
pnets  and  poetry  in  general  ;  to  endeavour  by  these  means,  or  in 
such  other  manner  as  may  be  approved,  to  cultivate  a  closer  social 
union  amongst  all  classes  of  Scotsmen  and  other  sympathisers 
with  the  objects  of  the  Club  in  Londonderry  and  neighbourhood  ; 
10  provide  a  fund,  by  annual  sub.scription  and  entry  fees,  whereby 
Scotsmen  in  poor  and  nece.ssitous  circumstances  may  be  relieved  ; 
and  to  defray  working  expenses. 

No.  184— BLAIRAD.\M  Shanter  Burns  Club.  Instituted  21st  August, 
1907.  Federated  28th  August,  1909.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Blairadam  Tavern,  Kelty,  on  Friday.s,  at  7  p.m.  President,  [ohn 
Ramsay,  Swanley  Cottage,  Kelty;  Vice-president,  James  Nelson, 


179 

Benarly  View  Collages,  Kelty  ;  Seci-etary,  George  Ireland,  Old 
Office  Road,  Kelly  ;  Treasurer,  Tiiomas  Hunter.  Commitlee — 
R.  Storrar,  W.  Clark,  Thos.  Sneddon,  W.  Fyfe,  and  T.  Pryde. 
Special  features  of  Club— Smoking  concerts,  recitations,  songs,  and 
readings  ;  dominoes,  draughts. 

No.  185— BURTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  December,  1908.  Federated 
November  iQlh,  1909.  President,  John  T.  C.  Eadie,  J. P., 
Newlon-Solney,  Burton-on-Trent  ;  Vice-president,  David  Burrell, 
Shoinall  Villa,  Shotnall  Road  ;  Scc7-etary,  Geo.  Rae,  85  Belvedere 
Road,  Burton-on-Trent.  Commitlee — R.  N.  Roljertson,  Dr 
Docherty,  J.  P..  Palerson,  J.  J-  Plenderson,  J-  P-  M'Intyre,  W. 
Marshall,  A.  Green,  A.  F.  M'Vicar,  A.  Skinner,  J.  B.  Johnston, 
li.  F.  Miller,  J.  P.  Miller.  Special  features  of  Club  — To  foster  a 
love  for  our  National  Poet  in  the  hearts  of  all  Scotsmen  in  the 
district. 

No.  1S6— KILMARNOCK  Glencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  ijlh 
November,  1909.  Federated  ajih  November,  1909.  Place  and 
time  of  meeting,  Bridge  Inn,  Robertson  Place,  2nd  Friday  of 
month,  at  8  p.m.  Hon.  President,  John  Ferguson,  Bridge  Inn, 
Kilmarnock  ;  Hon.  Vice-piesidents,  Adam  Mackay,  Dundonald 
Road,  and  James  Wilson,  Wallace  Street  ;  President,  James 
Gilmour,  Arbuckle  Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Vice-president,  Robert 
Ritchie,  18  Richardland  Road,  Kilmain(jck  ;  Secretary,  William 
Anderson,  14  Richardland  Road,  Kilmarnock. 

No.  187— GALASHIELS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1907.  F'ederaled  1909. 
Time  of  meeting,  25lh  January.  President,  Alexander  L.  Brown, 
Gallahill,  Galashiels;  Vice-presidents,  A.  J.  Craig,  H.  S.  Murray, 
George  Sutherland  ;  Secretarv,  Philip  SuUey,  F.S.A.,  Galashiels  ; 
Treasurer,  Hugh  Murray,  Gal  isliiels.  Special  features  of  Club — 
School  competitions  in  songs  and  recitations. 

No.  188— DUNS  Working  Men's  Club.  Instituted  1902.  Federated  1910. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Duns,  on  25th  January.  President, 
Thomas  Brackenridge,  jeweller,  Duns  ;  Vice-president,  John 
F'oreman,  Cumledge,  Duns  ;  Secietary,  Robert  Cameron,  South 
Street,  Duns.  Special  features  of  Club — Social  evenings,  harmony, 
fellowship. 

No.  189— CLYDEBANK  Barns  o'  Clyde  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1894. 
Federated  2nd  March,  1910.  Place  and  time  of  meeting.  The 
Restaurant,  Clydebank,  September  to  April,  Wednesday  end  of 
each  month.  President,  John  Hogg,  Magistrate,  257  Glasgow 
Road,  Clydebank  ;  Vice-president,  Lawrence  Watt,  35  Taylor 
Street,  Whitecrook,  Clydebank  ;  Secietary.  David  Cargill,  36 
Hillview  Terrace,  Dumbarton  Road,  Clydebank. 

No.  190— PORT-GLASGOW  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1910. 
Federated  5th  April,  1910.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Co- 
operative Hall,  Princes  Street,  on  1st  Friday  in  month,  September 
to  April,  at  7.45  p.m.  President,  William  M'Elwee,  7  Clyde 
Street,  Port-Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  William  Gilchrist,  6  Spring- 
hill,  Port-Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  James  Hicks,  junr.,  6  Octavia 
Street,  Port-Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  John  C.  Pearson,  Flemington, 
High-holm,  Port-Glasgow.  Special  features  of  Club — To  cherish 
the  name  of  Robert  Burns,  to  study  and  foster  a  love  for  his  writ- 
ings, and  generally  to  promote  good-fellowship. 


No.  191— MOORI'ARK  HurnsClul),  Kcnlreu.  Insiiiukd  igOcS.  IcclL-iaicd 
1910.  Place  of  meeling,  various.  I're.siiient,  Mallliew  Holmes, 
Paisley  Road,  Renfrew  ;  \'ice-president.  Wm.  P'ernie,  Sandy 
Road,  Renfrew  ;  Secreta/y,  El.enezer  Inglis,  Broughallan  Gardens, 
Sandy  Road,  Renfrew.  ConiniiUee  —  Hailie  Milliken,  Bailie 
Ferguson,  J.  P.,  Councillor  I'alon,  James  Clark,  and  John 
M'Gregor,  sen.  Special  features  of  Club — Lectures,  concerts  ; 
to  encourage  the  study  of  Kurns's  works  by  competition  amongst 
children  in  Moorpark  Public  School. 

No.  192— THE  AVRSIlIRE  ASSOCIATION  of  Federated  Burns  Clubs. 
Instituted  190S.  Federated  1910.  Place  of  meeting,  quarterly, 
at  various  places  throughout  the  county.  I^resident,  Andrew 
Sinclair,  65  M'LelJan  I)ri\e,  Kilmarnock  ;  Vice-president,  e.x- 
Bailie  M'Ciraw,  Wallacehill,  Riccarton  ;  Secretary,  Wm.  Lennox, 
II  Nursery  Avenue,  Kilmarnock  ;  Treasurer,  Archd.  Laird. 
Committee — II.  Campbell  (Cumnock),  I).  Donnelly  (Bellfield), 
D.  Burns  (Glencairn),  James  Moir  (Riccarton),  William  Hall 
(Auchinleck),  and  Wm.  Adams  (Atdrossan).  Special  features  of 
Club— To  further  the  interests  of  the  Burns  Club  by  promoting 
closer  union  between  the  Clubs  in  the  county,  and  to  render  all 
possible  assistance  to  the  work  of  the  Federation. 

No.  I9J-RUTHERGLEN  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted  3151 
August,  1910.  Federated  nth  November,  1910.  Place  of  meet- 
ing, 72  Main  Street.  President,  Jf)hn  Bailey,  7},  High  Sheet, 
Rutherglen  ;  Vice-president,  Arch.  Gilchrist,  51  High  Street, 
Rutherglen  ;  Secre/ary,  John  .Skelley,  72a  Main  Street,  Ruther- 
glen. Special  features  of  Club — The  annual  celebration  of  the 
birth  of  Kobert  Burns,  occasional  re-union,  tSic. 

No.  194— MIDDLEBIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1909.  Federated  nth 
Novendier,  1910.  Place  and  time  of  meeting,  Kirllebridge, 
Irving  Arms  Hotel,  monthly.  President,  Mr  John  Nelson,  Fern- 
grove,  Eaglesfield  ;  Vice-presidents,  J.  Scott,  Geo.  Moffat,  ^^'m. 
Rae,  and  James  Urquhan  ;  Secretary  atia  'Jreasiner,  Walter  A. 
Mather,  Uonkins  House,  Kirtlebridge,  Ecclefechan  ;  Assistant 
Secretary,  William  C.  Ferguson.  Special  features  of  Club — Social 
and  literary. 

No.  195 — BLUE  BELL  Burns  Club,  Siiiiemoor.  Instituted  November, 
1906.  J  ederaied  I4ih  November,  1910.  Place  and  date  of  meet- 
ing. Blue  Bell  Hotel,  monthly,  commencing  3rd  September,  1910. 
President,  John  \Vilscii,  senr. ,  11  Duke  Street,  Shiremoor, 
Newcastle-on-Tyne  ;  Vice-president,  John  Marshall,  C.  Pit 
Cottages,  Backworth,  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ;  Secretary,  James  Wil- 
son, 20  Percy  Street,  Shiremoor,  Newcastleon-Tyne  ;  Treasurer, 
[os.  Watson.  Committee — Robert  Fyfe,  Wm.  Blewitt,  1.  Cun- 
ningham, Wm.  Mordue,  D.  Chipperfield,  G.  Fyfe,  and  Jas.  Waters. 

No.  196— MID-ARGVLL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  inh  Jaiiuai\-.  irog. 
Federated  27th  December,  1910.  Place  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel, 
Ardrishaig.  President,  A.  Y.  Paul,  .Argyll  Hotel,  Lochgilphead  ; 
Vice-president,  Kobert  I- inlay,  Koyal  Hotel,  Aidrishaig  ; 
Secretary  ana  Treasrirer,  Andrew  V.  Roy,  Tigh-an-Eas,  .\rilri- 
shaig.  Committee — Richard  Mincher,  J.  M.  Montgomerie,  A. 
MD.  Ltckie,  Jas.  M'Bain,  jun.,  and  John  M'Alisier.  Special 
features  of  the  Club — Celebration  of  the  Poet's  birthday. 


ANNUAL 

iiNS  ftiOilftt/ 
>    8-    nV- ^ 


INS 


Ts 


•f7J 


No.  XXI. 
January,  1912. 


^mL 


Price 
^OneShrling^Sixpence 


PUBLI^SHED     BY  THE 

BURNS     FEDERATION,      ^J? 
KIL.V\ARNOCK  . 


PRINTED    BY 

J.  MAXWELL  &  SON, 
DUMFRIES. 


(R/^/yZ-S  reseri/'«d) 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

A  Sketch  of  Scottish  Literature  from  the  EarHest  Times 

— Wm.  M'llwraith          ......  5 

Burns  on  Peace  and  War — Andrew  M'Callum        -         -  33 

The  Home  Life  of  Burns — John  M.  Murdoch         -         -  52 

Burns  and  "  TuUochgorum  " — J.  M.  Murdoch      -         -  58 

Woman's  Praise  of  Burns — A.  C.  White          -                 -  67 

The  PoHtics  of  Burns — Edward  Pinnington  -         -         -  75 

Burns  and  Boswell— ^.  J.  S.         -         -         -         -         -  96 

The  Scottish  Exhibition 103 

Burns  and  Jamaica — J .  R.    -         -         -         -         -         -  107 

Reviews         ...-..--.  109 

Ckib  Notes    ---------  112 

Notes  and  Queries         - 129 

Annual  Meeting  of  Federation        -----  148 

Club  Directory      -         -         - 157 


PREFACE. 


The  increasing  interest  taken  ni  the  Chronicle  by  Burns  Clubs 
ever;y^where  is  a  great  encouragement  to  all  concerned  in  its 
publication.  While  its  circulation  amongst  the  general  public 
is  still  well  maintained,  it  must  ever  be  kept  in  view  that  its 
continued  success  depends  primarily  on  the  support  it  receives 
from  those  to  whom  it  specially  appeals  as  the  only  official 
organ  of  the  Burns  Cult  in  existence. 

To  all  who  have  assisted  in  this  issue  the  Editor  presents 
his  most  grateful  thanks. 

D.   M'NAUGHT. 


Benrig,  Kilmaurs, 

December  25th,  1911. 


A  SKETCH  OF  SCOTTISH    LITERATURE 
FROM    THE    EARLIEST    TIMES. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY. 

THIS  sketch  of  .Scottish  literature  and  Scottish  \\riters 
might  have  conchided  with  the  precefliiig  chapter, 
for,  with  the  exception  of  Alexander  Wilson  and  Carolina 
Oliphant,  it  contains  no  writer  of  any  extraordinary  merit. 
It  certainly  contains  no  epoch  writer  who  has  influenced 
the  destinies  of  the  national  literature  in  any  other  direction 
than  that  in  which  the  tendency  had  already  been  determined . 
By  itself  considered,  the  rise  and  growth  of  Scottish  literature 
is  almost  as  remarkable  a  historical  phenomenon  as  the  rise 
and  growth  of  Scottish  philosophy,  which  has  already  been 
noticed  in  the  course  of  this  sketch.  Like  Scottish  philo- 
sophy, too,  in  the  process  of  national  development  it  has  not 
been  without  influence  on  British  literature  in  general.  The 
principal  distinction  between  the  two,  however,  is  that 
Scottish  philosophy  has  made  itself  felt  in  a  more  marked 
degree  beyond  the  confines  of  Great  Britain ;  but  without 
further  generalisation  I  shall  proceed  to  deal  with  the  few- 
remaining  writers  and  poetasters  who  followed  in  the  wake 
of  Burns. 

One  of  the  first  names  which  falls  to  be  mentioned 
here  is  that  of  Gavin  Turnbull.  The  exact  date  of  his  birth 
and  death  cannot  be  given,  but  he  first  became  known  to  the 


|»iil)li  as  an  aiithoi-  in  17SS.  \\v  was  tlie  son  of  a  dycstt'i' 
tr.Mii  Hawick,  and  was  hoi'n  at  Kilmarnock.  wIutc  he  was 
appi'cnt  iced  to  tlic  trade  of  a  carpet  wcaxci'.  Fi'oin  want 
oF  inclination  rather  than  capacity  he  does  not  seem  to  liave 
become  proficient  in  his  lia(h'.  and  rathei'  tlian  exert  himself 
tn  inipi'oxc  his  position,  he  h\('d  in  the  meanest  fasliion. 
without  fui'uiture  or  any  (h)mestic  comfoi'ts.  content  to  squat 
on  a  bed  of  .straw  .  He  was  not  naturally  idle,  for  he  had  a 
large  store  of  intellectual  energy,  but  spent  too  much  time 
in  writing  xcrst's.  and  studying  and  reciting  Shakespeare, 
A\hich  ultimately  induced  a  passion  for  the  stage.  In  course 
of  time  he  moved  with  the  rest  of  his  family  from  Kilmarnock 
to  Glasgow,  wheic.  in  1788,  he  published  a  volume  of  ])oetical 
essays,  which  has  long  disappeared  past  recall. 

If  rei)ort  is  correct,  the  loss  may  be  deemed  a  misfortujie, 
for  the  work  had  the  reputation  of  being  of  more  than  ordinary 
merit.  It  is  not  certain  whether  Turnbull  came  to  realise 
that  a  casual  litterateur  in  anything  but  the  first  ranks  was 
but  a  lean  and  hiaigr}-  profession,  but  it  ended  by  his  going 
on  the  stage  to  disport  himself  behind  the  footlights.  Thus 
it  was  in  the  character  of  a  comedian  when  a  resident  in  Dum- 
fries that  he  became  acquainted  with  the  poet  Burns,  who 
was  not  ashamed  to  claim  him  as  a  brother  bard.  ]More- 
over,  Burns  sent  several  of  Turnbull's  unpublished  songs 
to  Thomson "s  collection,  which  says  much  for  their  merit. 
In  17!)4  he  published  a  small  i^amphlet  of  additional  ])oems 
bearing  the  title  (lavin  Turnlndl,  "  Comedian.''  He  is 
mentioned  in  Campbell's  History  of  Scottish  Poetry,  published 
in  1798.  He  subsequently  went  to  America,  where  he  is 
believed  to  have  died.  At  anyrate  nothing  further  \\as  heard 
of  him,  either  in  literature  or  in  connection  with  the  stage. 

The  impression  conveyed  by  his  poem  entitled  "  May," 
is  the  spontaneity  with  \\hich  he  could  command  the  muse, 
and  al.'^o  his  keen  appreciation  of  natinc.  as  the  following 
lines  will  show  : — 


"A'  nature,  blooming,  charms  the  view — 
The  greensward  earth,  and  welkin  blue. 
The  bent  refreshed  wi'  morning  dew, 

And  spreading  thorn, 
Gay  vernal  flowers  of  motley  hue, 

The  braes  adorn. 

Now  is  the  time  for  those  who  love 

To  woo  the  Muses  in  the  grove. 

Or  wi'  the  Nymph,  sweet  fancy  rove 

Her  flowery  way  ; 
Then  come,  ye  tunefu'  swains,  and  prove 

The  joys  of  May." 

Again,  his  joyous  song  entitled  "  Xancy "  conveys 
-the  idea  of  one  who  could  be  a  Merry- Andrew,  and  on  occasion 
couid  sing,  dance,  hoogh,  and  snap  his  thumbs  in  the  most 
hilarious  fashion  ;  but  the  versification  of  his  poem  entitled 
"  Genius  "  scarcely  appears  congenial  to  his  muse,  and  reveals 
a  sedateness  of  thought  and  reflection  rather  than  an  inspired 
pen.  About  two  years  previous  to  the  publication  of  Turn- 
bull's  volume  appeared  a  poem  of  rural  description  entitled 
"  The  Har'st  Rig,"  the  author  of  which  is  unknown.  It 
is  generally  believed  that  it  is  from  the  same  pen  as  •  The 
Farmer's  Ha',"  which  was  ixiblished  some  twelve  years 
before,  and  which  purports  to  have  been  written  by  an 
Aberdeen  student.  Genius  cannot  be  claimed  for  '^  The  Har'st 
Rig  "  by  any  means — its  value  rather  consists  in  that  it  is 
a  most  realistic  description  of  a  Scots  harvest  field  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  with  a  graphic  characterisation  of  the 
gleaners,  both  Highland  and  Lowland.  The  Doric  employed 
is  quaint,  yet  expressive  and  is  frequently  quoted  in 
Jamiesoris  Dictionary  as  a  forcible  example  of  the  Scots 
vernacular. 

Another  of  the  same  coterie  of  small  poets  who  with 
Burns  contiibuted  to  Johnson's  Scots  Musical  Museum 
was  John  Hamilton,  1761-1814.  In  his  own  day  he 
was  better  known  as  a  music -seller  in  Bridge  Street,  Edin- 
burgh, but  he  was  a  composer  of  Scots  airs  of  some 
merit,    and    \\rote    several     fine    songs     some  of    w^hich  are 


still  popiilai-.  {)\\v  of  his  w  ell  i^iiow  ii  acliicx  cmcnls  is  liis 
addition  of  two  stair/.as  to  Burns's  soiiu  ■  Of  a"  the  Airts  the 
Wind  can  P.la\\. "  which  ar(>  so  well  executed  tiiat  they 
were  hi'heved  to  lie  tlu>  work  of  iJiinis  liiiuself  to  a  conipai-a- 
ti\-elv  recent  date.  It  is  also  to  his  cicdit  that  his  popular 
song.  ""  I'p  in  the  Mornin"  Karl\  ."  was  an  inipro\-ement 
on  l^urnss  song  on  the  same  subject.  It  is  believed,  however, 
that  the  tune  of  this  song  is  of  more  ancient  date,  and  was 
wrought  into  a  catch.  "  I'se  gae  with  thee,  my  Peggy,"  which 
Mas  apparently  first  published  in  a  collection  by  John  Hinton 
in  1().")2.  It  was  also  made  to  ser\e  the  base  of  a  birthday 
song  l)y  Henry  Pni'cell.  the  famous  H'nglish  nuisician,  for 
the  consort  of  William  111.  (l()i»2).  and  was  adopted  by  ik\y 
for  one  of  the  songs  in  his  ""  Beggars  Opera."  Hamilton 
was  also  the  author  of  several  musical  pieces,  among  which 
is  ■■  Miss  Forbes'  Farewell  to  Banff." 

In  Andrew  Scott  we  have  a  minor  poet  of  a  more  robust 
fibre,  though  with  a  less  delicate  touch,  than  Hamilton. 
He  was  l)orn  in  1757.  at  Bowden  Village. 
"^  nST-lSfi."'  Roxburghshire,  an.d  I)elonged  to  the  i)easant 
class.  After  he  had  reached  man's  estate 
he  left  his  birthplace  and  its  rustic  scenes  behind  the  Eldon 
Hills,  and  entered  the  military  profession,  and  served  as  a 
private  soldier  through  five  campaigns  of  the  American  War. 
He  was  witli  the  ai-niy  under  Cornwallis  which  surrendered 
at  Yorktouii.  \'irginia.  When  a  young  herdladdie  a  copy 
of  Ramsay's  "  Gentle  8he])herd  "  fell  into  his  possession. 
and  kindled  the  spark  of  poetic  fire,  which  kept  aglow  till 
a  late  period  of  liis  life.  While  in  the  army  he  entertained 
his  comrades  on  many  occasions  by  singing  them  songs  of 
his  own  cfmi))osition,  amongst  which  were,  "  Betsy  Rosoe,  " 
"  The  old  Oak  Tree."  and  othei's.  He  subsequently  returned 
to  his  nati\e  parish,  whei'e  he  die(l  a  farin-laljourer,  to  which 
occupation  had  been  added  the  ollice  of  church  beadle.  When 
neai-ly  fifty  years  of  a<;e.  he   |nl)lisli((l   at    Edinburgh.    Kelso. 


and  Jedburgh,  five  collections  of  his  poetry,  which  were  of 
sufficient  merit  to  attract  the  attention  of  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
Lockhart,  and  others  of  the  Edinbui'gh  litterati  of  that  period. 
Although  fortune  does  not  seem  to  have  cheered  him  in 
the  course  of  his  long  and  adventurous  career,  he  maintained 
a  genial  optimism  to  the  last,  and  his  poem  entitled  "  Riu'al 
Content,"  or  "  The  Muirland  Farmer,"  is  most  likely  a  re- 
flection of  his  humble  tastes  and  unambitious  nature.  At 
all  events,  the  following  lines  convey  his  idea  of  happiness 
and  the  simple  life  : — 

"  My  biggin'  stands  sweet  on  this  south  slopin'  hill. 
And  the  sun  shines  sae  bonnily  beamin'  on't, 
And  past  my  door  trots  a  clear  prattlin'  rill, 

Frae  the  loch  where  the  wild  ducks  are  swimmin"  on't. 

And  on  its  green  banks,  on  the  gay  simmer  days, 

My  wife  trips  barefit,  ableachin'  her  elaes, 
And  on  the  dear  creature  wi'  rapture  I  gaze. 

While  I  whistle  and  sing  at  the  pleughin'  o't." 

While  Andrew  Scott  was  induced  to  tune  his  lyre  by 
reading  the  "  Gentle  Shepherd,"  Andrew  Shirrefs  endeavoured 

to   drink  more   deeply  at  the  same  fountahi. 
^"n(52-S''^**'  --Although    born    at    Aberdeen,     1762.    some 

seventy-six  years  later  than  Ramsay's  time, 
he  made  strenuous  efforts  to  emulate  the  older  poet 
by  writing  a  pastoral  play  also.  This  play  was  entitled 
'■  Jemie  and  Bess,"  in  which,  like  the  "  Gentle  Shepherd." 
th  characters  are  rustic,  and  the  author  displays  much 
familiarity  with  that  mode  of  life.  It  was  played  several 
times  in  Aberdeen  and  once  at  Edinburgh  but  it  does  not 
appear  to  have  made  a  great  impression.  Like  most  imita- 
tions, it  was  inferior  to  its  model,  though  merit  of  a  kind 
must  be  allowed  it.  The  poet  evidently  belongeid  to  a 
family  of  some  position  and  intellectual  calibre,  but  owing 
to  a  physical  infirmity  he  engaged  in  the  trade  of  a  book- 
seller, and  his  shop  became,  like  that  of  Ramsay's  in 
Edinburgh,    a    literary    rendezvous    for    authors,   poets,   and 


10 

ItniMs  of  l)()(>l\s.  Sliii'icfs  was  not  void  of  ambition  iiot- 
Avithstandinu  liis  intirniity,  for  in  addition  to  writing 
poetry  he  .started  a  newspaper  wliich  was  destined  speedily 
to  come  to  grief,  and  for  sonic  years  hv  carried  on  the 
Cdhf/niii'iH  M(i(/(iziii('  with  a  moderate  degree  of  success. 
On  ihc  si()|)|)a,i:c  of  the  ('dlcdonidn  Magazine  he  removed  to 
Kdinliuruh.  where  in  171)0  he  jjnhlishe'd  a  volume  of  poems 
chiefly  in  the  Scottish  <lial(>ct.  The  most  andiitious  in  the 
collection  is  his  pastoral  "  .Jcmic  and  Bess,"  but  his  most 
])oi)ular  and  best-known  })iecc  is  his  song.  "  A  Cogie  o'  Yill." 
After  a  residence  of  eight  years  in  Edinburgh  he  went  to 
London  in  1798,  but  unfortunately  his  star  was  soon  in  the 
descendant,  and  after  a  struggle  of  a  little  over  two  years, 
duration  with  fickle  fortune,  he  died  at  the  comparatively 
early  age  of  forty-eight. 

When  Andrew  Shirrefs  started  the  Caledonian.  Magazine 

one  of  his  poetical  contributors  was  William  Beattie.  known  as 

the  Heckler  Poet,  obviously  because  he    was 

^^'''n62-?8f6^''''  ^  comber  of  flax  by  trade  and  a  caustic  wit  to 

boot.      Beattie  was  born  at  Aberdeen,  1762, 

and  was  a  racy  and   talented   rhymster,   who  could  portray 

homely  scenes  with  a  facile  pen.     By  trade,  as  we  have  already 

stated,  he  was  a  flax-dresser  operative  in  a  factory  near  his 

own  house  in    the    flallowgate.      Vi^w    particulars    are    known 

of    him.    c.\cc])t  that  he  was   a  diunken,  rollicking  carle,  who- 

believed  that  most  of  the  ills  which  flesh  is  heir  to  could  be 

cured  by  a  dram.      Indeed,  his  attitude  to  life  could  be  well 

summed     up    in     two    lines    of    Hurns's   famous   P>acchanalian 


song- 


The  cock  may  craw,  the  day  may  daw, 
And  av  we'll  taste  the  barley  bree.'' 


Beattie  sent  a  rhymed  epistle  to  the  first  issue  of  the 
Caledonian  Magazine,  enclosing  a  poem  on  '''  Mortalit}^"  and 
followed  it  up  with  the  "  Winter'.s  Night,"  which  is  perhaps 
his  most    inijjorfanl    jtocni.  and    which   appeal's  to  have  been 


11 

suggested  by  ''  The  Farmer's  Ha',"  written  upwards  of 
twent}^  years  before.  On  the  dawn  of  the  new  century, 
1801,  Beattie  published  a  small  collection  of  his  poems  at 
Aberdeen,  under  the  title  of  Fruits  of  Time  Parings,  which 
has  been  several  times  reprinted.  This  volume  contains 
'■  The  Winter's  Night,"  "  The  Yule  Feast,"  and  "  The  Ale- 
wife  Coaxing  her  Customers,"  the  latter  of  which  abounds 
with  witty  and  sarcastic  allusions.  All  the  poems  give 
graphic  touches  of  rural  life,  \\hich  are  mostly  happy  and 
ah\ays  realistic. 

In  leaving  Beattie,  who  should  not  be  taken  too  seriously, 
we  pass  to  Alexander  Wilson,  an  almost  forgotten  and  much 
neglected  author.  Yet  he  was  a  man  who 
^'^^«;^^|j;(;j^Jj^^°"' played  many  parts,  and  was  scarcely  less 
interestuig  as  a  man  than  he  was  as  an 
author.  When  he  writes  verse  he  has  recourse  to  the 
I'hymed  couplet  of  Alexander  Pope,  by  whom  he  was 
evidently  impressed,  nor  is  it  inappropriate  to  his 
vigorous  mind  and  graphi  descriptive  powers,  although  he 
lacks  the  artistic  balance  of  Pope.  Wilson  was  born 
at  Paisley,  July  6th,  1766.  Some  say  he  was  the 
son  of  a  small  distiller,  others  that  he  was  the  son  of  a  weaver, 
the  latter  of  which  is  the  more  probable.  His  parents 
intended  that  he  should  enter  the  Church,  but  for  some  reason 
or  other  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  weaving  trade  when  he 
was  thirteen  years  of  age.  While  a  weaver's  apprentice 
he  manifested  a  love  of  books,  of  writing  verses,  and  study i.g 
nature,  for  which  the  sedentary  occuf)ation  of  a  weaver  was 
unfavourable.  His  roving  disposition  and  love  of  freedom 
rose  in  rebellion,  and  he  flung  off  the  fetters  of  the  loom  by 
setting  up  as  a  pedlar,  an  occupation  he  seems  to  have  followed 
for  three  years.  Along  with  his  other  articles  of  merchandise 
he  hawked  copies  of  the  first  volume  of  his  poems,  published 
in  1789  ;  and  from  his  Journal,  published  in  September  or 
the  same  year,  we  get  a  glimpse  of  his  experiences  in  pushin 


]-2 

till'  Mill'  ot  liis  wairs  aiiionu  tlir  I'ouiitrv  folks,  and  at  the 
village  fairs,  of  which  he  cdiild  usually  src  thccoiuic  side. 
Tudocd.  it  is  diilicull  to  uiidnstand  how  \\v  could  have  borne 
uch  taunts  and  rchut'fs  had  it  not  l)ern  that  they  a])pealed 
to  the  eoinic  element  of  his  nature— a  most  essential  attribute 
in  the  character  of  a  tramp. 

Many  of  Wilson's  poems  are  on  themes  unworthy  of  his 
talents,  which  ai)})ear  to  have  been  dashed  off  with  a  freedom 
indicative  of  the  rollickiuif  blade  who  cannot  wait  upon  fine 
sentinienT  or  indulge  in  artistic  construction.  .Mthouiih 
this  feature  was  pi-cdoniinant  in  early  life,  he  showcil  in  his 
later  years  how  tenacious  and  persistent  he  could  be  when 
he  hit  upon  his  real  vocation.  Many  of  his  poems  at  the 
period  referred  to  display  a  vivacity  and  jiower  of  diction 
which  only  required  judicious  guidance  ;  but  like  Aurora's 
steeds  harnessed  to  the  dawn  without  a  charioteer,  he  dashed 
heedlessly  on,  bearing  down  every  obstacle  in  his  track. 
Lyrical  gifts  \\c  cannot  claim  for  W'ilson,  for  in  the  main 
his  songs  are  poor,  but  he  had  a  deep  insight  into  nature  and 
a  wealth  of  descriptive  power  far  beyond  the  common  ; 
though  he  is  freiiuently  coarse,  and  rarely  rises  to  a  refined 
and  delicate  pathos.  A  few  lines  from  his  verses  on  a  thunder- 
storm will  convey  an  ic'ea  of  his  vigorous  descriptive  ])owers — 

"  Two  sick'ning  month.s  had  thus  roird  joyless  by. 
While  heat  reign'd  tyrant  from  the  vaulted  sky. 
Again  the  sun  rose  in  the  flaming  east, 
And  pour"d  his  rays  o'er  earth  and  ocean's  breast  : 
But  ere  yon  high  Meridian  he  had  gain'd. 
Surrounding  elouds  his  dark'niii^  \  isML.'i'  siaiii'd, 
Clouds  j^il'd  on  clouds,  in  dismal  Imil'    ;irr;iy. 
.Swell  from  the  south,  and  blot  tin-  l.n.'  (it  day  ; 
Oer  the  black  sky  a  threatning  horror  spreads. 
The  brooks  brawl  hoar.ser  from  their  distant  beds  ; 
The  coming  storm  the  woodland  natives  view. 
Stalk  to  the  caves,  or  seek  the  shelteriuy  xcu  : 
'J'here  pensive  droop,  and  eye  the  streiimiii).'  rain. 
While  lightning  sweeps,  and  thunder  shakes  the  plain."' 

in  further  illustr.ition  of  the  author's  descriptive  realism, 
we  give  a  quotation  fi-om  his  ))ocm  entitled    "  The  Suicide  " — 


13 

"  '  Curst  be  the  lioiir  that  to  existejice  brought 
Me,  wretched  me  !   to  war  with  endless  woe  ; 
Curst  be  the  wretch  !   and  curst  the  barb'rou.s  thought 
That  made  me  stretch  the  bleeding  beauty  low  ! 
Still  from  her  breast  the  purple  torrents  flow, 
Still,  still  I  hear  her  loud  for  mercy  crave — 
See — hark  !     the  groans — alas  !   some  pity  shew  ! 
For  love  for  heav'n  !  for  mercy's  sake  !  oh  save  ! 
No  !   see  her  mangled  corse  float  o'er  the  midnight  wave. 

0  earth  !   O  darkness  !   hide  her  from  my  sight  ; 
Shall  hell,  shall  furies  rack  me  ere  I  die  ? 

No  !   this  shall  sink  me  in  eternal  night. 

To  meet  those  torments  that  I  ne'er  can  fly  : 

Ye  yelling  fiends  !  that  now  around  me  hie, 

Exult  and  triumph  in  the  accursed  deed  ; 

Soon  in  your  flaming  gulphs  ye  shall  me  spy — 

Despair  !   attend,  the  gloomy  way  to  lead  ; 

For  what  I  now  endure  no  hell  can  e'er  exceed,' 

He  said  !  -  and  gazing  furiously  round, 
Plung'd  in  his  heart  the  dagger's  deadly  blade  ; 
Deep,  deep  he  groan'd  :  and  reeling  to  the  ground, 

1  rushed  to  rescue  thro'  th'  entangling  shade  ; 
Flat  on  the  mossy  sod  I  found  him  laid, 
And  oft  I  call'd,  and  wept,  and  trembled  sore. 
But  life  was  fled — too  late,  all  huinan  aid  ; 
And  while  his  grasp  the  shining  dagger  bore. 

His  lifeless  head  lay  sunk  in  blood  and  clotted  gore." 

Besides  having-  a  facile  pen  for  the  description  of  the 
a\\ful  and  the  liorrible,  Wilson  had  a  merry  wit,  which  he 
could  command  when  occasion  favoured  its  exercise.  In 
the  course  of  several  of  his  other  poems,  as  well  as  in 
his  Journal,  he  makes  many  witty  allusions  to  his  experi- 
ence as  a  pedlar,  but  the  follo\\ing  lines  are  perhaps  among 
the  most  farcical — 

"  Sae  up  the  biu-n  wi'  glee  I  gade, 
An"  down  aboon  some  heather. 
Salt  on  the  brae  my  pack  I  laid. 

Till  twa-three  lumps  I'd  gather  ; 
But  wae-be-till't,  had  I  foreseen 

Things  were  to  turn  sae  doolfu", 
1  ne'er  had  waded  there  sae  keen, 
Tho'  sure  to  fin  a  shoolfu' 
An  mair  that  day. 

As  thro"  the  stream  wi'  loutin'  back 
Thrang  stanes  an'  sand  I  threw  out, 

A  tup,  wha  won'ert  at  my  pack, 
Cam'  doon  to  take  a  view  o"t, 


A  l,"lluM--lcn-tli.  \u'  hack  did  -ar, 

An"  i-jiin"  \vi'  .sic  n  dasb. 
Tliat  lijd(>-salo  Inirlan"  down  tlic  1  rao 

It  hlMtt(>r"(  \vi"  a  l)lasli 

r  th.-  bun,  tl.at  day. 

'I'lio'  carllujuakcs,  hail,  an'  tliiurci-.s  blaze 

Had  a"  at  ance  surronndet. 
I  wudna  glowrt  wi"  sic  amaze, 

Xor  been  lia'f  sae  confoiindet  ! 
Wi"  waefu  heart,  before  it  sank, 

I  haul't  it  out  a"  clashing. 
And  now   they're  bleacliing  on  the  Ijank, 

.\  melancholy  washing 
To  me  this  day." 

The  freedom  of  style  and  (•onii)t)siti()ii  of  these  Hues 
is  a  fair  illustration  of  the  clever  fidl-blooded  rhymster  of 
the  eighteenth  century  Scot,  who  seldom  posed  as  a  philoso- 
pher in  the  clonds.  l)tit  ratliei'  foinid  interest  in  common 
things,  and  to  the  country-hrf d  rustic  the  fidelity  of  the 
picture  is  inimitable. 

His  poem  entitled  the  "'  Laurel  Di.sputed."'  in  which  he 
deals  with  the  relative  cla'ms  (f  the  jjoetry  of  Allan  Ramsay 
and  Robert  Fergusson,  is  full  of  dry  humour,  and  shows  a  fer- 
tility of  literary  knowledge  which  does  much  credit  to  his 
industry.  This  poem  he  first  delivered  in  the  character  of 
a  clown  in  the  Pantheon  at  Edinburgh  in  April  14th,  1791. 
In  addition  to  its  literary  consl ruction  and  s])ontaneoi:s 
vitteranee.  it  manifests  a  faniilini-ity  with  the  peasant  life  of 
Scotland  which  will  picscrvc  it  from  extinction.  The  ])oem 
which  Ix'st  preserves  his  memory,  howcxcr.  is  "'  Watty  and 
]\Iei:."  which  was  first  ])ublish('d  anonymousl\-  in  17i>2,  and 
was  for  seme  time  ascribed  to  l)urns.  with  whom  Wilson 
had  become  acf|uainted.  'I  his  poem  is  much  better  known 
than  tho.se  from  which  i  ha\c  (jiioted.  and  it  has  always  been 
a  favf)urite  on  account  of  its  broad  hiiiiKnn-  and  realistic 
truth.  As  a  ])rodu(;tion.  it  is  unpolishe(l  and  homespun, 
and  its  versification  is  a  clumsy  four-lined  measure  not  well 
adapted  for  the  theme.  Iti  religion  and  politics  Wilson  was 
nmcli    in   adxance  of  those   with    whom    he  came   in  contact. 


15 

especially  with  regard  to  the  latter,  and  soon  after  the  publica- 
tion of  "  Watty  and  Meg  "  he  became  involved  in  the  dis- 
putes of  the  weaving  trade  in  Paisley,  in  which  he  engaged 
with  all  the  ardour  and  fearless  courage  of  a  revolutionary. 
For  mercilessly  lampooning  some  of  the  sweating  masters 
of  the  weaving  craft,  he  Avas  prosecuted  and  sent  to  jail  in 
Paisley,  in  addition  to  which  he  was  compelled  to  burn  his 
productions  on  the  subject  with  his  own  hands  at  the  Town 
Cross.  A  man  of  this  type  prefers  to  rule  rather  than  be 
ruled,  and  he  chafed  under  the  despotism  of  that  law  and 
authority  which  commanded  him  to  obey.  Humiliated 
and  cast  down  in  spirit  in  consequence,  he  sailed  to 
America,  friendless  and  alone,  with  but  a  few  shillings 
of  borrowed  money  in  his  pocket.  Full  of  courage  and  re- 
solution ,  however,  he  first  of  all  engaged  himself  to  a  copper- 
plate printer  in  Philadelphia,  subsequently  with  a  weaver, 
and  then  as  a  1  ravelling  pedlar  in  New  Jersey,  where  the 
gay  plumage  of  the  birds  attracted  his  attention.  Ever 
having  a  keen  eye  for  nature,  as  both  his  poetry  and 
prose  writings  testify,  it  only  required  opportunity  for 
development.  He  abandoned  his  occupation  of  a  pedestrian 
merchant,  and  took  up  school  teaching  in  Pensylvania. 
from  which  he  travelled  800  miles  to  visit  a  nephew  in 
New  York.  In  the  capacity  of  school  teacher  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  William  Bettram,  \\ho  was  much  interested 
in  subjects  of  a  naturalist  character — among  other  things 
ornithology — and  by  contact  with  him  Wilson  was  stimulated 
afresh  to  natural  studies.  So  interested  in  the  subject  did 
he  become  that  he  was  induced  to  take  lessons  in  drawing, 
colouring,  and  etching,  till  he  became  remarkably  proficient 
in  the  sketching  of  birds.  Buoyed  up  with  hopes  of  success, 
he  was  encouraged  to  make  a  collection  of  Amei-ican  birds, 
a  subject  which  had  not  yet  claimed  the  special  attention  of 
any  writer  on  natural  history.  With  the  object  of  exploring 
the  coun']'y  and  making  observations,  he  travelled  to  Niagara 


16 

Falls  hy  a  circuitous  loutc.  walkiiiff  sonic  12t»(l  miles. 
While  a1  Niauara  he  wrote  a  poem  called  "'The  Foresters," 
for  ill  his  \arious  ramhies  literature  ever  held  a  supreme 
])lacc  ill  his  mind.  In  isoii  \\v  was  cm|)loyc(l  as  a  writer 
<in  tlu-  Aniericaii  edition  of  I'crs'.s  Encydopcetlia,  but  by  this 
time  the  study  of  iiiids  and  l)ird-life  had  become  a  habit 
of  mind  with  him.  and  he  induced  the  publisher  of  the  Encylo- 
jiterh'a  to  bring  out  a  woik  on  American  ornithology.  The 
first  volume  was  prodiiecil  in  1808,  in  a  costly  and  elaborate 
style,  and  two  \ears  afterwards  the  second  volume  was  issued. 
In  the  course  of  the  year  following  Wilson  made  a  canoe 
voyage  down  the  Ohio  River.  72()  miles  ;  the  i-i\er  which  the 
great  Audubon  afterwards  na\igated  on  a  similar  mission, 
viz.,  to  add  to  his  famous  coloured  collection  of  birds.  In 
1813  the  se\enth  volume  of  Wilson's  important  work  was 
published,  the  year  in  which  he  died.  His  death  is  said  to 
have  been  hastened  by  his  eager  pursuit  of  a  rare  specimen 
of  bird  he  had  long  sought.  In  order  to  keep  in  view  the 
object  of  his  pursuit  he  swam  across  a  river,  and  thus  caught 
cold,  which  ended  fatally  on  August  23rd.  ISi3.  when  he  had 
nearly  completed  his  magnum  opus. 

The  eighth  and  ninth  volumes  were  ])ul)lished  after  his 
<lcath.  with  a  memoir  by  Old.  his  assistant.  The  work  was 
continued  by  Charles  Lucien  Bonaparte  in  four  volumes, 
and  has  since  been  reprinted  in  various  forms.  It  was  greatly 
to  the  credit  of  Wilson  that  he  was  the  first  to  study  American 
birds  in  theii-  iiati\c  haunts,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  his 
descriptions  are  rcmarkal)le  for  their  terseness  and  fidelity. 
The  popular  belief  is  that  his  achievements  in  this  branch 
of  natural  science  stimulated  John  James  Audubon,  who 
carried  the  subject  of  American  ornithology  to  still  greater 
perfection  in  his  monumental  work.  The  ])rospectus  of 
Audubon's  American  Bir'Is  was  issued  in  1827,  and  the  publi- 
cation of  the  complete  work  occupied  some  ten  years.  A 
fir.st  edition  of  this  work  is  now  worth  several  In-ndred  pounds, 


but  the  debt  which  Audubon  owed  to  the  hund)le  pedlar 
from  Paisley  cannot  now  be  accurately  estimated.  Never- 
theless, Wilson's  services  to  this  branch  of  natural  science 
and  his  contributions  to  the  poetical  literature  of  his  native 
land  were  not  publicly  recognised  in  his  birthplace  till  some 
sixty  years  after  his  death,  when  a  monument  was 
erected  in  his  native  town  of  Paisley  in  1874.  Collected 
editions  of  Wilson's  poems  were  published  at  Edinburgh  in 
1791.  at  Paisley  in  1816,  and  at  Belfast  in  1845.  but  the  most 
complete  edition  is  that  edited  by  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Grossart, 
published  at  Paisley  in  1876.  His  poems,  in  addition  to 
being  vivid  and  vigorous,  bear  the  stamp  of  individuality, 
frequently  a  rare  humour,  and  are  not  so  well  known  as  they 
deserve  to   be. 

In  Carolina  Oliphant.  who  subsequently  became  Baroness 

Nairne,  we  have  a  writer  whose  literary  claims  are  wholly 

different    from    those    of  Alexander  Wilson. 

Carolina  Oliphant,  ^^   alreadv  stated.   Wilson   had  small  claim 

1 / oo-lo4 J. 

to  the  lyrical  gift,  while  Lady Xairne  possessed 
it  in  a  supreme  degree. 

The  Flower  of  Strathearn,  as  she  was  designated  because 
of  her  beauty  and  natural  charm  of  manner,  was  born  at  Gask 
seven  years  after  the  birth  of  Robert  Burns  and  five  before 
that  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  The  auld  house  of  Gask,  in  Perth- 
shire, was  inherited  by  Larence  Oliphant,  the  father  of  our 
authoress,  at  the  death  of  her  grandfather,  and  he  became 
the  representative  of  the  old  family  of  the  Oliphants.  In 
the  north  country  the  family  was  well  known  and  respected. 
One  of  the  most  pronounced  characteristics  of  the  Oli- 
phants was  that  they  were  Jacobites  of  the  most  ardent  and 
aggressive  type.  The  Laird,  Carolina's  father,  had  taken 
part  in  the  Rebellion  of  1745,  and  her  grandfather  in  that  of 
1715.  Both  men  had  been  exiled  and  suffered  much  in 
consequence,  and  not  till  a  few  years  before  the  birth  of  our 
authoress    were    thev    allowed    to    return    to    their    neglected 


IS 

•estates.  'I'o  tlie  vviy  last  they  maintained  their  .laeoliite 
})riiiei|)lcs.  and  wonid  acUnow  ledue  no  l\in<i;  but  "the  one 
over  the  watir.  '  for  whom  ihey  ni^litiy  prayed,  and  cherished 
tlieir  recollections  of  liiiii  in  the  household  with  the  most 
fervent  devotion.  Before  Carolina  saw  the  light,  the  svi])reme 
desh-e  of  the  parents  was  that  the  little  Oliphant  which  was 
expected  shoiihl  turn  out  to  he  a  \)oy  so  that  he  might  be 
named  (  harles.  and  she  used  to  say  her  parents  had  never 
forgiven  her  for  having  l)een  born  a  girl.  Hope  «'as  only 
deferred,  however,  for  two  boys  were  subse(|uently  born, 
and  for  the  mere  accident  of  birth  the  young  A\oman  who  was 
to  justify  her  existence*  in  the  world  as  a  gifted  songstress 
was  freely  forgiven.  In  the  atmosphere  of  Gask  House, 
with  its  Jacobite  stories  and  Highland  legends,  our  authoress 
Avas  born  and  reared.  \\'hen  al)out  eight  years  old  Carolina's 
mother  died,  leaving  the  Laird  with  six  young  children. 
Thus  early  our  authoress  was  thrown  upon  her  own  resources, 
but  her  father,  the  Laird,  was  a  man  of  superior  character 
and  accomplishments,  and  gave  much  attention  to  the  rearing 
and  education  of  his  children.  To  l)ovs  and  girls  alike  a 
wide  range  of  reading  was  permitted,  to  which  was  added 
music  and  dancing — particularly  Scots  songs  and  Scots  reel 
dancing,  which  was  in  great  vogue  at  that  time.  At  this 
time,  too,  Neil  Gow,  the  famous  Scots  fiddler,  was  a  well- 
known  figure  at  countr}'  balls,  harvest  homes,  and  fashionable 
weddings,  and  the  visit  of  Neil  Gow  and  his  violin  to  Strath- 
earn  was  an  event  the  young  people  looked  forward  to  with 
the  most  joyful  anticipations.  Carolina  was  by  far  the  most 
musical  of  the  family,  but  so  well  was  the  secret  kept  that  her 
nearest  and  dearest  friends  would  never  have  accused  her  of 
song- writing.  For  forty  years  she  resided  in  the  old  house 
at  Gask  with  her  brother  Larence,  the  new  laird,  and  his 
wife,  whom  he  married  in  1795.  Carolina  from  her  early 
youth  possessed  a  deep  religious  spirit,  but  she  now  became 
more   pious   and   devout   than  ever.     Although  much   of  the 


19 

religious  sentiment  of  the  time  was  opposed  to  the  "  profane 
art  of  wiiting  poetry"  her  piety  did  not  interfere  with  her  pas- 
sion for  song,  especially  the  songs  of  her  beloved  country.  To 
the  outside  world  it  was  not  generally  known  that  there  had 
long  been  an  engagement  between  her  and  her  ha  If -cousin, 
Captain  Nairne,  though  at  forty  she  was  still  unmarried. 
Captain  Nairne  was  Irish  by  birth,  but  was  connected  with 
the  Scottish  family  of  the  Perthshire  Nairnes,  and  heir  at  his 
brother's  death  to  the  Nairne  peerage,  the  civil  rights  of 
which  had  been  revoked  at  the  Jacobite  Rebellion  of  1715. 
Consequently  Captain  Nairne  was  in  impecunious  cir- 
cumstances till  the  year  1806,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
the  brevet  rank  of  Major,  and  obtained  the  appointment 
of  Assistant  Inspector-General  of  Barracks  in  Scotland, 
\\hen  he  was  able  to  marry  and  make  Carolina  Oliphant 
Lady  Nairne.  Both  she  and  her  husband  were  slightly 
acquainted  with  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  by  one  of  his  great 
acts  of  kindness  he  exercised  his  influence  in  improving 
the  fortune  of  the  Nairne's.  When  George  IV.  visited 
Edinburgh  in  1822  Scott  suggested  to  him  that  the  restora- 
tion of  the  forfeited  Jacobite  families  might  be  one  of  the 
gracious  acts  of  his  reign,  the  result  being  that  a  Bill  for  the 
purjiose  received  the  Royal  Assent  in  1824.  Thus  at  the 
age  of  sixty-seven  Major  Nairne  became  Baron  Nairne  of 
Nairne,  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  Baroness  Nairne. 
Unfortunately  the  new  distinction  was  enjoyed  only  a  few 
years  by  Lord  Nairne,  for  he  died  in  1830  six  years  afterwards, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  His  death  brought  changes 
in  the  domestic  sphere,  the  most  imj)ortant  of  which  was  that 
it  severed  for  a  time  Lady  Nairne's  connection  with  Edin- 
burgh. She  removed  to  the  south  of  England,  thence 
to  Ireland,  and,  four  years  afterwards,  to  the  Continent  for 
the  benefit  of  her  son's  health,  then  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
six.  He  never  recovered,  and  died  at  Brussels  in  the  thirtieth 
year  of  his  age.       Lady  Nairne  continued  to  live  abroad  a 


•JO 

little  loii.m-r.  hut  i\-tiiriu'(l  (o  Sootland  in  1S4:{.  and  took  ii|) 
luM-  resicleiH't'  at  (Jask  House  once  nioit-,  whore  she  remained 
till  lu'r  deatli.  two  years  afterwards.  'I'o  all  who  knew  any- 
thing of  her  personality,  the  piety  and  devotion  of  her  life 
was  well  known.  The  foreign  waiting-maid  wlio  was  long 
in  her  serviee  declai'ed  ""  that  her  mistress  was  as  near  to  the 
angel  as  humai)   weakness  might   ])ermit."" 

The  seen^t  of  Lady  Nairne"s  anthorshii)  was  all  hut  huried 
in  the  grave  with  her  :  not  even  her  husband  to  his  dying 
day  had  the  least  suspicion  that  she  was  a  song-writer,  or 
incUdged  in  any  literary  exercises  whatever.  Nevertheless, 
some  of  the  songs  must  have  been  sung  for  half  a  century 
at  least,  and  were  referred  to  and  admired  as  compositions  of 
the  most  conspicuous  genius.  When  Burns  was  in  the 
heyday  of  his  fame.  Lady  XairiK^  must  have  written  her 
first  lyrical  piece,  entitled  ""  The  Ploughman."  which  was 
composed  to  be  sung  by  lu  i-  brother  at  a  dinner  of  the 
Gask  tenantry.  It  was  greatly  appreciated  In  all  present. 
and  it  was  afterwards  circulated  by  the  brother  of  its 
author,  but  w  itli  the  precaution  that  the  name  of  its 
author  should  not  be  revealed.  This  same  song  was 
much  appreciated  by  Burns,  who  had  now  become  lyrical 
critic,  and  was  using  his  utmost  endeavours  to  improve 
and  reform  Scottish  song  by  providing  new  words  for 
old  airs  which  needed  refining  and  purifying.  At  the 
commencement  of  her  poetical  efforts  Carolina  (Jli2)hant  dees 
not  a]j))ear  to  have  been  a  fertile  genius,  for  there  is  nothing 
to  show  that  she  wrote  anything  further  till  1797.  the  year 
after  the  death  of  Burns,  when  slie  was  in  the  thirty-second 
year  of  her  age.  Then  came  the  song  that  touched  every 
true  lover  of  song  to  their  most  sensitive  depths,  "  The  Land 
o'  the  Leal."  This  beautiful  ha'ic  came  to  be  attributed 
to  Burns,  composed,  it  was  asserted,  on  his  death-bed, 
and  sub.sequently  printed  in  editions  of  his  works.  As 
this    song    first    came    from    the    jxmi    of     Lady    Xairne.    it 


•21 

was  supposed  to  be  the  address  of  a  dying  wife  to  her 
husband,  and  read  "  I'm  wearin'  awa,  John."  In  spite  of 
the  more  popular  substitution  of  "  Jean,"  the  second  stanza 
is  in  favour  of  the  poem  being  the  address  of  a  dying  wife 
to  her  husband — 

"  Our  bonnie  bairn's  there,  John, 
She  was  baith  guid  and  fair,  John, 
And  oh  :  we  grudged  her  sair 

To  the  Land  o'  the  Leal." 

This  song,  though  perhaps  the  best  example  of  Lady 
Nairne's  tyrical  productions,  is  by  no  means  her  only  one_ 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  some  ninety-eight  in  all  which 
are  said  to  be  the  productions  of  her  genius,  and  between  twenty 
and  thirty  of  these  are  of  high  poetic  merit,  while  nine  at 
least  approach  the  highest  lyrical  excellence.  In  1821 ,  well  nigh 
a  quarter  of  a  century  before  she  died,  she  entered  into  a 
compact  with  a  small  committee  of  other  Edinburgh  ladies, 
all  sworn  to  secrecy,  to  contribute  to  a  collection  of  national 
airs  called  The  Scottish  Minstrel,  under  the  nom  de  plume 
of  "  B.B.,"'  or  Mrs  Bogan  of  Bogan.  The  Scottish  Minstrel 
was  issued  by  Herbert  Purdie,  a  music  publisher  in  the 
city,  and  was  comj)leted  in  six  volumes  in  1824,  the  same 
year  as  our  authoress  became  Baroness  Nairne. 

It  was  not  till  1846,  the  year  after  Lady  Nairne  died, 
that  the  long-kept  secret  was  revealed.  In  that  year  her 
sister,  Mrs  Keith,  thought  there  was  no  further  need  of  con- 
cealing the  authorship,  and  the  disclosure  astonished  the 
whole  literar}^  world  of  Edinburgh,  where  the  quiet,  pious, 
unassuming  lady  had  been  so  well  known  and  respected. 
The  songs  were  published  in  a  thin  folio,  bearing  the  title. 
Lays  from  Strathearn  :  Carolina  Baroness  Nairne,  Author 
of  '  The  Land  o'  the  Leal,'  &c.  ;  Arranged  with  Symphonies 
and  Accompaniments  for  the  Pianoforte  bj^  Finlay  Dun." 
In  a  subsequent  edition  several  pieces  that  had  been  omitted 
were  included,   and  Dr  Charles   Rogers   brought  out   a  still 


moi'c  fompltMr  edition  in  lS(i!).  while  another  was  I)rought 
out  1)\  the  Rev.  (ieorge  Henderson.  M.A.,  H.l).,  thus  reaching 
a  fourth    edition    in    15)06. 

Althouiih  the  .laeobite  songs  of  Lady  Xairne  are  her 
most  spirited  compositions — for  intance,  ''  Charlie's  Landing," 
'•  Wha'll  l)e  King  but  Charlie  ?  "  "  Charlie  is  my  Darling," 
and  ■■  Will  ye  no  come  back  again  ?  " — she  could  sing  well  on 
otlur  themes.  Among  her  songs  of  character  and  incident 
we  have  "The  Auld  Hoose,"  "The  Rowan  Tree,"  "Caller 
Herrin',"  and  "  John  Tod."  Among  songs  of  thought  and 
sentiment,  where  can  ""  The  Land  o'  the  Leal,"  already 
alluded  to,  be  excelled,  while  her  love  songs  have  a  fascination 
all  their  own.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  "  The  Laird 
o'  Cockpen,"  "  Kind  Robin  lo'es  me,"  and  '  True  Love  is 
water 'd  aye  wi'  tears." 

Lady  Xairne 's  power  in  drawing  from  actual  life  is 
exemplified  in  many  of  her  pieces,  but  in  few  is  it  better 
illustrated  than  in  "  Caller  Herrin',"  which  has  immortalised 
the  fisherwomen  of  the  Forth.  This  song  was  composed 
for  the  benefit  of  the  son  of  Neil  Gow,  the  celebrated  Scottish 
violhiist,  previously  mentioned.  The  fortunes  of  Nathaniel 
Gow  had  fallen  on  evil  days,  and  he  had  become  reduced  to 
extreme  povert3^  To  assist  him  Lady  Nairne  sent  him 
"  Caller  Herrin'  "  anonymously  for  his  benefit  through 
an  Edinburgh  friend.  "  The  Lass  o"  Gowrie,"  usually 
found  among  the  collected  songs  of  Lady  Nairne,  was  origin- 
ally written  by  William  Reid,  a  Glasgow  bookseller  with 
musical  and  poetical  tastes,  whose  shop  was  frequented  by 
Robert  Burns,  John  Gait,  and  other  literary  contemporaries. 
Li  Reid's  version  an  incongruity  occurs  in  his  heroine, 
''  Kate  o'  Gowrie,"  which  obviousl\'  marred  the  sense  of 
the  song.  The  incongruity  was  adjust e*!  by  Lady  Xairne, 
and  in  that  sense  the  song  was  improved  ;  but  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  Reid's  verses  2  and  3  are  superior  in  sentiment 


23 

and  diction  to  the  corresponding  two  by  Lady  Nairne.      These 
may  be  reproduced  for  the  sake  of  comparison — 

"  I  praised  her  beauty  loud  and  lang, 
Then  round  her  waist  my  arms  I  flang. 
And  said,  '  My  dearie,  will  ye  gang 

To  see  the  Carse  o'  Gowrie  ? 
I'll  tak'  ye  to  my  father's  ha'. 
In  yon  green  field  beside  the  shaw. 
And  mak'  ye  lady  o'  them  a" — 

The  brawest  wife  in  Gowrie." 

Saft  kisses  on  her  lips  I  laid, 

The  blush  upon  her  cheeks  soon  spread, 

She  whisper'd  modestly  and  said, 

'  I'll  gang  wi'  you  to  Gowrie.' 
The  auld  folks  soon  gied  their  consent, 
Syne  for  Mess  John  they  quickly  sent, 
Wha  tied  us  to  our  heart's  content. 

And  now  she's  Lady  Gowrie." 

Lady  Nairne \s  version — 

'■  To  see  her  cousin  she  cam'  there. 
An'  oh  !   the  scene  was  passing  fair  ; 
For  what  in  ScotlanI  can  comijare 

Wi'  the  Carse  o'  Gowrie  ? 
The  sun  was  setting  on  the  Tay, 
The  blue  hills  melting  into  gre\ , 
The  mavis  and  the  blackbird's  lay 
Were  sweetly  heard  in  Gowrie. 

0  lang  the  lassie  I  had  woo'd. 

An'  truth  and  constancy  had  vow'd. 
But  couldna  speed  wi'  her  I  lo'ed 
Until  she  saw  fair  Gowrie, 

1  pointed  to  my  father's  ha'. 
Yon  bonnie  bield  ayont  the  shaw, 

Sae  lown,  that  there  nae  blast  covdd  blaw — 
Wad  she  no  bide  in  Gowrie  ?  " 

Needless  to  say,  Burns  has  excelled  Lady  Nairne  as  a 
song-writer,  but  with  the  exception  of  Burns  and  Tannahill 
she  is  unapproached  among  later  eighteenth  century  lyrical 
writers.  The  natural  simplicity  of  her  songs,  their  music 
and  rhythm,  as  well  as  their  unobtrusive  humour  and  pathos, 
must  always  con  mand  for  her  a  high  position  among  Scottish 
song- writers.  In  one  and  all  of  them  there  is  a  loftiness  of 
moral  sentiment  which  is  much  more  easily  felt  than  described, 
conveying  as  it  does  the  inward  beauty  of  the  writer'.^ 
character. 


•J  4 

Following     Baroness     Xairne,     the     name     of     Ebenezer 

Pieken  may  be  noticed,  but  it  is  by  no  means  so  well  known, 

though     he    A\as    much    more  than  a  mere 

^'"^TtSTs^O^"'  scribbler.       Born     three     years     later    than 

Lady    Nairne,    he      predeceased      her      by 

twenty-nine    years.        His     life    of    struggle,    poverty,     and 

disappointed    ambition    was    terminated    at     the    early    age 

of  forty-seven.       In  spite  of  all,  it  must  be  admitted  that 

he   did   some   important   work,    both    in   poetry   and   prose, 

particularly  the  latter.       The  son  of  a  silk  weaver,  he  was 

bom  at  Paisley  in  1769,  and  educated  for  the  ministry  of  the 

United  Secession  Church. 

Literary  ambition  early  hainited  him,  and  he  abandoned 
his  clerical  prospects  for  dreams  of  literary  fame — the  rock 
upon  vvhich  so  many  careers  have  been  shipwrecked.  An 
entire  failure  he  certainly  was  not,  but  his  dreams  were  never 
realised  to  anything  like  the  extent  he  anticipated,  which 
is  but  the  old,  old  story  of  the  life  of  the  literary  aspirant. 

When  Alexander  Wilson,  in  1791,  read  his  poem  on  the 
comparative  merits  of  Ramsay  and  Fergusson  before  the 
Debating  Society  in  the  Edinburgh  Pantheon,  Pieken  was 
the  unsuccessful  competitor  for  the  priz3  which  was  carried 
off  by  Wilson.  When  but  nineteen  years  of  age  Pieken  pub- 
lished a  volume  of  Poems  and  Epistles,  mostly  in  the  Scottish 
Diakct,  with  a  Glossary,  which  was  well  received,  and  by  none 
more  so  than  by  Wilson,  his  successful  rival.  At  his  death 
in  1816  he  left  the  MS.  of  a  Dictionary  of  the  Scottish  Dialect, 
which  was  published  two  years  after  his  death,  and  is  still 
of  some  importance  from  a  philological  point  of  view.  It 
^\'as  most  helpful  to  Jamieson  in  his  preparation  of  his  Standard 
Dictionary  of  the  Scottish  Language,  completed,  with  Supple- 
ment, in  1825.  The  life  of  Pieken  was  never  at  any  period 
of  it  what  the  world  would  call  a  success.  Soon  after  he 
attained  his  majority  he  married  Miss  Belfrage,  the  daughter 
of  the  minister  of  the  Burgher  Kirk,  and  opened  a  school  at 


■25 

Falkirk,  which  was  soon  given  up.  He-  afterwards  became 
a  teacher  in  an  endowed  school  at  Carron,  where  he  heroically 
fought  grinding  poverty  for  five  years — an  enemy  he  never 
finally  vanquished.  The  school  at  Carron  he  also  gave  up, 
after  which  he  tried  business  in  Edinburgh,  but  this  venture 
was  by  no  means  a  success.  Once  more  he  was  compelled 
to  take  up  teaching  to  enable  him  to  complete  some  of  his 
literary  projects,  amongst  which  was  the  republication  of 
his  poems,  with  additions,  in  1813.  Two  years  later  he  assisted 
Dr  Andrew  Wilson  with  a  volume  of  monumental  inscx'iptions 
from  the  tombstones  in  the  Edinburgh  graveyards,  thus 
playing  the  part  of  Old  Mortality.  In  the  following  year, 
1816,  he  died,  after  a  short  and  uneventful  life,  in  the  course 
of  which  the  Fates  never  dealt  with  him  too  kindly.  As 
a  writer  of  songs  and  descriptive  poetry  he  secured  a 
certain  measure  of  popularity,  but  he  had  the  misfortune 
to  come  after  Burns,  and  he  was  too  slavishly  devoted  to  his 
model  to  venture  on  an  independent  flight  in  versifying. 
Like  many  another  of  the  smaller  fry  of  rhymsters  who  followed 
in  the  wake  of  Burns,  in  attempting  to  imitate  the  greater 
poet  he  obscured  his  OMm  originality. 

Picken's  poem  entitled  "  New-Year's  Day "  has  no 
special  merit  beyond  showing  a  fine  command  of  the  Scottish 
vernacular,  in  addition  to  being  a  graphic  description  of  the 
customs  observed  in  Scotland  on  New-Year's  Day,  with  their 
accompanying  superstitions.  His  song  entitled  "  Blithe 
are  we  set  wi'  ither "  has  a  Bacchanalian  flavour,  and 
when  the  author  sings  of  the  jovial  crew  in  their  cups  ''  fling- 
ing care  ayont  the  moon,"  no  doubt  the  wish  was  father  to 
the  thought,  for  poverty  seems  to  have  dogged  his  steps  to  the 
grave.  Among  Picken's  other  well-known  songs  are  "  Pretty 
Nell,"  "  Nan  of  Logic  Green,"  and  "  Woo  me  again,"  the 
latter  of  which  is  perhaps  the  most  popular.  The  theme  is 
old,  to  be  sure,  but  it  savours  of  the  romantic,  which  ever 
appeals  to  the  youth  of  both  sexes.       Young  Jamie  eagerly 


26 

AV008  Joan,  and  strives  r.rdcntly  to  win  licr  allVctions.  hut  it 
is  all  in  \ain.  She  rejects  his  suit  with  pride  and  disdain. 
Weary  of  her  lebuffs  he  at  length  leaves  her  to  her  ])erverse 
fate  and  when  she  discovers  too  late  that  lie  has  rc!in(|uislied 
his  pirsuit  for  ever,  she  is  made  to  say — 

'  '  O  wad  lio  but  now  to  his  Jean  be  inclined, 
My  heart  in  a  moment  wad  yield  to  his  mind  ; 
Fiut  I  fear  with  some  ither  my  laddie  is  ta'en, 
And  sae  he'll  ne'er  off(M'  to  woo  me  again.' 

The  siiniHier  o'  Wiv.  all  I    it  soon  flits  awa. 
And  th(>  bloom  on  youi'  (•ii(<(>k  will  soon  (low  in  the  snaw  : 
()  think,  ere  you  treat  a  fond  youth  wi'  disdain, 
Ti.at  in  age  the  sweet  flower  nc\er  blossoms  again." 

Almost    as    sooJi    as    tlie    eighteenth    century    had    been 

relegated  to  the  archives  of  the  ])ast  and  the  nineteentli  had 

dawned,     Ricliard    CJall     was    consigned     to 

galaxy  of  Scottish  poets  and  literary 
characters  which  I  intend  to  deal  with.  Although 
not  in  the  first,  or,  indeed,  the  second  rank  of  minor 
Scottish  j)oets,  yet  the  name  of  (Jail  deserves  to  be 
identified  with  those  great  lights  who  hcl])ed  to  restore  the 
dignity  and  develo])  the  inherent  resources  of  the  Scottish 
vernacular.  During  the  closing  years  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  and  when  the  songs  of  Bums  held  the  field,  several 
of  Gall's  songs  were  thought  of  sufficient  merit  to  be  set  to 
music,  and  now,  after  the  flight  of  more  than  a  century,  his 
name  is  all  that  is  known  of  him,  even  by  many  of  those  who 
sing  and  admire  the  sweet  melody  of  his  songs.  A  small 
volume  of  his  songs  and  poems  was  collected,  carefully  edited, 
and  published  in  1819,  but  few  of  the  facts  and  circumstances 
of  his  life  have  been  preserved.  This  was  probably  due 
to  one  of  two  reasons.  The  first  is  that  his  life  was  an  unevent- 
ful one,  he  having  died  j^oung,  and  the  second  is  that  the 
friend  who  was  most  intimately  acquainted  witli  him,  besides 
being  best  qualified  from    a  literary  point  of  view    to  write 


27 

a  faithful  sketch  of  GaU's  life  and  work,  passed  away  just 
when  he  was  on  the  eve  of  engaging  in  the  task. 
This  was  none  other  than  Dr  Alexander  Murray,  who, 
from  the  obscurity  of  a  shepherd's  son,  born  at  Dunkittrick, 
in  the  wilds  of  Galloway,  rose  to  the  position  of  Professor 
of  Oriental  Languages  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh. 
Murray  was  also  celebrated  as  the  biographer  of  Bruce 
and  the  competent  editor  of  his  travels  in  Abyssinia,  and 
still  more  for  the  extent  of  his  philological  erudition. 
For  several  years  before  the  close  of  Gall's  life  the  Rev. 
Alexander  Murray  was  his  closest  confidant  and  daily  associate, 
being  attracted  to  one  another  by  community  of  poetic 
sentiment  and  literary  tastes.  The  only  tribute  that  has  been 
paid  to  the  memory  of  Richard  Gall,  this  young  and  promising 
poet,  is  contained  in  an  article  in  the  BiograpJiia  Scotica, 
by  Stark,  and  he  has  not  been  able  to  give  to  the  public  any 
important  details. 

Richard  Gall  was  born  at  Linkhouse,  near  Dunbar, 
December,  1776,  nearly  twenty  years  before  the  death  of 
Robert  Burns.  By  profession  his  father  was  a  notary, 
who  appears  to  have  been  far  from  being  a  man  in  affluent 
circumstances,  nor  does  he  seem  to  have  had  any  desire  to 
educate  his  son  to  any  of  the  learned  professions.  More 
from  necessity  than  choice,  young  Gall  was  apprenticed 
to  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  with  a  maternal  uncle  at  the 
age  of  eleven,  consequently  his  education  can  scarcely  be  said 
to  have  been  of  a  verv  efficient  character.  He  was  by  no 
means  void  of  natural  gifts,  however,  and  when  at  school 
at  Haddington  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  boy  of  more 
than  ordinary  aptitude  for  learning.  Moreover,  he  wrote 
some  verses  when  a  mere  youth  which  attracted  the  attention 
of  Burns,  and  also  Hector  Macneil,  with  whom  he  corresponded 
on  subjects  in  which  they  were  interested  in  common,  a  bond 
of  sympathy  being  thus  established  among  this  trio  of  poets. 
It  may  also  be  remarked  that  he  lodged  in  the  same  house 


M\\\\  'J'honias  Camplirll  w  hilc  \\v  was  propai'iiig  the  "  Pleasures 
of  Hope  "  for  publication,  the  poem  by  which  that  poet  is 
best  known,  and  who  subsequently  became  such  a  faded 
spectacle  of  literary  glory.  These  literary  associations 
early  filled  Gall  with  hope  and  ambition,  and  induced  him 
to  relin(|uis]\  the  trade  of  carpenter  for  a  more  congeiiial 
situation  in  the  office  of  the  Edinburgh  Evening  Courant, 
then  nnder  the  proprietorship  of  David  Ramsay.  Just  as 
Gall  was  advancing  to  eminence  and  making  a  name  for 
himself  in  the  sphere  of  letters,  his  advance  was  suddenly 
arrested.  In  the  beginning  of  1801  an  abscess  appeared  on  his 
chest,  which,  in  spite  of  medical  treatment,  rapidly  assumed 
a  mahgnant  nature.  Thus  a  life  full  of  promise  was  cut  off 
in  the  tAventy-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

Like  the  rest  of  his  poetical  contemporaries,  he  was  full 
of  patriotic  fervour,  which  is  not  only  manifest  in  the  beautiful 
poem  entitled  "  Arthur's  Seat,"  but  in  a  number  of  his  other 
pieces.  The  opening  lines  of  the  first  canto  of  "  Arthur's 
Seat  "  are  suggestive  of  the  poetical  divinities  before  whom 
he  preferred  to  bow  the  knee — 

"  O  for  a  spark  o'  genial  fire. 
Sic  as  could  ance  a  Burns  inspire  ! 
O  for  a  Shakespeare's  pencil  rare 
To  trace  ilk  glowing  prospect  fair  !  " 

For  historical  traditions  and  the  natural  beauties  of  his 
native  land  he  had  a  keen  appreciation,  but  he  lacked  pro- 
phetic \'i.sion,  and  was  seldom  animated  with  bright  dreams 
of  the  future.  In  spite  of  his  youth,  with  all  his  amiability 
and  sweetness  of  song,  he  was  sadly  retrospective,  and  to 
him  the  glory  of  his  native  land  slumbered  in  the  past.  This 
is  duh'  emphasised  in  several  of  his  poems,  but  the  following 
lines  from  his  "  Address  to  Haddington  "  will  suffice  as  an 
illustration — 

"  Wake,  Nature's  lyre,  sweet  an'  chaste, 
O  wake  the  strains  that  lulls  to  rest  ! 


29 

Thy  notes  may  charm  my  throbbing  breast 

By  anguish  torn, 
While  I  the  joys  an'  pleasures  j)ast 

Can  only  mourn." 

Other  verses  might  be  quoted  to  show  that  in  certain 
moods  he  had  something  akin  to  Shakespeare's  characterisa- 
tion of  Richard  II.,  when  he  is  made  to  say — 

"  Let's  talk  of  graves,  of  worms,  and  epitaphs, 
Make  dust  our  paper,  and  with  rainy  eyes 
Write  sorrow  on  the  bosom  of  the  earth. 

For  God's-sake  let  us  sit  upon  the  ground, 
And  tell  sad  stories  of  the  death  of  Kings." 

It  must  be  claimed  for  Gall  that  his  thoughts  were 
mostly  pure,  and  the  pith  and  purity  with  which  he  wrote 
in  the  vernacular  does  great  credit  to  his  youthful  genius. 
From  his  delicate  sympathy  and  natural  refinement  he  was 
more  capable  of  writing  songs  than  long-drawn-out  themes 
in  poetry.  Burns  was  evidently  his  model,  and  he  died 
too  young  to  have  acquired  free  and  unfettered  flight  in  fresh 
regions  of  poetic  fancy.  True  merit  cannot  be  denied  to 
Gall.  For  instance,  such  pieces  as  "  The  Bard,"  "  The 
Braes  o'  Drumlee,"  "  Captain  O'Kain,"  "  Helen's  Lament," 
and  "  My  only  Jo  and  Dearie,  O,"  the  latter  of  which,  with 
the  "  Farewell  to  Ayrshire,"  were  attributed  to  Burns,  and 
included  in  Dr  Currie's  edition  of  the  Poet's  works. 

The  following  stanzas  from  "  My  only  Jo  and  Dearie,  0," 
will  convey  some  idea  of  the  sweetness  which  characterised 
several  of  his  songs,  and  how  closely  he  could  steer  to  his 
great  poetical  model — 

•'  When  we  were  bairnies  on  yon  brae. 
And  youth  was  blinkin'  bonnie,  O, 
Aft  we  wad  daff  the  lee-lang  day, 

Olu"  joys  fu'  sweet  and  mony,  O. 

Aft  I  wad  chase  thee  o'er  the  lea, 

And  round  about  the  thorny  tree  ; 

Or  pu'  the  wild  flowers  a'  for  thee. 

My  only  Jo  and  dearie,  O. 


30 

I  hae  a  wisli  I  canna  tine, 

'Mang  a'  the  cares  that  grieve  me,  O  ! 

I  wish  that  thou  wert  ever  mine. 
And  never  mair  to  lea\e  me,  O  ! 

Tlien  1  would  dawt  thee  night  and  daj', 

Xae  ither  ^arldy  care  I'd  hae 

Till  life's  warm  stream  forgot  to  play, 
My  only  Jo  and  dearie.  O." 

By  way  of  c-oncludini:.  it  may  be  atHnned  that  as  far  as 
the  hterary  merits  of  the  various  writers  included  in  this 
chapter  are  concerned  there  is  a  perceptible  descent  from  the 
eminence  attained  by  many  previous  WTiters,  and  we  observe 
the  national  characteristic  in  the  process  of  obhteration. 
With  the  view  of  more  fidly  comprehending  the  scope  and 
development  of  Scottish  literature  it  is  necessary  to  keep 
distinctly  before  the  mind  the  two  great  arbitrary  historical 
<livisions. 

1.  The  early  movement  extending  from  the  da\^ii  of 
letters  in  Scotland,  whose  more  distinct  national  features 
date  from  the  fourteenth  centur3\  It  was  the  outcome  of 
the  War  of  Independence,  of  which  the  literary  sentiment 
is  expressed  in  the  works  of  Barbour,  and  whose  influence  is 
distinctly  manifested  in  most  of  the  subsequent  writers 
down   to  Buchanan  and   Knox. 

2.  The  later  literary  movement  was  manifestly  influenced 
l)y  the  Reformation  and  the  Union  with  England,  and  may 
be  said  to  have  culminated  in  Burns  and  Scott,  whose  repu- 
tations are  universal.  Broadly  speaking,  Burns  and  Scott 
are  the  last  great  literary  figures  of  the  Scotland  which  was 
the  outcome  of  the  Reformation  and  the  Union  of  the  two 
Crowns. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  the 
literary  rivalry  of  the  Scottish  writers  with  their  English 
contemporaries  became  more  and  more  accentuated,  and  in 
the  contest  Scottish  literature  lost  many  of  itsnational  features. 
English  men  of  letter.-;  received  writings  in  the  vernacular 
with  a  .sneer,  gloriously  unconscious  that  it  was  vastly  closer 


31 

to  the  writings  of  Chaucer,  one  of  their  own  great  classical 
writers,  than  the  prevalent  English  speech.  Scottish  writers 
and  critics  made  strenuous  efforts  to  counteract  the  general 
tendency,  but  it  was  of  little  avail.  All  efforts  failed  to  stem 
the  tide  ;  and  after  the  end  of  the  century,  Scottish  literature 
became  more  and  more  incorporated  with  the  literature 
South  of  the  Tweed.  Thus  it  was  to  the  advantage  of  Scots 
writers  to  appeal  to  a  wider  public.  No  doubt  the 
spirit  which  so  largely  entered  into  the  literary  senti- 
ment of  Burns  and  Scott  was  the  natural  sequence  of 
the  teaching  of  John  Knox.  At  first  sight  it  seems 
an  anachronism  to  associate  any  fellowship  of  thought 
and  sentiment  between  this  trio  of  distinguished  men. 
Knox's  outlook  upon  life  was  certainly  narrow  and  cir- 
cumscribed compared  with  theirs.  Yet  the  fact  remains 
that  few^  men  in  the  history  of  any  nation  has  exercised  so 
much  influence  in  moulding  the  character  and  destinj^  of  his 
country  as  John  Knox.  With  all  his  love  of  power  and  his 
earnest  determination  to  rear  a  theological  fabric  according 
to  the  type  and  pattern  he  had  conceived,  in  the  implicit 
belief  that  it  was  the  true  reflection  of  the  mind  of  the  Most 
High,  he  never  regarded  lightly  the  importance  of  secular 
education.  Rightly  or  wrongly,  Knox  did  not  appear  to 
entertain  the  fear  entertained  by  so  many  in  the  clerical 
profession,  that  the  schoolmaster  would  ultimately  hustle 
the  divine  off  the  stage.  By  his  confidence  in  the  rank  and 
file,  and  his  scheme  of  education,  he  was  indirectly,  if  not 
directly,  instrumental  in  raising  Scotland  to  a  position  of 
national  importance  which  enhanced  her  fondly -cherished 
traditions  in  the  eyes  of  the  civilized  world.  Burns  and 
Scott,  though  illuminating  the  more  secular  sphere,  were 
not  outside  or  independent  of  the  stream  which  had  its  source 
in  this  theological  zealot.  Burns  in  the  greater  degree 
represented  the  popular  imagination,  and  thus  elevated 
the  masses  of  his  countrymen  to  a  literary  fellowship  which 


Mas  (U'stinc'd  to  add  force  and  \ oluine  to  their  iiationaJ  aspira- 
tions. It  \\as  more  tlie  prerogative  of  Scott,  perhaps,  to 
extend  and  enh^rge  tlie  mental  sphere  of  the  hterary  sentiment 
of  Scotland.  As  has  l)een  well  .said,  it  was  Scott  who  gave 
Scotland  a  citizenship  in  Hteiatnrc.  In  fine,  while  Burns 
endeared  the  history  and  traditions  of  Scotland  to  Scotsmen, 
Scott  made  them  known  to  the  uttermost  ccnfines  of  cultured 
Europe  and  America,  thus  completing  in  a  more  secular 
and  general  sense  what  Knox  and  the  Reformation  began. 
It  needs  no  great  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  realise  that 
those  factors  are  accountable  for  the  greater  catholicity  of 
Scottish  literature  after  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
In  this  fact,  then,  there  is  sufficient  justification  for  the  view- 
that  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  naturally  forms  an 
appropi'iate  termination  to  a  sketch  of  this  kind. 

WM.  MILVVRAITH. 


BURNS   ON   PEACE  AND  WAR. 


ROBERT    BURNS    was    one    of   those   rare    men   whose 
various   activities  touch   life   at   almost   every   point, 
and  one  who  wishes  to  fully  understand  what  he  said  and 
did  must  enter  upon  a  pretty  complete  study  of  the  period 
in   which  he  lived.       This  would  not  have  been  necessary 
had  he  sought  his  inspiration  mainly  in  the  emotions  which 
stir  the  hearts  of  men  and  women.      Such  feelings  are  peculiar 
to  neither  time  nor  place.    They  have  their  "  seat  and  centre  " 
in  the  human  breast  in  all  ages  and  in  all  climes,  and  may 
be  understood  without  any  reference  to  outside  events  and 
incidents.        But   Burns  found  a  good  deal  of  his   material 
in  his  environment — in  the  rural  employments  in  which  he 
and  his  neighbours  were  engaged,  in  the  amusements  which 
occupied   their  scanty   hours   of   leisure,   in   the  experiences 
which  occurred  to  them  from  day  to  day,  in  the  political  and 
ecclesiastical  problems  which  they  were  called  upon  to  solve, 
and   in   a   variety   of   other   directions   which   must   suggest 
themselves  to  the  reader.       It  is  not  possible  to  grasp  the 
whole,  or  anything  like  the  whole,  of  the  meaning  of  Burns 
when  he  treated  such  themes  unless  one  knows  what  was 
the  social,  ecclesiastical,  and  political  condition  of  Scotland 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  period  which 
directly  influenced  the  Poet,  and  which,  in  turn,  was  directly 
influenced   by  him.       This   is  an  aspect  of   Burns   which   I 
discussed  in  an  article  on   "'  Burns  interpreted  in  the  light 
of  his  own  times,"  contributed  to  the  Burns  Chronicle  in  1910, 
but  I  have  by  no  means  exhausted  the  material  at  the  disposal 
of  one  who  thus  studies  the  work  of  the  National  Bard,  and 
my  object  in  preparing  this  paper  is  to  consider  a  branch  of 
the  subject  on  which  I  have  not  yet  touched. 


34 

Hiifiis  on  I'cat'o  and  War  ""  is  a  i)()litk-al  tlunu'  :  hut 
it  is  iu)t  one  in  tho  tivatniciit  of  which  the  Poet  confintd 
himself  to  the  alTaics  of  his  native  eoiuidy.  In  tlie  (Uiys  of 
Burns  Scotland  had  l)een  for  nearfy  two  eenturies  an  integral 
part  of  Great  Britain,  which  even  at  tliat  time  was  a  mighty 
empire,  and  when  we  find  him  writing  on  peace  and  war  we 
must  not  think  of  him  only  as  the  National  Poet  of  Scotland, 
giving  expression  to  national  sentiments  and  aspirations, 
but  as  one  of  the  great  forces  of  the  British  empire,  in  shaping 
the  destinies  of  which  he  felt  that  he  must  take  some  part,  even 
though  his  conduct — misunderstood  and  misinterpreted — 
should  provoke  the  rebuke  of  those  who  were  officially  his 
superiors. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  teli  readers  of  a  publication  of 
this  kind  that  while  Bums  was  a  careful  student  of  the  history, 
the  literature,  and  the  philosophy  of  Scotland,  and  as  well 
acquainted  with  the  present  as  he  was  with  the  past,  he  was 
also  a  diligent  reader  of  contemporary  history,  and  though 
the  information  conveyed  to  him  through  the  newspapers 
which  then  existed  was  of  the  scantiest  character,  it  was  the 
best  that  could  be  got,  and  it  was  sufficient  to  keep  him  abreast 
of  the  main  events  that  were  taking  place  in  England,  on  the 
Continent,  and  in  America.  How  stirring  those  events  were 
must  be  realised  l)y  every  one  who  possesses  any  historical 
knowledge  at  all.  When  the  differences  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  American  Colonies  reached  a  crisis  in  1775, 
and  war  broke  out  between  peoples  with  the  same  blood  in 
their  veins,  Burns  was  a  boy  of  14,  and  I  can  hardly  think 
that  one  who  had  read  with  such  avidity  the  record  of  the 
struggles  of  h's  own  counti\-  for  political  independence  did 
not,  young  as  he  was,  eagerh'  seize  upon  every  scrap  of  in- 
formation which  he  could  find  regarding  the  terrible  contest 
which  was  taking  place  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
There  is  no  doubt,  at  any  rate,  that  in  early  manhood,  when 
the   Americans   had   declared    their   independence,    although 


it  had  not  been  acknowledged  by  the  British  Parhament, 
Burns  followed  intelligently  the  progress  of  the  war,  and  also 
watched  with  interest — doubtless  with  anxiety  and  fear — 
the  attack  which  France  and  Spain — the  Bourbon  powers — 
had  made  upon  Britain  in  the  time  of  her  weakness  and  peril. 
Burns  saw,  too,  the  beginning  of  the  French  Revolution,  and 
as  a  result  of  that  upheaval  he  was  again  witness  of  a  war 
between  Great  Britain  and  France,  a  struggle  which,  though 
he  did  not  live  to  see  it,  was  ended  only  on  the  field  of  Water- 
loo. Truly  those  were  times  when  the  strength  of  Great 
Britain  was  tested  to  a  degree  of  which  we  have  no  personal 
experience — and  ever}^  reader  can  remember  the  South 
African  War- — and  strange  indeed  would  it  have  been  had 
Robert  Burns,  with  his  love  of  freedom,  and  his  hatred  of 
oppression,  not  been  deeply  affected  by  the  great  events 
which  were  passing  before  him,  and  been  moved  to  give 
poetic  il  expression  to  the  thoughts  which  were  in  his  own 
heart,  and  in  the  hearts  of  the  best  of  his  fellow-countrymen 
One  does  not  need  to  be  profoundly  acquainted  with  the  works 
of  Burns  to  see  the  influence  which  all  these  struggles  had 
upon  him — there  is  a  good  deal  about  peace  and  war  in 
both  the  poems  and  the  letters,  and  more  about  war  than  peace 
— but  what  he  wrote  was  not  always  suggested  by  the  wars 
of  his  time,  and  in  considering  the  subject  I  shall  deal  with 
it  as  a  whole,  and  not  with  any  particular  part  of  it. 

Before  proceeding  further  I  might  say  that  Burns  be- 
heved  he  had  fighting  blood  in  his  veins.  In  his  "  Address  to 
William  Tytler  "  he  wrote,  with  reference  to  the  name  of 
Stuart— 

"  My  fathers  that  name  have  revered  on  a  throne, 
My  fathers  have  fallen  to  right  it." 

Then  we  find  this  verse  in  his  "  Address  to  Edinburgh  " — ■ 

"  Wild  beats  my  heart  to  trace  your  steps. 
Whose   ancestors,   in  days   of  yore, 
Through   hostile   ranks   and   ruined   gaps 
Old  Scotia's  bloody  lion  bore  : 


30 

Evil  1  wlu)  siiiy  in  ru.stic  lor(> 

Haply  my  sires  liavo  left   their  shed 

Anil   faced  erim  danger's  loudest  roar. 
Bold  fo!lo\vin<i   whore   your   fathers   led." 

Yhv  martial  spiiit  in  him  manifested  itself  very  early,  as 
\\iiness  his  letter  to  Dr  Moore,  iii  which  he  says  :  "  The  life 
of_[^ Hannibal  gave  my  young  ideas  such  a  tuin  that  I  used 
to  strut  in  raptures  up  and  down  after  the  recruiting  drum 
and  bagpipe,  and  wished  my>elf  tall  enough  that  I  might  be 
a  i«oldier."  And  when  "  fickle  fortune,"  after  fair  promises, 
performed  ill.  it  was  in  the  army  that  Burns  thought  he  might 
find  employment  and  support.       Said  he  :■ — 

'  O  why  the  deuce  should  1  repine. 
Or  be  an  ill  foreboder  ? 
I'm  twenty-three,  and  five  feet-nine — 

I'll  go  and  be  a  sodger  ! 
I  gat  some  gear  \vi'  meikle  care, 

I   held   it   wee    thegither  ; 
But  noo  its  gane,  and  something  nr-iir — 
I'll  go  and  be  a  sodger." 

Burns  honestly  admired  a  soldier,  and  in  one  of  his  songs 
he  paid  him  this  ccmplinient- — 

'"  For  gold  the  merchant  p.oughs  the  main 

The  farmer  ploughs  the  manor  ; 
But  glory  is  th^  sodger's  prize. 

The  sodger's  wealth   is  honom-  : 
The  brave,  poor  sodger  ne'er  despise, 

Nor  count  him  as  a  stranger — 
Remember  he's  his  country's  stay 

In  day  and  hour  of  danger."' 

But  to  return  to  the  point  where  I  left  off.  There  is 
not  a  great  deal  about  the  American  War  of  Independence 
in  the  works  of  Burns,  and  this,  of  course,  must  be  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  his  poetical  powers  had  not  developed 
while  that  unfortunate  struggle  was  in  progress.  The  first 
reference  which  he  made  to  the  war,  so  far  as  I  can  find,  is 
contained  in  a  letter  which  he  addressed  to  his  cousin,  James 
Burness,  writer,  Montrose,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1783,  a  year 
after  terms  of  peace  had  been  signed.  In  that  communication 
he  describes  "  the  present  wretched  state  of  this  country." 


37 

"  Our  markets,"  he  says,  "  are  exceedingly  high — oatmeal, 
17cl  and  18d  per  peck,  and  not  to  be  got  even  at  that  price. 
We  have,  indeed,  been  pretty  well  supplied  with  quantities 
of  white  ]3eas  from  England  and  elsewhere,  but  that  resource 
is  likely  to  fail  rs,  and  what  will  become  of  us  then,  particu- 
larly the  very  poorest  sort,  Heaven  only  knows.  This  country 
till  of  late  was  flourishing  incredibly  in  the'  manufacture  of 
silk,  lawn,  and  carpet  weaving,  and  we  ar:^  still  carrying  on 
a  good  deal  in  that  way,  but  much  reduced  from  what  it  was. 
We  had  also  a  fine  trade  in  the  shoe  way,  but  no\\'  entirely 
ruined,  and  hundreds  driven  to  a  starving  condition  on  account 
of  it.  Farming  is  also  at  a  very  low  ebb  with  us.  Our 
lands,  generally  speaking,  are  mountainous  and  barren,  and 
our  landholders,  full  of  ideas  of  farming  gathered  from  Eng- 
land and  the  Lothians  and  other  rich  soils  in  Scotland,  make 
no  allowance  for  the  odds  of  the  quality  of  the  land,  and  conse- 
quently stretch  us  much  beyond  what,  in  the  event,  we  will  be 
found  able  to  pay.  We  are  also  much  at  a  loss  for  want  of  proper 
methods  in  our  improvements  of  farming.  Necessity  compel- 
us  to  leave  our  old  schemes,  and  few  of  us  have  opportunities 
of  being  well  informed  in  new  ones.  In  short,  since  the 
unfortunate  beginning  of  this  American  War,  and  its  as 
unfortunate  conclusion,  this  country  has  been,  and  still  is, 
decaying  very  fast." 

This  narrative  of  Burns  is  not  corroborated  by  Professor 
Hume  Brown  in  his  History  of  Scotland  recently  completed. 
In  the  third  volume  of  that  work  Professor  Brown,  dealing 
with  the  material  prosperity  of  Scotland  from  1745  to  1789, 
says  that  "  the  period  was  marked  by  an  increase  in  her 
various  industries,  by  an  extension  of  her  trade,  and  by  con- 
struction of  public  works  unexampled  at  any  previous  time." 
Who  is  right  and  who  is  wrong  it  is  not  my  duty  to  discuss  ; 
but  should  the  view  be  taken  that  Burns,  in  the  concluding 
sentence  of  the  quotation  which  I  have  just  given,  was  re- 
ferring to  Great  Britain,  and  not  only  to  Scotland,  he  was 


S8 

\(iicin_tx  ail  (ipiiiiiui.  widely  acccplcd.  lli.it  i1k>  ciiipiiv  was 
aliout  to  disappear  f'loiii  ainoiiu  the  nations.  1  may  quite 
appropriately  ipiote  what  .lohii  Riehard  (ireen.  in  his  History 
of  the  English  People,  wrote  on  the  subjeet  : — "  At  the  close 
of  tlie  war  there  was  less  thought  of  what  she  (Englaud) 
had  retained  than  of  what  she  had  lost.  Sh(>  was  parted  from 
her  American  Colonies,  and  at  the  moment  such  a  ])arting 
seemed  to  be  the  knell  of  her  greatness.  In  wealth,  in 
population,  the  American  Colonies  far  suri)assed  all  that  re- 
mained of  her  em))ire,  and  the  American  Colonies  were  irre- 
coverably gone.  It  is  no  wonder  that  in  the  first  shock  of  such 
a  loss  England  looked  on  herself  as  on  the  verge  of  ruin,  or 
that  the  Bourbon  Courts  believed  her  position  as  a  world- 
powci-  to  be  practicall}^  at  an  end.  How  utterly  groundless 
such  a  conception  was  the  coming  years  were  to  show.  The 
energies  of  England  were,  in  fact,  spurred  to  new  efforts  by 
the  crisis  in  her  fortunes.  The  industrial  development 
which  followed  tlie  war  gave  her'  a  material  supremacy  such 
as  she  had  never  know^n  before,  and  the  rapid  growth  of 
wealth  which  this  industry  brought  with  it  raised  her  again 
into  a  mother  of  nations,  as  her  settlers  built  up  in  the  w^aters 
of  the  Pacific,  colonies  as  great  as  those  which  she  had  lost 
on  the  coast  of  America." 

Burns  made  the  American  War  the  subject  of  a  ballad 
to  be  sung,  by  anyone  who  chose  to  make  it  a  matter  of  music, 
to  the  tune  of  ''  Killiecrankie."  It  is  by  no  means  a  happy 
effort,  and  can  only  be  understood  by  a  (constant  reference 
to  footnotes,  unless  one  is  familiar  with  the  details  of  the 
struggle,  and  with  the  people,  civil  and  military,  who  were 
responsible  for  conducting  it.  There  is  no  need  to  quote 
mors  than  the  o])ening  verse — 

"  W'Ikui    (jiiilford    good,    our    i'ilot    stood, 
And  did  our  hellim  thraw,  man, 
Ae  night,  at  tea,  began  a  plea, 
'\^'itllin    Aniorica,    man  : 


39 

Then   uja   they  gat   the  maskin-pat. 

And  in  the  sea  did  jaw,  man  ; 
And  did  nae  less,  in  full  Congress, 

Than  quite  refuse  our  law,  man." 

This,  it  wil'  be  admitted,  is  not  the  best  kind  of  narrative 
poetry. 

In  the  address  which  the  Poet  composed  when,  in  a 
dreaming  fancy,  he  was  transported  to  the  birthday  levee  of 
King  George  the  Third  on  4th  June,  1786,  we  find  two  allusions 
to  the  consequences  of  the  war,  which  had  been  brought  to 
a  close  four  years  earlier.  In  the  first  the  loss  of  the  Colonies 
is  indicated  thus — 

"  Your  Royal  nest,  beneath  your  wing, 
Is  e'en  right  reft  and  clouted, 
And  now  the  third  part  o'  the  string 
And  less  will  gang  about  it 

Than  did  ae  day  " — 

and  in  the  second  the  payment  of  the  bill  is  thus  referred  to — 

"  And   now  yeVe   gi'en   auld   Britain   peace, 
Her  broken  shins  to  plaister  ; 
Your  sair  taxation  does  hei  fleece 
Till  she  has  scarce  a  tester  " — • 

that  is,  tiU  she  has  hardly  a  sixpence  left. 

The  war  which  Britain  waged  with  France  and  Spain  at 
the  time  of  the  revolt  of  the  American  Colonies,  and  also 
previous  struggles  with  these  Continental  countries,  provided 
Burns  with  material  for  one  of  his  spirited  songs  in  the  "  Jolly 
Beggars."  Among  the  motley  group  which  the  Foet  met  in 
Poosie  Nancie's  was  a  hero  of  many  fights,  who,  though 
dismembered  in  a  way  that  made  further  active  service  on 
his  part  extremely  improbable,  still  robed  himseh  in  the 
habiliments  of  a  soldier — 

"  First,  neist  the  fire,  in  auld  red  rags. 

Ana  sat,  weel  braced  wi'  mealy  bags. 

And    knapsack   a'    in    order." 

The  song  with  which  he  entertained  the  other  gangrels 
touched  on  some  of  the  engagements  in  which  he  had  taken 


40 

part  in  the  Fveiich  and  Sjjanish  wars.  He  wa«  initiated 
into  the  serious  business  of  his  trade  under  General  Wolfe 
at  the  siege  of  Quebec  ;  later  ho  fought  with  Lord  Albemarle 
when  he  stormed  and  took  the  Castle  of  El  Moro  in  the  conquest 
of  Cuba,  and  he  ended  his  military  career  in  the  famous 
defence  of  Gibraltar,  which  lasted  from  1779  to  1782.  The 
Spanish,  takuig  advantage  of  Britain  being  at  war  with  the 
American  Colonies  and  with  France,  attempted  to  regain 
possession  of  the  fortress,  which  was  held  by  General  Elliot, 
a  Scotsman  belonging  to  Roxbuighshire,  who  had  the  com- 
mand of  only  5000  men.  After  various  desperate  attacks 
had  failed,  the  French  joined  the  Spanish,  and  preparations 
were  made  for  a  grand  assault,  these  including  floating  bat- 
teries, so  that  the  siege  could  be  conducted  from  the  sea. 
With  red-hot  balls  and  incendiary  shells  Elliot  destroyed 
the  batteries,  and  in  all  the  other  directions  the  charges  of 
the  united  forces  of  France  and  Spain  were  repelled.  Captain 
Curtis  was  one  of  the  officers  who  rendered  signal  service  on 
that  memorable  occasion.  With  these  explanations  let  me 
quote  the  song — 

"  I  am  a  son  of  Mars, 
Who  have   been  in  many  war.s, 
And   show   my   cuts   and   scar.s 

Wherever  I  come — 
This  here  was  for  a  wench. 
And  that  other  in  a  trench, 
When   welcoming   the    French 

At   the  sound   of   the   drum. 

My  'prenticeship  I  past 

\A'here  my  leader  breath'd  his  last, 

When  the  bloody  die  was  cast 

On  the  heights  of  Abram  ; 
And  I  served  out  my  trade 
\\'hpn   the   gallant  game   was   played, 
And  the  Moro  low  was  laid 

At  the  sound  of  the  drum. 

I   lastly  was  with  Curtis, 
Among   the   floating   batt'ries. 
And  there  I  left  for  witness 
An  arm  and  a  limb  : 


41 

Yet  let  my  country  need  mo, 
With  Elliot  to  head  me, 
I'd    clatter   on   my   stumps 
At  the  sound  of  a  driun. 

And  now  though  I  must  beg 
With  a  wooden  arm  and  leg, 
And  many  a  tatter'd  rag 

Hanging  over  my  bum, 
I'm  as  happy  with  my  wallet, 
My  bottle  and  my  callet. 
As  when  I  used  in  scarlet 

To    follow    a    drum. 

What  though  with  hoary  locks 
I  must  stand  the  winter  shocks. 
Beneath  the  woods  and  rocks 

Oftentimes  for  a  home, 
When  the  tother  bag  I  sell. 
And  the  tother  bottle  tell, 
I   could  meet  a  troop   of  hell 

At  the  sound  of  a  drum." 

Another  matter  concerning  the  war  with  France  and 
Spain  must  be  noted.  About  the  time  that  Bums,  according 
to  his  own  confession  contained  in  the  Hues  already  quoted, 
was  thinking  of  becoming  a  soldier  Admiral  Rodney,  by 
restoring  to  Britain  the  command  of  the  sea,  did  more  than 
any  other  man  to  save  the  empire  from  threatened  ruin. 
The  situation  is  tersely  summed  up  by  John  Richard  Green, 
from  Avhose  pages  another  quotation  may  be  made.  "  On 
the  16th  of  January,  1780,"'  says  Green,  "  Admiral  Rodney, 
the  greatest  of  English  seamen  save  Nelson  and  Blake,  en- 
countered the  Spanish  fleet  off  Cape  St.  Vincent,  and  only 
four  of  its  vessels  escaped  to  Cadiz.  At  the  opening  of  1782 
the  triumphs  of  the  French  Admiral  De  Grasse  called  him 
to  the  West  Indies,  and  on  the  12th  of  Aj)ril  a  manoeu\Te, 
which  he  (Rodney)  was  the  first  to  introduce,  broke  his 
opponent's  lines,  and  drove  the  French  fleet  shattered  from 
the  Atlantic.  With  Rodney's  last  victory  the  struggle  of 
the  Bourbons  was  really  over,  for  no  means  remained  of 
attacking  their  enemy  save  at  Gibraltar,  and  here  a  last 
attack  of  the  joint  force  gathered  against  it  was  repulsed  by 
the  heroism  of  Elliot." 


42 

This  iia\al  tiiumph  was  too  important  to  be  readily 
forgotten,  and  tor  many  years — p?rhaps  till  it  was  eclipsed 
by  the  greater  achievement  of  Nelson  at  Trafalgar — the  anni- 
versary of  the  fight  was  suitably  observed.  Bums  was 
present  at  one  of  those  celebrations,  and  hv  has  loft  us  some 
record  of  it  in  the  foUowhig  lines,  which  bear  the  title,  "  On 
the  Aimiversarv  of  Rodney's  Victory   '— 

"  Instead  of  a  song,  boys,  I'll  give  you  a  toast  : 
Here's  the  mem'ry  of  those  on  the  twelftli  tliat  we  lost  ! — 
We  lost,  did  I  say  ?       No,  by  Heaven,  that  we  found  ! 
For  their  fame  it  shall  live  while  the  world  goes  round. 
The  next  in  succession  I'll  give  you — The  King  ! 
\\Tioe'er  would  betray  him,  on  high  may  he  swing  ! 
And  here's  the  grand  fabric,  our  free  Constitution, 
As  built  on  the  base  of  the   '  great  Revolution  !  ' 
And  longer  with  politics  not  to  be  cramm'd. 
Be   anarchy   curs'd,   and    be   tyrannj-  damn'd  ! 
And  who  would  to  Liberty  o'er  prove  disloyal, 
May  his  son  be  a  hangman,  and  he  his  fiist  trial  !  " 

In  striking  contrast  to  this  patriot  sentiment  is  the 
quatrain  penned  on  a  "  Thanksgiving  for  a  National  Victory.' 
Bums  gives  no  indication  of  the  particular  event  to  which 
he  referred  ;  but  it  is  supposed  that  the  occasion  was  the 
defeat  of  the  French  by  Lord  Howe  off  the  coast  of  Brest 
on  the  first  of  June,  1794.      The  lines  riui — 

"  Ye    hypocrites  !    are    these    your    pranks  ? 
To  murder  men,  and  give  God  thanks  ? 
Desist — for  shame  !       Proceed  no  further  ; 
God  won't  accept  your  thanks   foi'  murder  !  " 

If  the  surmise  thai  llic  allusion  is  to  Howe's  victory  is 
correct,  the  sentiments  of  the  Poet  may  be  explained  by  the 
fact  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  war  with  France, 
-which  broke  out  in  1793,  his  sympathies  lay  with  the  French 
people.  He  believed — and  his  opinion  was  not  an  isolated 
one — that  the  real  object  of  Great  Britain  was  to  crush  those 
principles  of  liberty  which  were  spreading  throughout  the 
country,  and  which  were  so  dear  to  the  Poet  and  to  those 
who,  thinking  like  him,  but  with  more  freedom  to  act,  had 
banded  themselves  into  societies  to  which  tlic\  sjavc  the  name 


"  Friends  of  the  People."  He  embodied  some  of  their  aspira- 
tions in  his  song,  "  Here's  a  Health  to  them  that's  Awa'," 
of  which  two  verses  may  be  quoted — 

"  May  Liberty  meet  with  success  ! 

May  prudence   protect  her  frae   evil  ! 
May  tyrants  and  tyranny  tine  i'  the  mist, 
And  wander  the  road  to  the  devil  ! 

Here's  freedom  to  him  that  wad  read  ! 

Here's  freedom  to  him  that  wad  write  ! 
There's  nane  ever  feared  that  the  truth  shoiild  be  lieard, 

But  they  wham  the   truth  wad   indite." 

Burns  was  strongly  opposed  to  this  war,  and  while  he 
had  to  be  careful  what  he  said  he  could  not  altogether  restrain 
his  feelings,  which  found  some  kind  of  expression  in  his  verse 
and  correspondence.  ''  War  I  deprecate,"  he  wrote  to  Mrs 
Dunlop,  a  few  weeks  before  the  outbreak  of  hostilities;  "misery 
and  ruin  to  thousands  are  in  the  blast  that  announces  the 
destructive  cannon."  And  a  few  months  later,  when  the 
disastrous  effects  of  the  struggle  were  seen  in  the  destruction 
of  trade,  he  thus  unburdened  his  heart  to  Peter  Hill,  Edin- 
burgh :  "Oh,  may  the  wrath  and  curse  of  all  mankind 
haunt  and  harass  those  turbulent,  unprincipled  miscreants, 
who  have  involved  a  people  in  this  ruinous  business."  The 
song  "  Logan  Braes,"  which  voices  the  plaint  of  a  woman 
whose  husband  has  been  called  to  fight  the  battles  of  his 
country,  was  suggested  by  the  European  conflict  in  which 
Britain  was  playing  what  was  to  prove  the  most  prominent 
part.  In  that  effusion  the  Poet  delivered  himself  of  another 
imprecation  regarding  those  who  are  responsible  for  war — 

■■  O   wae  upon  you,  men  o"   State, 
That  brethren  rouse  to  deadly  hate  ! 
As  ye  make  mony  a  fond  heart  mourn, 
.Sae  may  it  on  your  heads  return  ! 
How  can  your  flinty  hearts  enjoy 
The  widow's  tears,  the  orphan's  cry  ? 

In  sending  the  song  to  George  Thomson  for  publication  in 
The    Museum    Burns  used   still  stronger  language.       "  Have 


44 

3'c)u  ever.""  he  w  lote.  '  felt  yeui-  bosom  leady  to  burst  with 
indigiiati(»n  on  readiii'j;  or  seeing  how  these  mighty  villains 
divide  kingdom  against  kingdom,  desolate  provinces,  antl  lay 
nations  waste  out  of  th(»  wantonness  of  ambition,  or  often 
from  still  more  ignoble  passions  '.  In  a  mood  of  this  kind 
to-day,'"  he  added,  "  I  recollected  the  air  of  '  Logan  Water,' 
and  it  occurred  to  nic  tliJit  its  (pierulous  melody  probably 
had  its  origin  from  the  i)laintive  indignation  of  some  swelling, 
suffering  heart  fired  at  the  tyrannic  strides  of  some  public 
destroyer,  and  overwhehned  with  private  distress,  the  con- 
sequences of  a  country "s  niin."  The  subject  was  introduced 
in  another  letter  to  Peter  HiU.  "  How  do  you  weather  this 
accursed  time  ?  "  he  asked  his  correspondent.  "  God 
only  knows  what  u  ill  be  the  consequence  ;  but  in  the  mean- 
time the  country,  at  least  in  our  part  of  it,  is  still  progressive 
to  the  devil.""  When  liurns  used  these  words  he  was 
expressing  his  firm  conviction  that  the  Government  was 
pursuing  a  ruinous  jiolicy,  and  when  he  added,  "  For  my 
part  '  I  jouk  and  let  the  jaw  flee  o'er,'"  he  was  makinii  an 
ineffectual  effort  to  forget  the  troubles  of  the  State. 

Some  relief  was  found  in  writing  new  songs  or  in  improv- 
ing old  ones,  and  as  in  the  case  of  "  Logan  Braes,"  these  had 
occasionally  peace  and  war  for  their  theme.  One  example 
is  "  The  Soldier's  Return,"  which  must  be  ranked  among  the 
most  pleasing  of  the  narrative  pieces  of  Burns.  A  correspondent 
of  George  Thomson  told  how  it  came  to  be  written.  "  F^urns, 
I  have  been  informed,  was,"  says  this  writer,  "  one  summer 
evening  at  the  Inn  at  Browiiliill  with  a  couple  of  friends 
when  a  poor  way-worn  soldier  ])assed  the  w  iiuhjw  .  Of  a  sudflen 
it  struck  the  Poet  to  call  him  in  and  get  the  story  of  his  adven- 
tures ;  after  listening  to  which  he  all  at  once  fell  into  one  of 
those  fits  of  abstraction  not  inmsual  with  him.  He  was 
lifted  to  the  region  where  he  had  his  '  garland  and  singing 
robes  about  him,'  and  the  result  was  the  admirable  song 
wliich  he  sent  vou  " — 


45 

"  When  wild  War's  deadly  blast  was  blawn. 

And  gentle  peace  returning, 
Wi'  mony  a  sweet  babe  fatherless. 

Any   mony    a   widow   movu-ning  : 
I   left  the  lines  and   tented  field, 

A-Miere  lang  I'd  been  a  lodger  ; 
My   humble    knapsack   a'    my   wealth, 

A  poor  but  honest  sodger. 

A  leal,  light  heart  was  in  my  breast. 

My  hand   unstained   wi'   plunder  ; 
And  for  fair  Scotia,  hame  again, 

I   cheery   on  did   wander  : 
I  thought  upon  the  banks  o'  Coil, 

I    thought    upon    niy    Nancy, 
I  thought  upon  the  'witching  smile 

That  caught  my  youthful  fancy." 

The  piece,  which  is  more  a  poem  than  a  song,  i^  too  long 
to  quote  in  full,  and  I  am  assuming  that  every  reader  is 
famiHar  with  it  and  the  beautiful  love-story  which  it  contains. 
Another  song — the  one  adapted  to  the  tune  "  O'er  the  Hills 
and  Far  Away  "- — was  suggested  by  the  engagements  of  the 
British  fleet.  "  We  have  many  sailor  songs,"  WTote  Burns, 
in  sending  the  production  to  Thomson,  "  but  as  far  as  I  at 
present  recollect  they  are  mostly  effusions  of  the  jovial  sailor, 
not  the  wailings  of  his  love-lorn  mistress."  In  the  song 
with  which  I  am  now  dealing  the  girl  is  bitterly  conscious 
of  the  dangers  to  which  her  sweetheart  is  exposed.  These 
are  her  words — 

"  How  can  my  poor  heart  be  glad 
When   absent   from   my   sailor   lad  ? 
How  can  I  the  thought  forego 
He's  on  the  seas  to  meet  the  foe  ? 
Let  me   wander,   let   me   rove. 
Still  my  heart  is  with  my  love  ; 
Nightly  dreams  and  thoughts  by  day 
Are  with  him  that's  far  away. 

When  in  simimer  noon  I  faint 
As  weary  flocks  arovmd  me  pant, 
Haply  in  this  scorching  sun 
Jly   sailor's   thund'ring   at   his   gun. 
Bullets,  spare  my  only  joy  ! 
Bullets,    spare    my   darling   boy  ! 
Fate,  do  with  me  what  you  may, 
Spai-e  but  him  that's  far  away  !" 


4(\ 

Tho  song  concliidcs  with  an  invocation  to  innvce,  and  the 
siMitinuMit  was  clearly  that  ol'  the  I'oct  himself — 

"  rpace,  tliN   <>li\(-  wand  extend. 
And  bid  wild  wiir  his  ravage  end — 
^FiiM   witli   brollicr  man   to  meet. 
And    as   a    Ijn.tlicr    kindly   greet." 

Bnt  the  most  striking  song  of  the  idnd  to  which  1  am 
now  referring  is,  of  course,  the  Ad(h-e-<s  of  Bruce  to  his  army 
at  Bannockburn,  commonly  known  as  '  Scots  Wha  Hae." 
Burns  has  placed  on  record  his  feelings  with  regard  to  that 
great  battle.  .Standing  at  the  Borestone,  and  surveying 
the  scene  of  the  conflict,  this  is  w  hat  he  w  rote  :  "  Here  no 
Scot  can  pass  uninterested.  1  fancy  to  myself  that  J  see  my 
gallant  heroic  countrymen  coming  o'er  the  liill  and  down  upon 
the  plunderers  of  their  country,  murderers  of  their  fathers  ; 
noble  revenge  and  just  hate  glowing  in  every  vein,  striding 
more  and  more  eagerly  as  they  approach  the  oppressive, 
insulting,  blood-thirsty  foe.  I  see  them  meet  in  gloriously 
triumphant  congratulation  on  the  victorious  field,  exulting 
in  their  heroic  royal  leader  and  rescued  lil)eitv  and 
independence." 

Writing  to  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  enclosing  a  coi)y  of 
Bru.ce's  Address,  Burns  said  :  '"  Independent  of  my  enthusiasm 
as  a  Scotsman,  I  have  rarely  met  with  anything  in  history 
which  interests  my  feelings  as  a  man  equal  with  the  story 
of  Bannockburn.  On  the  one  hand,  a  cruel  but  able  usurper, 
leading  on  the  finest  army  in  Europe  to  extinguish  the  last 
spark  of  freedom  among  a  greatly  daring  and  greatly  injured 
peo])Ie  ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  desperate  relics  of  a  gallant 
nation  devoting  themselves  to  rescue  their  bleeding  country 
or  pei'ish  with  hei."'  Fiather,  in  a  letter  to  George  Thomson, 
dated  Septeml)er.  \1\)'].  l^urns  declared  that  the  thought  of 
the  tradition  that  the  old  air.  "Hey  tuttie  taitie,"  was  Robert 
Bruce's  march  at  the  battle  of  Bannockburn  "  warmed  him 
to  a  pitch  of  enthusi-^sm  on  the  them''  of  lib'Tty  and  inde- 


pendence,  which  he  threw  into  a  kind  of  ode  fitted  to  the  air, 
that  one  might  suppose  to  he  the  gallant  Scot's  address  to 
his  heroic  followers  on  that  eventful  morning."  I  do  not 
need  to  quote  a  song  so  familiar,  but  two  of  the  verses  may  at 
least  be  given — 

"  By  oppression's  woes  and  pains  ! 
By  your  sons  in  servile  chains  ! 
We  will  drain  our  dearest  veins. 
But  they  shall   be   free  ! 

Lay  the  proud  usurpers  low  ! 
Tyrants  fall  in  every  foe  ! 
Liberty's  in  every  blow  ' — 
Let  us  do  or  die  !" 

In  a  postscript  to  the  letter  to  Thomson,  Burns  said  : 
"  I  showed  the  air  to  Urbani,  who  was  highly  pleased  with 
it,  and  begged  me  to  make  soft  verses  for  it,  but  I  had  no 
idea  of  giving  myself  any  trouble  on  the  subject,  till  the 
accidental  recollection  of  that  glorious  struggle  for  freedom, 
associated  with  the  glowing  ideas  of  some  other  struggles 
of  the  same  nature.  7iot  quite  so  ancient,  roused  my  rhyming 
mania."  And  so,  with  all  his  enthusiasm  for  Bannockburn, 
Burns,  as  Dr  William  Wallace  well  observes,  was  really,  under 
cover  ol"  a  fourteenth  cent  iry  battle-song,  liberating  his  soul 
against  the  tyranny  that  was  opposing  liberty  at  home  and 
abroad,  and.  moreover,  striking  at  the  comfort  of  his  own 
fireside. 

Guarded  though  he  was  in  the  expression  of  his  opinions. 
Burns  felt  too  strongly  not  at  times  to  get  himself  into  serious 
trouble.  One  instance  comes  directly  A\ithin  the  scope 
of  my  subject.  In  a  private  company  he  gave  as  a  toast — 
"  May  our  success  in  the  present  war  be  equal  to  the  justice 
of  our  cause,"  a  sentiment  which,  in  the  case  of  one  whose 
loyalty  was  unquestioned,  would  have  been  applauded. 
Captain  Dods,  an  officer  of  the  regiment  stationed  in  Dumfries 
at  the  time,  was  present,  and  interpreting  the  toast 
as  an  innuendo  against  the  policy  of  the  Government,  which 


48 

it  ])robal)ly  was,  took  up  the  matter  warmly.  Burns,  for- 
getting that  he  could  not  justify  one  indiscreet  expression 
by  giving  vent  to  others,  replied  with  as  much  heat,  and  the 
t^^•o  men  began  a  squabble  in  which  both  ajjpear  to  have  lost 
their  senses.  Writijig  on  the  following  morning  to  Samuel 
Clark,  a  lawyer  of  considerable  social  and  professional  position 
in  the  town,  Burns  said  :  ''  From  the  expressions  Captain 
Dods  made  use  of  to  me,  had  I  had  nobody's  welfare  to  care 
for  but  mj^  own  we  should  certainly  have  come,  according 
to  the  manners  of  the  world,  to  the  necessity  of  murdering 
one  another  about  the  business.  The  words  w^ere  such  as 
generally,  I  believe,  end  in  a  brace  of  pistols.  .  .  .  You 
know  that  the  report  of  certain  political  opinions  being  mine 
has  already  once  before  brought  me  to  the  brink  of  destruction. 
I  dread  last  night's  business  may  be  misrepresented  in  the 
same  way.  You,  I  beg,  will  take  care  to  prevent  it. 
What,  after  all,  was  the  obnoxious  toast  ? — '  May  our  success 
in  the  present  war  be  equal  to  the  justice  of  our  cause,'  a 
toast  that  the  most  outrageous  frenzy  of  loyalt}^  cannot  object 
to."  Apparently  the  good  offices  of  Clark  prevailed — at 
any  rate  no  more  was  heard  of  the  incident. 

But,  however  much  Burns  sympathised  with  the  French 
people  in  what  he  believed  to  be  their  struggle  for  liberty, 
he  fully  proved,  when  the  occasion  arose,  that  he  was  not  a 
disloyal  subject  of  his  own  country.  The  dispatch  of  an 
army  to  the  Continent  had  seriously  weakened  the  home 
defence,  and  to  meet  wliat  w  as  regarded  as  a  crisis  a  volunteer 
army  was  raised.  The  town  of  Di-nifries  contributed  two 
companies,  in  which  many  citizens,  whose  free  expression  of 
liberal  opinions  created  a  suspicion  of  their  loyalty,  made 
haste  to  enrol  themselves.  Among  the  number  was  Bams, 
whose  enlistment,  according  to  Allan  Cinningham,  met  with 
opposition  from  some  of  the  Tories.  "'  I  well  remember.'' 
Avrote  Cunningham,  "'  the  appearance  of  that  respectable 
corps — their  <■<](]  hut  no^  ungraceful  dress,  white  kerseymere 


breeches  and  waistcoat,  short  bhie  coat  faced  with  red,  and 
round  hat  surmounted  by  a  bearskin,  like  the  helmets  of  our 
Horseguards,  and  I  remember  the  Poet  also — his  very  swarth}' 
face,  his  ploughman  stoop,  his  large  dark  eyes,  and  his 
indifferent  dexterity  in  the  handling  of  his  arms."  It  was 
at  this  time  that  Burns  wrote  his  patriotic  song,  "  The 
Dumfries  Volunteers,"  which  met  with  extraordinary 
popularity — 

"  Do3S  haughty-   Gaul   invasion   threat  ? 

Then  let   the   loans  beware,  sir, 
There's  wooden  walls  upon  our  seas, 

And   volunteers   on   shore,   sir. 
The  Nith  shall  rin  to  Corsincon, 

The  Criffel  sink  in  Solway, 
Ere  we  permit  a  foreign  foe 

On  British  ground  to  rally  ! 

O  let  us  not,  like  snarling  curs. 

In  wrangling  be  divided  ; 
Till  slap  !    come  in  an  vmco  loun. 

And  wi'  a  rung  decide  it. 
Be  Britain  still  to  Britain  true. 

Among  oursel's  united  ; 
For  never  but  by  British  hands 

Maun  British  wrangs  be  righted." 

We  can  well  imagine  ho\\-,  in  the  condition  of  public 
affairs  which  then  prevailed,  the  song  (to  use  again  the  words 
of  Allan  Cunningham)  ''  hit  the  taste  and  suited  the  feelings 
of  the  humbler  classes, who  added  to  it  the  '  Poor  and  Honest 
Sodger,'  '  The  Song  of  Death,'  and  '  Scots  wha  hae  wi'  Wal- 
lace Bled.'  Hills  echoed  with  it  ;  it  was  heard  in  every 
street  ;  and  did  more  to  right  the  mind  of  the  rustic  part 
of  the  population  than  all  the  speeches  of  Pitt  and  Di.ndas 
QT  the  Chosen  Five-and-Forty.'" 

"  The  Song  of  Death,"  which  Thomas  Campbell  was  fond 
of  describing  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  efforts  of  Burns, 
was  written  in  1791  to  an  old  Highland  air  ;  but,  though  pro- 
duced independent  of  the  war  with  France,  it  suited  the 
spirit  which  was  dominant  in  the  years  immediately  following, 


and  was  thcrcioiv  cxt  rniu-ly  i)()|)iilar.       Witness  the  concluding 
lines — 

"  In  tho  liol.l  of  proud  honour,  oiu*  swords  in  our  hands, 
Oiu'  Iving  and  oiu-  country  to  save, 
Wliilc  vic'tt>rj'   shines  on   life's  hxst  cl)bing 
()  !    who  \\()uld  not  die  witli   th(>  brave  1 


One  thing  A\hich  the  student  of  Burns  notices  is  that 
while  he  alluded  so  frequently  to  war  he  seldom  attempted 
to  depict  an  actual  conflict,  a  fact  which  is  remarkable  in  the 
case  of  one  possessed  of  such  a  fine  imagination  and 
unsurpassed  powers  of  description.  In  "  The  Battle  of 
Shcriffmuir  "  the  Poet  goes  into  details,  thus — 

T\\c  red-coat  lads,  wi'  black  cockauds. 
To   meet   them   were   na   slaw,   man. 

They  rushed  and  pushed,  and  blude  out -gushed. 
And  niony  a  bouk  did  fa",  man  :  , 

The  great  Argjde  led  on  his  files, 

1  wat  they  glanced  for  twenty  miles  ; 

They  houghed  the  Clans  like  nine-pin  kyles  ; 

They  hacked  and  hashed,  while  braidswords  clashed. 

And  tlirough  they  dashed,  and  hewed,  and  smashed. 

Till  fey  men  died  awa',  man." 

This  is  not  what  to  expect  of  Burns,  and.  indeed,  one 
may  be  permitted  to  doubt  whether  he  is  the  author  of  the 
poem.  Gilbert  Bums  was  not  sure  that  "  The  Battle  of 
Sheriffmuir  "  was  the  work  of  his  brother,  though  Dr  Wallace 
does  not  see  that  there  is  any  just  grounds  for  suspicion. 
Dr  Currie  said  that  Burns  wrote  the  verses  on  his  Highland 
tour,  basing  them  on  a  more  profuse  production  of  the  Rev. 
John  Barclay,  the  founder  of  a  small  sect  called  the 
Bare  lay  ites. 

Yet  the  most  compact  descrii)tion  of  a  battle  ever  written 
came  from  the  pen  of  Bums.  The  opinion  is  not  mine, 
but  that  of  Lord  Tennyson,  who,  in  a  conversation  with  his 
friend  Canon  Rawnsley,  quoted  the  folloAving  four  lines 
in  proof  of  his  belief — 


51 

"  The  trumpets  sound,   the   banners  fly, 

The  glittering  spears  are  ranked  ready, 
The  shouts  o'  war  are  heard  afar, 

The   battle   closes  deep   and   bloody." 

In  preparing  this  paper  I  put  to  myself  this  question — • 
and  the  same  question  may  also  have  entered  the  mind  of 
the  reader  :  Since  Burns  was  such  a  hater  of  war  and  such  a 
lover  of  peace,  did  he  suggest  any  means  by  which  his  vision 
of  universal  brotherhood  might  be  realised  ?  How  to  secure 
peace  a  mong  all  the  nations  was  a  problem  which  I  do  not  think 
he  tried  to  solve.  Others  besides  Burns  may  have  cherished 
the  hope  that  some  day  world-wide  peace  would  prevail  ; 
but  neither  he  nor  any  one  else  of  his  time  thought  out  any 
practical  scheme  to  bring  about  a  result  so  much  to  be  desired. 
The  nations  were  too  busy  fighting  to  think  how  such  con 
flicts  might  be  avoided  in  the  future,  and  generations  were 
to  pass  before  anything  in  the  way  of  disarmament  was  to  le 
seriously  discussed.  But  while  all  this  is  true,  Burns  cer- 
tainly had  ideas  on  the  subject.  He  saw  that  the  wars 
which  were  waged  in  his  own  time  had  their  origin  in  the 
inborn  yearning  for  liberty  ;  he  believed  that  if  the  nations 
granted  this  right' — to  which  all  mankind  were  entitled- — to 
their  subjects  and  to  their  neighbours,  the  causes  of  war 
would  vanish,  and  this  conviction  he  embodied  in  the 
democratic  poem,  which  he  either  wrote  entirely  or  greatly 
improved,  "  The  Tree  of  Liberty  "^ 

"  VVi'  plenty  o'  sic  trees,  I  trow. 

The  warld  wad  live  in  peace,  man  ; 
The  sword  wad  help  to  mak'  a  plough. 

The  din  o'  war  wad  cease,  man  : 
Like  brethren  in  a  common  cause 

We'd  on  each  other  smile,  man, 
And  equal  rights,  and  equal  laws. 

Wad  gladden  every  isle,  man." 

ANDREW  M'CALLUM. 


THE     HOMK     LIFE     OF     BURNS. 


MOST  of  us  recognise  that  the  home  hfe  of  Robert  Burns 
was  capable  of  improvement ;  yet  we  should  not 
forget  that  the  National  Poet  lived  at  a  time  when  hard 
drinkmg  was  the  rule  and  not  the  exception  amongst  count- 
less thousands  of  the  people,  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor, 
so  it  is  not  fair  to  apply  to  Burns  the  moral  standards  of  the 
present  day.  It  has  been  clearly  demonstrated  by  those  in 
a  position  to  judge,  that  Burns  was  not  a  drunken  sot,  as 
certain  of  his  detractors  would  lead  us  to  believe  ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  was  able  to  pursue  his  avocation,  either 
as  ploughman,  ganger,  or  poet.  A  man  addicted  to  liquor, 
addicted  to  it  in  the  sense  of  generally  being  "  fou  and  unco 
happy,"  could  not  have  produced  what  Burns  produced  in 
the  way  of  literature.  When  we  take  into  account  the 
length  of  his  years  (he  was  only  38  when  he  died),  the  hard 
lot  A\  hich  he  had  to  experience,  and  the  opportunities  placed 
within  his  reach  to  cultivate  to  the  fullest  extent  that  w  hich 
was  nearest  his  heart — the  making  of  a  sang  for  puir  ai  Id 
Scotland's  sake — we  must  realise  that  he  accomplished 
wonders.  His  output  was  marvellous,  considering  the 
quality  of  his  work,  in  the  domain  of  literature.  To  the 
uninspired,  the  writing  of  songs  and  poems  is  frequently 
drear}'  work,  and  alwaj's  mechanical  ;  but  to  Bums  the 
muse  was  a  passion,  and  therefore  amongst  the  greatest  of 
earthly  pleasures.  The  temperament  of  Burns  was  of  the 
self- revealing  kind.  He  never  paraded  his  virtues  before 
an  admiring  world,  but  he  was  always  ready  to  depreciate 
his  own  sins  of  omission  and  commission.  This  man  had 
none  of  the  hypocrisy  that  is  so  prevalent  to-day. 

We  all  know  the  National   Poet  was  a   "  great  ladies' 
man."       As  Lord  Rosebery  has  reminded  us,  he  fell  in  love 


53 

with  every  girl  he  met,  but  only  in  one  case  did  his  passion 
end  in  marriage.  His  heroines  are  numerous,  amongst 
the  number  being  "  Highland  Mary,"  "  Clarinda,"  Peggy 
Alison,  and  Mary  Morison.  We  refer,  of  course,  to  those 
who  never  made  an  alliance  in  the  matrimonial  sense  with 
Burns.  It  was  the  ladies  of  position  and  the  country  lasses 
that  stimulated  his  muse  always  to  the  highest  point,  and  but 
for  the  weaker  sex,  as  they  are  called  despite  the  virility  of  many 
of  the  suffragists,  we  would  have  been  without  many  of  his 
poetic  gems.  A  glance  at  his  poems  and  songs  reveals  the  beauty 
and  power  of  his  work  in  honour  of  the  fair  sex.  No  poet  admired 
the  qualities  of  the  female  sex  more  than  Burns.  They  kindled 
his  wit  and  waukened  his  lear.  No  matter  where  Burns  was, 
he  never  "  lost  his  head  "  in  the  presence  of  the  fair  sex. 
It  may  be  said  that  in  one  way  he  "  lost  his  head  "  frequently 
as  a  "  ladies'  man,"  but  that  is  not  what  is  implied  here. 
Burns  was  always  natural,  even  in  the  presence  of  ladies  o' 
lang  pedigree  and  the  literati  of  Edinburgh.  The  Duchess 
of  Gordon  of  his  day  was  held  spellbound  by  his  conversation, 
while  men  eminent  in  their  various  callings  were  similarly 
affected.  In  the  presence  of  women,  Burns  invariably  gave 
of  his  best  ;  his  marvellous  eyes  sparkled,  he  was  overflowing 
with  wit  and  humour,  and  he  had  always  the  heart  of  the 
genuine  man — the  heart  that  felt  for  human  woe,  and  was 
touched  by  everything  that  revealed  true  nobility  of 
character. 

Jean  Armour,  the  Mauchline  mason's  daughter,  proved 
a  good  wife.  Those  of  us  who  have  read  and  studied  the 
life  of  the  Poet  know  he  sinned  at  times,  sinned  grievously  ; 
yet  Jean  Armour,  Avith  that  affection  and  devotion  character- 
istic of  women,  shut  her  eyes  to  his  failings  and  pursued  the 
even  tenor  of  her  way  in  an  uncomplaining  spirit.  For  so 
doing  Jean  Armour  is  deserving  of  a  warm  corner  in  the 
hearts  of  all  admirers  of  the  Poet.  One  of  his  best  known 
songs  was  written  in  her  honour,  a  song  that  has  thrilled 

4 


54 

-\iidiences  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  That  song,  characteristic 
o  the  stJ^e  oi  15uiii.>  in  love  alfairs,  has  conferred  upon  Jean 
immortality.  In  his  love  songs  there  is  often  the  note  of 
unconscious  exaggeration  ;  all  his  heroines  are  angels.  If 
we  had  seen  and  known  them  all  in  the  flesh  we  might  have 
been,  as  his  brother  Gilbert  broadly  hints,  a  trifle  disappointed. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  Jean  Armour  proved  a  faithful  and 
devoted  wife,  and  contributed  greatly  to  the  domestic  happi- 
ness of  the  Poet.  She  was  alwa5^s  jealous  of  the  good  name 
and  the  fame  of  her  husband.  When  her  parents  thought 
little  of  Burns,  she  remained  true,  though  she  did  not  realise 
at  the  time  that  Burns  would  become  one  of  the  immortals. 
The  female  sex  has  been  honoured  and  ennobled  by  Jean 
Armour's  conduct  during  her  days  of  courtship,  her  married 
life,  and  her  period  of  widowhood.  She  is  a  singularly  sweet 
and  fascinating  character,  especially  to  those  who  know  the 
waj^s  of  the  simple  country-folk  in  Scotland. 

A  well-known  Dumfries  journalist,  Mr  Wm.  M'Diarmid,  was 
an  intimate  friend  of  Mrs  Burns,  the  widow  of  the  Poet,  and' 
for  about  fifteen  years  preceding  her  death  in  1834  he  acted 
as  her  adviser  on  all  occasions,  her  amanuensis,  and  the  safe 
repository  of  her  thoughts  and  feelings  on  a  number  of  sub- 
jects. Mr  M'Diarmid  noted  down  from  the  lips  of  Mrs  Bums 
facts  as  to  her  illustrious  husband  which  have  helped  to  remove 
many  of  the  misconceptions  formed  regarding  Bums.  Dealing 
with  the  Poet's  residence  at  Ellisland  he  says,  he  read  books 
not  always  seen  in  people's  hands  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
yet  he  never  neglected  his  Bible.  On  one  occasion  a  woman 
named  Nance  Kelly  and  the  Bard  were  sitting  together  in 
the  "  spence,"  when  the  conversation  drifted  into  religious 
channels.  Bums  quoted  so  much  Scripture  that  Nance  was 
greatly  astonished.  Up  to  that  day  she  had  been  labouring 
under  the  impression  that  the  Poet  was  wanting  in  true 
religious  feeling,  and  that  he  was  not  sound  in  the  accepted 
<loctrines  of  the  time.       On    meeting  her  husband,  she  ex- 


55 

■claimed,  "  Oh,  David  Kelly,  hoo  they  hae  wranged  that  man 
(Burns),  for  I  think  he  has  mair  o'  the  Bible  aff  his  tongue 
than  Mr  Inglis  himsel'."  The  Mr  Inglis  referred  to  by  the 
woman  was  the  anti-burgher  minister.  Bums  enjoyed  the 
compliment,  and  almost  the  first  thing  he  communicated 
to  his  wife  on  her  arrival  was  the  "  lift  "  he  had  got  from 
Nance.  Bums  was  an  omnivorous  reader.  If  he  lay  long 
in  bed,  he  was  always  reading.  "  At  all  meals  he  had  a  book 
beside  him  on  the  table.  He  did  his  work  m  the  forenoon, 
and  was  seldom  engaged  professionally  in  the  evening.  When 
at  home  in  the  evening  he  employed  his  time  in  writing  and 
reading,  with  the  children  playing  about  him.  Their  prattle 
never  disturbed  him  in  the  least."  It  was  only  on  rare  occa- 
sions that  Burns  and  his  wife  had  company  in  the  evening. 
He  was  much  occupied  in  composing  his  songs,  and  we  are 
told  that,  "  having  plenty  of  Excise  paper,  he  scrawled 
away."  Jean  Armour  thought — and  she  was  no  mean  judge 
— her  husband  composed  chiefly  while  riding  and  walking, 
and  that  he  wrote  from  memory  after  he  returned  home. 
Burns  was  not  a  good  singer,  but  he  had  a  very'  correct  ear. 
He  was  very  particular  with  letters  of  importance,  and  uni- 
formly wrote  a  scroll  before  penning  the  principal  one.  He 
went  to  bed  generally  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  sometimes  a  little 
sooner.  He  attended  church  frequently,  and  was  a  regular 
visitor  at  the  manse  of  the  dissenting  clergyman.  He  never 
took  supper,  and  never  drank  by  himself  at  home.  The 
Poet  assisted  his  children  Avith  their  lessons,  explaining  to 
them  everything  they  had  difficulty  in  understanding.  He 
"  was  most  strict  in  impressing  on  their  minds  the  value 
and  beauty  and  necessity  of  truth.  He  would  have  for- 
given them  any  slight  fault,  but  to  have  told  a  lie  was  in  his 
eyes  almost  an  inexpiable  offence.  He  used  to  read  the  Bible 
to  Wilham,  Francis,  and  Robert ;  and  William  was  in  the 
habit  of  remarking,  after  his  death,  "  Mother,  I  cannot  see 
those  sublime  things  in  the  Bible  that  my  father  used  to  see." 


5(i 

Burii.s  read  the  big  family  Bible  frequently — the  book  that  is 
to  be  seen  in  the  Museum  at  Allo\say,  and  for  which  the 
trustee  -,  paid  a  fabulous  price. 

Bums  was  happy  in  his  home  life,  which  is  a  pattern 
to  manj^  to-day.      At  certain  stages  of  his  career  he  "  sowed 
his  wild  oats,"  a  habit  of  large  numbers  in  all  ranks  yet, 
despite  the  preaching  in  many  pulpits  and  the  evangel  of 
the  better  day.       He  was  alive  to  his  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities as  a  husband  and  a  citizen  of  the  British  Empire  ; 
and  had  he  lived  in  our  day  we  can  guess  in  which  direction 
his  sympathies  would  have  been  shown.       We  can  generally 
judge  a  man  by  the  l'*e  he  leads  at  home.      Are  we  to  beheve 
the  elictum  of  some  that  the  Poet  elied  a  drunkard,  and  that 
he  passed  away  a  reviled  anel  discredited  man  ?       People 
who   talk  in  that   way  are  capable  of   believing  anything. 
Their  minds  are  always  open  to  assimilate  the  vapourings 
of  the  slanderer,   and  to  condemn  people  on  the  flimsiest 
of  pretexts.      Is   it   reasonable   to   assume   that   Mrs   Bums 
and  others  in  a  position  to  judge  laid  their  heads  together, 
as  it  were,  and  concocted  a  fictitious  story  as  to  the  habits 
and  the  home  life  of  the  Poet  ?       Such  an  idea  should  be 
banisheel  from  the  minds  of  the  doubting  in  our  day  and  in 
elaj's  that  lie  ahead.       It  is  true  Burns  elied  in  the  agony  of 
despair.      He  was  a  physical  wreck,  worn  out  before  his  time  ; 
yet  that  was  in  no  sense  due  to  ultra-vicious  habits,  but  to 
the  hard  work  of  his  youth  and  his  own  neglect  in  husbaneling 
properly  the    highly-stung  constitution  with  which  he  hael 
been   endoweel.        We   have   conclusive   evielence    by   Jessie 
Lewars,   Syme,   Maxwell,    Mrs   Burns,   and  others  who  saw 
him  at  all  seasons  and  in  different  moods,  that  the  Poet  was 
not  nearly  so  bad  as  he  was  painted  by  the  lying  tongues 
of    the     gossips     of  Dumfries.         However,  Dumfries     has 
made    ample    amends    for    the  work  of  certain  section-;    of 
its  citizens  of  the  Poet's  day.      That  town  possesses  his  tomb 
and  preserves  justifiably,  with  other  towns  anel  other  com- 


57 

munities,  his  memory  ;  but  Ayrshire  will  always  have  the 
greater  part  of  Bums.  His  touching  prophecy  to  his  wife 
some  time  before  his  death  that  he  would  be  better  known 
and  more  appreciated  a  hundred  years  later,  indicated  that 
he  had  faith  in  the  character  of  his  works,  and  that  he  would 
triumph  over  the  pettiness  of  the  would-be  Purists,  as  numer- 
ous and  active  now  as  in  Burns's  day.  >s  one  authority  has 
well  said,  "  It  is  Burns's  greatness,  not  his  littleness,  that 
concerns  mankind."  A  truer  observation  has  never  been 
made. 

JOHN  M.  MURDOCH. 


BURNS    AND    " TU LLOCHGORUM. 


THOl'CJH  Rolx'it  limns  had  his  detractors  m  the  ranks 
of  the  clergy,  it  must  not  be  inferred  they  were  sohd 
m  their  denunciation  of  him,  and  that  to  them  his  name  spelled 
anathema.  The  National  Poet  had  several  good  friends 
amongst  the  ministers  of  his  day,  two  of  whom  we  shall 
mention  here,  viz.,  the  Rev.  John  Skinner,  the  author  of 
"  Tullochgorum,"  and  the  father  of  Bishop  Skinner,  of  Aber- 
deen, a  well  known  and  influential  cleric  of  his  time  ;  and  the 
Rev.  Dr  Lawrie,  of  Loudon. 

The  name  of  Skinner  is  not  so  well  known  as  that  of 
Dr  Lawrie,  especially  to  Ayrshire  and  south-west  of  Scotland 
people  of  the  present  day.  Although  Bums  and  Skinner 
never  met,  they  engaged  in  correspondence  and  also  exchanged 
rhj-ming  Avares.  Burns  had  a  high  opinion  of  the  clerical 
poet  of  the  north,  and  went  the  length  of  describing  "  Tulloch- 
gorum "  as  the  best  Scots  song  Scotland  ever  saw  :  while 
Skinner  was  a  warm  admirer  of  Coila's  Bard,  and  never  ceased 
to  sing  his  praises.  In  thinking  of  Burns  and  admiring 
his  contributions  to  the  literature  of  the  country,  many  of 
us  are  apt  to  forget  the  lesser  poetical  lights,  of  whom  Skinner 
was  one.  Burns  lives,  and  Skinner  lives.  The  latter  was 
Episcopal  clergyman  at  Longside,  Aberdeenshire,  and  it  was 
in  the  beautiful  churchyard  of  that  sequestered  spot  that 
his  remains  were  interred  within  a  few  yards  of  the  grave 
of  the  parish  minister.  Skinner  said  they  had  been  good 
friends  in  this  world,  and  that  he  preferred  to  be  buried  as 
near  as  possible  to  his  confrere.  He  also  remarked  that  he 
did  not  want  a  better  neighbour  in  the  next  world. 

As  Skinner  is  best  known  on  account  of  his  authorship 
of  "  Tullochgorum,"  some  reference  to  the  origin  of  the  song 


59 

may  be  excusable.  On  the  occasion  of  a  meeting  of  Scottish 
clergymen  at  Ellon,  then  a  small  village  in  the  county  of 
Aberdeen,  but  now  a  thriving  town  and  a  police  burgh, 
Skinner  had  gone  to  spend  the  day  with  some  others  at  the 
house  of  a  Mrs  Montgomery.  After  dinner,  says  the  late  Sir  Hugh 
Gilzean  Reid  (an  Aberdeenshire  man  and  a  former  north- 
country  reporter  and  editor),  a  warm  dispute  of  a  political 
nature  arose,  during  which  the  lady  expressed  to  Mr  Skinner 
— who  was  taking  little  part  in  it — her  surprise  that  no 
appropriate  words  had  been  composed  to  the  fine  old  Strath- 
spey called  "  The  Reel  of  Tullochgorum,"  and  having  asked 
for  a  song,  he  at  once  gratified  her  wishes,  and,  as  Burns 
has  observed,  "  the  wishes  of  every  lover  of  Scottish  song, 
in  this  most  excellent  ballad."  Dr  Chambers,  who  did  so 
much  to  cultivate  a  love  of  Scottish  and  other  literature, 
says  something  of  a  national  as  well  as  a  patriotic  character 
may  be  claimed  for  it,  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  truth  in 
the  observation.  It  was,  it  is  beheved,  Skinner's  "  Ewie 
wi'  the  Crookit  Horn  "  that  inspired  Burns  to  write  the 
elegy  on  his  pet  ewe,  and  the  connection  between  the  two 
will  be  seen  from  the  following  : — 

Skinner  says — 

"  But  thus,  poor  thing  !    to  lose  her  hfe 
Aneath  a  bleedy  villain's  knife, 
I"m  really  fleyt  that  oui'  guidwife 

Will  never  win  aboon't  ava. 
Oh  !    a'  ye  bards  benorth  Kinghorn, 
Call  your  muses  up  and  mourn 
Our  Ewie  wi'   the  crookit  horn, 

Stown  frae's,  and  fell'd,  and  a'." 

Burns  says — 

"  Oh,  a'  ye  bards  on  bonnie  Doon, 
An'  wha  on  Ayr  your  chanters  tune, 
Come,  join  the  melancholious  croon 

O'   Robin's  reed  ! 
His  heart  will  never  get  aboon — 

Poor  Mailie's  dead  !  " 

During  his  pilgrimage  to  the  north  of  Scotland  in  1787 
Burns  spent  a  short  time  in  the  Granite  City,  and  was  intro- 
duced to  Bishop  Skinner  at  the  printing  office  of  Mr  Chalmers 


60 

(it  the  Aberdeen  Journal,  a  newspaper  that  had  a  report  of 
tlie  battle  of  Culloden,  and  lioiirislies  still  on  the  gospel  of 
Conservatism.  It  is  related  that  with  the  worthy  son  of 
*  Tullochgorum  "  the  National  Poet  spent  a  most  agreeable 
hour.  "  Did  not  your  father  write  '  The  Ewie  wi'  the  Crookit 
Horn  ?  '  "  asked  Burns.  "  Yes,"  was  the  answer.  ''  Oh, 
that  I  had  the  loun  that  did  it  !  "  Burns  continued,  in  a 
rapture  of  praise  ;  "  but  tell  him  how  I  love,  and  esteem, 
and  venerate  his  trulj'^  Scottish  muse." 

When  Burns  learned  that  during  his  journey  from 
Gordon  Castle  to  Aberdeen  he  had  been  within  a  few  miles 
of  "  Tullochgorum's  "  dwelling,  he  was  deeply  grieved  at 
having  missed  the  opportunity  of  seeing  one  for  whom  he 
entertained  so  sincere  a  regard,  and  whom  he  delighted  to 
honour  as  a  brother  poet.  His  parting  message  to  Bishop 
Skinner  AvaS' — "  Well,  I  am  happy  m  having  seen  you,  and 
thereby  conveying  my  long-harboured  sentiments  of  regard 
for  your  w'orthy  sire.  Assure  him  of  it  in  the  heartiest  maimer, 
and  that  never  did  a  devotee  of  the  Virgin  Mary  go  to  Loretto 
\\ith;more  fervour  than  I  wo'uld  have  approached  his  dwelling, 
and  worshipped  at  his  shrine." 

"  Tullochgorum  "  was  at  the  time  about  seventy  years 
of  age.  When  his  son  conveyed  to  him  Bunis's  message  he 
was  highly  gratified  at  the  compliments  bestowed,  and  also 
sincerely  sorry  that  he  had  missed  seeing  the  famous  Plough- 
man Poet.  He  at  once  indited  an  epistle  to  Burns,  which 
contained  the  following  verses  : — 

"  Wae's  my  auld  heart  I  wasna  wi'  you. 
Though  worth  your  while  I  couldna  gie  you  ; 
But  sin'  I  hadna  hap  to  see  you 

When  ye  was  North  ; 
I'm  bauld  to  send  my  .service  to  you, 

Hyne   o'er  the   Forth. 

Sae  prood's  I  am  that  ye  hae  heard 

O'  my  attempts  to  be  a  bard, 

And  think  my  muse  nae  that  ill-fawrd, 

Seil  o'  your  face  ! 
I  wadna  wish  for  mair  reward 

Then   your   guid    grace. 


61 

Yolir  bonnie  beukie,  line  by  line, 
I've  read,  and  think  it  freely  fine  ; 
Indeed,  I  winna  ca't  divine, 

As   others  might  ; 
For  that,  ye  ken,  frae  pen  like  mine. 

Wad  no'  be  right. 

But,  by  my  sang  !    I  dinna  wonner 
That  ye've  admirers,  mony  hun'er; 
Let  gowkit  fleeps  pretend  to  skunner 

And  tak'   offence, 
Ye've  naething  said  that  leuks  like  blun'er 

To  fowk  o'  sense. 

But  thanks  to  praise,  ye're  i'  your  prime. 
And  may  chant  on  this  lang,  lang  time  ; 
For,  lat  me  tell  you,  'twere  a  crime 

To  baud  your  tongue, 
Wi'  sic  a  k  ack's  ye  hae  at  rhyme. 

And  ye  sae  young  ! 

An  hour  or  sae,  by  hook  or  crook, 
And  maybe  twa,  some  orra  ouk. 
That  I  can  spare  frae  Holy  Beuk — 

For  that's  my  hobby — 
I'll  slip  awa'  to  some  bye-neuk. 

And  crack  wi'  Robbie. 

Sae,  canty  ploughman,  fare-ye-weel, 
Lord  bless  you  lang  wi'  hae  and  heil, 
And  keep  you  aye  the  honest  chiel 

That  ye  hae  been  ; 
Syne  lift  ye  to  a  better  biel 

When  this  is  dune." 


Burns  responded  to  Skinner's  epistle,  which  he  described 
as  the  best  poetical  comjiliment  he  had  ever  received,  but  he 
did  not  couch  his  thoughts  in  rhyme  ;  he  preferred  "  plain, 
dull  prose."  The  letters  that  passed  between  the  two  poets 
have  been  preserved,  and  they  certainly  do  credit  to  both. 

In  the  course  of  his  first  letter  to  Skinner,  Burns  says  : 
■ — "  Accept,  in  plain,  dull  jjrose,  my  most  sincere  thanks 
for  the  best  poetical  compliment  I  ever  received.  I  assure 
you,  sir,  as  a  poet,  you  have  conjured  up  an  airy  demon  of 
vanity  in  my  fancy  which  your  best  abilities  in  your  other 
capacity  would  be  ill  able  to  lay.  I  regret,  and,  while  I 
live,  shall  regret,  that  when  I  was  in  the  north  I  had  not  the 
pleasure  of  paying  a  younger  brother's  dutiful  respect  to  the 


62 

author  of  the  best  .Scotch  song  ever  Scotland  saw,  '  Tulloch- 
gorum's  my  Dehght.'  The  world  may  think  sHghtingly  of 
the  craft  of  song-making  if  they  please,  but  as  Job  says, 
'  Oh  that  mine  adversary  had  written  a  book  !  ' — let  them 
try.  There  is  a  certain  something  in  the  old  Scotch  songs 
— a  wild  happiness  of  thought  and  expression — which  pecu- 
Uarly  marks  them,  not  only  from  English  songs,  but  also 
from  the  modern  efforts  of  song-^\Tights,  in  our  native  mamier 
and  language.  I  have  often  wished,  and  will  certainly  endea- 
vour, to  form  a  kind  of  common  acquaintance  among  all  the 
genuine  sons  of  Caledonian  song.  The  world,  busy  in  low 
prosaic  pursuits,  may  overlook  most  of  us  ;  but  '  reverence 
thyself.'  The  world  is  not  our  peers,  so  we  challenge  the 
jury.  We  can  lash  that  world,  and  find  ourselves  a  very 
great  source  of  amusement  and  happiness,  independent  of 
that  world." 

Burns  concluded  by  asking  Skinner's  aid  m  connection 
with  Johnson's  Miscellany,  and  informed  him  that  three  of 
his  pieces — "  TuUochgorum,"  "  John  o'  Badenyon,"  and 
"  The  Ewie  wi'  the  Crookit  Horn  " — would  be  published. 

■  TuUochgorum,"  in  replying,  said,  inter  alia,  that  Burns 
had  overrated  his  "  rhyming  excursions."  Proceeding,  he 
observed  :■ — "  The  difference  between  our  two  tracks  of 
education  and  ways  of  life  is  entirely  in  your  favour,  and  gives 
you  the  preference  every  manner  of  way.  I  know  a  classical 
education  will  not  create  a  versifying  taste,  but  it  mightily 
improves  and  assists  it  ;  and  though,  where  both  these  meet, 
there  may  sometimes  be  ground  for  approbation,  yet  where 
taste  appears  single,  as  it  were,  and  neither  cramped  nor 
supported  by  acquisition,  I  will  sustain  the  justice  of  its 
prior  claim  to  applause.  Do  not  sheath  your  own  proper 
and  piercing  weapon.  From  what  I  have  seen  of  j^ours 
already,  I  am  inclined  to  hope  for  much  good.  One  lesson 
of  virtue  and  morality  delivered  in  your  amusing  style,  and 
from  such  as  you,  will  operate  more  than  dozens  would  do 
from  such  as  me,  who  shall  be  told  it  is  our  employment, 


and  be  never  more  minded,  whereas  from  a  pen  like  yours, 
as  being  one  of  the  many,  what  comes  will  be  admired. 
Admiration  will  produce  regard,  and  regard  will  leave  an 
impression,  especially  when  example  goes  along." 

In  his  next  letter,  Burns  says  to  Skinner  : — "  Your  songs 
appear  in  the  third  volume,  with  your  name  in  the  index, 
as  I  assure  you,  sir,  I  have  heard  your  '  Tullochgorum,' 
particularly  among  our  west-country  folks,  given  to  many 
different  names,  and  most  commonl}'  to  the  immortal  author 
of  the  '  Minstrel,'  who,  indeed,  never  wrote  anything  superior 
to  '  Gie's  a  sang,  Montgomery  cried.'  " 

Skinner  acknowledged  by  forwarding  to  Burns  two 
songs  he  had  previously  alluded  to  in  correspondence.  Speak- 
ing of  Skiimer's  songs  on  one  occasion,  Burns  remarked, 
"  And  what  is  of  still  more  consequence,  he  is  one  of  the 
worthiest  of  mankind." 

On  being  asked  by  Colonel  Ferguson,  of  Pitfour,  what 
he  could  do  to  add  to  his  comfort  in  his  old  age,  Skinner 
wrote  as  follows  :■ — 


Lodged  in  a  canty  cell  of  nine  feet  square, 
Bare  bread  and  sowans  and  milk  my  daily  fare  ; 
Shoes  for  my  feet,  soft  clothing  for  my  back — 
If  warm,  no  matter  whether  blue  or  black  ; 
n  such  a  sober,  low,  contented  state, 
What  comfort  now  need  I  from  rich  or  great  ? 

Now  in  my  eightieth  year,  my  thread  near  spun. 
My  race  through  poverty  and  labour  run, 
Wishing  to  be  by  all  "my  flock  beloved. 
And  for  long  service  by  my  Judge  approved  ; 
Death  at  my  door,  and  Heaven  in  my  eye. 
From  rich  or  great  what  comfort  now  need  I  ? 

Let  but  our  sacred  edifice  go  on 
With  cheerfulness  until  the  work  be  done  ; 
Let  but  my  flock  be  faithfully  supplied. 
My  friends  all  with  their  lot  well  satisfied  : 
Then,  oh,  with  joy  and  comfort  from  on  high, 
Let  me  in  Christian  quiet  calmly  die, 
And  lay  ixiy  ashes  in  my  Grizel's  grave, 
'Tis  all  I  wish  upon  the  earth  to  have." 


(54 

The  old  nians  wishes  were  respected,  and  though  more 
than  a  hundred  years  have  passed  since  his  death,  his  tomb 
is  still  a  shrine  to  those  who  admire  his  lyrical  gifts  and  the 
life  he  lived  as  an  ambassador  of  righteousness. 

The  song  that  pleased  the  fancy  of  Burns  deserves  all 
the  praise  he  bestowed  upon  it,  and  its  popularity  can  be 
readily  understood.  It  is  a  vigorous  bit  of  work,  has  the 
homely  wisdom  that  appeals  to  the  average  individual,  and 
goes  with  a  fine  swing.  In  reading  it  or  hearing  it  declaimed, 
one  has  a  desire  to  cry  "  Hooch  !"  and  engage  in  the  merry 
dance.    Here  is  the  song,  which  de:erves  to  be  better  known  : — 

"  Come  gie's  a  sang,  Montgomery  cry'd, 
And    lay  your  disputes  all  aside, 
What  signifies't  for  folks  to  chide 

For  what  was  done  before  them  ? 

Let  Whig  and  Tory  a'  agree, 
Whig  and  Tory,  Whig  and  Tory, 
Whig  and  Tory  a'  agree 

To  drop  their  Whig-malorum  ; 

Let  Whig  and  Tory  a'  agree 
To  spend  the  night  wi'  mirth  and  glee. 
And  cheerfu'  sing  alang  wi'  me 
The  Reel   o'   Tullochgorum. 

O,   Tullochgorum's   my   delight, 
It  gars  \is  a'  in  ane  unite. 
And  ony  sumph  that  keeps  up  spite, 
In  conscience  I  abhor  him  ; 

For  blyth  and  cheerie  we'll  be  a', 
Blyth  and  cheerie,  blyth  and  cheerie, 
Blyth  and  cheerie  we'll  be  a'. 

And  mak'  a  happy  quorum  ; 

For  blyth  and  cheerie  we'll  be  a' 
As  lang  as  we  hae  breath  to  draw, 
And  dance  till  we  be  like  to  fa' 

The  Reel   o'   Tullochgorum. 

What  needs  there  be  sae  great  a  fraise 
Wi'   dringing,  dull   Italian  lays  ? 
I  wadna  gie  our  ain  Strathspeys 

For  half  a  hunder  score  o'  '  em. 

They're  dowf  and  dovvie  at  the  best, 
Dowf  and  dowie,  dowf  and  dowie, 
Dowf  and  dowie  at  the  best, 
Wi'   a'    their  variorum  ; 


They're  dowf  and  dowie  at  the  best, 
Their  allegros  and  a'   the  rest, 
They  canna  please  a  Scottish  taste 
Compar'd  wi'  TuUochgorum. 

Let  warldly  worms  their  minds  oppress, 
Wi'  fears  o'  want  and  dovible  cess, 
And  sullen  sots  themselves  distress 
Wi'   keeping  up  decormn. 

Shall  we  sae  sour  and  sulky  sit. 
Sour  and  sulky,  sour  and  sulky. 
Sour  and  sulky  shall  we  sit 

Like   auld   philosophorimi  ! 

Shall  we  sae  sour  and  sulky  sit, 

Wi'  neither  sense,  nor  mirth,  nor  wit. 

Nor  ever  try  to  shake  a  tit 

To  the  Reel  o'  TuUochgorum  ? 

May  choicest  blessings  aye  attend 
Each  honest,  open-hearted  friend. 
And  calm  and  quiet  be  his  end. 

And  a'  that's  good  watch  o'er  him  ; 

May  peace  and  plenty  be  his  lot. 
Peace  and  plenty,  peace  and  jlenty. 
Peace  and  plenty  be  his  lot. 

And  dainties  a  great  store  o'  '  em  ; 

May  peace  and  plenty  be  his  lot, 
Unstain'd  by  ony  vicious  spot. 
And  may  he  never  want  a  groat 

That's  fond  o'  TuUochgorum. 

But  for  the  sullen,  frumpish  fool 
That  loves  to  be  oppression's  tool, 
May  envy  gnaw  his  rotten  soul, 

And   discontent  devour   him  : 

May  dool  and  sorrow  be  his  chance, 
Dool  and  sorrow,  dool  and  sorrow, 
Dool  and  sorrow  be  his  chance, 

And  nane  say  Wae's  yne  for  him  ; 

May  dool  and  sorrow  be  his  chance, 
Wi'  a'  the  ills  that  come  frae  France, 
Wha  e'er  he  be  that  winna  dance 
The  Reel  o'  TuUochgorum." 

Skinner's  best  poem  is  undeniably  "  The  Monjanusk 
Christmas  Ba'ing,"  in  which  he  shows  his  wonderful  descriptive 
powers,  his  quaint  humour,  and  his  ready  command  of  the 
dialect  of  Aberdeenshire.      Burns  is  seen  at  his  best  in  describ- 


m 

iiig  the  revels  in  Poosie  Xancie's  hostelry  at  Mauchlhie  ;  in 
fact,  some  of  our  Bums  commentators  say  "  The  Jolly 
Beggars  "  is  his  masterpiece.  Skiimer  is  also  seen  at  his 
best  in  portrajong  the  humours  of  a  form  of  football,  which 
seems  to  have  been  more  exciting  in  some  respects  than  the 
game  as  it  is  played  to-day. 

Skinner  was  born  on  October  3rd,  1721,  in  a  \Aald  and 
romantic  part  of  Aberdeenshire,  and  although  brought  up 
a  staunch  Presbji}erian,  he  joined  the  Episcopal  communion, 
ultimately,  at  the  age  of  21,  becoming  a  clergyman.  His  first 
and  only  charge  was  in  the  parish  of  Longside,  where  he 
spent  practically  all  his  daj^s  at  Linshart,  and  where  he  earned 
fame  as  a  ii^cholar  and  theologian.  He  was  a  great  Latin 
scholar,  a  voluminous  contributor  to  the  Encyclopcedia  Britan- 
nica,  and  published  in  two  volumes  an  ecclesiastical  history 
of  Scotland.  Being  a  strong  Jacobite,  he  was  persecuted 
and  even  suffered  imprisonment  on  account  of  his  views. 
He  passed  away  on  16th  June,  1807,  in  his  eighty -sixth  year, 
and  in  the  churchyard  of  Longside  there  was  erected  a  hand- 
some monument  to  his  memory.  Until  a  year  or  two  ago 
his  tombstone  was  in  a  state  of  disrepair,  but  a  number  of  the 
admirers  of  his  works  came  to  the  rescue,  and  now  the  last 
resting-place  of  one  of  Burns 's  friends  in  the  ranks  of  the 
clergy  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and  worthy  of 
the  man  and  his  message. 

Like  Dr  Lawrie,  of  Loudon,  who  communicated  with 
Dr  Blacklock,  of  Edinburgh,  regarding  the  works  of  Bums, 
and  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  preventing  the  National 
Poet  from  going  to  Jamaica,  "  Tullochgorum  "  acted  well 
his  part,  and  was  endowed  with  those  quahties  that  stamp 
the  true  man,  and  not  those  of  the  "  Holy  Willie  "  type,  not 
so  numerous  to-day  as  in  the  time  of  Robeit  Bums. 

J.  M.  MURDOCH. 


WOMAN'S    PRAISE    OF    BURNS. 


MEN  of  all  classes,  creeds,  and  countries — as  has  been 
shown  in  recent  issues  of  the  Burns  Chronicle — have 
paid  the  highest  tributes  to  the  genius  and  character  of 
Scotland's  Bard.  Statesmen,  soldiers,  poets,  critics,  divines, 
men  of  affairs  and  men  of  letters,  have  all  united  to  sound 
the  praise  of  Robert  Burns.  But  what  have  representative 
writers  of  the  gentler  sex  had  to  say  of  our  Poet  ?  The 
world  knows  how  sweetly  Burns  has  sung  the  charms  of 
womankind.  None  of  the  poets  has  given  us  such  a  gallery 
of  fair  women  as  Ave  have  in  the  songs  of  Scotia's  Bard.  An 
examination  of  the  writings  of  our  leading  poetesses  and  other 
lady  writers  brings  to  light  some  remarkable  tributes  paid 
by  women  to  our  Poet.  Women  of  his  own  time  and  women 
of  later  days,  women  of  high  degree  and  of  low  estate — 
not  only  Scotswomen,  but  women  of  England,  Ireland, 
France,  and  America — have  alike  expressed  some  of  the  highest 
appreciations  of  Burns,  not  only  as  a  poet  and  singer,  but  for 
the  manliness  and  tenderness  of  his  nature.  From  Queen 
Victoria  on  the  throne  of  the  British  Empire  to  Janet  Hamil- 
ton, the  humble  poetess  of  Coatbridge,  women  have  been 
charmed  by,  and  have  written  in  terms  of  the  highest  admira- 
tion of  Burns  and  his  immortal  verses.  Here  is  a  somewhat 
random  collection  of  some  of  these  feminine  tributes  : — 

Friends    and    Contemporaries. 

My  brother  was  not  at  all  what  most  folks  thought  him — he  was 
all  his  life  a  man  who  feared  God  in  his  heart. — Mrs  Begg  (Isabella 
Burns) 

He  was  sent  to  speak  truth,  surcharged  with  a  divine  mission  ; 
he  poured  it  forth  out  of  his  great  loving  heart  sweetlv,  tenderly,  man- 


68 

fully  into  God's  earth,  despite  kings,  priests,  or  louts. — Sarah  Cameron, 
New  Zealand  (Grand-daughter  of  the  Poet). 

1  have  met  a  man  from  London  who  tells  me  he  would  never  grudge 
a  journej'  to  Scotland,  had  it  done  nothing  but  made  him  acquainted 
with  Burns's  poems. — Mrs  Dunxop  of  Dunlop. 

The  most  royalh'  courteous  of  all  mankind. — Mrs  Basil   Montagu. 

If  others  have  climbed  more  successfujly  to  the  heights  of  Par 
nassus,  none  certainly  ever  outshone  Burns  in  the  charms — the  sorcery, 
I  would  almost  call  it — of  fascinating  conversation,  the  spontaneous 
eloquence  of  social  argument,  or  the  unstudied  poignancy  of  brilliant 
repartee. — Mrs  Maria  Riddell. 

Burns  was  a  fine  haun'  <.t  plea'?ing  bairns  ;  .  .  .  .  mony's 
the  time  I  have  seen  him  tak'  them  on  his  knee  and  tell  them  a  story. 
— Mr=.  HrTCHisoN  (Janet  Meikle). 

Burns  micht  be  a  very  clever  lad,  but  he  certainly  was  regardless ; 
as  to  the  best  of  my  belief  he  never  took  three  half-mutchkins  in  my 
house  all  his  life. — Nanse  Tinnock. 

Burns  has  looked  at  Nature,  in  her  wild  and  rustic  operations, 
with  his  ovm  eyes,  and  he  is  particularly  happy  in  his  winter  landscapes. 
— An-na  Seward. 

I  have  been  much  pleased  with  the  pcems  of  the  Scottish  ploughman. 
— Mrs  Barbaxtld. 

S<-otia  1    from  rude  aflfiiction  shield  thy  Bard, 

His  heaven-taught  numbers  fame  herself  will  guard. 

— Helen  Maria  Williams. 

To  hear  thy  song  all  ranks  desire, 

Sae  weel  you  strike  the  dormant  lyre  ; 

Apollo  with  poetic  fire 

Thy  breast  does  warm, 
And   critics  silently   admire 

Thy  art  to  charm. 
— Janet  Little  ("  The  Scottish  R^ilkmaid  "). 


But  when  he  sung  to  the  attentive  plain 
The  humble  virtues  of  the  patriarch  swain, 
His  evening  worship,  and  his  social  meal, 
And  all  a  parent's  pious  heart  can  fee    ; 
To  genuine  worth  we  bow  submissive  down, 
And  wish  the  cottar's  lowly  shed  our  own  : 
With  fond  regard  our  native  land  we  view, 
Its  clustered  hamlets,  and  its  mountains  blue. 
Our  "  virtuous  populace,"  a  nobler  boast 
Than  all  the  wealth  of  either  India's  coast. 

— Mrs  Grant  of  Lag^an. 

We  talked  of  Burns  and  of  the  prospect  he  must  have  had,  perhaps 
from  his  own  door,  of  Skiddaw  and  his  companions,  indulging  ourselves 
in  the  fancy  that  we  might  have  been  personally  known  to  each  other, 
and  he  have  looked  upon  those  objects  with  mere  pleasure  for  our 
sakes. — Dorothy   Worhsworth. 


Praise  of  Queens. 

The  Queen  [Victoria]  sat  down  to  spin  at  a  nice  Scotch  v\  hee  I , 
while  I  read  Burns  to  her — "  Tam  o'  Shantor  "  and  "  A  Man's  a  Man 
for  a'  That,"  her  favourite. — Letters  of  Norman  Macleod. 

Scots,   wha  hae  wi'  Wallace  bled, 
Scots,  wham  Bruce  has  aften  led, 
Scots,  your  Burns  is  not  yet  dead. 
His  wondrous  song  has  never  fled  ! 

— Carmen  Sylva  (Queen  of  Roumania). 


Irish  Tributes. 

H,)w  little  did  the  exhausted  mother,  when  she  thanked  God  that 
"a  maa  was  born  into  the  world,"  imagine  what  a  strong  yet  tender 
heart  beat  within  the  shelter  of  that  little  bosom,  or  what  fearful 
throes  and  lofty  imaginings  were  crad'ed  in  the  head  that  nest'ed  on 
her  bosom  ! — Mrs  S.  C.  Hall. 

They  [the  lines  of  "  Ae  Fond  Kiss  "]  are  the  Alpha  and  Omega 
of  feeling,  and  contain  the  essence  of  an  existence  of  pain  and  pleasure 
distiHod  into  one  burning  drop. — Mrs  Anna  Jameson. 

5 


70 

Ah  !    wlio  would  sav  the  minstrel  failed  his  mission  to  fulfil — 
Sought  rest  inglorious  on  liis  lees,  or  let  his  harp  lie  still  ? 
He  laid  him  with  the  early  dead,  for  brief  his  span  of  life. 
Yet  stored  the  world  with  deathless  song  whilst  battling  midst  its  strife. 
— Sarah  Parker  Douglas  {"  The  Irish  Girl  "). 


French  Women's  Praise. 

In  the  whole  of  English  literature  there  is  no  more  beautiful 
tribute  than  his  rendered  to  the  virtues  of  the  peasant,  nor  any  finer 
description  of  labour's  rewards. — Mme.  P.  Julette  Adams. 

What  higher  place  can  we  give  to  Robert  Burns  than  that  which 
he  occupies  by  divine  right  in  every  heart  in  which  the  love  of  nature 
and  the  sense  of  song  are  present  ? — Louise  de  la  Ramee  ("  Ouida  "), 

I  set  your  Burns  with  Milton  as  the  two  greatest  poets  of  Great 
Britain. — M.    Betham-Edwards. 


American   Tributes. 

Since  Adam,  there  has  been  none  that  approached  nearer  fitness 
to  stand  up  before  God  and  angels  in  the  naked  majesty  of  manhood 
than  Robert  Burns  ;  but  there  was  a  serpent  in  his  field  also  ! — 
Margaret  Fuller  (Count«ss  Ossoli). 

The  bold  lyric  of  Burns  ["  Scots  WTia  Hae  "]  is  but  an  inspired 
kind  of  version  of  the  real  address  which  Bruce  is  said  to  have  made 
to  his  followers  ;  and  whoever  reads  it  will  see  that  its  power  lies  not 
in  appeal  to  brute  force,  but  to  the  highest  elements  of  our  nature — 
the  love  of  justice,  the  sense  of  honour,  and  to  disinterestedness,  self- 
sacrifice,  courage  unto  death. — Harriet  Beecher  Stowe. 

In  the  villages  where  he  dwelt  there  seems  to  be  no  man,  no  child, 
who  does  not  apparently  know  every  detail  of  the  life  he  lived  there, 
nearly  a  hundred  years  ago. — Helen  Hunt  Jackson. 

We  saw  him  as  from  Nature's  soul 

His  own  drew  draughts  of  joy  o'erflowing  ; 

The  plover's  voice,  the  briar-rose. 
The  tiny  harebell  lightly  growing. 


The  wounded  hare  that  passed  him  by, 

The  timorous  mousie's  ruined  dwelHng 
The  cattle  cowering  from  the  blast, 

The  dying  sheep  her  sorrow  telling — 
All  touched  the  heart  that  kept  so  strong 

Its  sympathy  with  humbler  being. 
And  saw  in  simplest  things  of  life 

The  poetry  that  waits  the  seeing. 

— Agnes  Maule  Machar. 

Nearly  a  century  has  elapsed  since  the  Peasant  Poet  was  laid  in 
Ills  last  resting-place,  yet  to-day  the  interest  in  his  tomb  is  world-wide, 
and  up  to  the  present  time  great  men  are  writing  of  his  life  and  lamenting 
his  untimely  death. — Mrs  A.  A.  Wellington. 


Centenary  Verses. 

We  hail  this^morn 
A   centiu-y's  noblest  birth — 

A  Poet,  peasant-born. 
Who  more  of  Fame's  immortal  dower 

Unto  his  country  brings 

Than  all  her  kings  ! 

— IsA  Craig  Knox  (Prize  Po3m). 

No  sweeter  music  poet's  hand  hath  wrung 
From  Scotia's  lyre — no  son  of  genius  sung 
In  loftier  strains — no  patriot's  battle-cry 
Like  his  can  nerve  the  arm  when  foes  are  nigh. 

— Mrs  Janet  Hamilton  (The  Blind  Poetess). 

But  Master  still]of  Time  dead  Burns  shall  be, 
His  words  still  watchwords  for  the  brave  and  free — 
His  songs,  still  love-songs,  to  the  young  and  fond — 
His  fame  still  linking  with  the  time  beyond. 
Much  hath  been  lost  within  the  vanished  years. 
But  not  His  power  o'er  human  smiles  and  tears  ; 
And  when  the  Hundredth  Year  agaia  returns, 
More  shall  be  lost — but  not  the  name  of  Burns. 

— Hon.  Caroline  Norton 


72 

His  lays  are  now  a  nations  wealth,  as"  household  words  "  thoy  seem,. 
They  sing  them  in  their  festal  hours — through  young  love's  rosy  dream — 
The  very  soil  is  clsussic  ground  where  once  his  footsteps  trod  ; 
Still  rests  the  shadow  of  his  soul  on  Ayr's  poetic  sod  ; 
Still  through  the  lapse  of  misty  years  the  admiring  spirit  turns, 
Till  Scotland's  old  heroic  soil  is  called  "  The  Land  of  Burns  !  " 

— Mary  J.  Katzmann,  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia. 


English  Tributes. 

Read  Burns  !  No  one  ever  compressed  so  much  meaning  into  so 
few  words.  Their  beautiful  rhythm  seems  their  least  beauty. — Lady 
Eastlake. 

Truth  is  better  than  art.  Burns's  Songs  are  better  than  Bulwer's 
Epics. — Charlotte  Bronte. 

The  sweetest,  the  sublimest,  the  most  tricksy  poet  who  has  blest 
this  nether  world  since   the  days  of  Shakespeare  ! — Mary  Russell 

MiTKORD. 

And  Burns,  with  pungent  passionings 
Set  in  his  eyes  :    deep  lyric  springs 
Are   of  the  fire-mount's  issuings. 

— Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning. 

In  Scotland  Burns  is  "  a  name  to  conjure  with." — Mrs  Newton 
Crosland. 

It  is  the  strong,  clear  truthfulness  of  Burns  which  gives  such 
powerful  reality  to  every  varied  expression  of  feeling  in  his  poems, 
and  which  carries  his  lyrics  into  the  very  hearts  of  his  readers. — 
Anna  Buckland. 

Mute  is  thy  wild  harp  now,  O  Bard  sublime  ! 

Who,  amid  Scotia's  mountain  solitude. 
Great  Nature  taught  to  build  the  lofty  rhyme, 

And  saw  beneath  the  daily  pressure  rude 

Of  labouring  poverty,  thy  generous  blood 

Fired  with  the  love  of  freedom. 

— Charlotte  Smith. 


73 

Sweet  Bard  !    'twas  thine  to  soar-  on  high 

With  inspiration  and  the  Muse  ; 
To  claim  from  beauty's  radiant  eye 

Compassion's    dews  ; 
To  raise  the  smile  of  social  glee, 

The  patriot's  manly  heart  to  fire, 
Or  wake  the  tender  sympathy, 

With  plaintive  lyre.  — Mrs  Hemans. 

Some  heavy  thought  has  often  lost  its  weight 

When  "  Robbie  Burns  "  has  come  to  share  the  hour, 

Crooning  his  rhymes  till  my  soul  grew  elate 
With  deep  responses  to  his  minstrel  power. 

— Eliza  Cook. 

A   man   of   rare   genius He   deserves   all    the   praise 

which  has  been  accorded  to  him. — Emily  Mewburn. 

Whatever  view  of  the  man  we  choose  to  take,  the  poetry  of  Burns 
holds  an  uncontested  place  in  the  literature  of  the  world  ;  his  songs 
are  on  the  lips  and  in  the  hearts  of  high  and  low  alike  ;  and  had 
life  or  his  temperament  been  other  than  it  was  it  is  possible  that  art 
might  have  been  the  poorer. — Elizabeth  Lef. 


Scottish  Tributes. 

His  soul  had  ever  a  secret  place,  a  hidden  altar,  on  which  the  fire 
of  piety  was  ever,  almost  unconsciously,  burning. — Mrs  J.  C.  Simpson 
("  Gertrude  "). 

Just  when  our  Scottish  dialect  was  on  the  wane,  Burns's  voice 
was  heard,  from  Land's  End  to  John  o'  Groat's  House,  reasserting 
Scotland's  claim  to  national  existence. — Rhona  Sutherland. 

The  delicate,  masterly  hand  of  Burns,  whose  name  will  be  lovingly 
.cherished  as  long  as  there  are  Scotch  hearts  in  the  world. — Mary 
Carlyle  Aitken. 

As  a  poet  Scott  must  be  ranked  far  below  Birrns.  He  had  not  the 
power  which  the  Ayrshire  ploughman  possessed  in  so  high  a  degree 
of  touching  the  heart,  of  expressing  our  strongest  feelings  in  simple 
musical  language, — Amelia  Hutchison-Stirling. 


74 

For  gifted  was  ovir  master-band 
To  tune  the  hearts  of  every  land  ; 
His  voice  could  sweeter  utterance  give 

To   Nature's   universal   tone  ; 
To  latest  time  his  name  shall  live, 

For  Nature's  harp  was  all  his  own. 

— Mrs  Richardson,  of  Langholm. 

Burns  came,  like  Homer,  from  the  very  fountain-head  of  life  : 
nobody  had  taught  him  a  note — he  had  his  music  from  Nature,  and  he 
took  his  theme  from  Nature. — Mrs  Oliphant. 

Burns,  .  .  .  from  snatches  of  his  songs  heard  now  and  then, 
was  a  perpetual  delight  to  me  long,  long  before  I  had  words  to  tell  of 
the  charm  which  my  ear  knew  ;  for  Burns,  whatever  his  faults,  was 
no  sentimental  liar,  and  a  child  understands  what  it  cannot  yet  explain. 
— Jessie  Annie  Anderson. 

Burns,  that  large-hearted  Bard,  and  Lady  Nairne — those  two  are 
the  saviovu-s  of  Scottish  song. — Jessie  P.  Findlay. 

Burns  had  made  the  path  to  recognition  smooth — for  Hogg. 
The  educated  world  had  been  surprised  into  seeing  life  through  the 
eyes  of  a  ploughman  ;  his  pity,  his  satiric  indignation,  had  knocked 
at  its  heart,  the  music  of  his  songs  still  rang  in  its  ears,  the  clouded 
ending  of  his  brief  day  haunted  its  conscience  with  a  vague  sense  of 
guilt — it  was  in  only  too  great  a  hurry  to  recognise  a  f  enius  from  the 
sheep-folds. — Florence  MacCunn. 

In  Burns  we  have  an  infinite  tenderness,  and  ever-present  humanity 
in  every  one  of  his  graphic  pictures.  No  part  of  creation  is  to  him 
utterly  inanimate,  and  the  contemplation  of  it  is  constantly  leading 
his  thoughts  upwards  with  unaffected  piety  to  the  Creator  Himself 
— M.  S.  Gairdner. 

Among  all  the  poets.  Burns  is  the  most  real,  the  nnost  frank,  the 
most  free.  He  is  the  type  of  Scotland,  alike  in  its  good  and  its  ill. 
— Mrs  Watson  ("  Deas  Cromarty  "). 

A.  C.  WHITE. 


THE     POLITICS    OF    BURNS. 


THE  subject  of  the  Politics  of  Burns  naturally  falls  into 
three  divisions.  In  the  first  are  grouped  his  creed, 
opinions  and  principles  ;  in  the  second  their  sources  would 
be  investigated,  in  so  far  as  they  can  be  ascribed  to  origins 
outside  himself  ;  in  the  third  would  be  sketched  the  course 
of  their  development,  as  it  may  be  traced  in  his  writings, 
and  in  such  incidents  in  his  life  as  bear  upon  politics.  This 
paper  is  restricted  to  the  first  of  these  divisions.  Space  was 
to  be  considered,  and  compression  makes  for  concentration 
and  clearness,  but  the  restriction  has  its  drawbacks.  At 
many  points  Burns 's  politics  touch  his  reading  of  the  social 
riddle — the  organisation  of  the  fabric  of  society,  the  distri- 
bution of  wealth,  the  grading  of  ranks,  and  kindred  matters. 
The  same  intellectual  acumen  and  judgment  brought  to 
bear  upon  politics,  political  institutions,  forms  of  government, 
the  relations  between  rulers  and  ruled,  he  carries  into  social 
affairs,  and  to  the  consideration  of  such  subjects  as  kingship, 
statesmanship,  rank,  title,  religion  as  distinct  from  formality  and 
virtual  hypocrisy,  learning  and  pedantry,  routine  education 
and  its  outcome  in  either  culture  or  chronic,  dull  stupidity, 
equality,  and  the  like.  It  comes  out  at  last  that  kings, 
statesmen,  politicians  are  referred  to  the  standard  of  simple 
manhood,  learned  men  to  that  of  capacity  and  intelligence, 
and  national  causes  to  that  of  humanity  and  its  welfare. 
Things  political,  personal,  and  social  run  together  into  one 
comprehensive  theory  of  life.  The  attempt,  nevertheless, 
has  here  been  made  to  isolate  Burns's  politics.  The  second 
and  third  of  the  above  divisions — origins  and  evolution 
— branching  out  into  his  social  philosophy,  may  perchance  be 
coijsidered  "  some  ither  day." 


76 

At  the  outset  one  or  two  points  may  be  noted  which 
throw  light  upon  his  general  position,  are  essential  to  defining 
and  understanding  it,  and  are  the  explanation  of  his  political 
sympathies;  of  the  attitude  he  maintained  tr  wards  the 
authorities  of  his  day,  and  of  his  construction  of  the  colossal 
world-events  of  the  period.  These  latter  include  the  American 
War  of  Independence,  the  French  Revolution,  the  relations 
between  Great  Britain  and  France,  and  the  general  European 
situation. 

In  home  politics,  it  must  ah\a_ys  be  borne  in  mind  that, 
in  the  present-day    understanding    of  the  term,  Burns  was 
no  adherent  of  party.       He  was  neither  a  Whig  nor  a  Tory, 
but   held   fast   by   certain   principles   independent   of   both. 
He  crossed  party  lines,  gave  no  more  heed  to  them  than  one 
for  whom  they  did  not  exist,  when  questions  arose  involving 
either  right,  justice,  purity,  and  liberty — or  their  opposites, 
wrong,  injustice,  corruption  and  tyranny.      He  held  patriotism 
and  freedom  above  loyalty  to  the  sovereign,  and  loved  liberty 
too   sincerely   either   to   compress   his   love   within   national 
limits  or  to  condition  it  upon  the  natural,  but  possibly  mis- 
leading, promptings  of  nationality.      His  devotion  was  too 
deep,   his   outlook   too   wide,   his   conception   of   liberty   too 
loity  to  be  disturbed  by  national  prejudice.       "  Liberty  !  " 
he  wrote   the   Earl  of    Buchan   when,  early  in  1794,  sending 
him  "  Scots  Wha  Hae,"  "  thou  art  a  prize  truly,  and  indeed 
invaluable,   for  never  canst   thou    be    too   dearly    bought." 
The  invocation  comes  in  like  a  familiar  refrain,  and  it  is  only 
by  assorting  passages  of  a  like  import,  that  the  hold  his  passion- 
ate love  of  freedom  had  upon  the  heart  of  Burns  can  be  fully 
appreciated.       In  the  same  month  of  January  he  sent  a  copy 
of  the  song,  or  ode,  to  Cai>tain  Miller,  and  wrote  him  :     "  The 
following  ode  is  on  a  subject  which  I  know  you  by  no  mean:" 
regprd  with  indifference — 

' O  Liberty  ! 

Thou  mak'st  the  gloomy  face  of  nature  gay, 

Giv'st  beauty  to  the  sun,  and  pleasure  to  the  day.' 


77 

It  does  me  so  much  good  to  meet  with  a  man  whose  honest 
heart  glows  with  the  generous  enthusiasm,  the  heroic  daring 
of  liberty,  that  I  could  not  forbear  sending  you  a  composition 
of  my  own  on  the  subject."  Again,  when  writing  Mrs  Dunlop 
on  25th  June,  1794,  with  the  first  fragment  he  composed 
of  a  designed  "  irregular  Ode  for  General  Washmgton's 
birthday,"  he  says  :  "  The  subject  is  Liberty  ;  you  know, 
my  honoured  friend,  how  dear  the  theme  is  to  me." 

This  ode  is  the  justification  of  the  observation  that  he 
placed  liberty  above  loyalty.  He  was  never  an  unthinking 
loyalist  of  the  conventional  tj^pe.  It  is  quite  possible,  be 
it  observed,  to  adhere  to  the  monarchical  form  of  government, 
and  to  have  faith  in  the  rule  of  the  abstract  king,  without 
having  either  admiration  or  respect  to  bestow  upon  the 
occupant  of  the  throne  for  the  time  being.  Should  occasion 
arise  to  justify  it,  that  is,  it  is  not  only  possible  but  inevitable 
that,  even  b}^  the  most  loyally  disposed  monarchist,  a  dis- 
tinction be  drawn  between  the  throne  as  representing  an  idea, 
as  the  centre  and  pertaining  to  the  symbols  of  sovereignty, 
and  the  reigning  King.  In  that  is  a  sufficiently  precise 
indication  of  Burns 's  standpoint.  He  held  by  the  monarchy, 
but  he  assuredly  had  neither  affection  nor  reverence  for 
George  III. 

In  early  life,  and  at  least  down  to  1786-87,  he  A\as,  like 
many  whom  he  must  have  met  in  Edinburgh,  a  sentimental 
Jacobite.  When  he  wrote  his  autobiographical  letter  to 
Dr  Moore  he  was  under  the  impression,  possibly  mistaken, 
that  some  of  his  forefathers  had  suffered  in  the  Stewart 
cause,  and  that  may  partly  explain  the  apparent  stimulation 
of  his  Jacobitism  in  congenial  company,  and  in  localities 
especially  rich  in  Stewart  memories  and  associations.  It 
must,  nevertheless,  be  said  that  he  is  not  altogether  consistent. 
He  could  write  Captain  Stewart  that  Prince  Charles  Edward's 
Birthday  was  hallowed  to  him  "  as  the  ceremonies  of  Religion, 
and  sacred  to  the  memory  of  the  sufferings  of  my  King  and 


78 

my   Forefathers,"    and    in    the    "  Birthday     Ode    for    31st 
December,  1787,"  brand  the  House  of  Hanover  as 

" the  base  usurping  crew, 

Tlie  tools  of  faction  and  the  nation's  curse." 

Yet,  in  the  following  year  (1788,  Nov.  8th)  he  wrote  the 
editor  of  The  Star,  with  seemingly  sober  deliberation,  that 
while  the  monarch  of  France  triumphed  over  the  liberties 
of  his  people,  "  with  us,  luckily,  the  monarch  failed,  and  his 
warrantable  pretensions  fell  a  sacrifice  to  our  rights  and 
happmess  " — "  Likewise  happily  for  us,  the  kingly  power  was 
shifted  into  another  branch  of  the  family  " — "  The  Stewarts 
have  been  condemned  and  laughed  at  for  the  folly  and  im- 
practicability of  their  attempts  in  1715  and  1745  ;  that  they 
failed  I  bless  God,  but  cannot  join  in  the  ridicule  against 
them."  To  bless  God  for  the  failure  of  the  two  Jacobite 
risings  does  not  savour  of  deep-rooted  Jacobitism,  and  hardly 
consists  with  the  sympathy  for  the  exiled  House  expressed 
elsewhere.  In  the  Star  letter,  it  will  be  remembered,  Burns 
goes  on  to  take  up  the  American  cause,  and  condemns  the 
government  for  oppression  similar  to  that  under  which 
Great  Britain  suffered  while  the  Stewarts  wore  the  crown. 
He  compares  the  American  Congress  of  1776  with  the  English 
Convention,  and  thinks  it  possible  that  the  posterity  of  the 
Colonials  who  fought  for  and  won  independence  "  will  celebrate 
the  centenary  of  their  deliverance  from  us,  as  duly  and 
sincerely  as  we  do  ours  from  the  oppressive  measures  of  the 
wrong-headed  House  of  Stewart."  The  fulfilment  of  the 
forecast  came  with  the  enthusiastic  centennial  celebrations 
of  1876.  Burns  closes  his  letter  with  a  plea  for  pity  towards 
the  illustrious  unfortunates. 

The  latter  discloses  a  trait  quite  characteristic  of  the 
great-hearted  Poet.  He  could  feel  sorry  for  the  devil — be 
"  wae  to  think  upo'  yon  den,  ev'n  for  your  sake."  The 
Stewart  House  recalls  the  Mouse's,      Cosy  there  they  thought 


79 

to  dwell,  till  crash  !  the  coulter  of  revolution  reduced  it  to  ruin 
— "  It's  silly  wa's  the  win's  are  strewin'  !  " 

"  That  wee  bit  heap  o'  leaves  an'  stibble, 
Has  cost  thee  mony  a  weary  nibble  ! 
Now  thou's  turned  out,  for  a'  thy  trouble, 

But  house  or  hald, 
To  thole  the  Winter's  sleety  dribble 

An'    cranreuch   eauld  !  " 

Like  the  mouse,  the  Stewarts  are  homeless,  beggar'd 
exiles,  and  the  parallel  is  complete.  With  Burns,  feeling 
often  coloured  judgment,  and  at  times  clouded  it.  He 
pitied  the  Stewarts,  although  he  thought  the  country  well 
rid  of  them,  and  condemned  the  failings  and  autocratic 
blunders  concerning  prerogative  that  led  to  and  warranted 
their  overthrow.  Upon  that  opinion,  however,  it  by  no 
means  follows,  in  a  question  of  consistency,  that  he  admired 
their  successors.  If  his  written  estimates  of  the  Stewarts, 
and  his  expressions  of  regard  for  them  seem  out  of  harmony 
with  each  other,  it  simply  means  that  a  lingering  sentiment 
of  semi-traditional  attachment,  inducing  regret  for  the  unto- 
ward issue,  was  at  war  with  his  convictions  as  a  subject  and 
citizen  ;  and  there  is  no  possible  inconsistency  between  that 
feeling  and  the  irreverent  contempt  in  which  he  held  the 
House  of  Hanover.  He  had  no  respect  for  either,  but  he 
knew  the  Scots  history  of  the  older  line,  and  as  both  Scot 
and  Briton,  mourned  alike  its  decadence  and  the  ensuing 
travesty  of  kingly  government  under  King  George. 

In  or  about  1787,  he  wrote  the  Dean  of  Faculty  (Erskine) 
that  he  had  "  a  few  first  principles  in  religion  and  politics, 
which,  I  believe,  I  would  not  easily  part  with,"  but  he  would 
not  quarrel  over  superficial  distinctions,  and  the  letter  is 
too  lightly,  or  loosely,,  phrased  for  anything  concerning  the 
"  first  principles  "to  be  gleaned  from  it.  Dugald  Stewart 
alleges  that,  at  that  time,  he  had  no  fixed  party  views — he 
certainly  had  no  settled  party  affinities — and  Josiah  Walker 
tells  us  "he  did  not  appear  to  have  thought  much  on  such 


80 

subjects,  nor  very  consistently  " — "  in  his  political  principles 
he  was  then  (the  winter  of  1786-87)  a  Jacobite."  Burns  was 
probably  prudent  in  general  society,  and  gave  neither  Stewart 
nor  Walker  an  opportunity  of  plumbing  his  guiding  con- 
victions. His  avowed  Jacobite  sympathies  would  stamp 
him  a  Tory,  but  his  active  party  leanings,  if  he  had  any, 
cannot  be  tested  by  a  dead  issue.  He  wore  the  Foxite  colours, 
and  in  "  Here's  to  them  that's  awa,"  wrote  of  Fox — 

"  It's  glide  to  be  merry  and  wise. 
It's  gude  to  be  honest  and  true  ; 
It's  gude  to  support  Caledonia's  cause, 
And  bide  by  the  Buff  and_the  Blue." 

But  he  appears  to  have  sported  the  Buff  and  Blue,  more  out 
of  good-natured  deference  to  some  of  his  friends  than  because 
he  was  by  conviction  a  Whig.  In  the  contest  of  1789-90 
for  the  Dumfries  Burghs  he  describes  himself  as  "a  cool 
spectator  purely,"  but,  by  reason  of  his  hatred  of  the  Duke 
of  Queensberry,  and  contempt  for  him  as  a  renegade  (see 
letter  of  9th  December  to  Graham  of  Fintry),  he  indirectly 
helped  the  Tory  candidate,  Sir  James  Johnston,  although 
his  opponent  on  the  Whig  side  was  Captain  Miller,  the  son 
of  his  landlord.  Miller's  chief  disqualification,  in  his  opinion^ 
was  that  he  had  the  Duke's  support,  and  that  of  M'Murdo, 
the  ducal  chamberlain.  He  also  laboured  under  the  personal 
disadvantages  of  being  "a  youth  bjMio  means  above  mediocrity 
in  his  abilities,"  and  of  having,  it  was'said,  "  a  huckster  lust 
for  shillings,  pence,  and  farthings."  It  was,  however,  to 
the  Duke  (who  was  also  Earl  of  Drumlanrig)  that  Bums 
gave  his  chief  attention.  He  obviously  had  him  in  his  eye 
when,  on  20th  December,  he  wrote  Provost  Maxwell,  of 
Lochmaben  : — 

"  If  at  any  time  you  expect  a  field-day  in  your  town — 
a  day  when  Dukes,  Earls,  and  Knights  pay  their  court  to 
weavers,  tailors,  and  cobblers — I  should  like  to  know  of  it 
two  or  three  daxn  beforehand.       It' is  not^that  I  care  three 


81 

skips  of  a  cur-dog  for  the  politics,  but  I  should  like  to  see 
such  an  exhibition  of  human  nature." 

The  declared  indifference  to  "  the  politics  "  was  appar- 
ently sincere,  for  if  we  may  judge  from  his  correspondence 
he  had,  at  that  time,  Pittite  leanings  along  with  an  access, 
or  sharp  spasm,  of  Jacobitism.  The  counterpart  of  the 
letter  to  Maxwell  comes  after  the  Whig  victory,  in  the 
second  letter  to  Graham,  in  verse.  He  regrets  that  "  The 
Tory  ranks  are  broken  " — "  0  that  my  een  were  flowing 
bums  !  " — but  the  pith  and  marrow  of  the  verse-epistle  are 
in  the  unsparing  ridicule  of  the  Duke  and  his  henchman 
M'Murdo — 

"I'll  sing  the  zeal  Drumlanrig  bears, 
Who  left  the  all-important  cares 

Of  princes  and  their  darlings  ! 
And,  bent  on  winning  borough-towns, 
Cam'  shaking  hands  wi'  wabster-louns, 

And  kissin'  barefit  carlins." 

"  M'Murdo  and  his  lovely  spovise 
(Th'  enamour'd  laurels  kiss  her  brows  !) 

Led  on  the  Loves  and  Graces  : 
She  won  each  gaping  Burgess'  heart. 
While  he,  sub  rosa,  play'd  his  part 
Among  their  wives  and  lasses." 

Otherwise,  the  fight  is  described  with  the  impartiality 
of  a  disinterested  spectator.  Although  Miller  pere  is  intro- 
duced, there  is  no  mention  of  the  Whig  candidate,  and  no 
reflection  upon  either  his  second-rate  abilities  or  his  parsimony. 
It  is  only  towards  the  close  that  Burns  gives  voice  to  his 
personal  feelings  and  his  respect  for  the  defeated  candidate. 
Sir  James  Johnston — 

"  What  Whig  but  melts  for  good  Sir  James — 
Dear  to  his  country  by  the  names 

Friend,  Patron,  Benefactor." 

When,  in  1795-96,  the  contest  came  on  for  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  Stewartry  of  Kirkcudbright,  Burns  took  a 
decided  part.  Ho  lent  the  suppoit  of  his  pen  to  Heron  of 
Kerroughtree,  Wliig,  who  was  opposed  by  the  Torj',  Gordon 


82 

of  Balmaghie.  Burns  had  in  Heron  a  personal  friend,  and 
a  man  whose  pohtics  were  in  accord  with  his  own — an  "  inde- 
pendent patriot,"  an  "  honest  man,"  and  an  "  independent 
commoner."  So  he  describes  Heron  in  the  first  of  three 
election  ballads.  On  Gordon's  side  were  men  like  the  Earl 
of  Galloway,  and  again  it  is  against  the  candidate's  supporters 
that  the  Poet  directs  his  most  galling  fire.  The  target  at 
which  the  following  was  aimed  is  obvious — 

'  But  why  should  we  to  Nobles  jeuk  ; 
And  is't  against  the  law  that  ? 
And  even  a  Lord  may  be  a  gowk 
Wi'  ribban,  star,  and  a'  that. 
For  a'  that,  and  a'  that. 
Here's  Heron  yet  for  a'  that  ! 
A  lord  may  be  a  lousy  loun, 
Wi'  ribban,  star,  and  a'  that." 

In  this  case,  furthermore,  it  must  be  inferred  from  what 
Bums  wrote  Heron,  that,  in  consideration  of  his  party  com- 
plexion, he  did  not  overlook  a  candidate's  wider  political 
opinions,  as  compared  with  the  want  of  principle  demon- 
strated by  the  policy  followed  by  his  opponents.  He  never 
lost  sight  of  the  distinction  between  party  and  principles. 
He  sent  Heron  the  first  and  second  ballads,  and  said  : — 

"  To  pillory  on  Parnassus  the  rank  reprobation  of 
character,  the  utter  dereliction  of  all  principle,  in  a  profligate 
junto  which  has  not  only  outraged  virtue  but  violated 
common  decency,  spurning  even  hypocrisy  as  paltry  iniquity 
below  their  daring — to  unmask  their  flagitiousness  in  the 
broadest  day,  to  deliver  such  over  to  their  merited  fate  is 
surely  not  merely  innocent  but  laudable,  is  not  only  propriety 
but  virtue.  You  have  already  as  your  auxiliary,  the  sober 
detestation  of  mankind  on  the  head  of  your  opponents." 

This  is  clearly  not  the  language  of  a  partisan,  but  of  a 
man  of  character,  honour,  and  rectitude.  The  greater 
questions  of  pure  and  constitutional  government,  and  of  the 
exercise  of  royal  influence,  completely  over-shadowed  the 
less,  that  of  party  defeats  or  triumphs.       His  mind,  in  short, 


83 

like  that  of  the  "  Laird  o'  Cockpen,"  was,  in  the  strictest 
sense,  "  ta'en  up  wi'  the  things  o'  the  State,"  and  the  ties 
and  ins-and-outs  of  Whig  and  Tory  were  immaterial.  The 
direction  his  interest  took  may  be  shown  by  going  back  to 
i787.  In  August  of  that  year,  he  wrote  his  famous  and 
daring  lines  at  Stirling,  in  which,  with  more  rancour  than 
poetry,  he  stigmatised  the  Georgian  line  as  a  "  race  out- 
landish"— "  an  idiot  race  to  honour  lost,"  that  only  required 
to  be  known  to  be  despised.  The  verse  may  be  unjustifiable, 
but,  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  it,  it  unquestionably  gave 
vent  to  the  resentment  and  bitterness  seething  in  the  patriot- 
poet's  heart.  It  won  him  an  unenviable  notoriety  and, 
according  to  Chambers,  gave  offence  to  some  of  the  more 
fanatical  partisans  of  the  Hanoverian  monarchy.  It  must, 
at  the  same  time,  be  borne  in  mind  that  Burns  was  then 
free  and  unattached.  He  had  not  yet  taken  Ellisland, 
and  it  was  not  until  1789  that  he  received  his  Excise  com- 
mission. The  outburst  does  not  stand  alone  in  his  career. 
In  1789,  we  find  him  ridicuhng  the  public  thanksgiving  for 
King  George  III.'s  recovery  from  mental  derangement,  in 
the  parody  of  a  psalm — 

"  O  sing  a  new  song  to  the  Lord 
Make  all  and  every  one 
A  joyful  noise,  ev'n  for  the  King, 
His  Restoration  " — 

and  writing  Mrs  Dunlop  on  4th  May  of  the  same  year  : 
"  As  I  am  not  devoutly  attached  to  a  certain  monarch,  I 
cannot  say  that  my  heart  ran  any  risk  of  bursting  on  Thurs- 
day was  se'ennight  (the  day  of  the  thanksgiving)  with  the 
struggling  emotions  of  gratitude.  God  forgive  me  for 
speaking  evil  of  dignities  ;  but  I  must  say  that  I  look  on  the 
whole  business  as  a  solemn  farce  of  fragrant  mummery." 
In  this  letter  he  enclosed  the  sketch  inscribed  to  Fox,  "  Thou 
first  of  our  orators,  first  of  our  wits,"  &c. 

With  the  passage  of  another  period  of  two  years  (1791) 


84 

his  interest  in  France  and  his  sympathies  \\  ith  her  strugghng 
people  began  to  work  within  him,  and  to  find  expression, 
but  ^^•ithout  ^Wthdrawing  his  attention  from  home  affairs. 
On  the  contrar}^  it  was  in  November,  1792,  that  he  subscribed 
for  the  Edinburgh  Gazetteer,  and  wrote  the  editor.  Captain 
W.  Johnston  :  "  Go  on,  Sir  !  Lay  bare  with  undaunted 
heart  and  steady  hand,  that  horrid  mass  of  corruption  called 
politics  and  statecraft."  We  next  find  him  writing  of  Fox 
in  "  Here's  to  them  that's  awa,"  already  quoted  from. 

Then  came  the  dangerous  crisis  in  his  business  career, 
when  his  political  opinions  and  sentiments  were  made  the 
subjects  of  an  official  enquiry.  He  was  obviouslj'^  excited, 
half-distracted,  and  it  is  quite  probab.1^  that  conscience 
quickened  his  apprehension  of  an  adverse  result,  and  of 
consequent  dismissal  from  the  Excise.  Taking  the  matter- 
of-fact  view  that  if  Burns  had  not  fallen  under  the  Board's 
suspicion  we  should,  in  all  likelihood,  never  have  had  such 
a  compendium  of  his  political  principles  as  we  possess  in 
his  letters  to  Robert  Graham  of  Fintry,  and  John  Francis 
Erskine  of  Mar,  the  incident  has  an  unique  interest  in 
the  present  study.  Both  before  and  after  it  occurred  he 
declared  himself  freely,  but  it  brought  out  his  manhood. 
In  his  defence,  he  is  perfectly  frank.  Keeping  the  thought 
of  his  commission  and  his  dependent  family  in  the  back- 
ground, he  steered  clear  of  the  slough  of  prevarication  and 
equivocation,  while  clearly  realising  that,  though  standing 
on  the  defensive,  he  was  not  at  the  confessional.  His  priv-ate 
opinions  were  no  concern  of  the  Board,  and  in  the  letters 
mentioned  he,  while  writing  of  reform  with  more  candour 
than  the  circumstances  called  for,  prudently  confined  himself 
in  the  main,  to  the  general  features  of  the  case  against  him. 

He  had  been  accused  of  disaffection  to  the  Government, 
and  he  wrote  Graham  bluntly  that  the  allegation  was  a  lie. 
He  added  :  "To  the  British  Constitution,  on  Revolution 
principles,  next  after  my  God,  I  am  most  devoutly  attached." 


85 

That  was  written  in  December,  1792,  and,  the  same  month^ 
he  wrote  Mrs  Dunlop  that  thenceforth  his  hps  were  sealed 
"as  to  these  unlucky  politics."  As  a  matter  of  fact  they 
were  not,  but  that  by  the  way.  In  January,  1793,  he  penned 
his  longer  letter  to  Graham,  disclaiming  any  pretension  to 
appreciating  the  King's  private  worth,   but — 

.  .  .  "  in  his  public  capacity  I  always  adored,  and 
always  will,  with  the  soundest  loyalty,  revere  the  Monarch 
of  Great  Britain  as,  to  speak  in  Masonic,  the  sacred  Keystone 
of  our  Royal  Arch  Constitution. 

"  As  to  reform  principles,  I  look  upon  the  British  Con- 
stitution, as  settled  at  the  Revolution,  to  be  the  most  glorious 
Constitution  on  earth,  or  that  perhaps  the  wit  of  man  can 
frame  ;  and  at  the  same  time  I  think — and  you  know  what 
high  and  distinguished  characters  have  for  some  time  thought 
so — that  we  have  a  good  deal  deviated  from  the  original 
principles  of  that  Constitution — particularly  that  an  alarming 
system  of  corruption  has  pervaded  the  connection  between 
the  executive  power  and  the  House  of  Commons.  That  is 
the  truth,  and  the  whole  truth,  of  my  reform  opinions." 

This  passage  in  the  letter,  taken  in  connection  with  the 
authenticated  inquisitorial  methods  of  the  Government  of 
the  day,  makes  room  for  a  suspicion  that  the  subscription 
to  the  Gazetteer,  and  the  signed  letter  to  the  editor,  partly 
quoted  above,  had  been  brought  against  Burns.  He  refers 
to  the  subject  in  the  Graham  letter.  What  follows  may 
be  based  upon  the  episode  of  the  carronades  alleged  to 
have  been  sent  by  the  "  eccentric  and  audaciously  generous  " 
{Wallace-Chambers  III.,  319)  Poet  to  the  French  Assembly 
in  the  spring  of  '92  :  "  As  to  France,  I  was  her  enthusiastic 
votary  in  the  beginning  of  the  business.  When  she  came 
to  show  her  old  avidity  for  conquest,  in  annexing  Savoy 
to  her  dominions,  and  mvading  the  rights  of  Holland,  I  alter3d 
my  sentiments."  Disaffection,  reform,  and  over-strong 
sympathy    with    France, — these    appear   to    have    been    the 


86 

chief  counts  in  the  indictment  against  Burns.  He  cleared 
himself,  and  the  only  point  to  which  the  Board  is  known 
to  have  taken  exception  was  his  having  ventured  to  think 
at  all  upon  such  subjects  as  corruption  and  reform.  He  was, 
perchance,  too  roughly  touching  the  running  sore  of  official- 
dom. Hence  the  admonition  "  that  my  business  was  to 
act,  not  to  think  ;  and  whatever  might  be  men  and  measures, 
it  was  for  me  to  be  silent  and  obedient."  So  the  comedy 
ended,  and  exeunt  the  Board  and  its  instrument,  Supervisor- 
General  Corbet,  into  the  immortality  of  Carlylean  scorn 
and  ridicule  ("  The  Hero  as  Man  of  Letters  "). 

On  5th  January,  1793,  Burns  wrote  Mrs  Dunlop  that 
the  political  blast  was  overblown,  but  the  story  of  the  Board's 
action  had  gone  abroad  among  his  Edinburgh  friends,  and 
caused  them  much  anxiety.  William  Nicol  wrote  "  Dear 
Christless  Bobbie  "  an  amusing  letter  of  remonstrance  in 
February,  recommending  him  to  follow  "  a  bright  model 
of  poUtical  conduct,  who  flourished  in  the  reign  of  Queen 
Anne,  viz.,  the  Vicar  of  Bray."  Official  injunction  and 
private  caution  notwithstanding,  Burns  was  incorrigible, 
and  only  ten  days  passed  before  he  sent  Alexander  Cunning- 
ham a  "  Political  Catechism."  He  describes  politics  as  a 
science  demanding  nefarious  cunning  and  hypocrisy,  in  order 
to  turn  civil  politics  to  our  own  emolument  and  that  of  our 
adherents  ;  a  Minister  is  an  unprincipled  fellow,  who  manages 
to  secure  a  principal  place  in  the  administration  of  affairs  ; 
a  patriot  as  one  exactly  resembling  a  Minister,  except  that 
he  is  out  of  place. 

Amongst  Bums's  anxious  friends  was  Erskine  of  Mar, 
who  had  heard  that  he  had  been  dismissed  the  Service  for 
political  indiscretions  and  a  charge  of  republicanism.  Erskine, 
a  liberal-minded  Whig,  offered  to  head  a  subscription  among 
the  friends  of  liberty,  to  secure  the  Poet  from  loss  by  reason 
of  his  political  integrity.  On  13th  April,  Bums  wrote  to 
reassure  him,  to  explain  the  situation,  and  again  to  define 


87 

his  political  creed.  He  sets  forth  his  tenets  as  they  stood 
in  his  defence,  and,  in  so  far  as  they  touch  upon  the  ground 
covered  by  the  Graham  letter,  they  need  not  be  repeated : 
"  I  said  that  whatever  might  be  my  sentiments  of  republics 
ancient  or  modern,  as  to  Britain,  I  abjured  the  idea."  He 
next  takes  up  the  Constitution,  corruption  and  reform,  the 
manly  and  independent  sentiments  avowed  by  him  as  Poet, 
"  which  I  trust  will  be  found  in  the  man,"  the  family  con- 
siderations which  had  practically  driven  him  into  the  Govern- 
ment service  as  ganger,  and  his  haunting  fear  of  being  in  time 
to  come  vilified  as  a  man  held  up  to  public  view  as  gifted 
with  genius,  but,  unable  to  support  the  "  borrowed  dignity," 
by  resources  within  himself,  who  "  dwindled  into  a  paltry 
Exciseman,"  &c.  After  referring  to  his  honest  worth  and 
"  independent  British  mind,"  he  wrote  two  of  his  finest 
passages  in  prose.  In  the  first  he  brings  forward  his  children 
as  representing  the  precious  stake  he  had  in  his  country's 
welfare.     In  the  second,  he  waxes  indignantly  self-assertive  : 

"  Does  any  man  tell  me  that  my  full  efforts  can  be  of 
no  service,  and  that  it  does  not  belong  to  my  humble  station 
to  meddle  with  the  concerns  of  a  nation  ?  I  can  tell  him, 
that  it  is  on  such  individuals  as  I  that  a  nation  has  to  rest, 
both  for  the  hand  of  support  and  the  eye  of  intelligence. 
The  uninformed  mob  may  swell  a  nation's  bulk,  and  the  titled, 
tinsel,  courtly  throng  may  be  its  feathered  ornament,  but 
the  number  of  those  who  are  elevated  enough  in  life  to  reason 
and  to  reflect,  yet  low  enough  to  keep  clear  of  the  venal 
contagion  of  a  Court — these  are  a  nation's  strength." 

Such,  indirectly,  is  the  Poet's  reply  to  the  caution  of 
his  friend  Mr  Corbet,  as  mouthpiece  of  the  sapient  Board 
of  Excise,  that  he  was  to  leave  off  thinking,  and,  in  silent 
obedience,  to  confine  himself  to  his  beer  barrels.  The  letter 
is  a  curious  compound  of  political  principle,  gratitude,  self- 
defence,  morbidity,  self-appraisement,  inflation  of  phrase, 
and  right-thinking.      In  this  letter  and  a  later  one,  probably 


88 

to  C'aptaiu  Robertson  of  Luck\  Burns  heralds  the  coming 
of  the  great  Middle  Class,  as  the  real  depository  of  national 
power.  A  true  democracy  was  to  him  a  government  by 
tliinking  people  capable  of  reasoning,  as  distinct  from  mob 
rule. 

For  the  sake  of  continuity  of  ideas  and  comparison, 
the  Robertson  letter,  dated  5th  December,  179.3,  enclosing 
"  Scots  Wha  Hae,"  written  in  the  previous  September,  is 
here  introduced  : — 

■■  In  times  like  these,  sir,  when  our  commoners  are 
barely  able  by  the  glimmering  of  their  own  twilight-under- 
standings to  scrawl  a  frank,  and  when  lords  are  what  gentle- 
men would  be  ashamed  to  be,  to  whom  shall  a  sinking  country 
call  for  help  ?  To  the  independent  country  gentleman. 
To  him  who  has  too  deep  a  stake  in  his  country  not  to  be 
in  earnest  for  her  welfare,  and  who,  in  the  honest  pride  of 
man,  can  view  with  equal  contempt  the  insolence  of  office 
and  the  allurements  of  corruption." 

Here  Burns  assorts  the  independent  countrj^  gentleman 
with  the  class  standing  for  civic  stability  and  intelligence, 
the  professional  man,  the  captain  of  industry,  the  commercial 
leader,  the  solid  body  of  citizens  coming  between  the 
ornamental  but  selfish  aristocracy  and  the  uneducated, 
unthinking  populace  and  peasantry.  The  next  year, 
1794,  is  marked  by  the  poem  commonly  called,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  intention  Burns  imparted  to  Mrs  Di.nlop, 
"  Ode  for  Washington's  Birthday."  Anything  more  bitter 
against  George  III.,  or  more  nearly  ajDproaching  rank  dis- 
loyalty to  King  and  Government,  Burns  never  penned.  That 
all  his  sympathies  were  with  the  Americans,  and  that  he 
held  the  King  guilty  of  attempting  a  heinous  wrong,  and  of 
entering  upon  a  course  leading  straight,  had  it  been  successful, 
to  monstrous  oppression,  goes  now  without  saying.  It  is 
nowise  surprising  that  Perry,  if  the  Ode  reached  him  through 
Captain  Miller,  did  not  publish  it  in  the  Morning  Chronicle. 


It  thrills  with  the  fiery  passion  of  an  ardent  lover  of  liberty  ; 
the  King  is  denounced  as  a  tyrant,  "  the  despot  of  Columbia's 
race,"  while  the  freed,  victorious  Americans  are  hailed  as 
"  sons  of  liberty,"  "  brave  as  free,"  who  dared  maintain 
"  the  Royalty  of  Man."  The  Poet  launched  his  wrath 
against  the  King  as  an  oppressor  and  an  enemy  of  freedom, 
and  in  the  quality  of  manhood  he  found  the  only  test  of 
royalty. 

His  regard  for  these  two  things.  Liberty  and  Manhood, 
was  in  the  Poet's  blood  and  fibre.  When  once,  accordingly, 
he  had  thrown  ofi^  restraint  and  abandoned  himseK  to  the 
pent-up  tide  of  devotion  to  the  doublysacred  cause  of  humanity 
and  freedom,  he  became  reckless  as  to  whether  it  dashed 
him  against  the  throne  or  not.  Liberty  comes  before  loyalty, 
humanity  before  nationality,  and  it  is  this,  the  universal 
element  in  his  song,  as  in  his  prose,  that  carried  him  above 
all  petty  distinctions  of  rank  and  discrimination  between 
nations,  that  lifted  him  clear  of  his  personal  environment 
and  attachments,  and  gives  him  to  this  day  his  enduring 
place  beside  the  great  poets  of  the  world.  Who  now  thinks 
of  him  as  "  the  peasant  Poet,"  "  the  Ayrshire  ploughman  "  ? 
Who  feels  that  there  is  anything  strained  in  assorting  him, 
the  once  obscure  ganger  of  Dumfries,  with  men  of  culture, 
great  intellect,  commanding  eloquence  and  far-seeing  states- 
manship, like  the  elder  Pitt  and  Burke  ?  Who  now  sees  any 
incongruity  in  placing  him  beside  the  great  men  of  his  day  ? 
If  there  be  any  incongruity,  is  it  not  rather  in  placing  them 
beside  him  ?  He  was  inspired  with  more  than  song,  and  his 
politics  will  never  be  understood  until,  looking  past  the 
peasant,  ploughman,  wearer  of  "  hoddin  grey,"  and  ganger — 
the  several  disguises  in  which  he  was  fated  to  plod  through 
the  world — he  is  seen  in  his  true  proportions  as  an  intellectual 
giant,  a  leader,  of  clearer  vision,  and  mentally  more  robust, 
than  the  vast  majority  of  the  sons  of  Time. 

For   the   two   or   three   years   preceding   his   death,    his 


90 

condition  was  one  of  extreme  irritation,  and  his  position 
beset  with  danger.  Thinking  out  the  possibiHties  of  the 
case,  it  is  not  difficult  to  appreciate  the  courage  underlying 
the  Washington  Ode,  with  the  Address  to  Caledonia  pointing 
like  a  finger-post  to  a  Scots  origin,  and  to  Burns.  Had  it 
been  published  and  traced,  as  might  easily  have  happened, 
not  only  re-examination  and  dismissal  from  the  Excise,  but 
punishment  were  inevitable.  He  had  presented  De  Lolme, 
bearing  an  ambiguous  inscription,  to  Dumfries  Library,  and, 
according  to  tradition,  he  passed  Tom  Paine 's  Common 
Sense  and  The  Rights  of  Man  to  a  friendly  blacksmith 
to  keep  for  him  as,  if  found  in  his  possession,  the  books  would 
work  his  ruin.  There  is  material  enough  from  which  to 
realise  how  narrow  was  the  path  of  silence  and  how  strait 
the  line  of  discretion  the  Government  employee  of  those 
days  was  compelled  to  follow  if  he  would  escape  detection, 
censure,  and  expulsion  from  the  Service.  The  Poet  had  to 
choose  between  mute  prudence  and  beggary.  It  is  possible, 
as  Chambers  suggests,  that  all  his  democratic  writings  have 
not  come  down  to  us,  but  a  still  greater  loss  is  ours.  What 
code  of  political  ethics  and  canons  of  conduct,  what  theory 
of  the  free  government  of  a  free  people  and  of  the  function  of 
kingship,  what  inspiring  sketch  of  subject  and  civic  rights 
and  duties,  what  limning  of  Liberty  set  rouna  with  patriotism, 
official  incorruptibility,  and  deference  to  humanity  and 
progi'ess,  might  have  come  from  the  pen  of  a  Burns  whose 
speech  was  free,  we  may  imagine,  but  imagine  only.  He 
was  beset  on  all  sides — coerced  into  silence — and  that  at  the 
very  time  when  his  country  had  most  need  of  guidance 
and  his  voice  might  have  had  the  most  salutary  and  telling 
effect  upon  the  venal  partisans  and  sightless  pilots  who  steered 
the  ship  of  State  upon  the  rocks  of  war  and  revolution. 

Let  us  turn  to  Chambers  and  Green's  Short  History. 
The  former  attributes  Burns's  high-strung  nervous  condition 
about  this  period  (1793)  to  his  pent-up  anger  at  the  course 


91 

taken  by  the  Government.  He  thought  it  ruinous  to  the 
country  ;  he  and  thousands  more  were  being  involved  in 
distress,  and  his  "  bosom  was  ready  to  burst  with  indigo- 
nation,"  but,  a  servant  of  the  State,  he  could  not  free  his 
soul,  and  bring  the  wrongdoers  to  the  bar  of  righteous  reason. 
Men  were  tried  for  sedition  upon  the  flimsiest  evidence,  and 
subjected  to  heavy  sentences  ;  and  the  reaction  at  home 
from  current  events  in  France  "  threatened  to  crush  every 
sentiment  of  liberty  in  which  Great  Britain  had  formerly 
gloried."  In  September  he  wrote  "  Scots  Wha  Hae,"  and 
says  that  it  was  inspired  by  Scotland's  "  glorious  struggle 
for  freedom,  associated  with  the  glowing  ideas  of  some  other 
struggles  of  the  same  nature,  not  quite  so  ancient."  These 
could  only  have  been  the  struggles  of  America  and  France, 
the  latter  of  which  was  then  victorious  over  the  enemies  of 
the  Republic.  "  The  English  Ministers,"  Chambers  con- 
tinues, perhaps  a  little  fancifully,  "  who  had  declared  war 
on  the  French  Repubhcans,  and  so  ruined  the  still  struggling 
Scottish  commerce,  became,  in  his  imagination,  the  ancient 
enemies  of  the  old-time  allies,  France  and  Scotland.  Under 
cover  of  a  fourteenth  century  battle-song,  he  was  really 
liberating  his  soul  against  the  Tory  tyranny  that  was  opposing 
liberty  at  home  and  abroad,  and,  moreover,  striking  at  the 
comfort  of  his  own  fireside."  That  "  Scots  Wha  Hae  "  should 
have  been  made  the  vehicle  of  a  protest  so  far-reaching, 
and  so  incongruous  with  its  more  obvious  and  restricted 
sense,  is  doubtful ;  although,  in  view  of  the  Poet's  own  reference 
to  later  struggles  than  the  Scots  War  of  Independence,  it  is 
admittedly  venturesome  to  put  limits  to  the  association  of 
ideas  in  his  mind,  especially  when  agitated  by  cross-currents 
of  emotion  reaching  him  from  America,  France,  and  the  past 
of  his  own  country.  "  Tory  tyranny  "  may  therefore  have 
added  fuel  to  the  fire,  but  Chambers  strikes  one  as  being 
too  exclusive. 

His  view,  nevertheless,  takes  colour  from  the   historian 


92 

Grceii.  He  both  gives  details  of  the  corruption  against 
which  Bums  inveighed,  and  draws  an  unforgettable  portrait 
of  the  stupid  and  stubborn  King,  Sovereign  and  Prime 
Minister  in  one,  tacking  on  to  it  the  charge  that  "  the  shame 
of  the  darkest  hour  of  English  history  lies  wholly  at  his  door." 
The  remedial  measures  proposed  by  Chatham,  including 
the  repeal  of  the  insane  Acts  of  the  King,  should  next  be 
examined.  "It  is  not,"  said  the  great  and  fearless  states- 
man, "  cancelling  a  bit  of  parchment  that  will  win  back 
America ;  you  must  respect  her  fears  and  resentments." 
His  measure  having  been  rejected  by  the  Lords,  Burke's 
by  the  Commons,  and  the  King  having  spumed  a  petition 
from  the  City  of  London  in  favour  of  the  Colonies,  war  began, 
and  while  it  was  in  progress,  at  the  time  of  Burgojnie's  surrender 
at  Saratoga  (1777)  Chatham  declared  yet  more  fearlessly  : 
"  You  cannot  conquer  America.  If  I  was  an  American, 
as  I  am  an  Englishman,  while  a  foreign  troop  was  landed  in 
my  country,  I  never  would  lay  down  my  arms — never,  never, 
never." 

Can  we  wonder  at  the  fierce  scorn  of  the  Washington 
Ode  ?  Both  the  brain  and  heart  of  the  Mother  Country 
were'.with  her  children  who,  it  must  never  be  lost  sight  of, 
were  not  aliens  and  foreigners  to  Bums,  but  kinsmen  and, 
until  ^the  war  broke  the  bond,  fellow-subjects  and  fellow- 
countrymen.  They  are  now  called  our  cousins,  but  to  this 
day  there  are  Americans  disposed  to  fraternise  with  Scotsmen 
for  Burns's  sake.  He  never  wavered  in  his  estimate  of 
either  the  King  or  the  American  cause,  and  a  few  years  after 
peace  came,  and  the  United  States  settled  down  in  republican 
independence,  he,  by  way  of  a  birthday  salutation,  daringly 
reminded  the  King  in  "  A  Dream  "  (1787) — 

"  Your  royal  nest,  beneath  your  wing, 
Is  e'en  right  reft  an'  clouted. 
And  now  the  third  part  o'  the  string 
An'  less  will  gang  about  it 
Than  did  ae  day." 


93 

This,  of  course,  was  some  years  before  the  Washington  Ode, 
and  two  years  before  the  gaugership. 

Reviewing  what  has  been  said,  the  reconcihation  of 
Burns's  attitude  towards  King  and  Government  with  a 
broader  loyalty  and  a  conception  of  patriotism  which,  at 
every  point,  touches  a  love  of  humanity  at  large,  will  be 
found  complete.  If,  at  first,  his  sympathies  went  out  to 
the  French,  he  came  to  sing  "  Does  haughty  Gaul  invasion 
threat  ?  "  and  stirred  the  whole  country  when  the  prospect 
of  the  threat  being  carried  out  rested  like  a  nightmare  on  the 
United  Kingdom.  He  also  joined  the  local  volunteers. 
He  felt  that  the  American  cause  was  just,  and  if  that  involved 
his  taxing  the  reigning  King  with  tyranny,  the  fault  did  not 
lie  with  him.  He  maintained  the  right,  and  held  the  rebellion 
justified,  which  aimed  at  liberty  and  justice.  That  his 
sovereign  was  one  of  the  combatants  was  to  him  a  mere 
circumstance,  that  had  no  bearing  upon  the  matter  in  dispute. 
He  saw  in  it  a  plain  question  of  right  and  wrong,  and  if  all 
the  monarchs  of  Christendom  had  been  on  the  side  of  King 
George,  it  would  not  have  altered  the  merits  of  the  American 
claim.  This  consistent  and  inseeing  verdict  upon  the  Colonial 
problem  shows,  perhaps  more  convincingly  than  anything 
else  in  his  history,  Burns's  power  of  concentrating  his 
attention  upon  the  essentials  of  public  questions.  He  fixed 
his  eye  upon  principles,  and  brushed  aside  as  irrelevant 
every  circumstance  not  entering  into  the  essence  of  the 
matter  before  him. 

Historical  truth  has  found  its  way  into  fiction,  and  the 
reader  who  prefers  his  facts  decked  in  the  more  entertaining 
garb,  will  find  them  so  arrayed,  yet  in  all  verity,  in  the 
American  Winston  Churchill's  romance  of  "  Richard  Carvel." 
The  particular  scene  is  that  in  which,  when  in  London,  Carvel 
bluntly  tells  the  company  he  is  in,  with  Fox  at  the  head  of 
it,  that  to  his  countrymen  the  question  was  not  one  of  tea 
or   tuppence,    but    of   principle  :     "  You    are   pushing   home 


94 

injustice  and  tyranny  to  the  millions  for  the  benefit  of  the 
thousands.  For  is  it  not  true  that  the  great  masses  of  England 
are  against  the  measures  you  impose  upon  us  ?     Their  fight 

is  our  fight You  are  heljiing  the  King  to  crush  freedom 

abroad  that  he  may  the  more  easily  break  it  at  home.  You 
are  committing  a  crime,"  both  against  the  British  nation 
and  against  "  a  people  who  have  in  them  the  pride  of  your 
own  ancestors."  As  Carvel  ceased,  the  gentlemen  of  Old 
England,  including  Fox,  drank  to  a  speedy  reconciliation 
with  America  !  There  could  be  no  better  key  to  Burns's 
position  than  Carvel's  outline  of  that  taken  up  by  his 
countrymen. 

There  is  only  one  point  in  what  James  Gray,  Rector  of 
Dumfries  Academy,  says  of  the  Poet's  politics,  calling  for 
emphasis.  His  evidence  upon  reform  and  the  constitution 
is  corroborative  of  Burns's  own,  and  it  is  here  passed  over  in 
order  to  reach  the  subject  of  revolution  as  distinct  from 
constitutional  reform,  the  necessit}^  of  which  he  often  supported 
in  conversation  "  with  all  the  energy  of  an  irresistible 
eloquence."  As  to  revolution,  certain  societies  made  a  mad 
cry  of  it  from  one  end  of  the  kingdom  to  the  other,  but  Burns 
kept  aloof.  He  never  joined  in  their  debates  ;  he  never 
supported  them  or  their  views  in  writing  ;  he  had  no  corres- 
pondence with  them.  Gray  had  the  best  of  opportunities 
of  knowing  Burns's  politics — both  acts  and  opinions — and 
that  is  his  judgment.  Neither  a  partisan  nor  a  republican, 
nor  a  revolutionary,  but  a  lover  of  liberty,  an  enemy  of 
corruption,  a  constitutionalist,  a  monarchist,  a  patriot,  a 
reformer,  and  a  democrat  of  a  most  refined  type — such  was 
Burns. 

"  The  wretch  that  would  a  Tyrant  own, 

And  the  wretch,  his  true-born  brother, 
Viho  would  set  the  Mob  aboon  the  Throne, 

May  they  be  damn'd  together  ! 
Who  will  not  sing  '  God  save  the  King  !  ' 

Shall  hang  as  high's  the  steeple  ; 
But  while  we  sing  '  God  save  the  King  !  ' 

We'll  ne'er  forget  the  People." 


95 

The  verse  was  written  in  1795,  when  the  Poet  joined 
the  volunteers.  It  holds  a  wholesome  creed,  and  Burns 
made  no  essential  addition  to  it,  no  known  improvement 
upon  it.      In  July,  1796,  the  end  came. 

EDWARD  PINNINGTON. 


BURNS    AND    BOSWELL. 


T  T  is  strange  that  two  men  who  were  contemporaries,  and 
J-  not  only  fellow-countrymen  but  belonging  to  the  same 
shiie,  and  both  of  whom  rose  to  the  front  rank  in  literature, 
should  so  long  have  escaped  comparison  or  even  juxtaposition. 
Their  names — as  far  as  we  know — have  never  before  been 
linked  together,  and  yet  they  have  much  in  common,  not 
only  in  outward  circumstances  and  surroundings,  but  in  the 
innate  characteristic  of  their  work.  It  is  true  that  Bos  well 
was  bom  twenty  years  before  Burns,  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  lived  until  the  year  before  Burns  died,  and  even  then  he 
was  not  an  old  man.  Bos  well  belonged  to  an  Ayrshire 
famity — now  unhappily  extinct  in  direct  succession,  except 
through  the  female  line — a  family  of  Norman  extraction, 
whose  claim  to  have  come  over  with  the  Conqueror  is  no 
myth,  for  the  name  of  Sieur  de  Bosville  is  to  be  found  in  the 
Domesday  Book.  Lord  Auchinleck,  the  father  of  Boswell, 
built  a  fine  mansion-house,  which  was  the  third  home  of  the 
Bosvilles  or  Boswells,  in  Ayrshire — the  first  a  strong  keep 
built  high  on  a  rock  overhanging  the  Lugar ;  the  second,  also 
for  defence,  a  castle  with  thick  walls  pierced  by  small  windows 
and  arrowslits  ;  and  the  third  a  dwelling-house  of  ample  space 
and  classic  design,  and  over  the  doorway  the  law-lord  inscribed 
a  Latin  quotation,  and  the  old  Norman-French  motto  of  the 
family — "  Vraye  foy  "  (true  faith). 

James  Boswell  was  not  born  in  Ayrshire,  but  in  Edinburgh, 
but  the  accident  of  the  place  of  his  birth  does  not  debar  him 
from  being  a  son  of  the  shire.  His  boyhood  was  spent  in 
his  ancestral  home,  and  there,  under  the  care  of  a  tutor, 
John  Dun,  he  received  his  elementary  education.  He  went 
to  Edinburgh  and  to  Glasgow  to  college,  and  while  he  was 


97 

yet  in  the  early  twenties,  he  made  the  grand  tour  considered 
so  indispensable  in  those  days  for  a  man  of  the  world  and  a 
gentleman.  He  visited  Corsica,  which  at  that  time  was  as 
a  sealed  book  to  the  world  at  large,  and  when  he  returned, 
his  Corsican  book  of  travels  brought  him,  not  only  into  notice^ 
but  into  prominence  in  the  literary  world.  Thenceforward, 
through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  his  life,  and  whatever  else 
might  be  his  nominal  profession,  his  heart  was  given  over  to 
the  pursuit  of  literature. 

Burns  was  born  into  a  very  different  world  from  that 
of  the  young  Bos  well.  On  a  January  night  of  dreadful 
storm  he  first  saw  the  light  in  a  clay  biggin'  in  Alloway, 
not  twenty  miles  from  the  lordly  mansion  of  Auchinleck. 
All  through  the  years  when  Boswell  was  dancing  attendance 
upon  his  divinity  (Samuel  Johnson)  Burns  was  growing  up 
from  infancy  to  the  hard,  driving  work  of  his  boyhood, 
and  to  the  intense,  passionate  life  of  his  early  manhood.  There 
is  every  possibility  that  Burns  and  Boswell  heard  of  each 
other.  In  due  course  of  time  the  old  Laird  of  Auchinleck 
had  died,  and  James  Boswell,  his  son,  reigned  in  his  stead. 
Burns  spent  much  of  his  life  in  the  neighbouring  parish  of 
Mauchline,  and  a  laird  in  one  parish  would  be  well  known — 
by  repute  at  least — to  the  farmers  in  the  next.  Then  Burns ,^ 
with  his  literary  gifts,  could  not  escape  the  notice  of  a  man 
whose  life  was  also  devoted  to  literature,  and  the  sudden 
fame  which  fell  upon  the  young  Poet  with  the  publication 
of  his  first  book  could  not  fail  to  reach  the  house  of 
Auchinleck,  even  if  Edmburgh  society,  into  the  best 
of  which  Boswell  had  the  entrh,  had  not  likewise 
opened  its  doors  to  the  farmer-poet  for  a  while. 
It  would  have  been  interesting  to  have  had  an  opinion  each  of 
the  other,  but  it  seems  a  case  of  "  how  near  and  yet  how  far." 
The  two  men  were  near  in  time  and  place,  and  they  were 
brothers  in  genius.  In  literature  they  stand  foremost,  each 
in  his  own  place  ;     in  character  they  have  much  in  common^ 


98 

and  also  in  the  quality  and  st3de  of  their  work.  Yet  the  few 
miles  which  separated  them  physically  was  as  nothing  as  a 
factor  in  the  scheme  of  their  existence  to  the  distance  which 
the  yellow  dross  made  in  their  social  relations.  Had  their 
position  in  life  been  transposed,  the  likelihood  is  that  the  Poet's 
sweetest  songs  would  have  remained  unsung,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  but  that  the  great  Biographer's  wonderful  book 
would  have  been  unwritten.  The  flowers  of  literature,  like 
the  flowers  of  the  garden,  blossom  from  different  roots.  One 
needs  the  open  ground,  and  the  frosts  and  snows  of  winter, 
as  well  as  the  sunshine  of  summer  to  bring  it  to  perfection, 
while  another  calls  for  a  sheltered  spot,  and  only  the  gentle 
coaxing  of  the  spring  sunshine  makes  it  unfold  its  fairest 
buds. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  the  similarity  in  the  literary 
style  of  the  two  men  Bums  and  Boswell,  the  one  as  an  exponent 
of  poetry  and  the  other  of  prose.  Both  men  are  perfectly 
natural  ;  they  broke  away  from  the  artificial  school  which 
had  reigned  until  their  day.  They  both  had  their  fore- 
runners, but  each  of  them  was  the  great  apostle  of  the  new 
cult.  Before  Bums,  the  poets  sang  of  country  life  as  if  it 
were  an  idyll  of  shepherds  and  shepherdesses,  or  as  if  the 
gods  and  goddesses  still  walked  the  earth  and  interfered  with 
the  affairs  of  mortals.  Or  if  not  so,  they  looked  as  from  a 
height  and  patronised  the  rustics  with  their  simple  lives  and 
sordid  surroundings.  Bums  wrote  from  the  heart  of  things, 
and  showed  that  the  light  which  never  was  on  sea  or  land 
gilded  the  horizon  of  the  peasant  as  well  as  of  the  proprietor. 
He  showed  also  that  life,  health,  and  youth,  independence  of 
spirit  and  the  joy  of  living,  were  as  much  to  the  rustic  as  to 
the  lordling,  and  although  outward  ease,  wealth  and  culture 
were  all  good  things,  yet  they  were  not  of  the  essentials. 
Withal,  Bums  wrote  so  naturally  that  it  does  not  seem  as 
if  his  medium  were  a  composition  at  all,  but  as  if  Nature 
herself  Avere  singing.      There  are  many  deviations  from  such 


99 

a  high  standard,  nor  could  it  have  been  otherwise  ;  but  Burns 
at  his  best  does  not  so  much  sing  into  our  hearts  as  find  the 
words  for  us  to  sing  from  our  own.  Boswell  had  the  same 
gift.  Before  his  time  the  admired  style  in  prose  was  that  of 
artificial  pomposity,  such  as  reached,  perhaps,  its  highest 
exponent  in  his  idol,  Johnson  himself.  "  If  you  were  to 
write  a  tale  about  little  fishes,"  said  Goldsmith  to  Johnson 
one  day,  "  you  would  make  the  little  fishes  talk  like  whales." 
It  was  a  whimsical  way  of  speaking,  like  Goldsmith's  whim- 
sical self,  yet  nevertheless  it  had  a  kernel  of  truth.  The 
masters  of  literature  were  like  great  leviathans  of  the  deep, 
swimming  about  in  their  majestic  way  in  a  sea  of  rhetoric. 
Boswell  came  with  his  intense  humanity,  touching  life  at 
every  point,  noticing  everything,  enjoying  everjrthing,  and 
writing  it  all  down,  not  from  a  spectator's  point  of  view,  but 
from  the  heart  of  things,  as  if  the  man  in  the  street  was  giving 
no  superficial  opinion  of  life  in  general,  but  laying  bare  the 
secret  springs  of  his  own  existence.  And  with  all  this, 
Boswell's  literary  style  is  as  natural  as  that  of  Bums.  He 
has  his  little  eccentricities  which  were  characteristic  of  the 
man,  or  as  he  would  have  said  himself  "  characteristical," 
but  which,  if  they  were  lopped  off,  or  improved  away,  would 
leave  the  picture  the  less  true— the  less  complete.  Perhaps 
Boswell  deserves  the  more  credit  for  the  perfect  ease  and 
naturalness  of  his  style  from  the  fact  that  Johnson,  whom 
he  admired  so  intensely,  was  of  the  older  school.  Never, 
for  a  moment,  does  Boswell  imitate  Johnson.  He  was 
always  himself— perfectly  at  ease  and  perfectly  natural.  A 
less  great  man  would  have  imitated  the  literary  idol  whom  he 
worshipped.  Boswell  lost  himself — as  it  is  said  in  a  higher 
connection— and  so  found  himself. 

Both  Bums  and  Boswell  were  introspective.  He  who 
reads  Burns  may  read  his  life.  Its  faults  and  follies  are  laid 
bare  in  his  songs  and  poems,  its  simple  joys,  its  sorrows,  his 
speech,   his   surroundings,   his   amusements,   the  religion   of 


100 

his  day  with  its  formalism  and  h_ypocrisy,  its  striving  through 
it  all  to  find  the  better  way.  Burns's  o\\n  struggle  with  his 
better  self  ^^  e  can  read — his  temptations,  his  falls — and  again 
we  are  \\ith  him  in  the  pure  air  of  the  mountain  heights  of 
his  ideals.  Bos  well,  when  he  wrote  the  life  of  Johnson,  may 
be  said  to  have  written  his  own  life  also.  When  he  is  in 
doubt  he  probes  the  mind  of  Johnson  to  know  what  are  his 
beliefs  ;  when  he  does  wrong,  Johnson  is  his  father  confessor  ; 
when  he  is  happy  he  confides  in  his  great  friend  ;  when  he 
wants  appreciation  he  goes  to  him,  and  together  they  settle 
the  problems  of  living  and  joyfully  tread  the  highway  of 
daily  intercourse.  The  journey  through  the  Hebrides  is 
no  more  a  journey  through  a  strange  country  than  it  is  a 
journey  through  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  two  travellers. 
In  chronicling  the  sayings  and  doings  of  Johnson,  Boswell 
all  the  more  revealed  himself. 

On  one  more  point  Burns  and  Boswell  are  alike — that  is 
on  the  strong  light  which  has  beaten  upon  the  details  of 
their  lives.  Probably  no  man  has  been  more  judged  by  his 
life  than  Burns.  It  is  a  natural  sequence  of  the  introspective 
quality  of  his  work.  To  understand  thoroughly  the  poems 
one  must  know  the  life  of  Burns,  and  to  understand  his  life 
aright  one  must  know  his  poems.  His  life  was  full  of  high 
aspiration,  but  while  his  head  was  in  the  clouds  his  feet 
stumbled  and  fell,  or  led  him  into  bog  and  mire.  Boswell's 
eccentricities  are  as  well  known  as  the  man  himself ;  his 
devotion  to  Johnson  has  been  called  sycophancy  ;  his  self- 
revealed  temptations  and  falls  are  recorded  against  him ; 
the  very  complexity  of  his  character  has  been  adjudged  to 
him  for  unrighteousness ;  and  even  his  great  Life,  which 
has  found  him  a  place  among  the  Immortals,  has  been  called 
not  the  work  of  a  genius,  but  the  accidental  outcome  of 
incipient  insanity. 

Both  Boswell  and  Burns  have  found  their  niche  in  the 
Temple  of  Fame — Burns  as  Prince  of  our  Scottish  poets,  and 


101 

Boswell  as  Prince  of  Biographers.  The  Avorld  lies  at  their 
feet,  but  Ajrrshire  modestly  lifts  her  head  as  she  claims  them 
both  her  own. 

It  is  not  often  that  a  genius  of  any  order  is  succeeded 
by  an  equally  illustrious  son.  There  have  been  exceptions 
it  is  true,  but  such  are  rare.  Boswell,  however,  was  happy 
in  the  brief  companionship  of  a  son  who  shared  his  literary 
bent,  and  whose  later  career  included  several  of  his  father's 
unfulfilled  ambitions.  Boswell  twice  contested  a  seat  in 
Parliament.  Both  times  he  stood  for  Ayrshire,  and  both 
times  he  was  defeated,  and  indeed  his  fight  in  each  instance 
was  a  forlorn  hope,  as  the  opposition  was  too  strong.  His 
son  Alexander  was  only  a  lad  of  twenty  when  he  succeeded 
to  Auchmleck,  but  before  long  he  was  Member  for  Ayrshire 
in  the  Conservative  interest.  Unlike  his  father  he  found 
his  happiness  in  a  country  life,  and  he  became  Colonel  of  the 
Ayrshire  Yeomanry.  He  was  very  popular,  and  seems  to 
have  inherited  his  father's  ease  of  manner,  his  geniality  and 
kindliness,  with  the  added  dignity  and  firmness  of  character 
of  his  mother,  who  was  Margaret  Montgomerie  of  Lainshaw, 
the  daughter  of  a  branch  of  the  Eglinton  family — "a  penniless 
lass  wi'  a  lang  pedigree."  After  making  the  grand  tour, 
as  his  father  before  him,  Alexander  Boswell  settled  at 
Auchinleck,  and  in  1821  he  was  created  a  baronet.  He 
found  one  of  his  greatest^sources  of  happiness  in  the  library 
at  Auchinleck,  which  was  the  accumulated  treasure-house  of 
several  generations.  He  established  a  little  private  printing- 
press  there,  and  by  its  aid  he  printed  many  black  letter  tracts 
from  the  rare  collection  of  his  father  and  grandfather.  He 
himself  wrote  several  booklets,  and  many  stray  fragments 
from  his  pen  found  their  way  into  the  magazines  of  the  period, 
and  some  of  his  songs  or  ballads  were  so  popular  as  to  pass 
into  the  commonwealth  of  folk-songs.  Like  Burns,  he 
occasionally  took  a  line  or  two  which  floated,  as  it  were,  in 
the  air  of  the  country-side,  and  appcr.ck^d  to  it  lines  or  verses 

7 


102 

which  saved  them  from  obHvion.     "  Jenny  dang  the  Weaver  " 

is  a  case  in  point.       We  copy  one  verse  of  Sir  Alexander's 

version  : — 

"  At  Willie's  wedding  on  the  green 
The  lassies,  bonny  witches, 
Were  buskit  oot  in  aprons  clean 
And  snaw-white  Sunday  mutches. 

Auld  Mysie  bade  the  lad's  tak'  tent. 

But  Jock  wadna  believe  her. 
But  soon  the  fool  his  folly  kent, 

For  Jenny  dang  the  weaver." 

Alexander  Boswell  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  Poet, 
perhaps  a  greater  admirer  of  the  Bard  than  of  the  Biographer, 
for  the  fame  of  Bums  was  abroad  in  the  land,  while  it  remained 
for  a  later  generation  to  fix  the  place  of  BosweU  among  the 
literary  stars.  The  career  of  Sir  Alexander  was  cut  short. 
in  a  duel  which  arose  out  of  a  quarrel  over  a  literary  pasquinade. 
In  his  unhappily,  short  career,  however,  he  showed  the  high 
estimation  in  which  he  held  the  Ploughman  Poet  in  being  the 
means,  almost  unaided,  in  collecting  £2000  for  the  erection 
of  the  beautiful  and  classical  Monument  to  Burns  which 
stands  on  the  banks  of  the  Doon.  In  such  a  way  are  the 
names  of  Bums  and  Boswell  united  in  practical  form  in  the 
eyes  of  men,  while  in  literature,  as  we  have  seen,  Robert 
Burn?^  and  James  Boswell  each  in  his  own  way  was  the  pioneer 
of  a  new  school — pioneers  indeed,  but  each  remaining  to  thi.« 
dav  without  a  peer. 

H.  J.  S. 


THE     SCOTTISH     EXHIBITION, 


IT  must  ever  be  a  source  of  pride  to  the  Burns  Federation 
that  the  movement  for  the  estabhshment  of  a  Chair 
of  Scottish  Literature  and  History  in  a  Scottish  University 
originated  with  one  of  their  members,  the  late  Mr  W.  Freeland, 
whose  whole-hearted  enthusiasm,  continued  through  many 
years  of  difficulty  and  discouragement,  at  length  culmi- 
nated in  the  hearty  co-operation  of  kindred  Scottish  Associa- 
tions, by  whose  aid  the  foundation  of  the  necessary  endowment 
was  laid  by  voluntary  subscriptions  amounting  in  the  gross 
to  something  like  £5000.  Before  this  measure  of  success 
was  achieved  Mr  Freeland  had  passed  away.  But  the  spirit 
with  which  he  had  imbued  the  Federation  was  not  allowed 
to  die.  Dr  William  Wallace,  who  occupied  the  Presidential 
chair  when  he  was  editor  of  the  Glasgow  Herald,  lent  the 
whole  weight  of  his  influence  to  the  enterprise,  and  so  Avidened 
the  area  of  national  appeal  that  it  at  length  took  practical 
shape  in  the  launching  of  the  National  Exhibition  scheme 
in  Glasgow,  which  has  proved  such  a  financial  success  that 
the  full  endowment  of  the  Chair  may  now  be  considered  an 
accomplished  fact.  When  the  scheme  came  to  be  considered 
in  detail  it  was  thought  that  the  object  might  be  best  attained 
by  an  Exhibition  in  which  the  National  History,  Art,  and 
Industry  of  Scotland  should  be  expounded.  Committees 
were  therefore  formed  of  men  expert  in  these  several  spheres. 
In  the  departments  of  history  and  art  it  was  deemed  advisable 
that  the  work  should  be  subdivided.  Sub-committees  were 
therefore  formed  to  deal  with  Scottish  History  and  Literature, 
Historical  Portraits,  and  Ethnographical  and  Historical 
Objects.  The  first  of  these  was  further  divided  into  sections, 
one  of  which  was  devoted  to  Burns  MSS.,  Literature,  and 


104 

Relics.  The  gentlemen  selected  to  supervise  the  Burns 
section  were  Colonel  Bennett,  V.D. ;  J.  C.  Ew  ing,  D.  M'Naught, 
R.  Edmiston,  jr.  ;  Rev.  James  Forrest,  and  Wm.  Wallace, 
LL.D.,  the  last-named  being  appointed  convener.  A  part 
of  the  West  Gallerj^  was  set  aside  for  the  Burns  exhibits, 
which,  bemg  someM'hat  circumscribed  in  area,  necessarily 
limited  the  accommodation  for  exhibits,  and  compelled  the 
committee  to  make  a  most  careful  selection .  It  was  therefore 
resolved  that  the  exhibits  should  be  confined  as  far  as  possible 
to  articles  of  Burnsian  interest  in  private  hands  which  had 
seldom  or  never  been  exhibited  before,  and  the  rarer  objects 
which  formed  part  of  the  collections  in  public  institutions. 
The  result  was  a  display  of  portraits,  books,  manuscripts, 
and  relics  which  made  up  in  quality  and  interest  for  any 
diminution  of  quantity  observable  in  comparison  with  the 
other  sections  of  a  similar  nature.  The  wall  space  was 
devoted  for  the  most  part  to  the  portraiture  of  Burns,  a 
subject  on  which  there  is  much  public  curiosity,  though 
it  requires  more  expounding  than  can  conveniently  be  set 
down  in  the  pages  of  a  catalogue.  The  centre  of  attraction 
here  was  the  original  Nasmyth  bust,  lent  to  the  Exhibition 
authorities  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  National  Galleries 
of  Scotland.  Efforts  were  made  by  the  sub-committee  to 
secure  the  Nasmyth  replica  from  the  National  Portrait 
Gallery,  in  London,  and  the  Auchindrane  replica  in  the 
possession  of  Lord  Rosebery,  so  that  all  three  might  be  seen 
side  by  side,  but  the  negotiations  unfortunately  came  to 
nothing.  Oil  canvases  of  the  three  sons  of  the  Poet  were 
on  view,  and  Colonel  De  Peyster  and  Dr  Blacklock  were  also 
similarly  represented.  The  subsidiaries  of  the  Cottage, 
the  Brig  o'  Doon,  the  Auld  Brig  o'  Ayr,  &c.,  were  unfailing 
objects  of  interest  to  all  classes  of  visitors,  and  the  collection 
or  engravings  of  Burns,  the  Burns  country,  and  everything 
hat  relates  thereto,  was  the  most  complete  that  ever  was 
or  ever  will  be  brought  together.      The  show  of  Burns  editions 


105 

was  as  unique  as  it  was  unprecedently  valuable.  No  fewer 
than  nine  copies  of  the  First  or  Kilmarnock  Edition  of  1786, 
including  Mr  M'Naught's  uncut  copy,  were  to  be  seen  in  the 
show  cases,  whose  aggregate  value  cannot  be  put  down  at  less 
than  £3000.  To  the  four  uncut  copies  already  known — the 
Lamb,  the  Veitch,  the  M'Naught,  and  the  Brown — perhaps  now 
fall  to  be  added  the  slightly -cut  Hoe  and  Huth  copies,  the  former 
of  which  was  sold  in  New  York  this  year  for  5800  dollars, 
and  the  latter  in  London  for  £730.  The  record  price  on  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic  was  obtained  for  the  Veitch  copy,  which 
was  bought  by  the  Alloway  Trustees  for  £1000,  the  volume 
being  in  the  original  wrappers,  with  rough  edges  all  round. 
It  is  probable  that  not  more  than  thirty  or  forty  copies  of 
the  Kilmarnock  edition  are  now  in  existence,  which,  of  course, 
accounts  for  the  high  price  which  even  an  imperfect  copy 
now  brings  at  public  auction.  In  the  centre  case  the  most 
perfect  specimens  obtainable  of  the  succeeding  editions 
published  during  the  Poet's  life-  the  Edinburgh,  the  London, 
the  2-vol.  Edinburgh,  the  Belfast,  the  Dublin,  the  Phila- 
delphia, and  the  New  York — were  exhibited,  some  of  which  are 
almost  as  rare  as  the  Kilmarnock.  Some  beautiful  examples 
of  binding  were  here  shown,  notably  the  volume  belonging  to 
Mr  Weir,  of  Kildonan.  The  centre  of  attraction,  however, 
was  the  identical  whistle  competed  for  at  Friars'  Carse  in 
1789  by  Craigdarroch  and  Glenriddel,  and  immortalised  by 
Burns  in  his  poem  of  "  The  Whistle."  The  renowned  whistle 
has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Craigdarroch  family  ever 
since,  and  was  kindly  put  on  exhibition  at  Glasgow  by  Miss 
Cutlar-Fergusson . 

The  collection  of  MSS.,  though  small,  was  very  select, 
several  of  them,  indeed,  being  unsurpassable  for  quality  and 
condition.  Amongst  the  most  notable  may  be  mentioned 
"  The  Death  and  Dying  Words  of  Poor  Mailie,"  "Sic  a  wife 
as  Willie's  wife,"  "  The  deil's  awa'  wi'  th'  Exciseman," 
the    Burns   Family's   copy  of   "  Holy  Willy's   Prayer,"   the 


100 

rardonoU  copy  of  "  Tain  o"  Shanter,"'  and  two  copies  of  "  Scots 
wha  hae,"  one  of  which  has  for  the  first  hne,  "  Scots  who 
have  wi'  Wallace  bled."  Besides  poems  and  songs,  a  number 
of  holograph  letters  of  the  Poet's  were  exhibited,  some  of 
them  for  the  first  time,  and  the  end  cases  contained  an 
interesting  collection  of  Burns  medals  and  medallions. 

1'liough  but  a  comer  of  the  magnificent  display  laid  out 
ill  the  Palace  of  History,  the  Burns  section  was  not  the  least 
popular  of  the  sights  in  the  West  Gallery.  From  opening 
to  closing  day  it  was  visited  by  admiring  crowds,  and  when 
there  was  an  influx  of  holiday-makers  from  the  provinces 
there  was  scarce  standing-room  in  the  limited  area.  The 
sub-committee  are  to  be  congratulated  on  the  success  which 
attended  their  efforts,  a  success  which  is  thus  fittingly 
expressed  in  the  official  report : — "  The  collection  of 
Bums  portraits,  engravings,  manuscripts,  and  relics 
was  exceptionally  complete  ;  and  it  is  the  truth  when  we 
say  that  no  collection  hitherto  brought  together  has  equalled 
in  importance  and  unique  interest  that  which  was  housed  in 
the  Bums  Section  of  the  Palace  of  History  at  the  Glasgow 
Scottish   Exhibition  of   1911." 


BURNS     AND     JAMAICA. 


"  ■"  I  ^ENNYSON  described  it  perfectly  in  Enoch  Arden,'''  said  the 
■'■  Jamaican,  as  we  sat  in  the  shade  of  the  hotel  verandah  and 
our  eyes  roved  over  the  fine  natural  harbour  of  Port-Antonio.  Screened 
from  sea  by  a  low  island  and  fringed  with  houses  and  wharves,  it 
flamed  under  the  hot  sun  in  blues  and  greens  over  depth  and  shallow, 
or  darkened  into  greys  under  the  trailing  veils  of  passing  showers. 
White-winged  yachts  mirrored  themselves  in  its  waters  ;  banana 
steamers,  white  painted  and  awning-clad,  came  and  went,  or  lay  at 
the  wharves  filling  their  great  holds  with  the  luscious  fruit.  Dark 
cocoa-nut  palms,  and  stately  banana  plants  hemmed  it  in  with  their 
green  pkmies  and  fronds,  while  close  behind  westward  there  rose 
skyward,  a  thousand  feet,  a  steep  wooded  ridge.  Southward  towered 
the  Blue  Mountains.  "  Tennyson  described  it  perfectly,"  and  my 
friend  recited  the  lines  : — 

"  The  mountain  wooded  to  the  peak,  the  lawns 
And  winding  glades  high  up,  like  ways  to  heaven, 
The  slender  coco's  drooping  crown  of  pliunes, 
The  lightning  flash  of  insect  and  of  bird. 
The  lustre  of  the  long  convolvuluses 
That  coiled  arovind  the  stately  stems,"  etc. 

"  And  there  !  "  he  said,  as  he  pointed  to  the  crest  of  the  ridge — "  There 
is  Springbank.  That  is  the  '  cozie  biel  '  where  your  Poet,  Robert 
Burns,  was  likely  to  reside  had  he  followed  his  chest  aboard  the  ship 
at  Greenock,  instead  of  trying  his  fortune  among  the  '  whunstane 
hearts  '  of  the  Edinburgh  gentry." 

We  had  just  arrived  direct  from  Britain  over  the  route  Burns 
would  have  taken.  Day  by  day  we  saw  the  sun  mount  higher  till 
he  became  a  flaming  tyrant  in  the  sky.  Daily  the  sea  became  bluer, 
till  in  the  Saragasso  it  was  of  the  richest  ultramarine,  on  which  the 
crimson  shafts  of  sunrise  and  the  rafts  of  yellow  Gulf  weed  painted 
gorgeous  colour  schemes.  Then  one  night  the  Morant  Light  on  the 
eastern  end  of  Jamaica  flashed  out,  her  great  hills  loomed  up  darkling, 
and  we  dropped  into  this  paradise  in  the  morning  among  the  strange 
"  new  sights,  new  smells,  new  air  "  of  the  Tropics. 

The  morrow  found  us  riding  through  the  town  among  its  wooden 
houses  and  shops  and  the  traffic  of  its  people — mostly  colotu-ed — till 
round  the  basin  we  struck  up  the  steep  to  Springbank.       Strangely 


108 

iviniiiiscoiit  of  Eur()|)0!Ui  luithoiisc  ami  pliaiinaf^'  \\(M-c  tho  trees  named 
by  my  guide,  from  the  |)alm  hesitle  the  surf  upward  past  pimento, 
logwood,  orange,  breadfruit,  and  mango.  Negro  women  toiled  up 
or  tripped  down  on  bare  feet,  stately  in  gait  as  duchesses,  with  their 
burden  on  the  head.  Round  a  turn  came  a  mule  with  bananas,  re- 
calling to  my  friend  the  Jamaican  story  of  the  old  darky,  riding  up 
such  a  steep  till  the  stubborn  mule,  careless  of  thwacks,  stopped  dead, 
seemingly  for  ever,  and  the  rider"  was  heard  to  say,  chuckling — '"  Well  ! 
if  I  ever  does  have  to  gwine  to  Helly,  I'd  like  to  go  on  dis  yar  mule  !  " 
Up  the  umbrageous  lane,  past  straggling  houses  of  negro  cultivators, 
our  horses  toiled  till  we  arrived  on  a  plateau,  on  the  top  whereon  stood 
a  square  wooden  house.  "  There  !  "  said  my  friend,  "  that  is  Spring- 
bank,  now  owned  by  a  Stonehaven  Scotsman,  and  built  on  part  of  the 
foundations  of  the  great  house  of  the  planter,  Charles  Douglas,  an 
Ayrshire  man,  to  whom  Burns  engaged  liiinself,  and  where  he'd  have 
resided  or  frequently  been." 

What  a  home  for  the  Poet  of  the  Bra«s  of  Ballochmyle  and  the 
bosky  dells  of  Ayr  and  Doon  !  From  the  landward  rim  we  saw  the 
ridge  fall,  shaggy  with  trees,  precipitously  down  hundreds  of  feet 
into  the  deep  Rio  Grande  Valley,  where  Golden  Vale  lay,  part  of  which 
plantation  was  then  owned  by  Burns's  master.  The  river  itself  gleamed 
in  silver  links  among  the  dark  wooded  foothills,  and  these  in  billow 
on  billow  rolled  up  into  the  great  Blue  Moiuitain  masses,  over  7000 
feet  high,  with  white  clouds  brushing  their  crests  and  timibling  down 
their  glens.  Eastward,  deep  below  us,  lay  the  land-locked  harbour 
and  town  of  Port-Antonio,  with  the  Caribbean  stretching  away  towards 
Cuba  into  blue  infinitude.  As  we  rode,  along  the  ridge  open  glades 
and  vistas  of  stately  trees  reminded  one  of  West  of  England  scenery. 
Passing  a  fine  creeper  dangling  its  fifty  feet  of  green  cordage  down 
from  a  tree,  like  Tennyson's  "  long  convolvuluses,"  I  seized  it  overhead 
with  both  hands,  and  the  elastic  rope  lifted  me  out  of  the  saddle, 
whereupon,  the  horse  moving,  I  swung  clear  to  and  fro  like  a  penduhun 
till,  the  creeper  breaking,  I  fell  laughing  on  the  grass.  Then  we 
descended  by  another  route. 

Into  the  question  of  the  social  environment  awaiting  Biu-ns  in 
Jamaica,  and  its  influence  on  his  career,  this  article  cannot  enter. 
The  writer  aims  only  at  depicting  the  tropical  form  and  colour  on 
which  the  Poet  would  have  gazed  with  such  curious,   questioning  eyes. 

J.  R. 
Glasgow  Eveninrj  Times,    lOtii  July,    1911. 


REVIEWS. 


The  World's  Memorials  of  Robert  Burns  (Illustrated).  Collected 
and  described  by  Edward  Goodwillie.  The  Waverley  Publish- 
ing Coy.,  Detroit,  Michigan.        (Paisley  :     Alex.  Gardner.) 

This  is  a  collection  of  photographs  of  all  the  Btu-ns  Statues  and  Memo- 
rials which  have  been  erected  to  the  memory  of  the  Bard  since  his 
dust  was  consigned  to  St.  Michael's  Chm-chyard,  Dumfries.  The 
collection  is  accompanied  by  descriptive  letterpress,  giving  the  par- 
ticulars of  each,  in  the  order  of  their  erection.  The  result  is  a  most 
interesting  gallery  of  sculpture  in  photograwire,  which  supplies  a 
fe!t  want  in  Bvirnsian  ilhistration.  The  portraits  of  Burns  have  had 
«very  justice  done  to  them  by  skilled  writers,  whose  opinions  are  quoted 
by  Mr  Goodwillie  as  fitting  introduction  to  the  various  likenesses  of 
the  Poet  which  have  from  time  to  time  been  executed  in  marble  and 
bronze.  Concerning  these,  Mr  Goodwillie  gives  no  opinion  of  his 
own,  wisely  contenting  himself  by  quoting  what  has  been  said  of  them 
by  others  presimiably  better  qualified  to  judge  of  their  merits.  Speak- 
ing for  ourselves,  we  do  not  agree  with  a  great  deal  of  what  has  been 
written  about  Burns  Statues,  collectively  and  individually.  They 
are  a  motley  lot- — good,  bad,  and  indifferent — the  proportion  of 
qualities  in  each  case  being  too  hazardous  a  subject  to  tackle  within 
the  limits  of  a  short  review.  But  we  venture  to  say  that  some  of  them 
which  have  been  accorded  prominent  positions  wovild  never  have 
recommended  themselves,  even  as  passable  presentments  of  Burns, 
but  for  the  names  of  their  executants.  Every  sculptor  apparently 
deems  it  incimibent  on  him  at  some  period  of  his  career  to  have  a  trial 
at  Burns,  and  not  a  few  bm-lesques  have  been  the  result.  The  pages 
of  Mr  Goodwillie's  book  have  only  to  be  turned  over  to  convince  one 
that  much  bronze  and  marble  have  been  wasted  in  many  vain  attempts 
to  immortalise  the  Bard.  To  particularise  would  be  invidious  and 
tmcalled  for  in  the  present  connection.  For  reference  purposes, 
Mr  Goodwillie's  book  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  Burns  student. 
It  contains  much  information  not  easily  obtainable  elsewhere,  pre- 
sented in  most  handy  form.  The  letterpress,  we  may  say,  is  every- 
where pointed  with  apt  quotations  which  eloquently  testify  to  Mr 
Ooodwillie's  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  lest  of  Burns'?  poetry. 


110 

HlRNS    IN     ]\1.\S(1M('    ("OSTI'MK. 

Messrs  J.  W.  \\att  A:  Cov.,  of  17  London  Street,  Edinburgli,  are  in 
a  fair  way  of  constituting  themselves  the  leading  Burns  portraiture 
firm  in  Scotland.  Last  year  we  called  attention  to  their  excellent 
etching  of  Stewart  Watson's  painting  of  the  Inauguration  of  Biu-ns 
as  Poet  Laureate  of  Cannongate  Kilwinning  Lodge,  in  which  the  Poet 
is  one  of  the  principal  figures.  The  excellence  of  this  figure  as  a 
portrait  of  the  Bard  was  concealed  by  its  small  dimensions  and  the 
crowd  of  celebrities  in  which  it  formed  a  mere  unit.  The  idea  there- 
fore struck  the  publishers  to  isolate  and  enlarge  the  figure  so  as  to 
bring  its  merits  into  greater  prominence.  The  working-out  of  the 
idea  hsis  been  most  successful,  and  the  result  is  a  portrait  of  the  Bard 
which  recalls  the  Walker  &  Cousin's  engraving  more  vividly  than 
any  likeness  which  has  been  issued  since  the  date  of  that  most  merito- 
rious plate.  Some  years  ago  Messrs  Watt  &  Coy.  published  an 
etching  of  the  Poet  by  the  late  George  Aikman,  an  original  work  of 
exceptional  merit,  which  followed  more  closely  the  lines  of  the  original 
Nasmj^th,  upon  which  the  engraving  of  Walker  &  Cousins  was  an 
acknowledged  improvement.  ^^^atson  apparently  preferred  the 
latter  when  introducing  Burns  into  his  famous  picture  of  his  Inau- 
guration as  Poet  Laureate.  Being  in  full  dress  as  Depute  Master, 
the  new  portrait  is  bound  to  appeal  to  the  "  brethren  of  the  mystic 
tie  "  everywhere  as  a  most  appropriate  adornment  for  the  walls  of 
their  lodge  ;  and  the  ordinary  Burns  Club  cannot  procure  a  better 
or  more  imposing  portrait  at  a  moderate  outlay.  It  is  the  first  repro- 
duction of  the  kind  ever  published,  and  comes  as  a  relief  from  the 
hackneyed  presentments  of  the  Bard  everj'^vhere  presented  to  the 
eye.  It  has  all  the  merits  of  the  Walker  &  Cousins  at  less  than  a 
tenth  of  the  cost,  and  is,  moreover,  a  full-length  with  original  pose. 
We  cordially  recommend  it  to  all  desirous  of  possessing  a  new  and 
perfectly  reliable  portrait  of  Burns. 


The  Land  of  Burns  :  Malchline — Town  and  Distkict.       Written 
and  published  by  John  Taylor  Gibb,  Mauchline. 

Mr  Gibb  has  been  long  known  as  an  authority  on  the  topography 
of  Mauchline  as  well  as  the  Burnsiana  of  the  district  down  to  its  minutest 
detail.  On  more  than  one  occasion  he  has  contributed  most  interest- 
ing and  instructive  articles  on  his  favourite  theme  to  the  columns  of 
the  Chronicle,  and  the  cordial  reception  accorded  to  these  have,  we 


Ill 

ventvire  to  guess,  prompted  him  to  extend  and  preserve  them  in  the 
beautiful  brochure  issued  from  the  Glasgow  press  in  the  spring  of  the 
present  year.  That  he  had  a  good  subject  to  begin  with  goes  without 
saying,  and  that  he  has  made  the  best  of  it  is  not  saying  more  in  the 
way  of  praise  than  Mr  Gibb's  performance  deserves.  The  book  is 
essentially  a  vade  meciim  of  all  that  is  interesting  in  the 
town       and      neighbourhood.  With       an      archaeological      preface 

he  introduces  the  reader  to  the  Town,  the  Churchyard,  the 
Tower,  and  Mossgiel,  with  all  their  stirring  memories,  making 
everything  plain  by  letterpress  and  a  profusion  of  half-tone 
blocks  which  greatly  enhance  the  value  of  the  book.  These 
niunber  close  on  seventy,  and,  being  executed  in  the  highest  style  of 
the  photogravure  art,  leave  nothing  to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  an 
illustrated  guide-book,  which  enables  the  visitor  to  dispense  with  all 
other  aid  in  investigating  the  Burnsiana  of  this  far-famed  centre  of 
attraction.  Mr  Gibb  goes  farther  afield  than  the  town  and  its 
enviromnent.  He  takes  the  traveller  to  Barskimming,  Ballochmyle, 
Montgomery  Castle,  Willie's  Mill,  Lochlea,  Catrine,  and  Ochiltree, 
discoiu-sing  pleasantly  by  the  way,  and  leaving  out  nothing  in  the 
landscape  which  has  the  slightest  tale  to  tell  connected  with  the  Bard 
or  his  Ayrshire  friends.  Mr  Gibb  has  done  his  work  thoroughly.  Once 
and  for  all,  the  topography  of  Mauchline  has  been  set  forth  in  type 
and  illustration  in  a  style  that  betokens  finality.  Even  as  an  album 
of  high-class  photographs,  the  vohime  is  worth  the  modest  shilling 
asked  for  it.       Every  Burns  \o\ev  should  be  in  possession  of  a  copy. 


CLUB     N  OTES 

[COMM  UNICA  TED.] 


8UNDKRLAND    BURNS    CLUB. 

ANNUAL  MEETING. 
The  Annual  Meeting  of  last  year  was  not  so  well  attended  as 
some  of  its  predecessors.  At  the  outset  the  President  referred  to 
the  loss  the  country  had  sustained  by  the  death  of  His  Majesty  the 
late  King  Edward  VII.,  and  the  following  telegram  was  forwarded 
to  King  George  V.  : — 
To  His  Majesty  the  King, 

Marlborough  House,  London. 
"  The  Members  of  the  Sunderland  Biu-ns  Club  desire  to  express 
their  deep  sympathy  with  your  Majesties,  with  Queen  Alexandra  and 
the  Members  of  the  Royal  Family  in  the  great  loss  sustained  by  them 
through  the  death  of  the  late  King  Edward." 

M.  MacLennan,  President. 
M.  Neilson,  Hon.  Secretary. 
The  reply  received  was  : — 

Buckingham  Palace,  London. 
To  M.  MacLennan, 

President  Burns  Club,   Sunderland. 
"  Their  Majesties  sincerely  thank  the  members  of  the  Burns  Club 

for  their  kind  sympathy." 

Equery. 

The  various  reports  submitted  were  encouraging.  The  alteration 
of  Rule  XI.  to  admit  all  admirers  of  the  Poet,  etc.,  was  adopted. 
This  is  a  step  in  the  right  direction.  Why  shovild  we  confine  ourselves 
to  Scottish  descent  ?  Burns  belongs  to  the  world.  Let  us  therefore 
welcome  to  our  midst  all  enthusiastic  admirers. 

DINNER. 
The  Anniversary  Dinner  of  1911  was  most  successful.  We  were 
honoured  by  having  as  our  Guest  Dr  G.  Roy  Fortune,  Newcastle. 
It  is  somewhat  unique  to  have  a  father  and  son  in  this  position.  You 
will  remember  how  ably  in  1907  David  Fortune,  J.P.,  of  Glasgow, 
proposed  the  Toast,  and  certainly  Dr  Fortune  upheld  the  traditions  of 
his  worthy  father. 


-     113 

CONCEET. 

The  Annual  Scottish  Concert  of  the  Club  was  held  in  the  Victoria 
Hall  on  Wednesday,  February  1st,  1911.  Twelve  months  ago  we 
decided  to  sever  our  connection  with  the  Scottish  Concerts  Association 
and  endeavour  to  join  in  with  some  of  the  larger  towns.  While  the 
Association  had  done  excellent  service  in  the  past  in  arranging  a  series 
of  Concerts  we  felt  we  were  being  hampered  owing  to  the  limit  placed 
upon  us  by  the  smaller  Societies.  The  action  taken  has  been  fully 
justified  in  that  we  have  had  a  very  pleasant  and  successful  concert. 

A  feature  of  the  Concert  was  the  excellent  Highland  Dancing 
display  given  by  Miss  Lillian  Ward  Locke,  to  pipe  music  provided  by 
our  Hon.  Piper,  Mr  George  Murray.  We  owe  a  special  debt  of  grati- 
tude to  Mr  Murray  for  his  gratuitous  services  so  freely  given  in  the 
interests  of  oiu-  Annual  Concert. 

THE    "  CHRONICLE." 

The  number  of  readers  remain  the  same  as  last  year.  It  is  un- 
fortunate that  we  cannot  get  beyond  the  score,  which  seems  to  be  our 
limit.  The  present  issue  has  again,  by  the  careful  work  of  the  Editor, 
been  made  quite  interesting  and  attractive  and  quite  up  to  the  high 
standard  of  excellence  reached  in  former  issues.  The  question  of  the 
future  of  the  Chronicle  will  come  up  for  consideration  at  the  Annual 
Meeting  of  the  Federation  in  September. 

We  imderstand  that  Mr  D.  M'Naught  has  intimated  his  intention 
of  relinquishing  the  Editorship  at  this  meeting,  a  duty  which  he  has 
faithfully  discharged  for  upwards  of  twenty  years.  Let  us  hope  that 
suitable  arrangements  will  be  made  for  a  continuance  of  this  most 
important  part  of  the  Federations'  work,  nay  !  the  most  important, 
for  who  that  has  read  the  Chronicle  would  be  without  it  ?  The  very 
essence  of  all  that  is  interesting  is  served  up  for  you  in  this  valuable 
work,  and  I  am  certain  that  generations  yet  unborn  will  value  what 
a  present-day  generation  seems  to  play  with.  A  man's  greatness  and 
goodness  is  only  appreciated  after  he  has  passed  away.  Let  this  not  be 
the  case  with  our  Chronicle.  Let  us  valine  and  appreciate  a  good  man's 
work  while  he  lives  and  can  enjoy  our  appreciation. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

We  started  the  year  with  fifty-six  active  members.     During  the 

year  two  new  members  have  joined,  one  has  resigned,  five  have  left 

the  district,  two  have  been  struck  off,   leaving  us  with  fifty  active 

members  at  the  close  of  the  vear.      We  have  to  again  draw  the  attention 


114 

of  members  to  the  closing  of  the  tinancial  year  at  the  end  of  April, 
and  trust  that  the  suggested  alteration  of  Rules  will  have  the  desired 
effect. 

SYLLABUS— 1911 -J  012. 

President's  Address — Mr  W.  A.  Culshaw. 

"  The  Highlands  of  Scotland  " — Mr  G.  Murray. 

"  Dr  Blacklock,  the  blind  poet  " — Mr  W.  H.  Turner. 

Visit  from  Gateshead  Burns  Club. 

"  By  the  Roman  Wall  "  (illustrated)— Mr  W.  A.  Culshaw. 

Musical  Evening — Mr  A.  W.  Semple. 

Anniversary    Dinner    (Palatine    Hotel) — Dr    G.    R.    Fortune 

(Newcastle). 
Scottish  Concert  (Victoria  Hall). 
"  Scottish  Sports  and  Pastimes  " — Mr  H.  MacColl. 
Visit  to  Gateshead  Burns  Club. 
"  Songs  of  Tannahill  " — Mr  G.  Mackay. 
Business  Meeting. 

Annual  Meeting.       Election  of  Officers. 
Business  Meeting. 

Before  closing  let  me,  in  a  word,  thank  all  who  have  assisted  us 
during  the  year.  To  the  gentlemen  who  have  prepared  papers  for  our 
regular  meetings  we  are  much  indebted,  and  to  those  who  have  charmed 
us  with  their  songs.  To  everyone  who  has  given  a  helping  hand  in 
our  work  we  are  thankful,  and  express  the  hope  that  even  a  greater 
number  will  do  so  in  future,  for  their  own  good  as  well  as  for  ours. 

M.  Neilson,  Hon.  Secretary. 


19U. 

Oct. 

12. 

Oct. 

26. 

Nov. 

9. 

Nov. 

23. 

Dec. 

14. 

1912. 

Jan. 

11. 

Jan. 

25. 

Feb. 

1. 

Feb. 

22. 

Mar. 

8. 

Mar. 

22. 

Apr. 

12. 

May 

10. 

Sept. 

13. 

THE  LONDON  ROBERT  BURNS  CLUB. 

Founded,    1868.     Federated,    1885. 


THE  ANNUAL  FESTIVAL. 

The  Birthday  Festival  was  attended  by  nearly  200  Members  and 
friends,  and  was  pronounced  by  one  and  all  a  great  success.  Sir 
George  Reid's  dramatic  annoimcement  that,  under  certain  not- 
impossible  circumstances,  he  might  have  stood  before  us  as  a  grandson 
joi  Robert  Bm-ns,  created  something  like  a  sensation,  and  added  an 


115 

interest  to  the  speaker's  already  interesting  personality  that  made  a 
marked  impression  upon  his  audience. 

THE  ENTIRE  SUITE  OF  ROOMS. 
It  has  been  decided  by  the  Committee,  in  view  of  the  increased 
numbers  expected,  that  at  two  of  the  futvu-e  dances  the  entire  siiite 
of  the  Portman  Rooms  be  engaged.  That  means  that  the  present 
supper-room  can  be  used  for  a  retiring-room,  and  that  the  supper 
will  be  served  in  a  larger  room  beyond.  As  some  extra  expense  is 
involved  in  this  arrangement,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  attendances 
will  not  only  be  maintained,  but  will  increase. 

ROLL  OF  MEMBERSHIP. 

The  membership  has  increased  by  twenty-eight  (including  five 
Hon.  Members)  dviring  the  year,  and  it  has  to  be  noted  with  satisfaction 
that  the  class  of  Members  we  are  getting  is  the  kind  that  adds  strength 
and  stability  to  any  association. 

NO  MERE  FIGURE-HEADS. 

The  attendance  of  Members,  apart  from  guests,  at  most  of  the 
functions  has  reached  an  unheard-of  percentage.  Many  associations 
have  on  their  rolls  a  large  number  of  members  who  are  members  in 
name  only.  The  Members  of  the  London  Robert  Burns  Club  are 
Members  in  reality,  and  show  by  their  presence  that  they  are  no  mere 
figure-heads.  They  are  also  paying  Members,  as  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  at  the  close  of  the  financial  year  on  April  30th  the  subscriptions 
of  only  four  Members  remained  unpaid,  and  two  of  these  were  new 
Members  just  elected. 

FEDERATION. 
The  annual  Convention  of  the  Burns  Federation  is  to  be  held 
this  year  in  Glasgow,  and  it  is  my  intention  to  be  present  on  the  occasion 
to  help  to  represent  Club  No.  1 — our  own.  I  expect  to  have  for  com- 
pany on  that  interesting  occasion  the  President-Elect  and  the  Hon. 
Treasurer  as  delegates,  and  Messrs  Thomson  and  Durham  as  ex  officio 
Members.  The  London  Robert  Burns  Club  should,  therefore,  be  well 
to  the  front. 

FUTURE  ARRANGEMENTS. 

The  Hallowe'en  Festival,  at  which  I  shall  have  the  pleasiu-e  of 
installing  Mr  M 'Donald  in  the  chair,  will  be  held  at  the  Holborn 
Restaurant  ;     but    before  then  (or  at  all  events  in  November)    it  is 


110 

hoped  that  we  shall  have  a  Smoking  Concert,  supported  entirely  by 
amateur  talent,  supplied  by  Members  and  their  friends. 

NEXT  YEARS  BIRTHDAY  FESTIVAL. 

The  Anniversary  Festival  will  be  held  in  January,   1912,  in  the 

Connaught  Rooms,  Great  Queen  Street — a  fine  suite  of  rooms,  recently 

rebuilt — when    the   new   President   will    be   afforded    the    opportunity 

of  distinguishing  himself,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  rise  to  the  occasion. 

CONSTITUTION  AND   RULES. 
The    Constitution    and    Rules,    as   revised,    seem    to   embody    the 
aims  and  objects  of  the  Society,  and  to  make  plainer  some  points  of 
procediu-e  which  hitherto  were  somewhat  obscure.       The  wording  is 
now  more  concise  and  the  arrangement  more  systematic. 

AN  INVITATION. 
I  have  mentioned  the  Burns  Federation,  and  in  that  connection 
I  think  the  time  has  now  come  when  this  Club  should  extend  to  the 
Federation  an  invitation  to  hold  the  Conference  of  1912  in  London. 
I  have  no  doubt  a  reception  worthy  of  the  occasion  could  be  organized 
by  the  London  Robert  Burns  Club.  If  the  Lord  Mayor  were  approached 
in  time,  the  chances  are  that  he  could  be  induced  to  arrange  for  a 
Civic  reception  at  the  Mansion  House. 

BURNS  NEVER  IN  LONDON. 
Burns  was  never  in  London  in  the  flesh,  so  far  as  is  known  ;  but 
his  statue  is  here,  and  that  might  be  made  a  rallying-point  for  the 
delegates  to  meet.  They  might  crown  him  with  a  laurel  wreath, 
and  some  prominent  statesman  might  be  got  to  pronounce  a  memorial 
oration  at  his  shrine.  This  would  serve  to  show  Londoners  that  the 
Burns  cult  still  lives,  and  would,  at  the  same  time,  draw  attention  to 
this  Club  as  the  centre  to  which  all  admirers  of  the  Poet  should  gravitate. 
I  throw  out  the  suggestion  for  what  it  is  worth,  and  should  welcome  some 
expression  of  opinion  on  tlie  subject  from  the  members. 

LITERATURE  AND  DEBATE. 
I  sometimes  tliink  the  Club  is  lacking  in  what  might  be  called  the 
intellectual  side.  We  have  dinners,  concerts,  dances,  and  whisl  dr  ves, 
but  few  meetings  devoted  to  a  study  of  Bm-ns's  works.  I  believe 
it  some  Member  were  selected  to  read  a  paper  on  some  specified  phase 
of  Bums's  life  and  works,  followed  bj'  a  discussion,  that  some  very 
profitable  evenings  might  be  spent.  I  believe  in  the  earlier  days  of 
tiiC  Club  one  evening  at  leait  every  session  u<red  to  he  turned  to  pro- 


117 

fitable  account  in  this  way,  and  it  is  a  custom  that,  in  my  opinion, 
might  be  reverted  to  with  great  advantage. 

PROGRAMME    OF   THE    FORTY-FOURTH    SEASON,    1911-1912. 

1911. 
October  : — Committee  Meeting,  Thursday,  5th  inst.,  6.30  p.m.* 

Highland  Dancing  Practices,  Thursdays,  19th  and  26th,  7.30  p.m. 
The  44th  Hallowe'en  Festival  and  Installation  of  President-Elect, 
Holborn  Restaiu-ant,  Tuesday,  October  31st,  1911,  6.30  p.m. 
November  : — Committee  Meeting,  Thursday,  2nd  inst.,  6.30  p.m.* 
Highland  Dance  Practices,  2nd,  9th,  16th,  and  23rd  inst. 
Grand   Amateur   Concert — Orchestral,   Vocal,   and     Instrumental 
— Frascati  Restaurant,  Friday,  November  24th,   1911. 
December  : — Annual  United  Scottish  Auld  Kirk  Service,  Sunday,  3rd 
inst.,  St.  Columba's,  Pont  Street,  Belgravia,  S.W.,  3.15  p.m. 
Committee  Meeting,  Thursday,  7th  inst.,  6.30  p.m.* 
First  Ordinary  Assembly  of  44th  Season,  Portman  Rooms,  Baker 
Street,  Friday,  15th  inst. 
1912. 
January  : — Committee    Meeting   and   New   Year's    Supper,    4th    inst., 
for  Members  only.        Morning  Dress. 
44th   Birthday   Anniversary   Festival,    Connaught   Rooms,   Great 
Queen  Street,  Thursday,  25th  inst. 
February  : — Committee  Meetings,  Thursdays,  1st  and  29th  insts.* 

Second    Ordinary    Assembly,    St.    Valentine's    Dance,    Portman 
Rooms,  Friday,  9th  inst. 
March  : — Third    Ordinary    Assembly,    Leap    Year    Dance,    Portman 
Rooms,  Friday,  8th  inst. 
Committee  Meeting,  Thursday,  28th  inst.* 
April  : — Whist  Party,  probably  11th  inst.       (Place  and  date  not  fixed) 
May  : — Committee  Meeting,  2nd  inst.       (Audit.)* 

Annual  General  Meeting,  23rd  inst.       Members  only. 
June  : — Annual   Summer  Festival,  A  Visit  to  Dickens's  Country,   via 
Tilbury,   Port  Victoria,   and  Rochester.        Date   to  be  fixed 
towards  end  of  June. 
July  : — 4th  inst.        Meeting   of   newly-elected   Committee   to  fix  pro- 
gramme 1912-13. 
September  : — 27th    Annual   Convention    of    Burns    Federation,    to    be 
held  at  Carlisle,  Saturday,  September  7th,  1912. 

*  All   Committee    Meetings   held   at   the   Royal   Scottish   Corporation, 
7  Crane  Court,  Fleet  Street,  E.C. 


118 
TAM  O'  SHANTER    BURNS  CLUB. 

Annual  Report — Session  1910-1911. 

At  the  Annual  Meeting  held  in  November  it  was  reported  that 
the    Ckib  was    now    in  its    31st  year,  and   was    the    third  oldest    club 
in   Glasgow.        The   membership   stands   at 
78. 

During  the  year  the  Club  had  five 
literary  and  musical  evenings,  while  the 
Opening  Supper  and  the  Annual  Dinner 
were  very  successful. 

The    Club    was     represented     on     the 

Exhibition    Executive    by  the  Rev.    James 

Forrest.       No   attention    was    paid    by   the 

Executive   to   the   request  by  Burns    Clubs 

generally    for    greater    representation,    and 

the     treatment      of      Burnsians      by      the 

Nicei'm-itieiit.  '  Executive  was  not  considered  satisfactory. 

Fraternal   visits  were   exchanged    with 

the    Clarinda   and  other  clubs.       The  Club  assisted,  by  invitation,  at 

the  unveiling  of  a  bust  to  Alexander  Smith,  the  poet. 

SYLLABUS— 1911-1912. 
Oct.    31.  Tattie  an'  Herrin'  Supper  and  Musical  Evening. 
Nov.  28.  Walter  Weir,  Esq.,  on  "  Burns." 
Jan.    25.  Burns  Anniversary  Dinner. 
Feb.    27.  D.  Muir,  Esq.  [Glasgow  Herald) — Paper. 
Mar.    26.  Lecture  by  Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.        Musical  Evening. 


ASSOCIATION     OF 


BURNS    CLUBS    AND    KINDRED 
SOCIETIES. 


The  Annual  Meeting  was  held  in  the  Trades  House  Restaurant 
on  17th  October,  imder  the  Presidency  of  Mr  James  Ballantine.  The 
Annual  Report  stated  that  during  the  year  four  additional  clubs  had 
joined,  making  a  total  of  37,  and  that  the  membershijj  now  included 
every  really  efficient  club  in  Glasgow  and  District. 

The  outstanding  event  of  the  year  was  the  meeting  of  the  Federa- 


119 

tion  in  Glasgow.  The  Association  had  done  their  test  in  conjunction 
with  the  various  chibs  to  make  the  meeting  a  success,  and  the  various 
conveners  deserve  all  credit  for  their  services.  Nothing  could  have 
been  better  than  the  conduct  of  the  meeting  by  the  Pre.«ident,  Mr 
M'Naught,  and  the  Secretary,  Mr  Amos.  The  meeting  no  doubt 
put  new  spirit  into  the  Burns  fraternity. 

An  event  of  great  importance  to  Burnsians  was  the  opening  of 
the  Historical  Exhibition.  The  members  took  steps  to  ensure  that 
Burnsians  would  get  their  fair  share  of  the  credit  of  establishing  the 
Chair  of  Scottish  History  by  putting  the  facts  fairly  before  the  public 
as  opportunity  presented. 

The  Association  have  been  able  to  assist  many  clubs  in  filling  up 
their  syllabus,  and  it  would  be  well  to  have  an  increased  list  of  speakers. 
The  annual  celebrations  in  the  district  were  very  successful,  a 
feature  being  the  large  number  of  clergymen  who  proposed  the 
"  Immortal  Memory."  The  Glasgow  and  Paisley  statues  of  the  Poet 
were  decorated  as  usual. 

The  principal  matter  discussed  during  the  year  was  the  subject  of 
school  competitions.  This  was  brought  up  at  the  previous  Annual 
Meeting  by  Mr  Alex.  Pollock.  On  his  suggestion  a  circular  was  sent 
to  all  the  clubs  in  the  district.  Afterwards  meetings  were  held  in  the 
National  Burns  Club,  the  Christian  Institute,  and  the  Religious  Institu- 
tion Rooms.  A  good  deal  of  correspondence  took  place  with  the 
various  School  Boards.  At  first  Glasgow  and  Govan  were  favourable, 
but  afterwards  decided  to  do  nothing.  Cathcart  and  Shettleston 
were  unfavourable,  Eastwood  replied  favourably,  and  Maryhill  did 
not  reply  at  all.  Fortunately  the  Boards  are  not  inclined  to  dis- 
courage teachers  who  are  willing  to  take  the  trouble  of  getting  up 
competitions,  and  many  responses  have  been  had  from  teachers.  A 
considerable  number  of  clubs  have  promised  to  take  the  matter  up  with 
greater  energy  during  the  coming  winter.  The  Association  have 
assisted  a  number  of  clubs  during  the  year  in  connection  with  com- 
petitions, including  Baillieston,  Thornliebank,  Glasgow  Albany, 
Moorpark,  Glasgow  Mossgiel,  etc. 

On  the  suggestion  of  the  Association  one  or  two  clubs  took  an 
anniversary  collection  for  the  Mauchline  Memorial  Homes,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  most  clubs  will  in  the  coming  January  make  an  effort  to 
raise  money  for  some  worthy  purpose  connected  with  the  cult. 

The  Association  was  represented  at  the  funeral  of  the  last  grand- 
son of  Burns,  who  died  in  July;  also  at  the  unveiling  of  a  handsome 
memorialat  Stewarton  to  the  local  relatives  of  Biu-ns. 


120 

\'arions  efforts  have  been  made  in  connection  with  the  re-opening 
of  the  Mitcliell  Library  in  Glasgow,  and  it  is  noted  with  much  satisfaction 
that  a  special  Burns  Section  has  been  opened  therein. 

It  was  agreed  that  the  Burns  Clubs  should  heartily  agree  to  support 
the  proposed  Memorial  to  the  Founders  of  the  Federation. 

This  report  was  unanimously  agreed  to. 


ALBANY  BURNS  CLUB. 

Secretary's  Report — 1910-11. 

The  work  of  the  Club  has  been  carried  on  during  the  year  as 
formerly. 

There  were  eight  meetings  of  Directors  and  six  monthly  meetings 
of  Members  held  during  the  year. 

According  to  the  Rules  the  Membership  is  still  at  the  fixed  number, 
150. 

The  opening  address  of  the  session  was  given  by  Past-President 
John  A.  Headrick,  and  papers  were  given  by  Dr  Lobovius,  John  Russell, 
Esq.,  of  the  Sandyford  Club  ;  ex-President  J.  Wilson  Bain,  W.  G. 
Hay,  Esq.,  of  London  ;    and  the  Rev.  David  Dickie. 

The  Anniversary  Dinner  of  the  Club  was  held  as  usual  in  the  Grand 
Hotel,  Charing  Cross,  on  25th  January.  The  Rev.  J.  H.  Dickie,  M.A., 
New  Kilpatrick,  proposed  the  "  Immortal  Memory."  There  were  about 
120  Members  and  friends  present  at  one  of  the  most  successful  meetings 
held  under  the  auspices  of  this  Club. 

Greeting  Cards  were  exchanged  with  a  great  many  clubs  throughout 
Great  Britain  and  the  Colonies. 

The  Yearly  Singing  and  Reciting  Competition  from  the  Works 
of  Burns  by  the  children  in  Provanside  Higher  Grade  School  was  held 
on  10th  December,  1910.  The  prizes  were  won  by  the  following: — 
Silver  Medals  for  Reciting,  Rachael  M'Clymont  and  James  Drummond  ; 
Silver  Medals  for  Singing,  William  Shaw  and  Annie  Westmacott. 
There  were  also  volumes  given  to  the  medallists  and  ten  volumes  as 
consolation  prizes. 

The  Members  deeply  regret  the  loss  to  the  Club  by  death  of  Mr 
Peter  Craik,  a  valued  member  and  former  office-bearer,  and  one  having 
the  interest  of  the  Club  at  heart.       Mr  Craik  had  a  great  knowledge 


121 


of  the  Literature  of  the  country,  and  especially  the  Wo7-ks  of  Burns, 
and  was  always  willing  to  give  his  help  in  any  matter  connected  with 
the  Club. 

During  the  year  visits  were  interchanged  with  the  Tarn  o'  Shanter 
Club. 

The  Club  was  represented  at  the  Burns  Federation  Meeting  at 
Glasgow  by  Messrs  R.  D.  Donaldson  and  T.  M'Bride.  The  President, 
Mr  James  Raeside,  and  R.  Carmichael,  Secretary,  were  also  present. 

The  Representatives  to  the  Glasgow  and  District  Burns  Clubs 
Association  are  the  President  and  Secretary. 

The'  First  Annual  Outing  of  the  Directors  of  the  Club  took  place 
in  September  last  to  the  Burns  Country,  when  Mr  Thomas  Kennedy, 
a  Past-President  of  the  Club,  acted  as  guide.  The  places  visited  were 
Mount  Oliphant,  The  Banks  of  Doon,  the  Cottage,  the  Monument,  etc. 
The  estate  of  Doonholme  was  open  to  the  party  by  its  proprietor,  Mr 
James  Kennedy,  who  welcomed  the  Members  and  accompanied  them 
through  his  beautiful  gardens.  Tea  at  the  Dalblair  Hotel  in  Ayr 
brought  a  pleasant  day  to  a  close. 

The  papers  given  by  Members  and  friends  during  the  year  have 
been  of  the  usual  high  standard. 

The  Club  have  to  congratulate  themselves  on  having  secured  Mr 
James  Raeside  as  President  for  another  term. 

SYLLABUS— 1911-1912. 
1911. 
Oct.      4.   Opening  Address — Ex-President  J.  Wilson  Bain. 
Nov.      1.    "  The  Kingdom  o'  Fife  :    its  Quaint  Characters  and  Queer 

Folk  "—Rev.  J.  H.  Dickie,  M.A. 
Dec.      6.    "  Olla-podrida,  No.  2  " — Ex-President  T.  Kennedy. 
Dec.    15.   Singing     and     Reciting     Competition — Provanside     School, 
North  Montrose  Street,  at  7.30  p.m. 
1912. 
Jan.     10.    "  Consolations  of  Tobacco  " — Dr  Wm.  CuUen. 
Jan.    25.   "  Liimortal  Memory" — Rev.  John  Smith,  D.D. 
Feb.      7.    •'  A  Nicht  wi'  Burns  " — John  A.  Walker,  Esq. 
Mar.      6.    "  Some  Burns  Fictions  " — Duncan  M'Naught,  Esq.  (President 
Burns  Federation.) 

RoBT.  Carmichael,  Hon.  Secretary. 


122 
CARLTON    BURNS    CLUB. 

DiRKCTORs'    Report — 1910-11. 

Another  successful  year  falls  to  be  recorded.  The  Membership 
goes  on  increasing,  and  the  financial  position  is  satisfactory. 

During  the  session  seven  monthly  meetings  were  held,  the  average 
numhor   of   Members   and   friends   attending    being   well    maintained. 


Lectures  were  delivered  by — Rev.  Munro  Sommerville,  "  Songs  ot  the 
Poet"  (illustrated);  John  Taylor  Gibb,  of  Mauchline,  "Land  of 
Bm-ns  "  (with  views  and  songs)  ;  Dr  J.  Wish  art  Kerr,  M.B.,  Ch.B., 
"  What  makes  a  man  ?  "  The  Anniversary  Dinner  was  held  in  the 
Arcade   Cafe   on   25th  January.        The  Rev.   George   Simpson   Yuille, 


B.D.,  Parish  Church,  Rutherglen,  proposed  the  "  Immortal  Memory," 
and  greetings  were  exchanged  with  clubs  in  Scotland,  England,  Ireland, 
and  Wales. 


123 

The  Annual  Outing  took  place  in  May  to  Lanark,  Lord  Newland's 
beautiful  grounds,  gardens,  and  conservatories  at  Mauldslie  and  Stone- 
byres  Falls  being  visited  en  route,  the  party  driving  per  motor  car 
from  Wishaw. 

Mr  Hugh  Hysloja,  Johnfield,  Mauchline,  has  been  instructed  to 
renovate  the  tombstone  on  the  grave  of  the  children  of  Robert  Burns 
and  Jean  Armour  in  Mauchline  Churchyard  at  the  Club's  expense. 

The  Club  took  an  active  part  in  making  arrangements  for  the 
holding  of  the  Federation  Meeting  in  Glasgow,  the  Club's  Delegates 
(Messrs  M'Kenzie,  Duff,  and  Straiten)  to  the  parent  Committee  being 
elected  to  the  three  Sub-Committees,  viz.  :  Finance,  Concert,  and 
Entertainment. 

SYLLABUS— 1 9 11  - 1 9 1 2. 
1911. 
Oct.    10.  Business  Meeting. 

Nov.   14.  Musical  Evening — Arranged  by   Mr  R.   Mackenzie. 
Nov.  28.   St.     Andrew's     Night.  "  Tattie     an'     Herrin'     Supper." 

Address — Mr  R.  Mackenzie. 
Dec.    12.  Visit   to   Rosebery   B.    C.    (Joint  Meeting).     Lecturer,   Rev. 
J.   B.    Grant,   B.D.,   St.   Stephen's.        Subject,    "  George 
Beattie,  the  Poet  of  Montrose." 
1912. 
Jan.      9.  Musical     Evening — Arranged     by     Messrs     Robertson     and 

MacFarlane. 
Jan.    25.  Annual     Dinner.  "  Immortal     Memory  " — Rev.      Alex. 

Maclnnes,  M.A.,  Cardonald. 
Feb.    13.  Visit  from  Rosebery  B.  C.  (Joint  Meeting).     Lecturer,  Rev. 
David  Graham,  St.  Gilbert's.       Subject,  Burns's  "  Holj 
Fair." 
Mar.    12.   Smoking  Concert. 

Apr.      9.  Literary  Paper,  per  Mr  James  Robertson. 
May     —  Annual  Outing. 

Meetings  are  held  in  Arcade  Cafe,  108  Argyll  Street,  at  7.45  p.m. 
Wm.  J.  Straiton,  Hon.  Secy. 


MOORPARK    BURNS   CLUB. 

Report  for  1911. 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  report  a  very  successful  year  for  1911. 
Our  Membership  is  always  increasing,  and  the  Committee  and  Members 
generally  continue  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Club. 


124 

Our  Annual  Festival  was  held  on  27th  January,  and  was  easily  the  best 
we  have  yet  had.  The  "  Immortal  Memory  "  was  proposed  by  our 
President,  Mr  Matthew  Holmes,  and  was  voted  a  real  intellectual 
treat,  and  greatly  enjoyed.  Mr  Geo.  Cockburn,  F.E.I.S.,  of  the 
Paisley  Burns  Club,  also  gave  a  short  address. 

Our  Children's  Competition,  too,  was  highly  successful,  thanks 
to  the  interest  taken  by  Mr  Walder,  headmaster  of  Moorpark  School, 
and  his  assistant,  Mr  Deans. 

In  connection  with  these  competitions  we  have  to  thankfully 
acknowledge  the  kind  assistance  we  have  received  from  Mr  Alex. 
Pollock  and  Mr  Angus,  of  the  Rosebery  Burns  Club. 

We  have  at  the  present  time  75  Members  on  the  Roll,  and  our 
Club  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

SYLLABUS— n)l  I- 1  Oil' 

Dec.  1.  Smoking  Concert. 

Jan.  26.  Annual  Festival. 

Mar.  —  Children's  Competition. 

Mar.  —  Concert  and  Presentation   of  Prizes. 

E.  Inglis,  Secretary. 


BAILLIESTON  CALEDONIAN  BURNS  CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— Session   1911-1912. 
1911. 

Aug.     8.  General   Meeting — President; 

Sept.  12.    "  Sir  Walter  Scott  " — Mr  Alex.  Gibson. 

Oct.     10.   "  Some  Gems  of  Burns  " — Mr  George  Boath. 

Nov.    14.   Tattie  and  Herrin'  Supper — The  Club  and  Friends. 

Dec.    12.    "  Hugh   Macdonald,   author   of    RamMes   round   Glasgoir  " — 

Mr  Henry  Sergeant. 
1912. 

Jan.  —    Anniversary  Dinner. 

Feb.  13.    "  The  Social  Aspect  of  Burns  " — Mr  Alex.  Johnstone. 

Mar.  14.    "  Scottish  Song  " — Mr  Wm.  Lockhart, 

Apr.  9.   General  Meeting. 

Club  meets  Second  Tuesday  of  each  month  in  the  Free  Gardeners' 
Hall,  at  8  p.m. 


125 
KILMARNOCK  JOLLY    BEGGARS    BURNS   CLUB. 

Syllabus  for  Winter  Session,   1911-1912. 

1911. 
Sept.     4.   "  Burns  as  a  Revolutionist  " — -A.   Sinclair. 
Oct.      2.  Musical  Evening. 
Oct.    20.  Annual  Dance. 
Nov.     6.   "  Mind-Science  " — Wm.  Neil. 
Dec.      4.   "  Faust   ' — T.  M'Glashan. 

1912. 
Jan.      8.   "  John  Gait,  of  Irvine  " — J.  P.  Dickson. 
Jan.    26.  Annual  Supper. 
Feb.      5.  Musical  Evening. 
M  r.     4.    "  Plant  Names  " — Wm.   Birrell. 
Apr.      1.   "  My   First   Book  " — John   Purdie. 


OLD    KILPATRICK    BURNS    CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— 1911-1912. 
1911. 
Sept.  14.    "  Prince  Charlie  and  the  '45,"  with  lime-light  views — Chas. 
W.   Thomson,  Esq.,  M.A.,  F.E.I. S.,  Rector  of  Larkhall 
Academy. 
Oct.     19.    "  Napoleon,"     with     lime-light     views — Councillor     Rosslyn 

Mitchell,  Glasgow. 
Nov.   16.   "  Le    Baiser  "    (Humorous) — James    Jeffrey    Hunter,    Esq., 

Glasgow. 
Dec.    14.    "  A  Tour  in  the  Land  of  Burns,"  with  lime-light  views — 
John  Taylor  Gibb,  Esq.,  Mauchline  (Author  of  The  Land 
of  Burns). 
1912. 
Jan.    25.  At  Home  and  Dance  (Anniversary  of  the  Bard).       Separate 

tickets  to  be  had  from  the  Secretary. 
Feb.    10.    "  Bm-ns,  the  Heretic  " — -Rev.  Thos.  Cairncross,  M.A.,  Bowling 

U.F.  Church. 
Mar.      9.   Scientific    Lecture  :      "  Germs, ""    with    lime-light    views — Dr 
Calder  Blyth,  Old  Kilpatrick. 

Syllabus  of  the  Course  of  6  Lectures,  Is  ;  Admission  to  Single 
Lecture,  6d. 

The  Club  meets  every  month  in  Gentles' Hall,  and  all  applications 
for  Membership  should  be  sent  to  the  Secretary. 


126 
SCOTTISH  BURNS  CLUB. 

Instituted  January,   1904. 

SYLLABUS— Session  1911-1912. 

1911. 

Oct.      5.  "  Some  Minor  English  Poets  " — Mr  John  Wilson. 

Nov.     2.  "  Anatole  France  " — Mr  A.  W.  Yuill. 

Dee.      7.  "  Hadyn  "  (Ladies' Night) — Mr  J.  S.  Paterson. 

1912. 

*Jan  11.  "  Robert  Ferguson  " — Dr  James  Devon. 

Jan.    25.  "  The  Immortal  Memory  " — Dr  John  Maclntyre. 

Feb.      1.  "  The  Sons  of  Rob  Roy  "—Mr  D.  N.  M'Kay. 

Mar.      7.  "  Burns  on  Peace  and  War  " — Mr  Andrew  M'Callum,  C.C. 

Apr.      4.  "  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots  (1561  to  1566)  " — Mr  Francis  Kerr. 

Apr.      4.  Annual  General  Meeting. 

*  The  Second  Thursday  of  the  month. 


CLYDEBANK   BARNS  O'   CLYDE   BURNS   CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— Session   1911-1912. 

1911. 
Sept.  20.  Musical  Evening — Mr   T.   Cunningham. 
Oct.    11.  Lecture.     Subject:    "Hallowe'en" — Mr  M'Callum. 
Oct.    27.   Hallowe'en  Supper.      Chairman  :    Bailie  Hogg. 
Nov.  29.  Speaker  :    Mr  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  Glasgow. 
Dec.    20.  Lecture  :    "  History  of  Scottish  Literature  " — Mr  A.  Raebum, 
Clydebank. 

1912. 
Jan.    17.   Speaker  :     Mr  G.  J.  Miller. 
Jan.    26.  Annual  Festival.       A.  Acland  Allen,  Esq.,  M.P.,  will  propose 

"  The  Immortal  Memory." 
Feb.    21.   Speaker  :     Mr  Hyslop,   Duntocher. 
Mar.    20.  Musical  Evening — Bailie  Hogg. 
Apr.    10.   Business  Meeting. 

Meetings  will  be  held  in  Mr  Hutcheon's  Restaurant,  Clydebank. 


127 

GREENOCK  BURNS    CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— 1911-1912. 
1911. 
Oct.    31.  Annual  Meeting.       Election  of  Office-bearers,  &c. 

Nov.     8.  Lecture,  "  Burns — a  Miracle  " — Mr  Walter  Weir. 

Nov.  30.  St.    Andrew's   Night.        Visit   from   Rosebery   Burns   Club, 

Glasgow. 
Dec.      7.  Lecture,  "  Early  Ballad  Literature  of  Scotland  " — Mr^Wm. 

Auld. 
1912. 
Jan.    10.  Lecture,  "  The  Scottish  Border  " — Dr  Barrie. 
Jan.    25.   110th  Annual  Celebration. 
Feb.    13.  Ladies'  Night.       Concert  Party — Introduced  by  Mr  Stuart 

Mories. 
Mar.      6.  An  evening  with  Allan  Park  Paton — Mr  J.  Eraser  Paton. 
Apr.    17.   Quarterly  Meeting. 


SHETTLESTON  BURNS  CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— 1911-1912. 
Dec.  .  7.  Mr  H.  B,  Sergeant. 
Jan.    25.  President  Wm.  Reid. 
Mar.      7.  Mr  Jas.  Lucas,  M.A. 
Oct.    —    Mr  Andw.   M'Callum. 


JEDBURGH   BURNS  CLUB. 

The  Annual  F  stival  was  held  in  the  pre  id  Eagle  Hotel  ;.■  Wed- 
nesday, •  5th  January,  1911.  "  The  Immortal  Memory  "  was  proposed 
by  Bailie  Walk  r  in  an  eloquent  speech  of  exceptional  merit. 


BARLINNIE    BURNS    CLUB. 

SYLLABUS— 1911-1912. 
Oct.     19.   Conversazione  and  Dance. 
Dec.      7.   Concert  (Scotch). 
Jan.    26.  Anniversary   Supper.        "  Immortal  Memory  "  proposed  by 

President   (Dr   Sinclair). 
Mar.      7.  Concert  (Scotch). 


128 


ROSEBKin    >GLA8(;c)\V;    BURNS   CLUB. 


Report  not  to  hand  whon  we  went  to  press,  but  the  Chib  is  in 
a  floimshing  condition  and  nruiitaiiiing  its  reputation  as  one  of  tlie 
leading  CUibs  in  the  country. 


THORNLIEBAXK   BURNS   CLUB. 


.Tamrs  Andhkw,  President. 


Report  also  not  to  hand,  but  we  are  glad  to  learn  that  the 
membership  of  this  Ciub  is  as  numerous  and  energetic  as  in  former 
years. 


NOTES     AND     QUERIES. 


CURIOUS  LOVE  LETTERS  BY  BURNS. 

Mr  Carswell,  of  the  Alexandria  BLvrns  Club,  has  forwarded  us  an 
old  newspaper,  in  which  the  following  appears  : — 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Dumfries,  on  the  estate  of  Rockhall, 
some  fifty  years  since,  lived  a  worthy  farmer,  whom  our  great  Scottish 
Poet,  Robert  Burns,  was  in  the  habit  of  occasionally  visiting.  They 
had  spent  many  a  merry  evening  together,  enriched  with  those  sallies 
of  wit  and  hiunour  which  stamped  the  Poet's  conversation  with  even 
more  attraction  and  fascination  than  all  the  marvels  of  his  poetry. 
The  progress  of  their  intercourse  was  varied  by  an  event  which  must 
have  afforded  Burns  no  little  amusement — the  farmer  fell  in  love. 
The  lady  was  of  respectable  connections  ;  and  the  farmer,  though 
excellent  at  a  song  or  anecdote,  was  unable  for  the  task  of  writing  a 
proper  declaration  of  his  passion.  In  this  extremity  he  called  in  the 
assistance  of  the  Poet.  Burns  furnished  him  with  two  drafts  of  a 
love  letter,  and  the  drafts  are  certainly  curiosities  in  their  way.  They 
are  not  quite  so  formal  and  grandiloquent  in  tone  as  the  famous  epistle 
which  Tom  Pipes  in  Peregrine  Pickle  procvu-ed  from  the  village  school- 
master, which  commenced,  "  Divine  empress  of  my  soul,"  and  implored 
the  favourite  fair  one  to  "  let  the  genial  rays  of  her  benevolence  melt 
the  icy  emanations  of  disdain."  Burns's  letters,  however,  are  of  the 
same  character.  His  prose  style  was  always  stiff  and  unnatural, 
being  in  this  respect  the  antipodes  of  his  verse,  which  flowed  with 
such  inimitable  grace  and  simplicity.  On  the  present  occasion,  too, 
he  was  writing  in  a  feigned  character,  without  the  prompting  of  those 
genial  impulses  which  made  him  so  thriving  a  wooer  himself.  We 
believe  the  farmer  was  successful  in  his  suit.  Miss  G.  listened  to  the 
passion  so  ardently  proclaimed  by  proxy,  and  lived  to  be  the  happy 
wife  of  the  farmer.  We  have  no  doubt  that  the  worthy  pair  and  the 
Poet  often  laughed  over  this  adventure,  during  the  few  remaining 
years  and  evil  days  which  darkened  the  close  of  the  Poet's  life.  The 
originals  of  these  cxu-ious  letters  are  in  the  possession  of  a  very  successful 
collector  of  curiosities,  the  warm-hearted  and  entertaining  Mr  William 
Smith,  perfumer,  Dxmifries. 

"  Madam, — What  excuse  to  make  for  the  liberty  I  am  going  to 
in  this  letter,  I  am  utterly  at  a  loss.       If  the  most  unfeigned 


130 

respect  for  yoiu-  accomplished  worth — if  the  most  ardent  attachment 
if  sincerity  and  truth — if  these,  on  my  part,  will  in  any  degree  weigh 
with  you,  my  apology  is  these,  and  these  alone.  Little  as  I  have  had 
the  pleasure  of  your  acquaintance,  it  has  been  enough  to  convince  m© 
what  enviable  happiness  must  be  his  whom  you  shall  honour  with 
your  particular  regard,  and  more  than  enough  to  convince  me  how 
unworthy  I  am  to  offer  myself  a  candidate  for  that  partiality.  In 
this  kind  of  trembling  hope,  madam,  I  intend  very  soon  doing  myself 
the  honour  of  waiting  on  you,  persuaded  that  however  little  Miss  G. 
may  be  disposed  to  attend  to  the  suit  of  a  lover  as  unworthy  of  her 
as  I  am,  she  is  still  too  good  to  despise  an  honest  man,  whose  only 
fault  is  loving  her  too  much  for  his  own  peace.  I  have  the  honour 
to  be,  madam,  your  most  devoted  humble  servant." 

"  Dear  Madam, — The  passion  of  love  had  need  to  be  productive 
of  much  delight ;  as,  where  it  takes  thorough  possession  of  the  man, 
t  almost  unfits  him  for  anything  else.  The  lover  who  is  certain  of 
an  equal  return  of  affection  is  siu-ely  the  happiest  of  men  ;  but  he  who 
is  a  prey  to  the  horrors  of  anxiety  and  dreaded  disappointment,  is  a 
being  whose  situation  is  by  no  means  enviable.  Of  this,  my  present 
experience  gives  me  sufficient  proof.  To  me,  amusement  seems 
impertinent,  and  business  intrusion,  while  you  alone  engross  every 
faculty  of  my  mind.  May  I  request  you  to  drop  me  a  line,  to  inform 
me  when  I  may  wait  on  you  ?  For  pity's  sake  do  ;  and  let  me  have  it 
soon.  In  the  meantime,  allow  me,  in  all  the  artless  sincerity  of  truth, 
to  assvu-e  you  that  I  truly  am,  my  dearest  madam,  your  ardent  lover 
and  devoted  hvunble  servant." 

From  The  Witness,  15th  August,  1840. 

[We  have  neA'erseen  any  reference  to  these  letters,  whose  possessor 
is  so  pointedly  named. — Ed.] 


THE    CROCHALLAN    FENCIBLES. 

Burnsites,  common  and  uncommon,  who  are  familiar  with  The 
Merry  Muses — the  slim  httle  volimie  of  indecent  verse  that  has  done 
so  much,  with  so  little  reason,  to  besmirch  the  name  of  the  National 

Poet have  heard  of   "  the  Crochallan  Fencibles,"  for  whose  "  edifica 

tion  "  the  ribald  muse  is  believed  to  have  been  invoked.  But  beyond 
the  name  little  is  known  of  the  company  of  dashing  fellows  who  regaled 
Bums,  and  by  him  were  in  turn  entertained.       Because  of  this  paucity 


131 


of  information  one  welcomes  the  short  account  of  the  Fencibles  included 
by  Mr  Harry  A.  Cockburn  in  his  paper  on  "  Edinburgh  Chibs,"  con- 
tributed to  the  ciirrent  volume  of  The  Book  oj  the  Old  Edinburgh  Club. 
Mr  Cockburn  has  gathered  the  few  references  to  the  Crochallan  Fencibles 
that  exist,  and  woven  them  into  a  connected  narrative.  The  Club, 
he  says,  appears  to  have  originated  with  William  Smellie,  about  the 
year  1778.  The  last  meeting  was  held  on  the  13th  December,  1795. 
Thus  its  life  continued  only  for  some  17  years. 

"  The  members  met  at  Daniel  Douglas's  Tavern,  near  the  top  of 
the  Anchor  Close,  which  was  frequented  by  many  of  the  principal  men 
of  Edinburgh,  and  particularly  by  advocates,  and  from  the  fact  that 
the  landlord  was  in  the  habit  of  entertaining  his  customers  by  singing 
to  them  an  old  Gaelic  song,  '  Chro  Challan,'  or  '  The  Cattle  of  Colin,' 
an  intimate  section  of  his  customers  formed  themselves  into  a  Club, 
taking  the  name  Crochallan  Fencibles.  The  members  bore  some 
pretended  military  rank,  such  as  Colonel,  Major,  &c.,  &c.,  William 
Dunbar,  W.S.,  being  Colonel  ;  Charles  Hay,  afterwards  Lord  Newton, 
Major  ;  William  Smellie,  Recorder  ;  Lord  Craig,  Provost,  in  imitation 
of  the  Volunteers,  or  Corps  of  Fencible  men  then  being  formed." 

Mr  Cockburn  tells  us  that  all  attempts  to  find  Club  minutes  or  a 
list  of  members  have  failed,  and  he  is  only  able  to  give  the  names  of 
fifteen  who  were  actually  comrades  in  jovial  arms.  In  the  last  issue 
of  the  Burns  Chronicle,  Mr  D.  M 'Naught  states  that  Peter  Hill  was  of 
the  number — a  name  not  included  in  Mr  Cockburn's  list.  Burns 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  more  than  a  visitor.  He  was  introduced 
to  the  Club  by  Smellie,  the  printer  of  his  poems,  early  in  1787.  Kerr 
in  his  Memoirs  of  Smellie,  which  Mr  Cockburn  quotes,  sets  forth  that — 
"  when  the  members  of  the  Club  got  Burns  and  Smellie  together  at 
their  jovial  meetings  they  always  endeavoured  to  pit  them  against 
each  other  in  a  contest  of  wit  and  irony.  On  these  occasions  Mr 
Smellie  used  to  thrash  the  Poet  most  abominably,  which  gave  occasion 
to  the  expression  in  a  poetical  effusion  by  Burns,  '  His  caustic  wit 
was  biting  rude.'  " 

Among  those  enumerated  by  Mr  Cockburn  are  the  Hon.  Henry 
Erskine,  Lord  Gillies,  Dr  Gilbert  Stuart,  and  Captain  Matthew  Hen- 
derson. The  beginning  here  made  may  lead  the  author  or  some  other 
member  of  the  Old  Edinburgh  Club  to  prosecute  the  subject.  A 
coterie  with  so  much  that  is  characteristic  must  have  had  a  lively 
career,  the  narrative  of  which  would  be  entertaining,  though,  like 
The  Merry    Muses,  it  might   not    he    suitable    "  for  maids,    ministers. 


132 

or  striplings."'       We  thank  tho  Old   Etlinbiirgh  Club  for  what  it  h 
<lone  ;    we  hope  it  will  give  ns  further  information  in  a  later  volume. 
William  Harvey,  F.S.A.,  Scot. 
Dundee  Advertiser,  28th  August,  1911. 


THE  HOE  BOOK  SALE— A  KILMARNOCK  BURNS. 

The  first  item  catalogued  was  a  copy  of  the  famous  Kilmarnock 
Edition  of  the  Poems  printed  by  John  Wilson  in  1786,  and  published 
at  3s.  The  leaves  are  all  but  uncut,  measuring  8^-s  by  5|  as  against 
9  by  5|  inches  of  the  Lamb  and  the  Veitch  examples,  which  are  in 
absolutely  pristine  state.  The  original  blue  wrappers  are  preserved 
within  the  grained  morocco  binding  by  Bedford.  Accompanying 
the  octavo  is  a  two-page  autograph  letter  to  Captain  Hamilton,  of 
Dumfries,  from  whom  the  poet  had  borrowed  money.      Burns  writes  : — 

"  Sir, — It  is  even  so.  You  are  the  only  person  in  Dumfries  to 
whom  [this  has  been  erased  by  the  writer]  or  in  the  world  to  whom 
I  have  run  in  debt,  and  I  took  the  freedom  with  you  because  I  be- 
lieved, and  do  still  believe,  that  I  may  do  it  with  more  impunity  as  ' 
to  my  feelings  than  any  other  person  almost  that  I  ever  met  with. 
I  will  settle  with  you  soon,  and  I  assure  you,  sir,  it  is  with  infinite  pain 
that  I  have  transgressed  on  your  goodness.  The  unlucky  fact  for 
me  is  that  about  the  beginning  of  these  disastrous  times  in  a  moment 
of  imprudence  I  lent  my  name  to  a  friend  who  has  since  been  unfor- 
tunate, and  I,  of  coiu-se,  had  a  sum  to  pay  which  my  very  limited 
income  and  large  family  could  ill  afford.  God  forbid,  sir,  that  anything 
.should  ever  distress  you  as  much  as  writing  this  card  has  done  me." 

In  addition  there  are  presentation  copies  with  autograph  in- 
scriptions of  the  1793  edition  of  the  poems,  and  of  the  poetical  works 
of  William  Collins,  this  last  given' to  Jean  Lorimer  as  "a  small  but 
sincere  mark  of  friendship."  Among  the  Burns  manuscripts  are 
several  characteristic  letters  to  Clarinda  and  fom-  or  five  poems,  includ- 
ing "  A  New  Song  from  an  Old  Story,"  said  to  be  unpublished.  One 
of  the  verses  of  "  A  Scots  Love  Song  "  begins — 

"  The  Kirk  and  State  may  join  and  tell 
To  do  sic  things  I  mauna  ; 

The  Kirk  and  State  may  gae  to  H , 

And  I  shall  gae  tae  Anna. 

She  is  the  sunshine  o'  my  e'e, 

To  live  but  her  I  canna  ; 
Had  I  on  earth  but  wishes  three. 

The  first  should  be  my  Anna  !  " 


J33 

Wlien  in  1903  the  trustees  of  the  Burns  Museum  at  Alloway  paid 
£1000  for  the  immaculate  copy  of  the  first  edition  of  Burns's  Poems 
printed  by  John  Wilson,  of  Kilmarnock,  in  1786,  and  published  at 
three  shillings,  the  comment  of  some  observers  was  expressed  in  a 
single  word — madness.  Yesterday,  however,  at  the  sale  in  New  York 
of  the  Robert  Hoe  Library  a  copy,  apparently  somewhat  less  desirable,  of 
the  famous  Kilmarnock  vohune,  together  with  a  letter  from  Burns  to 
Captain  Hamilton,  of  Dumfries,  fetched  $5800.  From  the  catalogue 
description,  this  does  not  appear  to  be  the  fine  Lamb  example  in 
pristine  state,  which  realised  the  previous  auction  record  of  545  guineas 
in  Edinburgh  thirteen  years  ago.  The  Lamb  copy  was,  I  believe, 
sold  by  Mr  Sabin  for  £700  to  an  American  dealer,  the  latter  passing  it 
on  to  Mr  Caufield,  of  New  York. 

ANOTHER  KILMARNOCK  BURNS  SOLD. 
At  Sotheby's  to-day  the  record  price  of  £114  was  paid  for  a  copy 
of  Shelley's  rare  Address  to  the  Irish  People,  issued  in  Dublin  in 
1812  at  5d.  Last  year  an  example  fetched  £75  at  Puttick's.  Brown- 
ing's earliest  volume,  Pauline  (1833),  brought  £164  ;  the  Kilmar- 
nock Burns  finishing  on  page  236,  several  pages,  moreover,  being 
stained,  £105  ;    and  Shelley's ^pipsychidion  (1821),  £51. 

Glasgow  Herald,  30th  May,    1911. 


THE  HUTH  BOOK  SALE. 

£50,821  FOR  Seven  Days — Burns  Triumphs. 

At  the  seventh  and  final  afternoon's  dispersal  of  part  one  of  the 
Huth  Library,  Burns  proved  to  be  the  hero.  In  the  year  1875  Mr 
Henry  Huth  bought  of  Mr  Quaritch  for  £36,  a  good  copy  of  the  cele- 
brated Kilmarnock  Edition  of  Burns's  Poems,  printed  by  John  Wilson, 
and  sold  by  him  at  three  shillings.  Presumably  early  in  the  history 
of  the  volume  the  original  blue  paper  wrappers  made  way  for  the 
tree  calf  in  which  it  is  now  bound,  perhaps  indeed  before  the  following 
inscription  was  written  on  the  fly-leaf  : — "  From  Mr  Ferguson  of 
Queenvale  to  The  F.C.,  10th  Oct  ,  1786."  The  measurements  are 
8|  in.  by  5  in.  against  9  in.  by  5|  in  of  a  wholly  unsheared  example. 
Bidding  this  afternoon  started  at  £100,  and  by  various  competitors 
was  rai.sed  to  £730,  at  which  point  ^les  rs  Hopkins,  of  Glasgow,  silenced 
Dr  Birch.       To-day's  price  almost  (r  bles  the  former  record  at  auction 

9 


134 

in  this  oountry  for  a  copy  not  in  tli  -liginal  wrappers.  Evon  the 
Van  Antwerp  example  measuring  9  in.  by  5^  in.,  with  the  wrappers 
preserved,  brought  £30  less  in  1907.  The  Hoe  copy  rebound,  but 
with  the  ^vrappers  inside,  together  with  an  autograph  letter  from  the 
Poet  to  Captain  Hamilton,  fetched  5800  dollars  in  April  last.  Some 
612  copies  were  printed  by  John  Wilson,  350  of  which  were  sub- 
scribed for  before  publication.  Burns  received,  however,  no  more 
than  £20  for  his  all-important  share  in  the  venture.  Some  years 
before  Mr  Huth  bought  his  Kilmarnock  Burns  from  Mr  Quaritch, 
J.  Payne  Collier  just  missed  securing  a  copy  in  fine  pristine  state  for 
Is  6d  at  Cornish's  shop,  Lincoln's  Inn.  The  Lamb  copy,  which  at 
Dowell's  in  Edinburgh  made  545  guineas  in  1898,  now  belongs,  I 
believe,  to  Mr  Caufield,  New  York. 

A  second  Burns  item  shows  an  even  larger  proportion  of  profit 
to  the  Huth  Estate.  This  is  the  original  Patent,  printed  on  vellum, 
appointing  "  Robert  Burns,  gentleman,"  to  the  office  of  exciseman. 
The  single  sheet  is  dated  July  14th,  1788,  has  a  caligraphic  portrait 
of  George  III.,  and  is  signed  by  J.  Wharton,  George  Brown,  and  James 
Stodart.  Against  a  cost  of  twelve  guineas  from  Messrs  Sotheran 
in  18(38,  this  document  went  to  Mr  Quaritch  at  £500. 

Copies  of  any  kind  of  the  Kilmarnock  Edition  of  Biu-ns  are  rare, 
and  perfect  copies  extremely  rare.  The  thin  blue  and  white  octavo 
volume  was  printed  by  Wilson  in  1786,  and  published  at  three  shillings. 
After  paying  the  expenses  of  paper,  printing,  and  binding,  the  Poet 
made  only  a  profit  of  £20.       This  is  the  statement  of  the  account  : — 

612  copies  at  3s  each  £91    16     0 

Cost  of  paper,  printing,  &c.  ...  ...        £41    16     0 

Author's  profits       20     0     0 

61    16     0 


Surplus  for  "  publisher's  "  profits     ...  ...  ...   £30     0     0 

The  publisher  declined  to  publish  a  second  edition  imless  Burns 
advanced  the  cost  of  the  necessary  paper.  In  the  mid-nineteenth 
century,  copies  of  the  Kilmarnock  edition  could  occasionally  be  picked 
up  in  second-hand  book  .shops  for  a  shilling.  In  the  seventies  there 
came  a  boom,  until  the  top  price  was  reached  in  1903  for  the  copy  sold 
by  Mr  G.  S.  Veitch,  of  Paisley,  at  £1000,  to  the  Trustees  of  Burns's 
Cottage.  This  faultless  copy  was  bought  by  Mr  Veitch  for  £10.  Of 
the  612  copies  of  the  Kilmarnock  edition  it  is  doubtful  whether  there 
are  more  than  30  or  40  copies  in  existence.  There  are  two  copies 
in   the   British   Museiun,   one   containing  additional   verses  and   notes 


135 


in  manuscript,  with  the  names  and  places  in  the  poems  in  Burns's 
handwriting.  A  number  of  copies  which  are  in  possession  of  book 
collectors  are  made-up  copies.  One  result  of  the  large  price  paid 
for  the  Kilmarnock  edition  on  Thursday  is  that  book  buyers  are  generally 
inimdated  with  inquiries  by  possessors  of  supposed  precious  copies, 
but  it  is  extremely  rare  in  these  days  that  a  "  find  "  turns  up  so  easily. 
The  earliest  record  of  the  Lamb  copy  sold  at  Edinburgh  in  1898  for 
545  guineas,  is  that  it  was  found  among  a  miscellaneous  lot  of  old 
books  purchased  for  a  few  shillings  at  a  sale  in  Glasgow  in  1850. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  highest  prices  obtained  for 
copies  since  the  early  seventies  :— 

Unnamed  copy,  sold  at  Edinbiu-gh,  1 874: 

Laing's  copy,  Sotheby's,  1879 

Craig's,  Sotheby's,  1888 

English  Amatem-'s,  Sotheby's,  1890 

Gaisford's,  Sotheby's,  1890  

Yoimg's,  Sotheby's,  1890 

Auchinleck,  Sotheby's,  1893 

Baronet's,  Sotheby's,  1896 

Lamb's  No.  1,  Edinburgh,  1898 

Veitch's  copy,  1903  

Van  Antwerp's,  1907 

The  Hoe  copy 

24th  November,    1911. 


...  £19 

0 

0 

...   90 

0 

0 

...  Ill 

0 

0 

...  107 

0 

0 

...  120 

0 

0 

...  100 

0 

0 

...  102 

0 

0 

...  121 

0 

0 

..  572 

5 

0 

-.1000 

0 

0 

..  700 

0 

0 

5800  dollars. 

A    NEW    BURNS    MS. 

Orchill,  11th  September,  1911. 
Sir, — In  an  original  Burns  MS.,  unquestionably  authentic,  which 
has  just  come  into  my  hands  in  a  rather  romantic  way,  and  which, 
from  certain  unique  readings,  has  clearly  never  been  before  any  of 
the  munerous  editors  of  the  Poet's  works,  either  earlier  or  later,  there 
are  one  or  two  points  in  particular  which  seem  to  me  to  be  worthy  of 
investigation,  being  entirely  novel  as  bearing  on  the  Poet's  acquaint- 
anceships. My  newly-foimd  MS.  is  the  favom-ite  song,  "  My  Name's 
Awa',"  written  on  what  is  apparently  Excise  paper,  and  dated  February, 
1795;  the  copy  sent  to  Thomson  for  his  Museum,  and  now  in  Brechin 
Castle,  being  dated  December,  1794,  while  another  copy  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  Aldine  editor.  My  MS.  has  the  unique  readings  "  wel- 
come "  for  "  welcomes  "  (in  spite  of  the  Centenary  edition's  note  that 
"  welcome  "     is     [an      erroneous      reading),      "  wet  "     for     "  weet," 


130 

"  dews  o"  ■'  for  "  dews  of,"  and  tlie  strange  variation,  "  yellow  mavis  " 
for  "  mellow  mavis."  But  my  main  object  in  this  letter  is  to  elicit, 
if  possible,  from  among  your  many  literary  readers,  information  or 
suggestions  on  these  two  points  : — 1.  The  heading  of  my  MS.  is — 
"  Song— My  Nanie's  Awa'— To  J.  T."  Who  was  J.  T.  ?  The  aong 
has  always  been  regarded  as  written  of,  and  to,  Clarinda.  2.  At  the 
bottom  of  the  page  is  the  inscription,  "  For  Mr  Thomas  Dewar,  Kirk- 
caldy, with  the  aiithor's  regards."  Who  was  Thomas  Dewar,  Kirk- 
caldy ?  Was  the  Poet  ever  in  Kirkcaldy  ?  Any  information  on  these 
two  points  will  not  only  be  of  interest  to  myself,  but  of  value  to  all 
students  of  Burns  literature,  referring  as  they  do  to  persons  whose 
names,  so  far  as  I  know,  we  are  now  made  acquainted  with  for  the 
first  time  in  connection  with  Burns.  The  whole  of  this  interesting 
MS.,  including  the  personal  signature,  is  in  the  wonderful  autograph 
of  the  great  Poet. — I  am,  &c. 


Thomas  Crawford. 


Scotsman,   12th  September,    1911. 


A    LINK    WITH    BURNS. 

The  Aberdeen  Weekly  Free  Press,  6th  May,  1911,  contains  in 
addition  to  the  subjoined  article,  a  characteristic  portrait  of  Mrs 
Alexander  Mowat  : — 

"  By  the  death  of  Mrs  Alexander  Mowat,  Drimilithie,  on  Wednes- 
day, at  the  age  of  94,  an  interesting  link  with  the  past  has  been  severed. 
Mrs  Mowat  was  the  oldest  inhabitant  of  the  village.  She  belonged 
to  a  family  who  have  been  connected  with  the  land  of  Barras  and  the 
parish  of  Glenbervie  for  generations,  her  progenitors  having  farmed 
most  of  the  holdings  throughout  both  Barras  and  Glenbervie.  Mrs 
Mowat,  whose  maiden  name  was  Catherine  Burness,  was  born  at 
Midtown  of  Barras  in  1816,  her  father  at  that  period  being  the  largest 
farmer  in  the  county.  She  was  the  nearest  surviving  relation  of 
Scotland's  National  Bard,  being  fourth  coiisin  in  the  direct  line  of 
Bumesses. 

Mrs  Mowat  was  educated  at  the  parish  school  by  Mr  Napier, 
and  attended  for  a  session  at  Aberdeen.  The  stage-coach  was  the 
only  conveyance  to  the  Granite  City  in  these  days,  and  she  remembered 
well  of  the  famed  Barclay  of  Urie  driving  the  coach  from  Edinburgh 
to  Aberdeen.  The  parish  minister  of  Kinncff  at  that  date  was  liev. 
Peter  Stuart,  and  it  was  the  custoiTi  thai    all  roups  and  raffles  were 


137 

"  cried  "  by  the  bellman  at  the  church.  Mrs  Mowat  also  i-emembered 
the  first  policeman  being  appointed  in  the  covmty  town  —  a  man, 
M'Robb,  whose  forebears  tenanted  the  farm  of  Fernie  Brae.  Events 
the  old  lady  could  chat  freely  upon  were  Queen  Victoria's  first  visit 
to  Balmoral ;  the  billeting  of  the  soldiers,  when  on  the  march,  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  the  district,  who  were  compelled  to  keep  them  or 
pay  for  their  maintenance  elsewhere ;  and  the  operations  of  the  press- 
gang,  her  father  being  called  upon  to  serve,  but  eventually  paying 
tax  of  £30  to  be  relieved.  Mrs  Mowat  is  survived  by  two  sons  and 
one  daughter,  Mr  James  Mowat,  Ivy  Bank,  Mr  Andrew  Mowat,  Aber- 
deen, and  Mrs  Blackley,  Edinburgh.  Her  husband  predeceased  her 
47  years  ago." 

Robert  Murdoch-Lawrance. 

"  Cairnchina,"  2.3  Ashley  Road,  Aberdeen. 


BURNS  STATUE  FUND  BAZAAR. 

The  following  paragraph  relating  to  the  Bazaar  appeared  in  the 
Aberdeen  Weekly  Free  Press,  23rd  September,   1911  : — 

Mr  R.  V.  Harcom-t,  M.P.  for  the  Montrose  B\.u-ghs,  in  introducing 
his  wife  to  perform  the  opening  ceremony  on  the  second  day  of  the 
Burns  Statue  Fund  Bazaar  at  Montrose  last  Saturday,  said  it  was 
124  years  almost  to  a  day  since  Burns  visited  Montrose,  September 
12th,  1787.  It  was  a  maxim  that  he  had  always  believed  in — that 
a  good  tourist  did  not  write  long  descriptions.  He  was  too  busy 
sight-seeing.  He  was  up  with  the  cock-crow,  too  early  for  the  respect- 
able James  Biu-ness,  from  whom  he  had  to  take  a  farewell  in  writing. 
The  references  were  provokingly  brief,  but  what  he  said  was  to  the 
point.  "  Go  to  Montrose,"  he  said,  "  that  finely  situated,  handsome 
town  " — (applause).  There  was  once  a  Provost  or  an  ex-Provost, 
a  man  of  plethoric  disposition,  in  that  urban  area  a  little  higher  up 
the  line  where  the  trawlers  came  from.  His  heart  was  as  hard  as  his 
native  granite,  and  he  was  jealous,  justly  jealous  of  the  good  city  of 
Montrose — (laughter).  Like  some  disappointed  suitor  he  tried  to 
depreciate  her.  He  once  called  her  a  decaying  village — (laughter). 
Well  to  have  been  called  handsome  by  Robert  Burns  might  lead  them 
to  suffer  certain  Aberdonians  gladly — (great  laughter) — but  if  they  were 
to  be  attacked  let  them  also  record  that  which  Bm-ns  called  them — 
"  finely  situated  and  handsome."  He  recorded  his  opinion  of  Aberdeen 
in  three  words — "  Aberdeen  a  lazy  city  " — (great  laughter). 


138 

^Irs  Harcoiirt,  who  had  a  most  cordial  I'cception,  said  that  she 
was  glad  tliat  her  first  appearance  upon  any  stage  gave  her  a  chanc© 
of  doing  something,  however  little,  to  help  to  perpetuate  the  memory 
of  one  whom  not  only  Scotland,  but  the  world  delighted  to  honour — 
(applause). 

The  handsome  sum  of  £382  lis  lOd  was  realised  from  the  two 
daj's"  proceedings,  the  sum  aimed  at  being  £400. 

Robert  Murdoch-Lawrance. 


THE     ALLANS,     OLD     ROME. 

Craigbank,  Kilwinning, 
D.  M'Naught,  Esq.,  Benrig,    Kilmaurs. 

Dear  Sir, — I  am  much  interested  in  yoiu-  letter  re  "  Allan  Line 
and  Robert  Burns,"  which  appeared  in  the  Glasgow  Herald  of  27th 
inst.  In  my  possession  is  a  letter  from  Gilbert  Burns  to  my  great- 
grandfather— Andrew  Allan — and  signed  "  Yom-  sincere  friend  and 
cousin,  Gilbert  Burns." 

This  Andrew  Allan  was  baptized  at  Dundonald,  on  the  12th 
April,  1778,  his  father's  designation  on  the  extract  being  "  Wright 
at  Old  Rome."  Should  you  be  in  Kilwinning  at  any  time  I  shall 
be  pleased  to  show  you  Gilbert's  letter,  and  also  a  genealogical  tree 
showing  my  connection  with  Robert  Burns  both  by  my  father  and 
mother. 

Yours  faitlifully, 

Jame.s  Jack. 

P.S. — I  knew  Andrew  Jack,  your  informant,  and  his  family  well.  His 
daughter  still  resides  in  Kilmarnock,  and  is  married  to  James 
Crooks. 


"  DEAR     BOUGHT     BESS." 

Claremont,  Stewarton  Drive, 
Cambuslang,  9th  September,   1911. 

James  Glencairn  Tliomson  was  not  a  son  of  Burns's  "  Dear  bought 
Bess."  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Anne  Park  of  the  Globe  Tavern, 
Dumfries.  I  have  met  Mr  Thomson  in  his  house  at  Crossmyloof. 
His  sister,  Margaret,  if  I  remember  correctly,  sent  for  me  in  connection 


139 

with  the  will  of  the  late  Thos.  Anderson,  who  left  a  lot  of  property 
to  the  Memorial.  She  told  me  her  father  had  been  billeted  in  Dum- 
fries as  a  soldier  in  his  early  days,  and  had  met  his  wife  there, 
who  was  brought  up  by  Mrs  Burns.  Margaret,  then  the  widow  of 
David  Wingate  the  poet,  told  me  that  her  mother  had  told  her  that 
Jean  Armour  was  the  finest  woman  that  ever  lived.  When  she  got 
married  to  Thomson,  Jean  sent  her  out  as  if  she  had  been  her  own 
daughter.  Thomson  came  to  Crossmyloof  and  followed  his  occupation 
of  hand-loom  weaver  till  he  died.  Mrs  Wingate  was  a  fine-looking, 
big,  sonsie  woman.  "  Dear  bought  Bess  "  was  the  daughter  of  Eliza- 
beth Paton,  who  served  in  Lochlea.  Burns  stood  before  the  Session 
with  Elizabeth.  "  Bess  "  was  brought  up  at  Mossgiel  with  Burns's 
mother.  She  married  a  Mr  Bishop,  a  factor  about  Haddington  way. 
She  died  young  and  left  a  boy  and  girl.  The  girl  married  Mr  Weir 
of  the  Cathcart  Pump  Works,  and  the  young  fellow  who  assaulted  Sir 
William  Macewan's  son  is  a  grandson  or  great-grandson  of  "  Dear 
bought  Bess."  Her  son  Bishop  has  a  son  in  Glasgow,  who  is  an 
exhibitor  at  the  present  Exhibition. 

With  kindest  regards,  I  am,  faithfully  yours, 

Thos.  Kellier. 

P.S. — Of  course  I  am  giving  you  this  from  memory,  but  I  think  I  am 
correct. 


CONCERNING  ROBERT  HERON. 

Galloway  House,  George  Street,  Wolverhampton, 
July  3 1st,  1910. 

As  to  that  poor  wayward  devil,  Robert  Heron,  a  great  deal  of 
stray  information  might  still  be  collected.  The  first  information 
I  obtained  of  him  was  from  Isaac  Disraeli's  Calamities  and  Quarrels 
of  Authors,  in  which  he  quotes  Heron's  letter  to  the  Literary  Fund, 
and  which  is  dated  February  2,  1807,  from  Chancery  Lane.  Then  I 
came  across  an  important  sketch  of  him  in  Thomas  Murray's,  M.A., 
Literary  History  of  Oalloivay,  the  second  edition  of  which  was  published 
in  Edinburgh  in  1832,  and  is  now  very  scarce.  Murray  gives  the  letter 
to  the  Literary  Fund  in  full  under  note  G  in  the  appendix.  There  is 
also  a  sketch  of  Robert  Heron  in  Dr  Alexander  Trotter's  East  Galloway 
Sketches,  published  at  Castle -Douglas  in  1901  by  Adam  Rae,  also  a  short 


140 

reference  to  liini  at  pages  1(55-0.  "  Galloway,"  painted  by  James 
Faed,  jun.,  which  sketches  were  done  by  Faed  some  years  ago  when 
he  stayed  at  my  father's  house,  were  not  published  till  1908, 
described  by  J.  M.  Sloan.  M'Taggart  gives  some  information  of 
Heron  as  a  schoolmaster  in  the  Gallovidian  Encyclopaedia,  which  I 
have  not  seen.  Hugh  Miller,  in  his  work  on  the  Headship  of  Christ, 
gives  an  account  of  a  speech  by  Robert  Heron  in  the  General  Assembly 
on  Clu-istian  Missions,  which  I  have  not  seen.  Heron's  letter  to  the 
Literary  Fund  is  the  most  important  information  of  course.  I  read 
Heron's  Life  of  Burns,  issued  with  the  Poet's  works  in  1804,  and  I 
think  more  could  be  made  out  of  the  Life  itself  than  has  yet  been  done, 
to  the  prejudice  of  Heron's  strictures  on  the  Poet.  Anyway,  it  is 
a  fair  assumption  that  Heron  was  no  match  for  the  Poet  in  wit  and 
repartee  ;  he  had  more  reason  than  appears  on  the  surface  for  referring 
to  the  wit  of  Burns  as  his  "wicked  wit,"  and -judging  from  Heron's 
temperament  Burns's  lampoon  cut  deeper  into  Heron's  vindictive 
natvire  tlian  has  yet  been  recognised.  I  have  gone  through  the  corres- 
pondence of  Sir  John  Sinclair,  hoping  to  find  a  letter  or  reference  to 
Hei'on,  but  there  is  none.  There  is,  however,  an  account  in  Sinclair's 
Statistical  Account  of  Scotland. 

Since  I  wrote  to  you  I  have  dug  out  Hugh  Miller's  Headship  of 
Christ  and  found  the  reference  to  Robert  Heron.  Though  it  supplies 
no  new  biographical  information  perhaps,  it  is  very  interesting,  and 
begins  at  page  145,  in  the  1861  edition  published  by  Adam  and  Charles 
Black,  to  page  148.  Then  there  is  a  reference  by  Dr  John  Erskine  to 
Heron's  speech,  who  seconds  the  motion,  at  pages  150  and  160.  The 
references  in  the  pages  of  Hugh  Miller  gives  more  force  and  point  to 
Burns's  allusion,  where  he  says — 

"  But  aibhns,  honest  Master  Heron 
Had  at  the  time  some  dainty  fair  one 
To  ware  his  theologic  care  on 

And  holy  study  ; 
And  tir'd  o'  sauls  to  waste  his  lear  on 

E'en    tried   the    body." 

Dr  Alexander  Carlyle  was  one  of  the  speakers  in  the  debate  on 
Missions,  but  there  is  no  reference  to  Heron  in  his  Autobiography  so 
far  as  I  know. 

With  kind  regards,  Yours  faithfully, 

Wm.  M'Ilwraith. 


141 

EXCISE    MS. 
An     Important     Find. 

A  correspondent  writes :  Dear  Sir, — When  in  Kilmarnock  not 
long  ago  a  gentleman  gave  me  your  address  as  being  the  most 
likely  one  to  tell  me  the  value  a  Burns  MS.  It  belongs  to  some 
cousins  of  mine,  and  they  have  sent  it  to  me,  thinking  I  am  more 
likely  to  get  a  good  price  for  it  than  _  they  could  in  Ireland. 
All  they  know  about  it  is  that  their  grandmother,  who  died  over  50 
years  ago,  gave  it  to  their  father.  It  is  a  very  much  torn  sheet  of  what 
we  think  is  foolscap  paper.  On  one  side  is  written  :  "  Reports — 
Assisting  at  collection  of  the  Duties  of  the  annexed  Divisions.  Took 
off  worts  in  Com'n  Brewery.  Length  as  usual."  Then  three  other 
things  which  were  done.  Then  a  report  from  R.  Burns  :  "  HonoLu-able 
Sirs, — The  Collector  attended,  and  the  whole  collection  of  (letters  torn) 
with  round  in  this  district  as  properly  carried  on  (this  line  torn).  The 
duties  were  all  placed  forward  in  their  several  ledgers  and  (letters  torn) 
of  arrears,  properly  attested  by  Collector  and  Supervisor,  were  left 
with  each  officer.  I  have  the  honovu"  to  be,  with  the  most  grateful 
respect, — Gentlemen,  Your  most  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 
RoBT.  Burns."  Each  letter  of  signature  is  fully  half  an  inch  long. 
On  the  other  side  of  this  page  is  a  report  by  John  Mitchell  :  "  Dear 
Sirs, — This  diary  includes  42  days,  and  this  employed  29  surveying 
and  transcribing  diary,  and  so  on.  Mr  Burns  has  been  in  every  division 
in  the  district  this  round,  and  on  the  5th  January  in  two.  He  has  very 
uniformly  attended  to  charging  candle  and  leather  and  taking  off 
worts,  as  he  has  to  the  examination  of  books  (last  line  torn).  (B)eing 
his  first  effort,  it  would  be  doing  him  injustice  not  to  mention  that  he 
appears,  from  the  work  of  this  diary,  to  have  gone  into  the  spirit  of 
the  duty  entrusted  to  him. — I  am,  Hon.  Sirs,  etc.,  John  Mitchell." 

On  the  opposite  side  to  what  I  first  quoted  there  are  a  few  notes. 
Under  "  Jan.  15th  :  Divisions  and  officers. — Dumfries,  1st,  2nd,  and 
3rd  Division,  with  Brigend  ;  Lochmaben,  16th;  Sanquhar,  17th" — 
5  in  all,  each  signed  by  "  exd.  J.  W.,"  or  it  may  be  "  J.  M."  (John 
Mitchell). 

It  is  in  a  very  torn  state,  having  been  folded  three  times.  But 
the  reports  are  both  in  a  very  good  state,  considering  how  very  little 
care  has  been  taken  of  them.  There  is  no  year  ;  but,  of  covirse,  an  expert 
could  tell  the  date  from  the  water-mark  on  paper.  It  is  yellow,  in 
places  almost  brown,  with  age,  and  unless  the  torn  state  is  against  it 
I  should  think  it  very  valuable,  not  only  from  the  fact  of  its  being 
Bums's  letter,  but  because  it  was  evidently  the  first  report  he  sent  in, 


142 

and  the  first  report  nbout  him  by  Mr  Mitchell,  and  written  in  such  a 
way  that  both  can  be  read  if  framed  in  glass.  My  only  apology  for 
sending  you  such  a  lengthy  letter  is  the  knowledge  of  your  interest 
in  everything  connected  with  R.  Burns. 

Yours  sincerelj% 

(Mrs)  Jessie  A.  Bell. 


D.  .Al-Xan^ht,  Es 


[Tho  above  MS.  was  forwarded  to  us  and  carefully  examined.  It 
is  a  page  from  Burns's  official  Diary,  which  has  been  folded  and 
preserved  in  most  careless  fashion — so  much  so,  that  extensive  repail-s 
are  necessary  before  much  money  can  be  obtained  for  it.  Burns's 
report  and  Mitchell's  note  of  commendation  on  the  back  are  in  fair 
preservation,  as  is  also  the  signature  of  the  Poet,  all  three  being  clear 
of  the  tattered  edges  and  folds.  We  guess  the  date  to  be  1792,  when 
the  conduct  of  Biu-ns  was  being  enquired  into  by  his  superiors  and  he 
required  the  good  offices  of  Mitchell  and  Findlater.  The  document  is 
certainly  an  interesting  one. — Ed.] 


DECADENCE    IN    DUMFRIES. 

10  West  Garden  Street,  Glasgow, 
23rd  December,  1910. 

Dear  Sir, — Having  read  in  to-day's  Glasgow  Herald  a  short  report 
of  your^defence  of  Burns  as  delivered  in  the  Clubroom  last  night,  I 
beg  to  bring  to  your  notice  the  following  side-light  on  the  Poet's  life 
in' Diunf ries,  believing  it  is  not  generally  known,  and  that  any  authentic 
details  of  that  period — however  slight — are  of  value  in  combating 
the'exaggerated  picture  which  too  many  people  still  have  of  the  Poet's 
"  frailties." 

About  ten  or  twelve  years  ago  I  frequently  spent  the  evening 
with  an  old  gentleman  of  Dumfries,  who  had  many  memories  of  the 
town.  His  age  at  that  time  would  be  about  seventy,  which  would 
bring  his^father's  memories  well  within  the  period  to  which  you  referred 
last  night.  When  the  great-grandfather  of  my  friend  chanced  ta 
have  any  guest  whom  he  specially  wished  to  honour,  a  request  was 
sent  that  "  Mr  Burns  "  would  make  one  of  the  party  ;  and  on  one 
occasion,  my  informant's  father  having  been  sent  on  such  an  errand, 
found  the  Poet  bvisy  "  hearkening  "    his  children's  lessons — nor  would 


143 

he  leave  till  that  duty  was  finished.  My  friend's  father — the  boy  who 
on  that  occasion  had  this  glimpse  of  the  Burns'  homelife — left  it  on 
record  that  the  Poet  always  took  the  utmost  pains  with  the  education 
of  the  children.       Hardly  the  action  of  a  besotted  father  ! 

Again,  as  illustrating  the  fact  that  Burns  never  (as  has 
been  more  than  hinted)  lost  the  respect  of  his  fellow-townsmen  ;  from 
this  same  source  I  had  it  that  although  at  that  time  Diunfriesians 
were  generally  hailed  by  their  christened  names  as — "  Tarn,  Jock,  or 
Will,"  Burns  was  always  "  Mr  Burns  "  to  all  the  town.  Local 
customs  are  slow  to  change  in  ruial  or  semi-rural  districts.  I  know 
Dumfries  very  well.  This  familiar  use  of  the  christened  name,  even 
on  fairly  short  acquaintance,  is  a  strong  characteristic  of  the  people. 
It  seems  the  more  significant  therefore,  that  in  a  town  whose  inhabi- 
tants are  fully  as  prone  as  most  folks  to  pick  holes  in  their  neighbours' 
garments,  Burns  should  always  have  received  the  more  deferential 
form  of  address.  Does  not  this  suggest  that  his  bitter  use  of  the 
words  "  Werena  my  heart  licht,  I  wad  dee,"  sprang  from  a  sense  of 
want  of  appreciation,  rather  than  the  snobbish  slight  of  neighbours  ? 

Trusting  I  have  not  unduly  trespassed  on  yoiu*  time. 

I  am.  Yours  truly, 

R.  G.  Edington  Smith. 
To  Mr  D.  M'Naught, 

President   Burns  Federation. 


MOTTO—'-  A  MAN'S  A  MAN  FOR  A'  THAT.'' 


The  Burns  Federation. 

INSTITUTED    1885. 


Hon.   Presidents — The  Right  Hon.  The  Earl  of  Rosebery,  K.G.,  K.T. 

Andrew  Carnegie,  LL.D.,  Skibo  Castle. 
Hon.    Vice-Presidents — Wm.    Wallace,    LL.D.,    42    Athole    Gardens 
Glasgow. 
Professor  Lawson,  D.D.,  The  University,  St.  Andrews 
Sir  James   Sivewright,    K.C.M.G.,    Tulliallan    Castle, 
Kincardine-on-Forth. 

OFFICE-BEARERS. 
President — Duncan  M'Naught,  J. P.,  Benrig,  Kilmaurs. 
Vice-Presidents — Provost  M.  Smith,  Kilmarnock. 

Ex-Provost  Wilson,  149  Howard  Street,  Glasgow. 

Rev.  James  Forrest,  M.A.,  Kirkcaldy. 

James  Ballantyne,  21  Rose  Street,  Garnethill,  Glasgow. 

Thomas  Brown,  Maryfield,  Low-waters,  Hamilton. 

Ex-Bailie  Hugh  Mayberry,  J. P.,  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 

Philip  Sulley,  F.S.A.,  Galashiels. 

J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  109  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 

A.  M'Callum,  News  Office,  Pollokshaws. 

Alexander  Pollock,  52  West  Nile  Street,  Glasgow. 

Joseph  Martin,  163  West  George  Street,  Glasgow. 

Alderman  William  Burns,  Sunderland. 

W.  H.  Turner,  9  The  Oaks,  Sunderland. 

P.  Paterson,  23  Bruce  Street,  Dunfermline. 

Henry  Durham,  F.C.S.,  F.Ph.Sc,  13  Colherne  Road,  S.  Kensing- 
ton,  London,  S.W. 

John  Carmichael,  27  Blytheswood  Drive,  Glasgow. 

Ex-Dean  of  Guild  Alex.  Stevenson,  Ella  House,  Falkirk. 

Police-Judge  Wm.  Munro,  J.P.,  Howard  Park  Drive,  Kilmarnock. 

Ex-Bailie  John  Ross,  Caledonian  House,  Lanark. 

Col.  Bennett,  Gordon  Street,  Glasgow. 

Hugh  M'Call,  278  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 


145 

Hon.  Secretary — Thos.  Amos,  M.A.,  19  Glebe  Road,  Kilmarnock. 
Assistant  Secretary — Geo.  A.  Innes,  F.E.I.S.,  Kilmarnock. 
Hon.  Treasurer — Joseph  Brockie,  J. P.,  Royal  Bank,  Kilmarnock. 
Editor  "  Burns  Chronicle  " — D.  M'Naught,  J. P.,  Benrig,  Kilmaure. 
Auditors — Captain  D.  Yuille  and  Adam  Mackay,  Kilmarnock. 
Local  Representatives — 

London — James  Thomson,  85  Fleet  Street,  E.G. 

North  of  England — W.  H.  Turner,  Sunderland. 

Glasgow    and    District — J.    Jeffrey   Hunter,    109  Bath   Street, 
Glasgow. 

CONSTITUTION. 

1.  The  Federation  shall  consist  of  Hon.  Presidents,  Hon.  Vice- 
Presidents,  Executive  Council,  and  members  of  each  affiliated  Club. 

2.  The  Executive  Coimcil  shall  consit  of  a  President,  Vice- 
Presidents,  Hon.  Secretary,  Hon.  Treasurer,  Editor  of  the  Burns 
Chronicle,  and  two  Auditors — all  of  whom  shall  be  elected  annually, 
and  be  eligible  for  re-election — also  of  the  President,  Vice-President, 
and  Secretary,  or  any  other  three  members  of,  and  nominated  by, 
each  affiliated  Club,  and  other  gentlemen  of  eminence  as  Burnsians 
nominated  by  the  Executive  Council. 

3.  All  Past  Presidents  of  the  Federation  shall  ex  officio  be  members 
of  the  Executive  Council. 

4.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  consist  of  the  Office-bearers 
of  the  Federation,  who  shall  meet  qviarterly,  or  when  called  by  the 
Hon.  Secretary,  for  the  transaction  of  the  business  of  the  Federation. 

5.  Federated  Clubs  outwith  the  United  Kingdom  may  be  repre- 
sented by  proxy  at  the  meetings  of  the  Federation. 

OBJECTS  OF  THE  FEDERATION. 

1.  To  strengthen  and  consolidate  by  universal  affiliation  the 
bond  of  fellowship  existing  amongst  the  members  of  Burns  Clubs  and 
kindred  Societies. 

2.  To  superintend  the  publication  of  works  relating  to  Burns. 

3.  To  acquire  a  fund  for  the  purchase  and  preservation  of  Holo- 
graph Manuscripts  and  other  Relics  connected  with  the  life  of  the 
Poet,  and  for  other  purposes  of  a  like  nature,  as  the  Executive  Council 
may  determine. 

4.  To  repair,  renew,  and  where  advisable  mark  with  suitable 
inscriptions  any  buildings,  tombstones,  etc.,  interesting  from  their 
association  with  Burns. 

5.  To  encourage  and  arrange  school  competitions  in  order  to  stimu- 
late the  teaching  of  Scottish  History  and  Literature. 

RULES. 

1.  The  Headquarters  of  the  Federation  shall  be  in  Kilmarnock, 
the  town  in  which  the  Federation  was  inaugurated  and  carried  to  a 
practical  issue,  and  which  contains  the  only  properly  organised  Burns 
Library  and  Museum  in  the  United  Kingdom. 


14« 

2.  I'rnpoiiy  orj>!inisod  Bums  C  liibs,  St.  Andrew's  Societies,  and 
kindred  Associations  may  be  admitted  to  the  Federation  by  application 
in  writing  to  the  Hon.  Secretary,  enclosing  a  copy  of  Constitution, 
Rules,  and  list  of  members,  which  shall  be  submitted  to  the  Executive 
Committee  at  their  first  meeting,  and  the  Clubs  shall  be  enrolled  if 
there  are  not  more  than  two  dissentients. 

3.  The  Registration  Fee  is  21s,  on  receipt  of  which  the  Diploma 
of  the  Federation  shall  be  issued,  after  being  numl)ored  and  signed 
by  the  President  and  Hon.   Secretary. 

■4.  Members  of  every  Burns  Club  or  kindred  Association  registered 
by  the  Federation  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  a  pocket  Diploma  on 
payment  of  Is.       These  payments  are  final — not  annual. 

5.  The  funds  of  the  Federation  shall  be  vested  in  the  Executive 
Committee  for  the  purposes  before-mentioned. 

0.  A  meeting  of  the  Executive  Council  shall  be  held  annually  on 
the  fii'st  Saturday  of  September,  at  such  place  as  may  be  agreed  upon, 
when  reports  on  the  year's  transactions  shall  be  submitted  by  the 
Hon.  Secretary  and  Hon.  Treasurer,  and  office-bearers  elected  for  the 
ensuing  year. 

7.  A  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee  shall  take  place  some 
time  before  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Executive  Council  to  make  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  the  same. 

8.  All  nominations  for  the  office  of  Vice-President  must  be  lodged 
with  the  Hon.  Secretary  two  months  before  the  Annual  Meeting. 

9.  Each  Federated  Club  shall  subscribe  10s  6d  per  annum  towards 
the  fund  for  the  publication  of  the  Burns  Chronicle.  Clubs  failing 
to  paj'  this  subscription  for  two  consecutive  years  may  be  struck  off 
the  roll  of  the  Federation.  Any  siu-plus  profits  resulting  from  the 
sale  of  the  Chronicle  shall  be  added  to  the  general  funds. 

10.  Notice  of  any  amendment  or  alteration  of  the  Constitution 
or  Rviles  of  the  Federation  to  be  considered  at  the  Annual  Meeting 
must  be  lodged  in  writing  with  the  Hon.  Secretary  not  later  than  30th 
June. 

BENEFITS. 

1.  Registered  Clubs  are  supplied  free  witli  copies  of  newsjaapers 
containing  accounts  of  meetings,  demonstrations,  etc.,  organised, 
conducted,  or  attended  by  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Federation, 
and  of  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Kilmarnock  Burns  Club. 

2.  Exchange  of  fraternal  greetings  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
Poet's  natal  day. 

3.  Members  of  Registered  Clubs  who  have  provided  themselves 
with  pocket  diplomas  are  entitled  to  attend  meetings  of  all  Clubs  on 
the  Roll  of  the  Federation,  they  being  subject  to  the  rules  of  the  Club 
visited,  but  liaving  no  voice  in  its  management  unless  admitted  a 
member  according  to  local  form. 

4.  Members  are  entitled  to  be  supplied,  through  the  Secretaries 
of  their  respective  Clubs,  with  copies  of  all  Works  published  by  the 
Federation  at  a  discount  of  33:1  per  cent. 

5.  A  list  of  lecturers,  essayists,  and  judges  for  Children's  Competi- 
tions will  he  supplied  to  Clubs  on  application. 


147 


BOOKS   PUBLISHED   BY   THE   FEDERATION. 


Burns  Holograph  Manuscripts  in  the  Kilmarnock  Monmnent 


Burns  C 


Mxiseum,  with  Notes 

HRONICLE  AND  ClUB   DIRECTORY 


(out  of  i^rint) 


1889 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 


Is  6d 
IsOd 
ls6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
Is  6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
Is  6d 
ls6d 
Is  6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
Is  6d 
Is  6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 
ls6d 


Copies  of  the  last  three  vols,  may  still  be  had  on  application  to 
the  Hon.  Treasurer. 


MINUTES    OF    ANNUAL    MEETING 


BURNS    FEDERATION. 


BuROH  Hall,  Municipal  Buildings, 
Glasgow,  2nd  September,  1911. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Burns  Federation 
was  held  here  to-day  at  10.30  a.m.  Mr  D.  M'Naught,  J.P.,  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Federation,  presided  over  a  record  meeting  of  three  hundred 
Delegates  from  Scotland,  England,  and  Ireland.  The  following  Clubs 
were  represented  : — 

No.  0,  Kilmarnock  ;  No.  1,  London  Robert  Burns  ;  No.  2,  Alex- 
andria ;  No.  3,  Glasgow  Tam  o'  Shanter  ;  No.  5,  Ercildouno  ;  No.  7, 
Glasgow  Thistle  ;  No.  9,  Glasgow  Royalty  ;  No.  14,  Dundee  ;  No. 
20,  Airdrie  ;  No.  21,  Greenock  ;  No.  22,  Edinburgh  ;  No.  33,  Glasgow 
Haggis  ;  No.  34,  Glasgow  Carrick  ;  No.  35,  Dairy  ;  No.  36,  Glasgow 
Rosebery  ;  No.  48,  Paisley  ;  No.  49,  Glasgow  Bridgeton  ;  No.  60, 
Stirling  ;  No.  53,  Govan  Fairfield  ;  No.  56,  Muirkirk  Lapraik  ;  No. 
57,  Thornliebank  ;  No.  62,  Cupar  ;  No.  63,  Glasgow  Mossgiel  ;  No. 
67,  Glasgow  Carlton  ;  No.  68,  Glasgow  Sandyford  ;  No.  71,  Carlisle  ; 
No.  74,  Glasgow  Mauchline  Society  ;  No.  75,  Kirn  ;  No.  76,  Brechin  ; 
No.  83,  Glasgow  Co-operative  ;  No.  85  ;  Dunfermline  United  ;  No. 
86,  Cumnock  Winsome  Willie  ;  No.  89,  Sunderland  ;  No.  91,  Shettles- 
ton  ;  No.  92,  Kilbowie  Jolly  Beggars  ;  No.  96,  Jedburgh  ;  No.  97, 
Kilmarnock  Bellfield  ;  No.  98,  Lanark;  No.  99,  Barhnnie  ;  No.  100, 
Hamilton  ;  No.  105,  Rutherglen  Cronies  ;  No.  108,  East  Calder  and 
District;  No.  112,  Dimifries  Burns  Howff  ;  No.  113,  Vale  of  Leven 
Glencairn  ;  No.  118,  Glasgow  Albany;  No.  121,  Hamilton  Junior; 
No.  123,  Auchinleck  Boswell  ;  No.  124,  Edinburgh  Ninety  ;  No.  125, 
Blackburn  on  Almond;  No.  126,  Falkirk;  No.  127,  Cowdenbeath 
Haggis  ;  No.  128,  Cowdenbeath  Glencairn  ;  No.  129,  Gorbals  ;  No. 
132,  Riccarton  Kirkstyle  ;  No.  133,  Newarthill  ;  No.  135,  Partick 
Western  ;  No.  139,  Glasgow  National  ;  No.  140,  Pollokshaws  ;  No. 
145,  Glasgow  Central;  No.  148,  Greenock  Cronies;  No.  150,  Kilmar- 
nock Jolly  Beggars;  No.  151,  Old  Kilpatrick  ;  No.  152,  Hamilton; 
No.  153,  Scottish  ;  No.  155,  East  Stirlingshire  ;  No.  157,  Baillieston 
Caledonian  ;  No.  160,  Whitburn  ;  No.  163,  Gateshead  and  District  ; 
No.  164,  Kinning  Park;  No.  168,  Riccarton;  No.  169,  Glasgow  and 
District  ;  No.  170,  Larkhall  Thistle  ;  No.  173,  Irvine  ;  No.  175,  Meikle 
Earnock  ;  No.  176,  Renfrew;  No.  177,  Prestwick  ;  No.  178,  Kilmar- 
nock Begbie's  ;  No.  181,  Glasgow  Primrose  ;  No.  182,  Stane  Mossgiel  ; 
No  183,  Londonderry;  No.  184,  Blairadam  Shanter;  No.  186,  Kil- 
marnock Glencairn  ;  No.  187,  Galashiels  ;  No.  189,  Clydebank  liarns 
o'  Clyde;  No.  191,  Moorpark  ;  No.  192,  Ayrshire  Association;  No. 
193,  Rutherglen  Jolly  Beggars;  No.  195,  Sliiremoor  Blue  Bell;  No. 
198,   Gorebridge   Jolly   Beggars;     No.    199,   Newbattle   and    District; 


149 

No.  200,  Stonehouse  Jolly  Beggars  ;   No.  202,  Govan  Cronies  ;   No.  203, 
Dennistoun  ;    No.  204,  Dundalk  ;    No.  205,  Paisley  St.  Mirren. 

The  minutes  of  the  last  Annual  Meeting  were  read  and  approved. 

The  Hon.  Secretary,  Mr  Thomas  Amos,  read  his  Annual  Report. 

THE   SECRETARY'S  REPORT. 

To-day  the  Burns  Federation  holds  its  twenty-sixth  annual  meet 
ing — a  meeting  which  is  an  many  respects  the  most  remarkable  in  the 
whole  series.  We  have  present  at  this  conference  no  fewer  than  300 
delegates  representing  92  Biu-ns  Clubs  in  Scotland,  England,  and  Ire- 
land. As  far  as  I  know,  this  is  one  of  the  luost  representative  gather- 
ings of  Burnsians  that  has  ever  assembled.  Again,  we  are  to-day 
the  guests  of  the  Lord  Provost  and  the  Corporation  of  Glasgow,  and 
we  are  grateful  for  the  recognition  and  hospitality  of  this  great  citj^ 
During  the  past  year  the  Federation  has  made  steady  progress.  There 
are  now  on  ovir  roll  206  clubs.  Since  our  last  meeting  the  following 
clubs  have  affiliated  :  Rutherglen  Jolly  Beggars,  Middlebie,  Shiremoor, 
Mid-Argyll,  Winnipeg,  Gorebridge  Jolly  Beggars,  Newbattle  and 
District,  Stonehouse  Jolly  Beggars,  Carlisle  Newtown,  Govan  Cronies, 
Dennistoun  Jolly  Beggars,  Dundalk  and  District,  and  Paisley  St. 
Mirren.  Since  our  last  annual  meeting  the  principal  events  in  the 
Burns  world  have  been  the  unveiling  of  a  monviment  to  Biu-ns's 
Stewarton  relatives,  the  publication  of  the  Chronicle,  the  death  of 
James  Glencairn  Thomson,  and  the  opening  of  the  Scottish  National 
Exhibition.  On    the    24th     September,     1910,    our    President,    Mr 

M'Naught,  unveiled  in  the  churchyard  of  Stewarton  a  monument 
in  luemory  of  "  Poor  Uncle  Robert  "  and  other  relatives  of  Burns  who 
lie  beside  the  old  Parish  Church.  The  funds  for  the  monument  were 
collected  by  the  local  Literary  Association,  which  deserves  the  greatest 
credit  for  so  successfully  carrying  out  its  undertaking.  The  monument 
may  justly  be  called  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  National  Bard, 
and  is  an  instance  of  the  Scottish  local  pride  which  forbids  any  asBsocia- 
tion  with  the  Poet  to  remain  immarked.  A  large  and  interested  audi- 
ence, including  many  members  of  the  Federation,  gathered  round 
the  monviment  during  the  ceremony,  and  listened  attentively  to  an 
able  and  eloquent  address  by  Mr  M'Naught.  In  the  month  of  January, 
after  many  delays,  the  twentieth  number  of  the  Burns  Chronicle  was 
published.  It  was,  like  its  predecessors,  a  literary  and  commercial 
success,  but  there  still  remains  very  much  to  be  done  by  the  members 
of  the  Federation  to  extend  the  circulation  of  this — their  own  publica- 
tion. Our  best  thanks  are  due  to  the  veteran  editor  for  his  imtiring 
and  unselfish  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  welfare  of  this  magazine.  Quite 
recently  there  passed  away  the  last  survivor  of  the  grandchildren  of 
Robert  Burns.  No  fewer  than  1 1 5  years  had  elapsed  between  the  death  of 
James  Glencairn  Thomson  and  that  of  his  immortal  grandfather.  It 
is  pleasing  to  know  that  the  latter  days  of  this  genial  and  kindlj^  old 
man  were  much  brightened  by  the  friendship  and  generous  help  of 
some  of  the  admirers  of  our  National  Bard  who  are  with  us  to-day. 
The  movement  on  behalf  of  the  Chair  of  Scottish  Literature  and 
History  has,  during  the  past  year,  been  in  a  state  of  suspended  anima- 
tion. Last  September  we  were  told  that  the  sum  of  £5000  had  been 
promised  for  this  object.  Since  then  there  has  been  a  universal  halt 
to  see  whether  the  eagerly  expected  balance  from  the  Scottish  National 
Exhibition  can  make  up  the  £15,000  required  to  complete  the    sun^ 


150 

necessaiy  to  endow  a  University  Chair.  In  the  meantime  we  would 
strongly  advise  the  delegates  present  to  keep  this  movement  promi- 
nently before  the  members  of  their  clubs,  and  to  give  it  their  whole- 
hearted and  most  generous  support  whatever  the  balance  may  be. 
We  are  certain  that  our  clubs  will  carry  out  any  responsibilities  under- 
taken bj^  them  on  behalf  of  the  movement,  which  was  first  brought 
before  the  public  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Federation  held  in  Dimi- 
fries  twelve  years  ago.  The  Scottish  National  Exhibition  has  the 
very  best  wishes  of  the  Federation  for  its  success.  We  heartily  syin- 
pathise  with  the  object  of  the  Exhibition,  and  hope  that  it  may  be 
as  great  a  triumph  financially  as  it  has  been  from  a  spectacular  point 
of  view.  The  presence  of  such  a  unique  and  valuable  collection  of 
portraits  of  our  famous  coimtrjnnen,  along  with  the  antiquarian 
treasures  housed  in  the  Historical  Buildings,  is  bound  to  have  a  stimu- 
lating effect  on  those  who  are  working  for  the  foimdation  of  the  Chair. 
We  are  pleased  to  see  a  section  set  apart  for  our  National  Bard.  Though 
small,  it  is  select  and  most  instructive.  None  of  the  articles  shown 
have  been  exhibited  before,  and  they  demand  the  special  attention 
of  all  true  followers  of  Burns.  Of  the  Burns  pageant,  which  caused 
so  much  pain  and  indignation  among  our  members,  all  we  need  now 
say  is,  that  it  is  a  great  pity  the  author  chose  to  present  to  the  public  in 
such  a  form  an  alleged  incident  in  the  Poet's  life  which  rests  on  abso- 
kitely  no  foundation.  The  manner  in  which  the  author  was  taken 
to  task  by  some  of  our  most  prominent  members  gave  the  liveliest 
satisfaction  to  the  Federation.  It  is  most  encouraging  to  note  at  the 
present  time  the  increased  vitality  in  Burns  Clubs  throughout  our  land. 
They  are  no  mushrooms  of  yesterday — three  of  the  clubs  on  our  roll, 
are  more  than  one  hundred  years  old.  They  have  survived  the  sneers 
of  the  "  superior  person  "  and  the  jeers  of  the  "  unco  guid,"  and  it 
is  pleasing  to  report  that  never  in  their  history  have  Burns  Clubs 
been  doing  better  work  than  to-day.  Scattered  all  over  our  land, 
and  filling  no  small  part  in  our  national  life,  we  find  them,  in  addition 
to  fostering  a  friendly,  social  feeling  among  our  fellow-men,  doing 
excellent  educational  work  by  encouraging,  through  competitions 
among  school  children,  a  knowledge  of  our  national  song  and  poetry. 
Instead  of  being  purely  social  clubs,  meeting  once  a  year  to  celebrate 
the  Poet's  birthday,  w^e  find  them  now  in  many  instances  patriotic 
Scottish  Literary  Societies,  meeting  frequently  during  the  winter  to 
discuss  poetical  and  historical  subjects  of  a  national  character.  As 
long  as  such  work  is  being  carried  on,  we  have  no  need  to  fear  the 
decadence  of  Burns  Clubs.  We  are  provid  that  the  knowledge  of  our 
Bard's  works  is  by  no  means  confined  to  oirr  own  country,  but  that 
it  is  yearly  spreading  all  over  the  world.  Winnipeg  Burns  Club, 
which  joined  the  Federation  during  the  past  year,  is  at  present  sub- 
scribing to  raise  a  monument  to  Bvu-ns  wliich  will  be  a  magnificent 
testimony  to  the  love  our  brethren  in  Canada  have  for  the  poet  of 
himianity.  From  St.  Louis,  U.S.A.,  I  lately  received  a  little  book 
pviblished  by  the  local  Burns  Club,  which  contains  a  number  of 
addresses  full  of  appreciation  of  our  National  Poet  and  his  w ork.  But 
w^hat  interested  me  even  more  than  these  excellent  lectures  was  a 
poem  by  a  Chinaman,  Chang  Yow  Tong,  a  few  verses  of  which  I  propose, 
in  concluding,  to  read  to  you — 

"  O,  kindred  soul  of  hiimble  birth, 

Divine,  though  of  the  lowly  earth. 
Forgotten  thou  art  not  to-day 
Nor  yet  neglected — here's  thy  bay. 


151 

Thy  cottage-home  hid  from  the  proud. 
Nor  thought  of  by  the  vulgar  crowd. 
In  thine  own  time  has  claimed  a  place 
On  which  the  world's  eyes  now  gaze. 

Nor  changed  its  homely,  rugged  lines. 
Where  closely  crept  thy  tender  vines  ; 
But  men  have  changed  :   nor  yet  deplore — 
Where  once  they  spiu-ned  we  now  adore. 

Thy  life  and  work  and  destiny 
Contain  a  meaning  deep  for  me  ; — 
Though  fame  be  darkened  by  a  fate, 
The  laurel  wreath  comes  soon  or  late. 

Thy  splendid  fame  shall  ever  rise 
With  undimned  gloi'y  to  the  skies — 
To  struggling  souls  a  hope  shall  yield 
On  sailing  seas  and  ploughing  field. 

I  am  a  foreign,  unknown  bard. 
Whose  deviovis  course  is  rough  and  hard  ; 
But  cheered  at  times  by  thy  sweet  song 
I  sing  away,  nor  mind  the  throng. 

Like  thee,  I!ll  toil  with  manly  hand, 
Like  thee  by  manhood  ever  stand 
And,  guided  by  thy  spirit  brave. 
Shall  wait  for  verdict  at  the  grave." 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Hugh  Mayberry,  J. P.,  the  Secretary  was 
thanked  for  the  report. 

In  the  absence  of  the  Hon.  Treasurer,  his  annual  financial  state- 
ment was  submitted  by  Mr  G.  A.  Innes.  It  showed  that  the  income  for 
the  past  year  amounted  to  £99  7s  3d,  and  the  exjoenditure  to  £98  Os 
5d,  leaving  a  balance  of  £1  6s  lOd.  To  this  there  fell  to  be  added 
arrears  amounting  to  £23  7s  3d.  The  total  funds  at  the  credit  of 
the  Federation  were  shewn  to  amount  to  £301  5s  7d.  The  statement 
was  unanimously  adopted. 

Mr  F.  C.  Anderson,  Brechin,  suggested  that  the  financial  statement 
should  be  published  annually  in  the  Chronicle.  On  the  motion  of 
Provost  Smith,  Kilmarnock,  it  was  agreed  that  this  was  unnecessary. 
Mr  M'Naught,  in  submitting  his  annual  report  on  the  Chronicle, 
said  there  was  a  small  profit.  He  also  expressed  his  willingness  to 
continue  as  Editor  if  the  Federation  desired  to  continue  the  publication. 
On  the  motion  of  Mr  W.  H.  Turner,  Sunderland,  seconded  by  Mr 
Philip  Sulley,  Galashiels,  it  was  agreed  to  continue  the  publication 
of  the  Chronicle,  and  to  express  the  thanks  of  the  Federation  to  the 
President  for  his  excellent  work  as  Editor.  It  was  also  resolved  to 
renew  the  grant  of  £2.5  towards  the  cost  of  carrying  on  the  Chronicle. 

In  his  report  on  the  proposed  Chair  of  Scottish  History  and  Litera- 
ture, the  Rev.  Jas.  Forrest,  M.A.,  Kirkcaldy,  regretted  there  was  no 
increase  in  the  fund  during  the  past  year.  They  were  looking  for  the 
bulk  of  the  money  from  the  Scottish  National  Exhibition,  which  had 
been  a  great  financial  success.  He  reminded  the  meeting  that  it  was 
due  to  Burnsians  entirely  that  there  was  a  Scottish  Exhibition.  He 
trusted^that  by  next  year  they  would  be  able  to  report  not  only  a 


152 

sufficient  sum  for  the  establishnu>nt  ami  cndovnnent  of  the  Cliair,  but 
that  all  sums  promised  by  Burns  Clubs  had  been  paid. 

The  Constitution  and  Rules  of  the  Federation,  as  revised  and 
amended  by  a  si)ec'ial  committee,  were  submitted  by  Mr  F.  C.  Anderson, 
Brechin,  and  after  a  short  discussion  were  unanimously  adopted  by 
the  meeting. 

yiv  Alex.  Pollock,  Glasgow,  reported  on  the  educational  work  that 
was  being  carried  on  by  many  Bvirns  Clubs,  and  strongly  advised  all 
Clubs  to  organise  children's  competitions,  not  only  in  the  works  of 
Burns,  but  in  works  of  other  Scottish  poets  and  authors.  Mr  Pollock 
also  promised  to  give  any  assistance  necessary  to  any  Club  beginning 
this  very  valuable  work. 

Mr  Hugh  MColl,  Glasgow,  also  referred  to  the  importance  of  the 
educational  work  which  was  being  carried  on  under  the  auspices  of 
Burns  Clubs,  and  singled  out  for  commendation  Bridgeton,  Sandyford, 
Rosebery,  Albany,  Thornliebank,  and  the  Western  Btirns  Clubs. 

The  Chairman  expressed  his  entire  approval  of  the  work  brought 
before  the  meeting  by  Messrs  Pollock  and  M'CoIl,  who  were  cordially 
thanked  for  their  reports. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Andrew  Sinclair,  Kilmarnock,  all  the  existing 
office-bearers  were  re-elected,  and  on  the  respective  motions  of  Messrs 
Amos  and  JefTrey  Himter,  Mr  Hugh  M'Coll  and  Col.  Bennett  were  added 
to  the  list  of  Vice-Presidents. 

Mr  Jeffrey  Hunter  moved  that  a  small  committee  be  appointed 
to  consider  and  report  on  the  expediency  of  establishing  some  memorial 
to  the  three  founders  of  the  Federation — Colin  Rae-Brown,  Provost 
Mackay,  and  Captain  Sneddon.  He  suggested  the  memorial  might 
take  the  form  of  a  scholarship  or  prize  of  some  kind  in  connection  with 
the  study  of  Scottish  History.  Mr  Jas.  Thomson,  London  Robert 
Burns  Club,  seconded  the  motion,  which  was  unanimously  adopted. 
The  following  committee  was  then  appointed  :  Mr  M 'Naught,  Mr 
Amos,  Provost  Smith,  Mr  M'CoII,  Mr  Jas.  Ballantyne,  Ex-Provost 
Wilson,  Mr  Sulley,  Mr  Jos.  Martin,  Mr  James  Thomson,  and  Mr  J. 
Jeffrey  Hunter. 

Mr  Reid,  Carlisle,  gave  the  Delegates  a  hearty  invitation  to  that 
ancient  Border  city,  where  it  had  been  agreed  to  hold  next  annual 
meeting.  On  the  motion  of  Mr  Philip  Sulley,  it  was  agreed  to  meet 
at  Galashiels  in  1913. 

On  the  motion  of  Mr  Hugh  Mayborry,  seconded  by  Ex-Bailie 
Nicol,  Glasgow,  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  awarded  to  the  President. 

The  business  meeting  then  terminated. 

CORPORATION  LUNCHEON. 

The  delegates  were  afterwards  entertained  to  luncheon  in  their 
magnificent  banqueting  hall  by  the  Corporation  of  Glasgow.  In 
the  unavoidable  ab.sence  of  the  Lord  Provost,  Bailie  Archibald  Camp- 
bell, senior  magistrat<i,  occupied  the  chair.  The  croupiers  were  ex- 
Bailies  Robert  Anderson,  Battersby,  Steele,  W.  F.  Anderson,  Willock, 
M'Farlane,  R.  S.  Brown,  and  Master  of  Works  Stewart.  Among  the 
guests  were  Sir  John  Ure  Primrose,  Bart.  ;  Sir  James  Sivewright, 
K.C.M.G.,  Hon.  Vice-President  of  the  Federation  ;  Mr  A.  L.  Brown, 
ex-M.P.  for  the  Border  Burghs  ;  and  nearly  every  office-bearer  of  the 
Federation. 

After  an  excellent  luncheon,  enlivened  by  the  strains  of  a  string 
band,  the  Ch.airmau  offered  the  delegates  a  hearty  welcome  to  the  city 


153 

of  Glasgow,  and  thereafter  in  eloquent  terms  proposed  the  toast  of 
"  The  Burns  Federation,"  which  was  ably  acknowledged  by  Mr 
M 'Naught. 

Provost    Smith,    Kilmarnock,     proposed     "  The    Corporation    of 
Glasgow,"  to  which  the  Chairman  briefly  replied. 


Ex-Provost  RoKEiiT  Wir.wiN,  J. P..  Mr   Hn:n    M'Coll,   Convener  of 

PoUokshaws,  (.'ouveiier  Ente7  Federation    Reception    Com- 

tainments  Committee  at  f  ede-  mil  tee,  Glasgow, 
ration  Meeting. 

The  company  was  thereafter  shown  through  the  Municipal  Build- 
ings and  photographed  in  the  quadrangle. 

The  delegates  were  then  conveyed  in  private  Corporation  cars 
through  the  west-end  of  Glasgow  and  back  to  the  National  Exhibition. 
The  expense  of  this,  as  well  as  the  entrance  fee  to  the  Exhibition,  was 
generously  defrayed  by  the  Burns  Clubs  of  Glasgow  and  District. 
The  delegates  met  in  the  Historical  Section  of  the  Exhibition,  which 
had  been  reserved  for  them,  and  Mr  M 'Naught  gave  an  interesting 
description  of  the  Burns  portraits  and  some  of  the  other  exhibits  in  the 
Burns  section. 

The  delegates  were  afterwards  entertained  to  high  tea  in  the  Atholl 
Restaurant  by  the  local  Burns  Clubs.  Ex-Provost  Wilson,  Pollok- 
shaws,  presided  over  a  large  gathering,  and  in  the  course  of  the  proceed- 
ings several  toasts  were  proposed  and  honoured. 

On  the  evening  previous  to  the  meeting  a  most  successful  smoking 
concert  was  held  in  Sloan's  Arcade  Cafe  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Glasgow  and  District  Burns  Clubs,  who  entertained  all  the  delegates 
from  a  distance.  Under  the  genial  chairmanship  of  Mr  M'Coll  an 
excellent  programme  was  submitted  to  a  most  enthusiastic  audience, 
which  filled  two  large  halls.  The  whole  proceedings  in  connection 
with  the  Conference  were  most  orderly,  well-arranged,  and  enjoyable, 
and  the  thanks  of  the  delegates  are  due  to  the  Corporation  of  Glasgow 
and  to  the  Glasgow  and  District  Burns  Clubs  for  their  most  generous 
hospitality.  The  whole  of  the  local  arrangements  were  admirably 
carried  out  by  a  willing  band  of  workers,  with  Mr  M'Coll  as  chairman 
and  Mr  Jeffrey  Hunter  as  secretary. 

The  Glasgow  Conference  will  certainly  rank  as  the  best  of  the 
meetings  held  by  the  Federation. 

THOMAS  AMOS,  Hon  Secy. 


154 


List  of  Clubs  which  haue  subscribed  for  the  Publishing  Fund 
from  ht  Jan,  1911,  to  21st  Dec,  1911. 


Nottingham      Scottish 

Kilmarnock  Jolly  Beggars 

£0 

10 

(J 

Association 

£0 

10 

l> 

London  Robert  Burns   ... 

1 

1 

0 

Dahy       

0 

10 

() 

Glasgow  Royalty 

0 

JO 

() 

Kihnarnock 

0 

10 

() 

Dumbarton 

0 

JO 

() 

London     Robert      Burns 

Thornliebank 

0 

10 

() 

(1910)  

0 

10 

(i 

Paisley     ... 

0 

10 

() 

Winnipeg  (1910) 

0 

10 

6 

Falkirk 

0 

10 

(> 

Liverpool             

0 

10 

(i 

Row          

0 

10 

0 

Airdrie 

0 

10 

() 

Old  Kilpatrick    ... 

0 

10 

() 

Greenloaning(1910) 

0 

10 

() 

Walker-on-Tyne 

0 

10 

() 

Greenloaning  (1911) 

0 

10 

() 

Glasgow  Primrose 

0 

10 

() 

Eutherglen  Jolly  Beggars 

0 

10 

6 

Clydebank  Barns  o 

■  Clyde  0 

JO 

0 

DarHngton    Burns    Asso- 

Paisley St.  Mirren 

0 

10 

6 

ciation 

0 

10 

6 

Blackburn 

0 

10 

(J 

Glasgow      and      District 

Dumfries  Howff... 

0 

10 

() 

Association    of    Burns 

Dundalk  and  Disti 

ict     . . . 

0 

10 

(> 

Clubs 

0 

10 

(5 

St.  Andrews 

... 

0 

JO 

() 

Shiremoor  Blue  Bell 

0 

10 

(5 

Glasgow  Mossgiel 

... 

0 

10 

f) 

Shettleston          

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Barlinnie 

0 

10 

6 

Dennistoun  Jolly  Beggars 

0 

10 

6 

East  Stirlingshire 

0 

10 

6 

Scottish 

0 

10 

fi 

East  Stii-linusliire  ( 

arrears  )0 

10 

() 

Brecliin    ... 

0 

10 

6 

Muiikuk  Laimiik 

0 

10 

(i 

Glasgow  Tarn  o'  Shanter 

0 

10 

6 

Meikle  Earnoek  f 

riginal 

0 

10 

0 

Edinburgh  Ninety 

0 

10 

6 

Ercildovme 

0 

10 

0 

Haniikon  Mossgiel 

0 

10 

C 

Port-Glasgow      . . . 

0 

10 

H 

LondondeiTv 

0 

10 

6 

Paisley     

0 

10 

() 

Blackhurii-on-Almond  ... 

0 

10 

G 

Vale  of  Leven  Glencairn 

0 

JO 

() 

Alexandria 

0 

10 

6 

Newcastle   and  Tyneside 

0 

JO 

() 

Birmingham 

0 

10 

6 

Winnipeg 

0 

10 

(i 

Greenock              

0 

10 

6 

Larkhall  Thistle... 

0 

10 

(i 

Glasgow  Hutchesontown 

0 

10 

() 

Glasgow  Thistle... 

0 

JO 

(i 

Blairadam  Shanter 

0 

10 

(i 

Chattanooga 

0 

10 

() 

Rutherglen  Cronies 

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Carlton 

(1 

Id 

(> 

Sunderland           

0 

10 

fi 

Hamilton  Junior 

0 

10 

(> 

Newbattle  and  District... 

0 

10 

6 

Lanark     ... 

0 

10 

0 

Kilbowie  Jolly  Beggars... 

0 

10 

6 

Edinbiu-gh 

0 

10 

G 

Cowdenbeath  Glencairn. . 

0 

10 

6 

Newarthill 

0 

10 

G 

Glasgow  Sandyford 

0 

10 

() 

Jedburgh 

0 

1  ■■ 

() 

Gorebridge    Twenty-Five 

Carlisle;     ... 

0 

10 

G 

Jolly  Beggars 

0 

10 

(i 

Glasgow  Albany... 

0 

10 

G 

Partick    Western 

0 

10 

6 

Dundee    ... 

0 

10 

G 

Carlisle  Newton 

0 

10 

6 

Cupar-Fife 

0 

10 

6 

Mid -Argyll           

0 

10 

6 

Glasgow  Mauchline 

Society  0 

10 

6 

Govan  Ye  Cronies 

0 

10 

6 

Kilmarnock  Eellfield      ... 

0 

10 

6 

£43 

1 J 

ft 

155 


Alphabetical  List  of  Federated  Clubs. 


No.  40. 

Aberdeen 

No.  45. 

Cumnock 

84. 

Abington 

86. 

Cmnnock — The    Winsome 

23. 

Adelaide 

Willie 

20. 

Airdrie 

62. 

Cupar 

143. 

Airdrie  Gateside 

179. 

DaiUy 

2. 

Alexandria 

35. 

Dairy 

6. 

Alloa 

158. 

Darlington 

82. 

Arbroath 

122. 

Darnconner 

174. 

Ardrossan  Castle 

55. 

Derby 

123. 

Auchinleck 

37. 

Dollar 

19. 

Auckland 

146. 

Dublin 

192. 

Ayrshire  Association 

10. 

Dumbarton 

157. 

Baillieston  Caledonia 

52. 

Dumfries  Mechanics 

99. 

Barlinnie 

104. 

Di.imfries  Oak 

12. 

Barrow-in-Fiirness 

112. 

Dumfries  Howff 

04. 

Beith 

204. 

Dundalk 

15. 

Belfast 

14. 

Dundee 

167. 

Birmingham 

69. 

Dunedin 

30. 

Blackburn 

80. 

Dunoon  Cowal 

125. 

Blackburn-on-Almond 

85. 

Diuifermline  United 

184. 

Blairadam  Shanter 

188. 

Duns  \^'orking  Men 

■95. 

Bolton 

134. 

Dimtoeher  Heron 

29. 

Bolton  Juniors 

5. 

Earlston 

119. 

Bonhill 

108. 

East  Calder 

142. 

Bonnybridge 

22. 

Edinbia-gli 

76. 

Brechin 

111! 

Edinburgh  South 

120. 

Bristol 

124. 

Edinbiu-gh  Ninety 

114. 

Brodick 

155. 

East  Stirlingshire 

106. 

Broxburn  Rosebery 

149. 

Elgin 

185. 

Burton 

126. 

Falkirk 

4. 

Callander 

44. 

Forfar 

110. 

Cambuslang 

187. 

Galashiels 

87. 

Campsie 

90. 

Garelochhead 

71. 

Carlisle 

163. 

Gateshead  and  District 

102. 

Carlisle  Border 

3. 

Glasgow — Tam   o'   Shanter 

201. 

Carlisle  Newtown 

7. 

Thistle 

81. 

Carstairs  Junction 

9. 

Royalty 

171. 

Chattanooga,  U.S.A. 

24. 

Bank 

11. 

Chesterfield 

27. 

,,             SjDringburn 

51. 

Chicago 

33. 

Haggis 

138. 

Cleland 

34. 

Carrick 

166. 

Cleveland  Scottish 

36. 

,,            Rosebery 

Association 

38. 

,,            Jolly  Beggars 

93. 

Clydebank 

39. 

St.  David's 

189. 

Clydebank  Barns  o'  Clyde 

41. 

,,             Dennistoun 

103. 

Coalburn  Rosebery 

43. 

,.             Northern 

79. 

Corstorphine 

47. 

St.  Rollox 

127. 

Cowdenbeath  Haggis 

49. 

,,             Bridgeton 

128. 

Cowdenbeath  Glencairn 

61 

,,            Glencairn 

42. 

Crieff 

63 

,,            Mossgiel 

66. 

Crossgates 

67 

„            Carlton 

156 


o.  (iS. 

Glasgow- 

-Sandyford 

Xo.  28 

Mauchline  Jolly  Beggars 

70 

,j 

St.  RoUox 

175 

IMeikle  Earnock 

Jolly  Beggars 

194 

Middlebie 

74 

„ 

Mauchline  Soc 

8 

Morpeth  (dormant) 

78 

,1 

Ardgowan 

101 

]\Iotlior\vell 

83 

,, 

Co-operative 

56 

Muirkirk  Lapraik 

88 

,, 

Caledonian 

65 

Jlusselbvu'gh 

107 

[' 

Hutcheson- 

199 

Xewbattle  and  District 

t-n\n 

32 

Newark 

109 

,, 

Caledonia 

133 

Newartliill 

117 

„ 

Soutliorn 

]5(i 

X(\v.;i,th.  aiidTyneside 

118 

^^ 

Alhaiiv 

131 

Xettin-h.uii 

139 

," 

Natinnal 

17 

\'<ittiimh.-iii  (d  rmant) 

145 

,, 

Central 

151. 

Old  Kilpatrick 

153 

The  Scottish 

172. 

Oregon,  U.S.A. 

]29 

,, 

Gorbals 

48. 

Paisley 

164 

„ 

Kinning  Park 

77. 

Paisley  Gleniffer 

180. 

Tollcross 

161. 

Paisley  Charleston 

181. 

Primrose 

205. 

Paisley  St.  Mirren 

•203 

", 

Denni.=toun 

72. 

Partick 

JoUy^Beggars 

135 

Parti  ck  Western 

206. 

„ 

Daisy 

26. 

Perth 

169. 

Glasgow  and  District 

54. 

Perth  St.  Johnstone 

198. 

Gore  bridge  Jolly  Beggars 

162. 

Plymouth  and  District 

59. 

Gourock  Jolly  Beggars 

140. 

Pollokshaws 

53. 

Govan  Fairfield 

190. 

Port-Glasgow 

202. 

Govan  Cr 

onies 

177. 

Prestwick 

116. 

Greenloaning 

176. 

Renfrew 

21. 

Greenock 

191. 

Renfrew  Moorpark 

148. 

Greenock  Cronies 

132. 

Riccarton  Kirkstyle 

152. 

Hamilton 

168. 

Riccarton 

100. 

Hamilton 

:Mossgiel 

130. 

Row 

121. 

Hamilton 

Junior 

105. 

Rutherglen 

136. 

Hamilton 

Royal  Oak 

193. 

Rutherglen  Jolly  Beggars 

137. 

Ipswich 

31. 

San  Francisco 

173. 

Irvine 

91. 

Shettleston 

96. 

Jedburgh 

195. 

Shiremoor 

154. 

Johannesburg,  S.A. 

13. 

St.  Andrews 

92. 

Kilbowie 

182. 

Stane  Mossgiel 

0. 

Kilmarnock 

50. 

Stirling 

97. 

Kilmarnock  Bellfield 

141. 

Stonehouse 

150. 

Kilmarnock  Jolly 

147. 

Stonehouse  Haggis 

Beggars 

200. 

Stonehouse  Jolly  Beggars 

178. 

Kilmarnock  Begbie's 

89. 

Sunderland 

186. 

Kilmarnock  Glencairn        ( 

16. 

Sydney 

115. 

Kippen 

57. 

Thorniiebank 

58. 

Kirkcaldy 

94. 

Uphall 

75. 

Kirn 

113. 

Vale    of    Leven  Glencairn 

98. 

Lanark 

159. 

Walker-on-Tyne 

144. 

Larbert  and  Stenliouse-     ] 

165. 

AA'allsend-on-Tyne 

nuiir 

46. 

Warwickshire 

170. 

Larkhall 

160. 

Whitburn 

73. 

Lenzie 

25. 

Winnipeg  St.  Andrew's 

18. 

Liverpool 

Society 

1. 

London 

197. 

Winnipeg  Burns  Club 

183. 

Londonderry                          1 

60. 

Wolverhampton 

BURNS  CLUBS  AND  SCOTTISH  SOCIETIES 

ON"     THE 

ROLL    OF   THE    BURNS    FEDERATION,   1911. 


No.  e— KILMARNOCK  Burns  Chib.  Instituted  1808.  Federated 
1885.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  George  Hotel,  25th 
January.  President,  ex-Bailie  Wm.  Munro,  J. P.,  Howard 
Park  Drive  ;  Vice-president,  John  Cuthbertson,  F.R.S.E., 
5  Charles  Street  ;  Secretary,  Thomas  Amos,  M.A.,  19  Glebe 
Road,  Kilmarnock.  Committee — Provost  Smith,  J. P.  ; 
D.  M'Naught,  J. P.  ;  Joseph  Brockie,  J. P.  ;  James 
Middleton,  J. P.  ;  G.  A.  Innes,  F.E.I.S.  ;  Councillor  Wm. 
M'Menan,  B.A.  ;  Capt.  D.  Yuille,  Robt.  Wyllie,  Adam 
Mackay,  and  ex-Bailie  Kerr,  B.L. 

No.  I— The  LONDON  Robert  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1868.  Fede- 
rated 1885.  President,  G.  St.  John  M 'Donald,  2  Middle 
Temple  Lane,  London,  E.C.  ;  Vice-President,  Charles 
Thwaites,  22  Chancery  Lane,  E.C.  ;  Secretary,  James 
Thomson,  Byron  House,  85  Fleet  Street,  E.C. 

No.  2— ALEXANDRIA  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated 
1885.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Village  School,  at  7.30 
p.m.,  first  Friday  of  each  month.  President,  Wm.  Livsey, 
Underbill,  Smollett  Street,  Alexandria  ;  Vice-president, 
Matthew  Campbell,  29  Susannah  Street,  Alexandria ; 
Secretary,  Duncan  Carswell,  Linnbrane  Terrace,  Alexandria  ; 
Treasurer,  Jas.  Mirrilees,  Charleston  House,  Alexandria. 
Committee — Richard  Thomson,  Dugald  Stevenson,  Donald 
M'Dougall,  Wm.  M'Gregor,  Harry  Flowers,  and  Joseph 
Irvine. 

No.  3— GLASGOW  Tam  o'  Shanter  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1880. 
Federated  1885.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Trades  House 
Restaurant,  89  Glassford  Street,  Glasgow,  last  Tuesday  of 
October,  November,  February,  and  March.  Vice-president, 
R.  K.  Mackenzie,  102  Bath  Street ;  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
J.  Jefl'rey  Hunter,  solicitor,  109  Bath  Street,  Glasgow. 
Committee — Messrs  H.  J.  Altman,  Jas.  Ballantyne,  John 
Carmichael,  George  Fisher,  Alex.  Izatt,  Alex.  Mackenzie, 
John  Smith,  T.  P.  Thomson,  D.  M.  Threshie,  J.  W. 
Warden,  Edward  Wilson,  Dr  Wilbourne,  Wm.  Black,  and 
J.  Murray.  Special  features  of  Club — Literary  evenings 
and  useful  movements  for  the  promotion  of  the  Burns  cult. 

No.  4— CALLANDER  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1877.  Federated 
1885.       Secretary,  Jarres  S.  Anderson,  Callander. 


158 

No.  5 — ERCILDOUNE  Burns  Chib.  Instituted  1885.  Federated 
2(jth  November,  1885.  Place  of  meeting.  Red  Lion  Hotel, 
Earlston.  President,  Henry  Wallace,  High  Street,  Earls- 
ton  ;  Vice-presidents,  A.  N.  Tolmie,  G.  B.  Miles,  High  Street, 
Earlston  ;  Secretary,  Archibald  M.  Black,  Market  Place, 
Earlston.  Special  features  of  club — Celebration  of  Poefs 
birthday,  annual  trip  to  places  of  interest,  lectures,  &c. 

No.  fi— ALLOA  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1873.  Federated  1885. 
Secretary,  R.  Tait  Melville,  44  Mill  Street,  Alloa. 

No.  7— GLASGOW  Thistle  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1882.  Fede- 
rated 1885.  President,  Neil  Toye,  132  North  Street, 
Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  James  Coulter,  9G  Claythorne 
Street,  Glasgow;  Secretary,  D.  R.  Montgomery,  122 
South  Portland  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  John  Eadie,  12 
Bridge  Street,  S.S.  Glasgow. 

No.  8— MORPETH  and  District  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Last 
Secretary,  John  Dobson,  Oldgate  Street,  Morpeth. 

No.  0— GLASGOW  Royalty  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1882.  Fede- 
rated 188G.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Bank  Restaurant, 
Queen  Street,  first  Thursday  in  October,  at  7.30  p.m. 
President,  James  Dawson,  19  Oswald  Street,  Glasgow ; 
Vice-president,  Alex.  Goodall,  1  Dudley  Drive,  Partick ; 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  George  F.  Howarth,  14  St.  Vincent 
Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  10— DUMBARTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1859.  Federated 
1886.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Elephant  Hotel,  25th 
January,  1912.  President,  Walter  Scott,  Ivy  Bank, 
Diunbarton  ;  Vice-president,  Dean  of  Guild  Wilson, 
Comely  Bank,  Dimibarton  ;  Secretary,  Wm.  Baird, 
Union  Bank  House,  Diunbarton.  Committee — Robert 
MacFarlane,  John  M'Pherson,  Charles  M'Kinnon,  Robert 
M'Murray,  John  M'Clelland,  Alex.  C.  Denny,  and  J.  B. 
Cameron.  Special  features  of  Club — Celebration  of  the 
Poet's  birthday. 

No.  1 1— CHESTERFIELD  Burns  Society.  Federated  1886.  Secre- 
tary, Geo.  E.  Drennan,  77  Salter  Gate,  Chesterfield,  Derby- 
shire. 

No.  12— BARROW-IN-FURNESS  Bm-ns  Club  (dormant).  Insti- 
tuted 1886.  Federated  1886.  Last  Secretary,  Alex. 
IM'Naught,  -i  Ramsden  Square,  Barrow-in-Furness. 

No.  1 3— ST.  ANDREWS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1869.  Federated 
1886.  Place  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel.  President, 
Edward  E.  Morrison,  M.A.,  Bonnytown,  Stravithie  ; 
Vice-president,  T.  Evans  Johnston,  L.D.S.,  7  Howard 
Place,  St.  Andrews  ;  Secretary,  W.  Macbeth  Robertson, 
solicitor,  St.  Andrews.  Committee — Rev.  A.  D.  Sloan, 
Charles  Freeman,  A.  Rollo,  Andrew  Bennett,  Wm. 
Duncan,  M.  B.  Wilson,  A.  Marshall  Stewart,  J.  C.  Rose. 


159 

No.  14— DUNDEE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1860.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Rooms,  first  Wednesday  of 
month  after  first  Monday  (committee  meets  on  Monday). 
President,  Frank  Ogg,  36  Nethergate,  Dundee  ;  Vice- 
president,  W.  J.  Surgenor,  36  Nethergate,  Dundee  ; 
Secretary,  P.  AlHson  Morris,  36  Nethergate,  Dundee  ; 
Librarian,  W.  G.  Harley,  36  Nethergate,  Dundee  ;  Treasurer 
D.     R.     Roberts,      36      Nethergate,      Dundee.  Special 

features  of  the  Ckib — Valuable  library  ;  literary  and 
social  evenings. 

No.  15— BELFAST  Biirns  Club.  Institvited  1872.  Federated  1886. 
Secretary,  Barclay  M'Conkey,  Belfast. 

No.  16— SYDNEY  Burns  Club  (N.S.W.).  Instituted  1880.  Fede- 
rated 1886.  Secretary,  W.  Telfer,  School  of  Arts,  Pitt 
Street,  Sydney. 

No.  17— NOTTINGHAM  Scottish  Society  (dormant).  Federated 
1886. 

No.  18— LIVERPOOL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1866.  Federated 
1886.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Hotel  St.  George,  Lime 
Street,  Liverpool,  25th  January.  Vice-president,  Col. 
Richard  Bulman,  V.D.,  Mersey  Chambers,  Liverpool  ; 
Chairman  of  committee,  Alex.  Smith,  Esq.,  Borrowdale 
Road,  Sefton  Park,  Liverpool  ;  Secretary,  Major  Robert 
Sinclair  Archer,  V.D.,  Clifton  House,  Clifton  Road,  Birken- 
head. Special  features  of  Club — Annual  dinner  on  25th 
January  ;  and  co-operates  with  Literary  and  Social  Society 
of  St.  Andrew's  Church  of  Scotland,  Liverpool,  in  lectures, 
&c. 

No.  19— AUCKLAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated 
1886.  Secretary,  John  Horn,  \^'el]ington  Street,  Auckland, 
New  Zealand. 

No.  20— AIRDRIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1885.  Federated  1886. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Royal  Hotel,  Airdrie,  25th 
January.  President,     Cuthbert     R.     Larkman,     Albert 

Schoolliouse,  Airdrie  ;  Vice-president,  David  Martyn, 
jun.,  Helenholme,  Airdrie  ;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  G. 
B.  Motherwell,  jun.,  solicitor,  4  East  High  Street,  Airdrie. 
Committee — Councillor  Wm.  M'Gregor,  Wm.  Anderson, 
John  B.  Allan,  Wm.  D.  Paterson,  and  Robert  Eadie. 

No.  21— GREENOCK  Bmnis  Club.  Instituted  1802.  Federated 
1886.  Place  of  meeting.  Club  Rooms,  Nicolson  Street. 
Hon.  President,  Sir  George  H.  Reid,  K.C.M.G.,  P.C,  D.C.L. ; 
President,  J.  Eraser  Paton,  Home  Cottage,  Rosneath  Street, 
Greenock ;  Vice-presidents,  Hugh  Mackintosh,  42  Camp- 
bell Street,  Greenock,  and  Neil  M.  Brown,  Janefield, 
Bogston  ;  Joint  Secretaries — James  Hannah,  99  Dempster 
Street,  and  George  B.  Grieve,  25  Robertson  Street  ;  Trea- 
surer, Hugh  Ritchie,  Wallace  Square.  Sjaecial  features 
of  Club — Club  rooms  are  open  to  members  at  any  time  ; 


160 

keys  with  Curator  on  premises,  36  Nicolson  Street.  Library 
lias  valuable  collection  of  editions  of  Burns,  Fergusson, 
Gait,  etc.,  and  the  Malls  are  covered  with  signed  portraits, 
including  those  of  some  of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  the 
country,  who  are  honorarj-  members  of  the  Club.  The  Club 
makes  a  special  feature  of  inter-visitation  meetings  with 
Burns  Clubs  in  the  \\'est  of  Scotland,  also  of  ladies'  nights. 
Visitors  are  always  welcome  to  attend  Club  meetings. 
The  Greenock  Club  is  the  oldest  Burns  Club  in  the  world. 

No.  22— EDINBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1848.  Federated 
188(5.  President,  J.  Macintyre  Henry,  F.R.I.B.A.,  7 
South  Charlotte  Street,  Edinburgh  ;  Secretary,  J.  Baker 
Wilson,  solicitor,  34  St.  Andrew  Square,  Edinburgh  ; 
Treasiu-er,  Kenneth  Henderson,  C.A.,  8  York  Buildings, 
Edinburgh. 

No.  23 — ADELAIDE  South  Australian  Caledonian  Society.  Insti- 
tuted 1881.  Federated  1886.  Secretary,  H.  Tassie,  Gay's 
Arcade,  Adelaide,  South  Australia. 

No.  24— GLASGOW  Bank  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1884, 
Federated   1886. 

No.  25— WINNIPEG  St.  Andrew's  Society.  Federated  1886.  Secre- 
tary, David  Philip,  Government  Buildings,  Winnipeg. 

No.  26— PERTH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1873.  Federated  1886. 
Secretary,  John  Harper,  68  St.  John  Street,  Perth. 

No.  27— GLASGOW  Springburn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884. 
Federated  1886.  Secretary,  Cameron  Henderson,  Syriam 
Terrace,  Springburn,  Glasgow. 

No.   28— MAUCHLINE  Jolly  Beggars  Club. 

No.  29— BOLTON  Bm-ns  Club.  Instituted  1881.  Federated  1886. 
Secretary,  Harry  George,  32  Halstead  Street,  The  Harregh, 
Bolton. 

Xo.  30— BLACKBURN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1884.  Federated 
9th  July,  1886.  Place  of  meeting,  Victoria  Hotel,  Cort 
Street,  Blackburn,  Lanes.  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
Robert  Ferguson,  9  Tacketts  Street,  Blackburn,  Lanes. 

Xo.  31— SAN  FRANCISCO  Scottish  Thistle  Club.  Instituted  1882. 
Federated  1886.  Secretary,  Geo.  W.  Paterson,  801  Guerero 
Street,  San  Francisco,  U.S.A. 

Xo.  32— NEWARK  Bums  Club.  Federated  1886.  Secretary,  John 
Hogg,  Caledonian  Club,  Newark,  New  Jersey,  U.S.A. 

No.  33 — GLASGOW  Haggis  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1872.  Federated 
1886.  Place  of  meeting,  National  Burns  Club,  Ltd.,  93 
Douglas  Street.  Secretary,  William  S.  Baird,  writer,  185 
St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 


161 

No.  34 — CARRICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1859.  Federated  1887. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  62  Glassford  Street,  Glasgow, 
last  Tuesday  of  each  month.  President,  James  Welsh, 
46  Dixon  Road,  Crosshill  ;  Vice-president,  C.  M'Callmn, 
45  Abbotsford  Place  ;  Secretary,  Matthew  Ferguson,  412 
Parliamentary  Road  ;  Treasiu-er,  William  Morrison,  62 
Glassford  Street.  Special  features  of  the  Club — Study 
of  Burns  and  kindred  literature. 

No.  35— DALRY  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1826.  Federated  1887. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Turf  Inn,  Courthill,  Dairy, 
Friday  nearest  25th  January.  President,  Donald  Campbell, 
M.A.,  Ravelston,  Dairy ;  Secretary,  Donald  Campbell  ; 
Treasvirer,  Patrick  Comrie  ;  Recording  Secretary,  David 
Johnston,   M.A. 

No.  36 — ROSEBERY  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1885.  Federated 
1887.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Alexandra  Hotel, 
Bath  Street,  Glasgow,  Tuesdays,  8  p.m.  President, 
John  A.  Biggs,  L.D.S.,  15  Somerset  Place,  Glasgow  ;  Vice- 
president,  Hugh  M'Coll,  275  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Secretary,  A.  G.  Andrew,  59  Hutcheson  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Mr  Peter  Smith,  jun.,  56  Cathedral  Street, 
Glasgow.  Executive — James  Angus,  Alexander  Pollock, 
Wm.  Allan,  George  Armour,  J.  Ferguson,  J.  R.  Colquhoun 
(Director  of  Music),  H.  P.  Bayne,  J.  S.  Jamieson,  T.  W. 
Brown,  R.  Johnston,  G.  Pattison,  R.  Corbett,  J.  D.  M'Kinlay, 
J.  A.  Barr,  J.P.  ;  J.  Loudon,  W.  Shakleton,  D.  Kelso, 
A.  J.  Roxburgh,  and  J.  Murray.  Special  features  of 
Club — Literary  lectures  are  delivered  throughout  the 
session.  In  the  past  a  considerable  amount  of  work  has 
been  done  by  way  of  competition  to  stimulate  the  study 
of  Scottish  songs  and  poetry,  particularly  of  Burns.  Messrs 
Pollock  and  Angus,  who  originated  these  competitions,  still 
devote  much  of  their  time  to  encourage  other  Clubs  in 
other  districts  to  carry  out  the  competitions. 

No.  37— DOLLAR  Burns  Club.  Instituted  29th  DecemLer,  1887. 
Federated  30th  December,  1887.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting,  Castle-Campbell  Hotel,  25th  January,  1912. 
President,  Dr  Butchart,  Institution  Place,  Dollar  ;  Vice- 
president,  William  Henderson,  Bridge  Street,  Dollar ; 
Secretary,  William  Younger,  Chapel  Place,  Dollar  ;  Trea- 
surer, John  M.  Halley,  Eastbourne,  Dollar.  Special 
features  oi  Club — To  do  honour  to  the  Poet  in  song  and 
sentiment. 

No.  38 — GLASGOW  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted 
1887.       Federated  1888. 

No.  39 — GLASGOW  St.  David's  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted 
1887.       Federated  1889. 

No.  40 — ABEHDEEIS;  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Federated 
1889.  Resuscitated  1910.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Balmoral  Hotel  (monthly).        President,  William  Ferrans, 


162 

207  Clifton  J^oacl.  Aberdeen  ;  Vice-president,  James 
Donald,  K)  Justice  Mill  Lane  ;  Secretary,  T.  M'Laren  Lindsay, 
2  Deo  Place  ;  Auditor,  R.  Stuart  M'Kay,  solicitor.  Special 
featiu-es  of  Club — To  study  the  works  of  Robert  Burns, 
and  organise  readings  and  lectures. 

No.  41— DENNISTOUN  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted  1887. 
Federated  1889.  Last  Secretary,  John  B.  M'Intosh,  300 
Duke  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.  42— CRIEFF  Bvirns  Club.  Instituted  1889.  Federated  1891, 
Secretary,  Wm.  Pickard,  Meadow  Place,  Crieff. 

No.  43 — GLASGOW  Northern  Biu-ns  Club  (dormant).  Federated 
1891.  Last  Secretary,  James  Weir,  216  New  City  Road, 
Glasgow. 

No.  44 — FORFAR  Burns  Club,  (dormant)  Instituted  1890.  Fede- 
rated 1891. 

Xo.  45— CUMNOCK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Federated  1891. 
Secretary,  H.  R.  M'Culley,  Hazlebank,  Old  Cumnock. 

]Sro.  46— WARWICKSHIRE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1880.  Fede- 
rated 1891.  Secretary,  Robert  Greenfield,  F.R.H.S., 
Ranelegh  Nurserj%  Leamington. 

No.  47— GLASGOW  St.  Rollox  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted 
1889.       Federated   1891. 

No.  48— The  PAISLEY  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1805.  Federated 
1891.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Globe  Hotel,  Paisley, 
first  Thursday  of  each  month,  from  October  till  May 
inclusive.  President,  Joshua  Ferguson,  M.D.,  Orr  Square, 
Paisley  ;  Vice-president,  Robert  Drummond,  C.E.,  Fair- 
field, Paisley  ;  Secretary,  Geo.  H.  Cockburn,  F.E.I.S.,  St. 
Ives,  Whitehaugh  Drive,  Paisley.  Special  features  of  Club 
— Readings  from  Burns  and  Scottish  literature  generally 
at  the  monthly  meetings,  and  discussion  thereon.  The 
report  of  the  dinner  on  the  Anniversary  published  yearly. 
Membership  limited  to  40. 

Xo.   49 — GLASGOW     Bridgeton     Burns     Club.  Instituted      1870. 

Federated  1891.  President,  David  Baird,  10  Stonelaw 
Terrace,  Rutherglen  ;  Vice-president,  Robert  Miller,  58 
Renfield  Street  ;  Secretary,  Wm.  Cochran,  190  West  George 
Street,  Glasgow  ;  Assistant  Secretary,  J.  Tullis  Cochran, 
]  90  West  George  Street,  Glasgow ;  Ex-President,  Thomas 
Potter,  jun.  ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Reid.  Directors — Wm. 
Baird,  J.  M.  Campbell,  ex-Bailie  W.  Nicol,  J.P.  ;  G.  H. 
Laird,  Dr  R.  Wilson,  Peter  White,  Malcolm  A.  Hendry, 
Hugh  Buchanan,  T.  F.  Hunter.  Special  features  of  Club 
— The  fostering  of  the  love  of  Burns's  writings  and  Scottish 
literature.       IVIembership  about  340. 


163 

No.  50— STIRLING  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Federated  1891. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Station  Hotel,  January  25th. 
President,  Bailie  Sandeman,  Forth  Crescent,  Stirling  ; 
Secretary,  Alex.  Dun,  37  Murray  Place,  Stirling  ;  Treasurer, 
J.      S.      Henderson.  Committee — John     Craig,     J.     F. 

Oswald,  W.  A.  Weir,  Peter  Hunter,  J.  C.  Muirhead, 
Councillor  Menzies,  Alex.  Love,  Wm.  Cunningham,  J.  W. 
Paterson,  J.  P.  Crawford,  T.  L.  Reid,  Councillor  M'Culloch, 
Councillor  Leslie,  R.  B.  Tennant,  John  Crawford,  and  T. 
E.  Thurman. 

No.  51 — CHICAGO  Caledonian  Society.  Federated  1892.  Secretary, 
Charles  T.  Spence,  3002  Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago. 

No.  52— DUMFRIES  Mechanics'  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892. 
Secretary,  James  Anderson,  55  St.  Michael  Street,  Dumfries. 

No.  53 — GOVAN  Fairfield  Biarns  Club.  Instituted  26th  January, 
1886.  Federated  23rd  September,  1892.  Place  and  date 
of  meeting,  941  Govan  Road,  first  Wednesday  of  month. 
President,  Thomas  Fullarton,  917  Govan  Road,  Govan  ;  Vice- 
president,  Hugh  Marr,  35  White  Street,  Govan  ;  Secretary, 
Charles  Maltman,  16  M'Kechnie  Street,  Govan.  Management 
Committee — Messrs  James  Wands  and  Donald  M'Callum. 

No.   54— PERTH  St.  Johnstone  Burns  Club.       Federated  1892. 

No.  55— DERBY  Burns  Club.  Federated  1892.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting.  Royal  Hotel,  Friday,  9  p.m.  President,  Coun- 
cillor G.  Innes  ;  Vice-presidents,  J.  D.  Seaton,  33  Renals 
Street,  Derby,  and  J.  Peacock,  Tresilian,  Duffield  Road, 
Derby  ;  Secretary,  C.  D.  Shand,  Glencairn,  Leopold  Street, 
Derby.  Special  features  of  Club — To  unite  Scotsmen  and 
to  foster  a  spirit  of  friendship,  and  to  perpetuate  the 
memory  of  the  Immortal  Bard. 

No.  56— LAPRAIK  (Muirkirk)  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Fede- 
rated 1893.  Place  of  meeting.  Masons'  Arms  Hotel.  Presi- 
dent, James  Clark,  Crossflatt,  Muirkirk  ;  Vice-president, 
A.  Fairbairn,  The  Kennels,  Wellwood,  Muirkirk  ; 
Secretary,  Hugh  Bell,  Roslyn,  Wellwood  Street,  Muirkirk  ; 
Treasurer,  A.  Pringle.  Committee — Messrs  T.  Weir, 
R.  Bell,  E.  Anderson,  W.  Laidlaw,  W.  Telfer,  H.  Cameron, 
Thomas  Hazel,  J.  Taylor,  and  P.  Fettes.  Special  features 
of  Club — 25th  Janiiary  celebration  and  harmony  meetings. 

No.  57— THORNLIEBANK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1891.  Fede- 
rated 1893.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Club  Room, 
occasional  and  anniversaries.  President,  James  Andrew, 
10  Maxwell  Terrace,  Thornliebank  ;  Vice-president,  James 
C.  Scobie,  Rosebank,  Thornliebank  ;  Secretary,  William  B. 
Dalzell,  Speirsbridge,  Thornliebank  ;  Treasurer,  William 
Park,  jun.  15  members  of  committee.  Special  features 
of  Club — School  children's  comiDetition,  Scotch  concert, 
annual  outing,  and  Club  meetings.  »2  ^P] 


1(U 

No.  58— KIHKCALnV  Huiiis  Club.  Federated  1892.  Scnrtan/, 
John  A.  Mill.M'.   I.S  Quality  Street,  Kirkcaldy. 

No.  59— GOUKOCK  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893. 
Federated  1893.  Place  of  meeting,  Gamble  Institute, 
Gourock.  President,  John  M.  Adam,  Cove  Point  House, 
Cove  Road,  Gourock  ;  Vice-president,  Edward  Geddes, 
Waterloo  House,  Cove  Road,  Goiu-ock  ;  Secretary,  Robert 
M'Gechan,  2  Torridon  Terrace,  19  Cardwell  Road,  Gourock. 
Special  features  of  Club — Club  meetings,  annual  outing, 
and  encouragement  of  Scottish  literature. 

No.  fiO— WOLVERHAMPTON  Burns  Club.  Federated  1893.  Secre- 
tary,  C.  G.  Webster,  Lichfield  Street,  AVolverhampton. 

No.  61 — GLASGOW  Glencairn  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Federated 
1893. 

No.  62— CUPAR  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1893. 
President,  Major  Anstruther-Gray,  M.P.,  of  Kilmany,  Fife  ; 
Vice-president,  R.  Osborne  Pagan,  W.S.,  Haymount, 
Cupar  ;  Hon.  Secretary,  David  F.  Esplin,  Courier  Office, 
Cupar  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  Geo.  White  ;  Chairman  of 
Committee,  Geo.  Innes. 

No.  63— MOSSGIEL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated  1893. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Mr  Anderson's,  3  Cathcart 
Road,  third  Tuesday  of  each  month,  October  to  March. 
President,  John  W.  Black,  18  Cathcart  Road  ;  Vice- 
president,  James  M.  Blair,  162  Hospital  Street,  S.S.  ; 
Secretary,  Robert  Parker,  5  Barrland  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasvirer,  William  Thomson,  186  Cumberland  Street, 
S.S.;  and  eight  members  of  Committee.  Special  features 
of  Club — Annual  celebration  of  the  birthday  of  Robert 
Burns,  occasional  re -unions  for  the  cultivation  of  social 
and  intellectual  intercourse  amongst  the  members  and 
friends,  the  encouragement  of  Scottish  literature,  a  summer 
trip  to  some  of  the  places  dear  to  lovers  of  the  Poet,  and 
school  children's  competitions. 

No.  64— BEITH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1892.  Federated  12th 
December,  1893.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Anderson 
Hotel,  December,  January,  and  March.  President,  John 
Blackwood,  butcher.  Main  Street,  Beith  ;  Vice-president, 
James  Fvilton,  builder,  Craigellen,  Beith  ;  Secretary,  Neil 
M'Innes,  5  Grahamfield  Place,  Beith.  Committee — 
John  Short,  John  E.  Hood,  Dr  Stewart,  Jas.  Anderson 
Robt.  Crawford,  Tom  Smith,  R.  A.  M'Dougall,  P.  Brown, 
and  A.  Crawford. 

No.  65 — MUSSELBURGH  Federated  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1 886. 
Federated  1894.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Central 
Rooms,   25th  January,    1911,   at    7.30   p.m.  President, 

Bailie  Will.  Constable,  84  Inveresk  Road,  Musselburgh ; 
Vice-president,  A.  W.  Millar,  2  Beulah,  Musselburgh  ; 
Hon.  Secretary,  Andrew  B.  Hall,   6  Albert  Terrace,  Mussel- 


165 

burgh  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  Wm.  Paterson,  33  Eskside  Mussel- 
burgh. Committee — W.  B  Gardiner,  Alex.  Lauder,  Jno. 
Gordon,  B.  M.  Norval,  W.  Gowan,  W.  A.  Dudgeon,  James 
Thorn,  George  Bain,  Peter  M'Ewan.  Bard,  J.  E.  Brooks. 
Special  features  of  Club — Competitions  for  school  children. 
Membership  about  180. 

No.  66 — CROSSGATES  Bm-ns  Club.  Federated  1894.  Secretary, 
Robert  Dall,  Addison's  Buildings,  Crcssgates. 

No.  67— CARLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1894.  Federated  1894. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Arcade  Cafe,  108  Argyll  Street, 
Glasgow,  second  Tuesday,  October  to  April.  President, 
D.  M.  Duff,  31  Abbotsford  Place,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president, 
James  Robertson,  Toad  Hill,  Stevenston ;  Secretary,  Wm. 
J.  Straiton,  26  Aberdour  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasiu-er, 
Donald  M'Neil,  21  Liniversity  Street,  Glasgow.  Directors 
— Bailie  Archibald  Campbell,  George  Stark,  Thomas 
Cameron,  Jas.  Ballantyne,  Jas.  Tudhope,  Wm.  Moffatt, 
M.A.  ;  Andrew  Maclure,  D.  Davidson,  R.  M'Kenzie, 
Wm.  Thomson,  D.  Gilmour,  Wm.  G.  M'Leod,  C.  W.  C. 
MacFarlane,  C.  Taylor,  R.  Bowes,  J.  B.  Gibson,  Robert 
Miller,  and  Thos.  Dickie.  Special  features  of  Club — 
Social  and  literary. 

No.  68— SANDYFORD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1893.  Federated 
1894.  Place        of      Directors'       meetings,      Secretary's 

Office,  100  West  Regent  Street,  Glasgow.  President, 
Alexander  Duthie,  Eversley,  Newlands,  Glasgow  ;  Vice- 
president,  James  Allan,  776  Argyll  Street  ;  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  Andrew  P.  Hamilton,  100  West  Regent  Street, 
Glasgow  ;  Hon.  Treasiu-er,  J.  P.  M'Phie,  6  Bishop  Street, 
Anderston,  Glasgow.  Special  features  of  Club — ^Annual 
dinner  and  dance  in  January  ;  also  lectiu-es  and  social 
and  musical  evenings  in  Grand  Hotel,  Cilasgow. 

No.  69— DUNEDIN  Biu-ns  Club.  Federated  1894.  President,  R. 
Sandilands,  Queen's  Drive,  Musselbm-gh,  Dunedin,  N.Z. 

No.  70— GLASGOW  St.  Rollox  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club  (dormant). 
Federated  1894. 

No.  71— CARLISLE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1889. 
Federated      1895.  Place      of      meeting.      Club     Room, 

Lowther  Street,  Carlisle.  President,  Dr  Doughty,  Dalston, 
Carlisle  ;  Vice-president,  Dr  Bird,  Jas.  Porteous,  F.  Jones, 
J.  Caton,  D.  Main,  G.  C.  Muir,  E.  Morton,  Wm.  Reid, 
and  Thomas  Welsh  ;  Secretary,  John  Jardine,  20  Broad 
Street.       Special  features  of  Club — Social  and  literary. 

No.  72— PARTICK  Biu-ns  Club.  Federated  1895.  Secretary,  AVm. 
Scott  Wyllie,  149  St.  Vincent  Street,  Glasgow. 


No.   73— LENZIE  Burns  Club  {dorsnant).       Federated  1896. 


166 

No.  7-t— GLASGOW  Mauchline  Society.  Instituted  1888.  Fede- 
rated 1895.  Hon.  President,  J.  B.  Thorneycroft,  Mauch- 
line  ;  President,  J.  Taylor  Gibb,  Mauchline  ;  Vice-presi- 
dent, William  Campbell,  14  St.  Vincent  Place,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Thos.  Killin,  Stewarton  Drive,  Cambuslang  ; 
Secretary,  Wm.  Campbell,  14  St.  Vincent  Place,  Glasgow. 
Special  features  of  Club — Promote  sociability  amongst 
natives  of  Mauchline  and  friends,  and  manage  the  National 
Burns  Memorial  and  Cottage  Homes,  Mauchline. 

No.  75 — KTRN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1892.  Fede- 
rated 10th  February,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Kirn  Hotel,  25th  January.  President,  ex-Provost  Warner  ; 
Vice-president,  Major  Bennett  ;  Secretary,  John  Macnair, 
house  agent,  Kirn.  Committee — Col.  Maconachie,  Councillor 
Drummond,  A.  M'Leod,  R.  D.  Brown,  R.  Nicholson,  and  H. 
M'Kellar.       Auditors,  A.  M'Ewan  and  A.  Imrie. 

No.  7fi— BRECHIN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1894.  Fede- 
rated 7th  March,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Mechanics'  Institute,  25th  January.  President,  William 
Anderson,  solicitor,  2  Airlie  Street,  Brechin  ;  Vice-presi- 
dent, Charles  Thomson,  Eastbank,  Brechin  ;  Secretary,  F. 
C.  Anderson,  10  St.  Mary  Street,  Brechin.  Committee — 
J.  A.  Hutcheon,  E.  W.  Mowat,  James  W.  Lammond, 
J.  S.  Melrose,  J.  Scott  Lindsay,  Geo.  W.  Mitchell, 
Jas.  F.  Lammond,  and  John  Collie. 

No.   77— PAISLEY    Tannahill    (Glenifter)    Burns    Club.        Instituted 

1892.  Federated    1896.        Secretary,    Thomas    Campbell, 
19  Kilnside  Road,  Paisley. 

No.   78 — GLASGOW  Ardgowan   Biu-ns  Club,    (dormant).       Instituted 

1893.  Federated    1896.        Secretary,    John    Fairley,    160 
Cathcart  Street,  Kingston,  Glasgow. 

Xo.  79— CORSTORPHINE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887.  Fede- 
rated 1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Public  Hall, 
March,  November,  and  January  25th.  President,  J.  R. 
Watson,  Romano,  Corstorphine  ;  Vice-president,  John 
Stewart,  S.S.C,  Auldearn,  Corstorphine  ;  Secretary,  Wm. 
Wilson,  7  Belgrave  Place,  Corstorphine  ;  Bard,  vacant  ; 
and  Committee  of  eight  members.  Si^ecial  features  of 
Club — Two  quarterly  meetings  at  which  papers  are  read, 
and  afterwards  social,  witli  Burns's  songs,  etc.  ;  anniversary 
dinner,  25th  January. 

Xo.  80— DUNOON  Cowall  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896.  Federated 
1896.       Secretary,  Walter  Grieve,  James  Place,  Dunoon. 

No.  81— CARSTAIRS  Junction  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1896. 
Federated  1896.  Secretary,  William  Neill,  Burnside 
Cottages,  Carstairs  Junction. 

No.  82 — ARBROATH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1888.  Federated 
1896.  Secretary,  Harry  Lorimor,  solicitor,  25  Market 
Place,  Arbroath. 


167 

No.  83 — GLASGOW  Co-operative  Burns  Club.  Instituted  18  6. 
Federated  1896.  President,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  109  Bath 
Street,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  H.  Kelly,  Greenlodge  Terrace, 
Greenhead,  Glasgow. 

No.   84— ABINGTON  Burns  Club  (dormant).       Federated  1896. 

No.  85— DUNFERMLINE  United  Bvirns  Club.  Instituted  1812. 
Federated  10th  November,  1896.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting,  Royal  Hotel,  25th  January.  Hon.  President, 
Sir  James  Sivewright,  K.C.M.G.,  of  Tulliallan,  Kincardine- 
on-Forth  ;  Hon.  Vice-president,  W.  D.  Imrie,  Transey 
Place  ;  President,  Wm.  Black,  Charlestown,  Fife  ;  Vice- 
president,  Peter  Donald,  East  Port  Street,  Dunfermline  ; 
Secretary,  P.  Paterson,  23  Bruce  Street,  Dunfermline. 
Committee — A.  T.  Wilkie,  Wm.  Fitzpatrick,  A.  P.  Macbane, 
Robt.  Taylor,  A.  Lyon,  Bailie  Stewart,  James  Rodger, 
and  W.  D.  Imrie. 

No.  86— CUMNOCK  Winsome  Willie  Bm-ns  Club.  Instituted  1856. 
Federated  November,  1896.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Hotel  Royal,  first  Saturday  each  month.  President,  Robert 
Hislop,  Waterside  Place,  Cumnock  ;  Vice-president,  Joseph 
Wilson,  c/o  William  Crawford,  Townhead  Street,  Cumnock  ; 
Secretary,  Hugh  Campbell,  43  Barrhill  Road,  Cumnock  ; 
TreasLU-er,  Gilbert  M'Kissock.  Committee  —  William 
Hislop,  Hugh  M'Crindle,  WilHam  Connor,  William  M'Kie, 
George  Jardine,  and  John  M'Donald.  Special  featm-es  of 
Club — Discussion  of  life  and  work  taught  by  National 
Bard. 

No.  87— CAMPSIE  Bm-ns  Club.  Instituted  1890.  Federated  1896. 
Place  of  meeting,  Lennox  Arms.  Secretary,  R.  W.  Robert- 
son, Russell  Place,  Lennoxtown. 

No.  88— GLASGOW  Caledonian  Burns  Club.  Instituted  October, 
1896.  Federated  2nd  March,  1897.  Place  of  meeting, 
25  Caledonia  Road.  Secretary,  John  Muirhead,  c/o 
Drummond,  136  Roselea  Drive,  Glasgow. 

No.  89— SUNDERLAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1897. 
Federated  April,  1897.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Pala- 
tine Hotel,  2nd  and  4th  Wednesdays  October  to  March, 
2nd  Wednesday  April,  May,  and  September— 8  p.m. 
President,  James  Donald,  241  Chester  Road,  Sunderland  ; 
Vice-president,  W.  P.  Eastwood,  39  Alice  Street,  Southwick, 
Sunderland  ;  Secretary,  M.  Neilson,  14  East  Whickham 
Street,  Sunderland  ;  Treasurer,  A.  W.  Semple  ;  Librarian, 
G.  Mackay  ;  Auditor,  D.  M'Cue  ;  Pianist,  C.  Petrie  ;  Hon. 
Piper,  G.  Murray.  Committee — W.  H.  Turner,  D.  Condie, 
W.  Reid,  W.  A.  Culshaw,  and  G.  Murray.  Special  features 
of  Club — Anniversary  dinner,  Scottish  concert,  visitation 
of  clubs,  papers  and  lectures,  and  interest  in  the  well-being 
of  Scotsmen  in  and  around  Sunderland.  Visitors  cordially 
welcomed. 


168 

No.  90— GARELOCHHEAD  Burns  Club.  Instituted  18th  November, 
1895.  Federated  2 1st  May,  1897.  Place  of  meeting, 
The  Hotel,  Garelocbhoad.  President,  Major  D.  B.  Ander- 
son, Brookvalo  Cove  ;  Vice-president,  David  Stark, 
Anchorage,  Garelochhead  ;  Secretary,  John  Douglas, 
Dahlandhui,  Garelochhead. 

No.  91— SHETTLESTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1897.  Federated 
1897.  Place  of  meoting,  Loudoun  Arms  Hotel,  Glasgow. 
President,  \Vm.  Keid,  F.E.I. S.,  Bertrohill,  Shettleston  ; 
Vice-president,  P.  W.  Duff,  12  Kegent  Park  Terrace, 
Strathbungo  ;  Secretary,  Hugh  Y.  Reid,  209  Main  Street, 
Shettleston  ;  Treasurer,  Thos.  Barrie,  Harplaw,  Shettles- 
ton. Special  features  of  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of 
Robert  Burns  and  foster  a  love  for  his  wTitings,  and  generally 
to  encourage  a  taste  for  Scottish  literature. 

No.  92— KILBOWIE  Jolly  Beggars.  Instituted  September,  189r.. 
Federated  August  2fith,  1897.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
T.  F.  Ross's  Restaurant,  Thursday,  at  7.30.  President, 
A.  M'Donald,  53  Montrose  Street,  Clydebank  ;  Vice-presi- 
dent, Wm.  Paterson,  2  Livingstone  Street,  Clydebank  ; 
Secretary,  William  Crum,  34  Granville  Street,  Radnor 
Park,     Clydebank.  Committee  —  Messrs      M'Williams, 

Brown,  Clarke,  Speedie,  M'Farlane,  Walters,  Melrose, 
Watt,     Philips,     Clark,     Davidson,     Simmons.  Special 

features  of  Club — To  foster  the  knowledge  of  the  works 
of  Burns  and  other  poets,  and  to  elevate  the  minds  of 
our  members. 

No.   9.3— CLYDEBANK   Burns  Club  (dormant).        Federated    1897. 

No.   94 — UPHALL  Tarn  o'  Shanter  Burns  Club.       Federated   1897. 

No.  95— BOLTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  6th  September,  1881. 
Federated  1897.  Secretary,  Chas.  H.  Mallison,  Oaklands, 
Seymour  Road,  Boltoi-. 

No.  9fi— JEDBURGH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1869.  Federated 
13th  November,  1897.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Royal 
Hotel,  25th  January,  1912,  at  8  p.m.  President,  Bailie 
Walker,  4  High  Street,  Jedburgh  ;  Hon.  Vice-president, 
M.  R.  Halliday  ;  Vice-president,  Dean  of  Guild  Watson, 
Abbey  Cottage,  Jedburgh  ;  Secretary,  David  Muckersie, 
71  High  Street,  Jedburgh  ;  Treasurer,  J.  Tweddle. 
Committee  —  Bailie  Oliver,  J. P.  ;  Messrs  J.  Cree,  P. 
Carruthers,  J.  Brown,  E.  Wallace,  W.  Swanston,  and  ex- 
Bailie  Smail.  Special  features  of  Club  —  Perpetuating 
the  memory  and  works  of  Robert  Burns,  the  National 
Bard  of  Scotland.  That  the  agency  employed  for  the 
att^.inment  of  this  object  be  the  celebration  on  the  25th 
January  each  year  of  the  anniversary  of  the  Poet's  natal 
day,  and  such  other  measures  as  the  Club  may  from  time 
to  time  adopt. 


169 

No.  97— KILMARNOCK  Bellfield  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1895. 
Federated  1898.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Bellfield 
Tavern,  first  Friday  of  each  month.  President,  Alex. 
Rodger,  68  St.  Andrews  Street,  Kilmarnock  ;  Vice-president, 
Robert  Lindsay,  26  John  Finnic  Street  ;  Secretary,  Daniel 
Donnelly,  8  Richardland  Road.  Committee — Messrs 
J.  Borland,  T.  Neilson,  J.  M.  Livingstone,  W.  Flannigan, 
A.  Turnbull.  Chaplain,  Jas.  Carson.  Special  features 
of  Club — Social  intercourse  amongst  the  members  and 
kindred  clubs  ;  celebration  of  Poet's  birth  ;  ineetings  for 
the  reading  of  literary  papers  relative  to  the  life  and  works 
of  Burns  and  kindred  subjects. 

No.^98— LANARK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1891.  Federated 
17th  January,  1898.  Date  of  meeting,  second  Friday 
of  January,  April,  and  October.  President,  Thomas 
Lithgow,  Farrowflat,  Lanark  ;  Vice-president,  William  J. 
Fergus,  Copland  Road,  Lanark  ;  Secretary,  D.  Thomson 
Kennedy,  Oamaru,  Wheatland  Drive,  Lanark.  Committee 
— Geo.  C.  Arnott,  William  Brown,  Robert  Flemington, 
James  Howe,  and  James  E.  Watson.  Special  features 
of  Club — Children's  competitions  for  readings  and  songs 
of  Burns  held  occasionally,  as  also  occasional  leetvxres 
under  Club's  auspices. 

No.  99— BARLINNIE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th  January,  1893. 
Federated  20th  January,  1898.  Place  of  meeting.  Officers' 
Recreation  Hall.  President,  Dr  W.  J.  H.  Sinclair,  M.B., 
CM.,  H.M.  Prison,  Barlinnie,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president, 
James  Murray,  H.M.  Prison,  Barlinnie  ;  Secretary,  Alexander 
Mackay,  H.M.  Prison,  Barlinnie  ;  Chaplain,  Rev.  D.  Wat- 
son, M.A.  ;  Hon.  President,  James  Cram.  Committee 
— Messrs  Stobie,  Gardiner,  Campbell,  M 'Quaker,  Reid, 
and  Wilkie.  Special  features  of  Club — To  encoxirage 
and  foster  a  love  for  the  works  of  Burns  and  Scottish 
literature  generally,  especially  amongst  the  young. 

No.  100— HAMILTON  Mossgiel  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1892. 
Federated  4th  April,  1898.  Placs  and  date  of  meeting, 
Royal  Hotel,  Hamilton,  first  Tuesday  in  month,  at  8.15 
p.m.  President,  George  Thorpe,  2  Park  View,  Portland 
Park,  Hamilton  ;  Vice-president,  Wm.  Stevenson,  Kin- 
garth,  Portland  Park,  Hamilton  ;  Secretary,  James  Wilson, 
18  Avon  Street,  Hamilton  ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Hamilton, 
Bm-nfoot,  Hamilton.  Committee— Bailie  Anderson,  Hugh 
Mair,  Alex.  Roberts,  A.  M'Pherson,  Wm.  Stewart,  Wm. 
Watson,  and  John  D.  Lightbody. 

No.  101— MOTHERWELL  Workmen's  Burns  Club.  Federated  1898. 
Secretary,  .John  King,  128  Muir  Street,  Motherwell. 

No.  102— CARLISLE  Border  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted 
1898.  Last  Secretary,  Andrew  Rafell,  36  London  Road, 
Carlisle. 

No.  103— COALBURN  Biu-ns  Club.  Federated  1898.  Secretary, 
John  Woodburn,  Coalburn  Inn,  Coalb^lrn. 


170 

No.  104— DI']\1F1-J1KS  Oak  Biirn.s  Club.  Federated  1898.  Sccre- 
fary,  Ti  onias  Haining,  jiin.,  2(5  Swan's  Vennel,  Dumfries. 

No.  105— RUTHERGLEN  Cronies  Burns  Club.  Instituted  ]89(). 
Federated  1808.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Burnliill 
Rest,  last  Friday  of  month.  I'rcsidcnt,  James  Miller, 
42  Burnliill  Rest,  Rutherglen  ;  Vice-president,  James 
Rotertson,  13  Chapel  Street,  Rutherglen  ;  Secretary, 
Robt  M'Luckie,  i3  Harriet  Street,  Rutherglen  ;  Treasurer, 
Sanutel  Stevenson,  fiO  Biunliill  Street.  Committee — 
R.  Ferguson,  A.  M'llveen,  J.  Aitken,  J.  Paterson,  and  W. 
Donaldson.  Special  features  of  Club — Celebration  of 
25th  January,  harmony,  nnd  lecttires  on  Byron,  Scott, 
and  many  others. 

No.  ion— BROXBURN  Rosebery  Burns  Club.  Federated  1898. 
Secretary,  Joseph  Millar,  Ashfield  Buildings,  Uphall. 

No.    107— HUTCHESONTOWN    Burns    Club.        Instituted    October, 

1897.  Federated  22iid  December,  1898.  Place  and 
date  of  meeting,  572  Rutherglen  Road,  first  Friday  each 
month,  8  p.m.  President,  Angus  Macintosh,  22  Pollok 
Buildings,  Corkerhill,  via  Govan  ;  Vice-president,  John 
W.  Kerr,  4  Nistet  Sti'eet,  Parkhead,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary, 
Robert  A.  Sinclair,  437  Duke  Street,  Dennistoun,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Donald  Maci-ae,  572  Rutherglen  Road,  Glasgow  ; 
also  a  Board  of  Directors.  Special  features  of  Club — 
The  perpetuation  of  the  memory  of  Robert  Burns,  and 
the  intellectual  and  social  intercourse  of  its  members  by 
such  means  as  may  from  time  to  time  be  agreed  upon. 

No.  108— EAST  CALDER  and  District  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club. 
Instituted  February  3rd,  1897.  Federated  June  7th, 
1899.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Grapes  Inn,  East  Calder, 
at  8  o'clock.  President,  William  Young,  merchant.  East 
Calder ;  Vice-president,  James  Millar,  Limekilns  Farm, 
East  Calder  ;  Secretary,  Mr  Stark,  grocer.  East  Calder ; 
Treasurer,  James  Robertson.  Special  features  of  Club — 
To  study  Burns  and  his  works. 

No.    109— GLASGOW  Caledonia  Burns  Club.       Institut  d  September, 

1898.  Federated  24th  March,  1899.  Secretary,  William 
Galloway,  77  Preston  Street,  Govanhill,  Glasgow. 

No.  110- CAMBUSLANGBurnsClub.  Instituted  1850.  Federated 
1898.  Secretary,  James  Robertson,  Monkcastle  Drive, 
Cambuslang. 

No.  Ill— SOUTH  EDINBURGH  Bums  Club.  Instituted  1879. 
Federated  1899.  Secretary,  John  S.  T.  Walker,  1  Summer- 
bank,  Edinburgh. 

No.  112— DUMFRIES  Burns  Howff  Club.  Instituted  January, 
1889.  Federated  August,  1899.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting  (monthly).  Hon.  President,  T.  Draffan,  Dum- 
fries ;     President,   James   Bell,    English    Street,   Diunfries ; 


171 

Vice-president,  E.  Campbell,  Henry  Street,  Dimifries  ; 
Secretary,  John  Connor,  61  St.  Michael  Street,  Dumfries  ; 
Treasurer,  T.  Robertson  (No.  1)  ;  Auditors,  J.  W.  Howat 
and  J.  Grierson.  Committee — T.  Batey,  Geo.  Bell,  A. 
Cochrane,  T.  Craig,  J.  Houston,  R.  Kerr,  J.  Maxwell,  T. 
Robertson  (No.  2),  and  P.  Smith. 

No.  113— VALE  OF  LEVEN  Glencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
1897.  Federated  1899.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Albert  Hotel,  Alexandria,  last  Saturday  of  each  month, 
at  7.30.  Hon.  President,  William  White,  44  Bridge 
Street,  Alexandria ;  President,  Hugh  M'Vean,  Mossgiel, 
Dalmonach  Road,  Bonhill  ;  Vice-president,  Norman 
M'Crimmon,  132  Main  Street,  Renton  ;  Secretary,  Daniel 
Maemillan,  38  Wilson  Street,  Alexandi'ia ;  TreasLu-er, 
William  Smith,  Bridge  Square,  Alexandria  ;  Auditors, 
John  Christie  and  John  M'Gowan.  Committee — Daniel 
M'Innes,  John  M'Gowan,  John  Christie,  Harry  Hyslop, 
and  John  James.  Special  features  of  Club — Celebration 
of  the  25th  January,  summer  outing,  and  occasionally 
short  papers  by  members. 

No.  114— BRODICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  189^.  Federated 
1900.       Secretary,  John  S.  Currie,  Brodick. 

No.  115— KIPPEN  and  District  Burns  Club.  Instituted  21st  July, 
1896.  Federated  20th  January,  1900.  Place  of  meeting, 
Gillespie  Hall.  President,  Thomas  Syme,  Middle  Kerse, 
Kippen  Station  ;  Vice-president,  Andrew  Main,  Strewie- 
bank,  KipjDen  Station  ;  Secretary,  Archibald  M'Diarmid, 
Woodside,  Kippen  Station.  Cominittee — Robert  Jackson, 
Samuel  Thompson,  John  M.  Syme,  James  M'Ewen,  Peter 
Watson,  George  M'Queen,  Alex.  M'Diarmid,  John  Mont- 
gomery, John  Mackintosh,  Alex.  Donovan,  Robert  Leckie, 
and  William  Cameron.  Special  features  of  Club — To  pro- 
mote a  knowledge  of  the  life  and  works  of  Burns  an  annual 
children's  prize  competition  is  held,  open  to  the  school 
children  of  Kippen  and  the  surrounding  schools.  The 
subjects  of  competition  are  set  songs  and  recitations  from 
the  works  of  our  National  Bard.  For  this  piu-pose  a  fund 
is  maintained,  and  annvially  many  valuable  prizes  are  given. 

No.  116— GREENLOANING  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1889.  Fede- 
rated 1900.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Greenloaning 
Inn,  25th  January,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  Thomas 
Stewart,  The  Braes,  Greenloaning,  Braco  ;  Vice-president, 
Francis  Sands,  Glenbank,  Greenloaning,  Braco  ;  Secretary, 
James     Bayne,     Kinbuck,     Dunblane.  Committee — J. 

M'Naughton,    W.    Taylor,    G.    Robertson,    J.    M'llldowie, 
J.   R.   Couper,  R.  Taylor. 

No.  117— GLASGOW  Southern  Burns  Club  (dormant).  Instituted 
1899.        Federated   1900. 

No.  118— GLASGOW  Albany  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Fede- 
rated   1900.        Place  and   tiiue  of  meeting.  Trades'  House 


172 

Hestaurant,  89  ClassforJ  Street,  Glasgow,  at  7.30.  Presi- 
dent, James  Raeside,  125  North  Jolin  Street,  Glasgow  ; 
\'ico-prosidents,  Thomas  M'Bride,  20  Ingram  Street, 
(Uasgow,  and  W.  G.  Hay,  Fernwood,  Garwon  Road,  South 
Norwood,  London,  S.E.  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Carmichael, 
8!)  EldersJie  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  Alexander  Gray, 
()7  Great  Hamilton  Street,  Glasgow.  Directors — R.  D. 
Donaldson,  G.  W.  Gillies,  R.  K.  Philson,  W.  M'Naughton, 
I-saac  Craik,  Alex.  Ewing.  Past  Presidents— Robert 
Goodall,  J.  Wilson  Bain,  James  Taylor,  Thomas  Kennedy, 
John  Brown,  Ninian  Macwhannell,  and  John  A.  Headrick. 
Special  featiu-es  of  Club — Lectures  and  harmony,  and  to 
cultivate  a  knowledge  of  the  works  of  Burns  among  school 
children,  in  connection  with  which  a  competition  is  held 
yearly  and  medals  and  volumes  given  to  the  successful 
competitors.       Membership  limited  to  150. 

Xo.  119 — BONHILL  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Federated  1900. 
Secretary,  George  Moir,  75  Dillichip  Loan,  Bonhill. 

Xo.  120 — BRISTOL  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted  1820.  Fede- 
rated 1900.  President,  Aid.  H.  W.  Twiggs,  J. P.,  Victoria 
Street,  Bristol ;  Secretary,  A.  J.  Gardner,  C.A.,  4  St. 
Stephen's  Chambers,  Bristol  ;  Treasurer,  W.  Armour, 
Castle  Green,  Bristol.      Special  feature  of  Club — Benevolent. 

Xo.  121 — HAMILTON  Junior  Burns  Club.  Instituted  September, 
1886.  Federated  April,  1901.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Robert  Bell's,  L^nion  Street,  Hamilton,  Monday  evenings, 
at  8  o'clock  (monthly).  President,  James  Brown,  61 
Quarry  Street,  Hamilton  ;  Vice-president,  William  Fer- 
guson, Douglas  Cottage,  Hamilton  ;  Secretary,  William 
Wilson,  5  Haddow  Street,  Hamilton  ;  Minute  Secretary, 
A.  Thomson  ;  Steward,  J.  Gourlay.  Committee — A. 
Dickson,  J.  M'Millan,  and  C.  Stewart.  Special  features 
of  Club — Reading  of  essays  on  various  subjects,  concerts, 
competitions,  summer  rambles,  and  social  evenings.  30 
members.  , 

No.  122— DARXCOXNER  Aird's  Moss  Bm-ns  Club.  Instituted  1900. 
Federated  1901.  Place  of  meeting,  Sorn.  President, 
Hugh  Sloan,  Walker  Row,  by  Auchinleck  ;  Vice-president, 
Andrew  Neil,  90  Darnconner,  Auchinleck  ;  Secretary, 
Andrew  Stevenson,  Glenlogan,  Mauchline,  Ayrshire.  Com- 
mittee— Jas.  Baxter,  Jno.  Lvons,  Jno.  M'Lauchlan,  Alex. 
M  Do  wall. 

No.  123— AUCHINLECK  Boswell  Burns  Club.  Instituted  10th 
December,  1901.  Federated  10th  December,  1901.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Boswell  Arms,  last  Saturday  of  every 
month.  Hon.  Presidents,  Wm.  Wilson,  J. P.,  Auchinleck  ; 
Wm.  J.  Graham,  Edinburgh  ;  President,  Matthew  Wallace, 
Coal  Road,  Auchinleck  ;  Vice-president,  George  M'Comb, 
Townhead,  Auchinleck  ;  Secretary,  William  Hall,  High 
House,  Auchinleck ;  Treasurer,  Robt.  Strachan,  Townfoot, 
Auchinleck. 


173 

No.  124— EDINBURGH  Ninety  Biirns  Club.  Instituted  1890. 
Federated  1902.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Royal  Hotel, 
25th  January.  President,  James  Hewat,  la  Lindsay 
Place,  Edinburgh  ;  Vice-president,  John  Munro,  85  Shand- 
wick  Place  ;  Secretary,  J.  M.  Melville,  15  Coltbridge  Avenue, 
Edinburgh  ;  Treasurer,  A.  Gvithrie,  1  Steel  Place,  Morning- 
side.  Committee — J.  Augustus  Beddie,  Jas.  C.  Scott, 
T.  Crow,  jim.,  T.  Mirrray,  S.  Grayson  Hamilton.  Special 
features  of  Club — Anniversary  dinner,  dance,  excursion, 
business  meetings. 

No.  125— BLACKBURN-ON-ALMOND  Rabbie  Bvu-ns  Club.  Insti- 
tuted 1900.  Federated  1902.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Almond  Inn,  first  Wednesday  of  each  month  from  October 
to  April.  President,  Alex.  Gardiner,  Margaret  Cottages, 
Blackburn,  by  Bathgate  ;  Vice-presidents,  George  Greig, 
Jas.  Middleton,  Thomas  Wallace  ;  Secretary,  Peter  Brutin, 
East  Whitburn,  Whitburn,  N.B.  ;  Treasurer,  Joseph 
Fleming,  Blackburn.  Committee — James  Robb,  Thos. 
Mann,  David  Lumsden,  Robt.  Suttie,  Sam  Bostock.  Special 
features  of  Club — Annual  dinner  on  January  25th,  and 
social  last  Friday  in  March,  with  singing  and  reciting  com- 
petitions on  Burns's  works  for  school  children  under  14 
years  of  age. 

No.  126— FALKIRK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1866.  Federated 
1902.  Place  of  meeting,  Mathieson's  Rooms,  Falkirk. 
President,  Sheriff  Alexa,nder  Moffatt,  Arnotdale,  Falkirk  ; 
Vice-presidents,  Ex-Provost  Christie  and  Major  James  M. 
Wilson,  Falkirk  ;  Secretary,  H.  B.  Watson,  Harlesden, 
Falkirk ;  Treasurer,  R.  S.  Aitchisan  ;  Musical  Convener, 
James  Rule.  Special  features  of  Chib — Spring  and 
autumn  meetings  for  literary  purposes  (ladies  invited),  and 
annual  dinner. 

No.  127— COWDENBEATH  Haggis  Burns  Chib.—  Instituted  1903. 
Federated  7th  November,  1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Foulford  Rooms,  every  alternate  Tuesday,  at  7  p.m. 
President,  William  Miller,  Glenview,  Foulford  Road, 
Cowdenbeath  ;  Vice-presidents,  John  Bain,  Hall  Street, 
and  Sam.  White,  c/o  John  Bain,  Hall  Street  ;  Secretary, 
James  Petrie  Glen,  16  Foulford  Road,  Cowdenbeath. 
Committee — D.  Jamieson,  T.  Lark,  H.  Philip,  and  A. 
Campbell. 

No.  128— COWDENBEATH  Glencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted, 
July,  1898.  Federated  14th  May,  1903.  Place  and  date 
of  meeting,  Raith  Arms  Inn,  every  alternate  Friday,  at 
8  p.m.  President,  David  Smith,  89  Broad  Street,  Cowden- 
beath ;  Vice-president,  Thos.  Wilson,  30  Arthur  Place, 
Cowdenbeath  ;  Secretary,  Miirdoch  Beaton,  51a  Bridge 
Street,  Cowdenbeath  ;  Treasurer,  Thos.  Ferguson,  103 
Stenhouse  Street,  Cowdenbeath.  Special  features  of  Club 
— First,  the  celebration  of  the  Anniversary  of  the  birth  of 
the  Poet  Burns  ;  and  second,  the  mutual  improvement 
nd  innocent  recreation  of  the  members. 


174 

No.  120— GORBALS  Burns  Club.  Inslitutcd  1<)02.  Federated 
lltli  June,  1903.  President,  I^ailie  Arcliibald  Canii)l:e]l. 
Albcn-t  ]3ri\e,  Polloksbields  ;  Vice-president,  James  Milli^L^an, 
2  Soutli  Portland  Street  ;  Secretary,  Andrew  Aitken, 
solicitor,  212  Bath  Street,  Glasgow.  Special  featvires  of 
Club — To  foster  the  study  of  Burns's  works. 

No.  130 — ROW  Burns  Club. — Instituted  6th  February,  1902.  Fede- 
rated 1903.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Colquhoun  Arms, 
January,  June,  October,  at  8  p.m.  President,  Major  John 
]\rFarlane,  1  West  Clyde  Street,  Helensburgh  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  N.  M.  M'Leod,  Fiunary,  Shandon,  Dumbarton- 
shire ;  Capt.  G.  S.  Deverell,  R.N.,  Clyde  Training  Ship 
"  Empress,"  Row  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Sloan,  Greenside 
Cottage,  Row  ;  Treasurer,  George  Walker,  Laggray  Lodge, 
Row.  Special  features  of  Club — Social  intercourse  among 
its  members. 

No.  131— NOTTINGHAM  Scottish  Association.  Instituted  October, 
1902.  Federated  November,  1903.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting.  Mikado  Cafe,  monthly.  President,  John  Craw- 
ford, The  Old  Rectory,  Bulwell,  Nottingham  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  G.  A.  Mitchell,  275  Woodborough  Road,  Notting- 
ham ;  N.  C.  Stewart,  8  Newstead  Grove,  Nottingham. 
Secretary,  J.  G.  Simpson,  101  Portland  Road,  Nottingham  ; 
Treasurer,  G.  E.  Bain,  Capital  and  Counties  Bank,  Ltd., 
Market  Place.  Council — J.  Currie,  Dr  W.  Hunter,  M.  J. 
Kay,  J.  Littlefair,  D.  Macadie,  A.  C.  Macdonald,  D. 
Macgregor,  A.  M'Gougan,  J.  M'Meeking,  Dr  J.  Millar,  R. 
F.  Percy,  Dr  J.  W.  Scott,  Dr  J.  Watson,  and  A.  W. 
Whyte.  Auditors — J.  Chapman  and  J.  G.  M'Meeking. 
Special  features  of  Club — To  celebrate  the  birthday  of 
Burns  ;  the  promotion  of  friendly  and  social  intercourse 
amongst  Scots. 


No.  132— RICCARTON  Kirkstyle  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January, 
1904.  Federated     16th     November,     1904.  Secretary, 

Archd.  Young,  88  Campbell  Street,  Riccarton. 

No.  133— NEWARTHILL  Burns  Club.  Instituted  26th  September, 
1903.  Federated  28th  March,  1904.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting.  Miss  Janet  Wyper's,  last  Saturday  every  month. 
President,  John  Hen.shaw,  Main  Street,  Newarthill  ;  Vice- 
presiJent,  Tho-.  Nimmo,  Co-operative  Building,  Newarthill, 
Secretary,  Wm.  Moore,  Rijjyur  Itniul.  Newarthill,  Motherwell. 
Committee — T.  Crombie,  Win.  .M  Kissoek,  J.  Lafferty,  I. 
Nichol,  and  G.  Cook.  Spt  ciMl  tciil  uies  of  Club — To  promote 
social  intercourse  among  its  members  by  means  of  songs, 
recitations,  essays,  &c. 

No.  134 — DUNTOCHER  "The  Heron"  Burns  Club,  Instituted 
18th  November,  1897.  Federated  7th  April,  1904.  Secre- 
tary, R.  R.  Chalmers,  Main  Street,  Duntocher. 


175 

No.  135 — FARTICK  Western  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1903.  Fede- 
rated 1904.  Place  of  meeting,  Windsor  Restaurant, 
Partick.  President,  Isaac  Hislop  ;  Vice-president,  John 
Kay  ;  Secretary,  James  Gilchrist,  6  Dudley  Drive,  Partick  ; 
Treasurer,   James   Webster. 

No.  1 3 C— HAMILTON  Royal  Oak  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1898. 
Federated  6th  June,  1904.  Secretary,  Robert  Brownlie, 
7  Downie  Street,  Lo-\\waters,  Hamilton. 

No.  137— IPSWICH  Burns  Club.  Instituted  12th  February,  1902. 
Federated  1st  November,  1904.  Place  of  meeting,  Fox 
Hotel,  IjDswich.  Last  Secretary,  S.  Dobbin,  Railway 
Hotel,  Foxhall  Road,  Ipswich. 

No.  138— CLELAND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  19th  October,  1904. 
Federated  22nd  November,  1904.  Secretary,  Robert 
M'Millan,  Hornshill,  Cleland. 

No.  139— NATIONAL  Burns  Club,  Ltd.  Instituted  1904.  Fede- 
rated 1904.  Place  of  meeting.  Club  Rooms,  93  Douglas 
Street.  President,  Peter  Glasse,  185  Byers  Road  ;  Vice- 
president,  George  Fisher,  80  Wilson  Street ;  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  Joseph  Martin,  solicitor,  163  West  George  Street. 
Special  features  of  Club — A  series  of  lectures  and  smoking 
concerts. 

No.  140— POLLOKSHAWS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1865.  Fede- 
rated 1905.  Place  of  meeting.  Burgh  Halls,  Pollokshaws. 
Secretary,  James   Milne,   Burgh   Halls.   Pollokshaws. 

No.  141— STONEHOUSE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1904.  Federated 
1905.  Place  of  meeting.  Buck's  Head  Inn.  Secretary, 
Jam.es  Graham,  58  New  Street,  Stonehouse. 

No.  142— BONNYBRIDGE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  10th  January, 
1905.  Federated  22nd  February,  1905.  Secretary,  John 
Towers,    Allanhill   Cottage,    Bonnybridge. 

No.    143— AIRDRIE  Gateside  Burns  Club.       Instituted  6th  November, 

1904.  Federated  1st  May,  1905.  Secretary,  Alex.  W. 
Ritchie,  Laurel  Bank,  Queen  Victoria  Street,  Airdrie. 

No.  144— LARBERT  and  STENHOUSEMUIR  Temperance  Biu-ns 
Club.  Instituted  1904.  Federated  1905.  Secretary, 
John  Richardson,  Annslea,  South  Broomage,  Larbert. 

No.  145 — GLASGOW  Central  Burns  Club  and  Literature  Institute, 
Limited.  Instituted  1905.  Federated  August,  1905. 
Place  of  meeting,  42  Argyle  Street.  Secretary,  A.  Kay, 
42  Argyle  Street,  Glasgow. 

No.    146- DUBLIN    Burns    Club.         Instituted     1905.         Federated, 

1905.  Patron,  His  Excellency  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  K.P., 
K.T.,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland  ;  Past  President,  Thomas 
A.  Stodart,  16  Northumberland  Road  ;     President,  Richard 


176 

Jones,  J.r.,  51  Kallult)\\ii  iioad,  N.C.R.  ;  Vicc-[)rosidonts, 
John  Beatty,  James  St(>phen,  Janios  Watson,  James  Dean, 
G.  H.  Telfei',  and  David  A.  Qiiaid.  Hon.  Secretary,  John 
Farquhar,  21  Windsor  Avenue,  Fairview  ;  Hon.  Treasurer, 
Alexander  Lyon,  1 1 1  Botanic  Road,  Glasnovin.  Committee 
— James  Armour,  W.  H.  Huish,  Wm.  M'Carthy,  Robert 
Morrison,  S.  Wylho,  and  E.  W.  Warren.  Hon.  Auditors — 
J.  B.  Taj'lor  and  A.  ]\Ioorhead.  Annual  ch'nner,  Gresliam 
Hotel. 

No.  147— STONEHOUSE  Haggis  Burns  Chib.  Federated  28th 
October,  1905.  Secretary,  R.  Whitelavv,  22  Camnethan 
Street,  Stonehouse. 

No.  148— GREENOCK  Cronies  Bm-ns  Chib.  Instituted  January, 
1899.  Federated  9th  November,  1905.  Place  of  meeting. 
Shepherds'  Hall,  Cathcart  Street.  President,  Angus 
Mitchell,  18  Wellington  Street,  Greenock  ;  Vice-president, 
William  Trottar,  8  Brisbane  Street,  Greenock  ;  Secretary, 
Hugh  Cammack,  28  Lynedoch  Street,  Greenock  ;  Treasurer, 
William  Burnside,  25  Bruce  Street,  Greenock.  Special 
features  of  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of  Robert  Biu-ns 
and  foster  a  love  for  his  writings,  and  generally  to  promote 
good-fellowship. 

No.  149— ELGIN  Burns  Club.  Resuscitated  1900.  Federated  1905. 
Secretary,  John  Foster,  Sheriff-Clerk  of  Elginshire  ;  Trea- 
surer, John  B.  Mair,  Chief-Constable,  Elgin. 

No.    150— KILMARNOCK  Jolly   Beggars   Burns   Club.  Instituted 

1905.  Federated  1905.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
"  Wee  Thack,"  Grange  Street,  first  Monday  each  month. 
President,  Alex.  Beggs,  jr.,  4|  Nursery  Street,  Vice- 
president,  John  Douglas,  65  King  Street  ;  Secretary, 
Robert  J.  Green,  58  Park  Street  ;  Treasurer,  James  Sparks, 
46  Fullarton  Street.  Committee — Geo.  M'Donald,  And. 
Campbell,  Samuel  Neil,  Robert  Jamieson,  and  Wm.  Willock. 
Special  features  of  Club — Literary  meetings  held  each 
month,  together  with  occasional  musical  evenings  and 
Anniversary  celebration  ;  we  also  meet  each  Saturday- 
evening,  when  a  paper  is  read  and  discussed  by  those  present. 

No.  151— OLD  KILPATRICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January, 
1905.  Fid. rated  January,  1905.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting,  C  mhs  ll.ill,  every  month,  at  8  p.m.  President, 
Hugh  Mill.r.  HilKicw,  Station  Road,  Old  Kilpatrick  ; 
Vice-presidiMit,  Robert  Newlands,  Gavinburn  Terrace, 
Old  Kilpatrick  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Smith,  Maryville,  Old 
Kilpatrick  ;  Treasurer,  Jas.  Retson,  Glenview  Terrace, 
Old  Kilpatrick.  Working  Committee — Jas.  Paton,  Jas. 
Dykes,  Jas.  M'Carlie,  George  Byril,  Wm.  M'Farlane,  John 
Brock,  Wm.  Gallacher,  and  Wm.  Cockburn.  Special 
features  of  Club — Anniversary  gathering  on  25th  January, 
1912,  in  the  form  of  an  "  At  Home  and  Dance,"  which  was 
a  great  success  last  year.  Third  Children's  singing 
and  recitation  open  competition  now  started,  to  be  held 
finally  in  February,  1912.  General  study  and  debate  on 
Burns's  works. 


177 

No.  152— HAMILTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1877.  Federated 
1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Commercial  Hotel, 
Hamilton,  during  winter  as  arranged.  President,  James 
D.  Rankin,  Rockburn,  Hamilton  ;  Vice-president,  William 
Thomson,  Earnscliffe,  Hamilton  ;  Secretary,  John  Main, 
8  Almada  Street,  Hamilton  ;  Treasurer,  W.  Martin  Kay, 
Craigton  Lodge,  Hamilton.  Special  feature  of  Club — 
Prizes  given  for  competition  in  the  Burgh  Schools  for 
proficiency  in  Scottish  Literature. 

No.  153 — SCOTTISH  Bxirns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1904.  Fede- 
rated 2nd  March,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  City 
Commercial  Restaurant,  60  Union  Street,  Glasgow,  first 
Thursday  of  each  month,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  Dr 
James  Devon,  6  Cathedral  Square,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-presi- 
dents, Ninian  Macwhannell,  1366  Pollokshaws  Road, 
Glasgow,  and  James  A.  Crerar,  Garbhallt,  Monreith  Road, 
Newlands,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  J.  D.  Bauchop,  LL.B., 
53  Bothwell  Street,  Glasgow  ;  Treasurer,  George  A.  Duncan. 
Committee — J.  K.  M'Dowall,  J. P.,  Thos.  Devlin,  and 
W.  R.  Wilson.  Bard,  Thomas  Cree.  Special  features  of 
Club — Temperance,  literary  and  social. 

No.  154— JOHANNESBURG  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1900.  Fede- 
rated 1906.  Secretary,  Richard  Rusk,  solicitor.  Natal 
Bank  Buildings,  Market  Square,  Johannesburg. 

No.  155— EAST  STIRLINGSHIRE  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1905. 
Federated  1st  September,  1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Cross  Roads  Inn,  Bainsford,  Falkirk,  quarterly.  President, 
Alex.  Cruickshanks,  LTnion  Buildings,  Carron  Road,  Falkirk ; 
Vice-president,  William  Galbraith,  M'Callum  Terrace. 
Carron  Road,  Falkirk  ;  Secretary,  Alex.  Glen,  12  Gordon  Ter- 
race, Carron  Road,  Falkirk  ;  Treasiuer,  James  M'Williams. 
Committee — Harry  Maywood,  Robert  Greenaway,  Joseph 
Duncan,  James  Cook,  Robert  C.  Young.  Special  featiu-es 
of  Club — To  foster  and  maintain  an  intimate  and  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  life  and  works  of  Burns  ;  to  celebrate 
the  Anniversary  of  his  birth  in  supper,  song,  and  sentiment  ; 
and  to  propagate  and  encourage  a  kind,  social,  and  brotherly 
feeling  one  towards  another. 

No.  156— NEWCASTLE  and  TYNESIDE  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
1864.  Federated  4th  October,  1906.  Place  of  meeting. 
Central  Exchange  Hotel.  President,  Dr  R.  Anderson,  4 
Gladstone  Terrace,  Gateshead  ;  Vice-president,  Wm. 
Maxwell,  80  Osborne  Road,  Newcastle -on-Tyne  ;  Secretary, 
W.  H.  Blackstock,  22  Nelson  Street,  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ; 
Treasurer,  Wm.  Maxwell,  80  Osborne  Road,  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne.  Special  feature  of  Club — Keeping  in  touch  with 
Burns,  and  fostering  the  spirit  "  Shall  brothers  be  for 
a'  that." 

No.  157— BAILLIESTON  Caledonian  Burns  Club.  Instituted  25th 
January,  1S0\  Federated  5th  October,  1906.  Place 
of   meeting.    Free    Gardeners'    Hall.        President,    Thomas 


178 

Waufjli,  ("rossliill,  Baillioston  ;  Vice-prosidoiit,  doorge 
Boatli,  Main  Strcot,  BailHeston  ;  Secretary,  John  Young, 
36  JNIain  Street,  liaillioston  ;  Treasurer,  Peter  GnHmsliiolds. 
Committee — George  Tait,  Robert  Forsytli,  William  Lock- 
hart,  Jolin  Logan,  Charles  Paterson,  Thomas  M'lvor. 
Special  features  of  Club — To  clierisli  the  name  of  Robert 
Burns,  and  to  foster  a  love  for  his  writings,  and  to  celebrate 
the  meiTiory  of  our  National  Bard  by  an  annual  social 
meeting,  to  be  held  on  the  25th  of  January,  or  as  near 
thereto  as  possible. 

No.  158— DARLINGTON  Burns  Association.  Instituted  8tli  March 
1906.  Federated  18th  October,  1906.  Place  and  date 
of  meeting.  Temperance  Institute,  average  fortnightly 
during  winter,  no  fixed  night.  President,  Philip  Wood, 
M.A.,  Grammar  School,  Darlington.  Vice-presidents— 
Wm.  Forster,  J. P.,  Elmbank  ;  John  Henderson,  Albert 
Road  Schools  ;  John  M.  Gait,  4  West  Park,  Woodlands 
Road  ;  Secretary,  R.  M.  Liddell,  37  Langholm  Crescent  ; 
Assistant  Secretary,  Robert  Storar,  22  Chesnut  Street  ; 
Treasurer,  Geo.  Lawson,  5  Holmwood  Grove,  Harrowgate 
Hill.  Committee — Dr  Munro,  Gavin  Struthers,  Wm. 
Stevenson,  John  C.  Veitch,  James  Shirlaw,  J.  J.  Black, 
Wm.  Rodger,  Andrew  Morton,  and  John  Macfarlane. 
Special  features  of  Club — Series  of  lectures,  to  which  friends 
(including  ladies)  are  invited  ;  annual  Scottish  concert  ; 
annual  social  gathering  ;    anniversary  dinner. 

No.  159— WALKER-ON-TYNE  Burns  Club.  Federated  11th  Nov- 
ember, 1906.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Stack  Hotsl, 
Walker,  once  a  fortnight,  September  to  April.  President, 
John  M'Kay,  623  Welbeck  Road,  Walker  ;  Vice-president, 
John  Keith,  663  Welbeck  Road,  Walker ;  Secretary, 
Andrew  D.  Bell,  47  Whitworth  Street,  Walker  ;  Treasurer, 
Robert  M'Rory,  29  Eastbourne  Gardens,  Walker.  Special 
features  of  Club — To  promote  the  cultivation  of  a  bettor 
knowledge  of  the  Poet  and  his  works,  also  to  bring  together 
Scotsmen  and  other  admirers  of  Burns  so  as  to  give  more 
knowledge   of   Scottish  literature. 

No.  160— WHITBURN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  23rd  February, 
1906.  Federated  November,  1906.  Secretary,  Allan 
Johnston,  Lea  Street,   Whitburn. 

No.  1 61— CHARLESTON  Burns  Club,  Paisley.  Instituted  25th  Janu- 
ary, 1905.  Federated  1st  December,  1906.  Place  and  date 
of  meeting,  17  Stevenson  Street,  Paisley,  quarterly.  Pre- 
sident, James  Welsh,  Ardenlea,  Elderslie  ;  Vice-presidents, 
Robt.  Fleming,  Newhall  Villas,  Glenfield,  Paisley,  and 
Hugh  Young,  85  Neilston  Road,  Paisley  ;  Secretary, 
James  C.  Mackay,  24  Stock  Street,  Paisley.  Committee — 
Hugh  Black,  Thos.  Summers,  Jos.  S.  Howard,  Wm.  Hamil- 
ton, Andrew  Shannon,  and  Jno.  Easton.  Special  feature 
of  Club — Propagation  of  the  knowledge  of  the  writings  of 
Burns  in  the  district  of  Charleston  in  Paisley. 


179 

No.  162 — PLYMOUTH  and  District  Caledonian  Society.  Instituted 
8th  February,  1898.  Federated  8th  March,  1907.  Pre- 
sident, James  Thain,  "  Bon  Accord,"  11  Craven  Avenue, 
Plymouth  ;  Vice-president,  Wm.  Johnston,  10  Seaton 
Avenue,  Mutley,  Plymouth  ;  Secretary,  P.  Robertson, 
89  Alcester  Street,  Devonport. 

No.  163 — GATESHEAD  and  District  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1887. 
Federated  1907.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Royal  Hotel, 
first  Thursday  of  month.  President,  T.  Hetherington, 
3  St.  Edmond  Place,  Gateshead  ;  Vice-president,  E. 
Bennett,  6  Parkville,  Heaton,  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ;  Secre- 
tary, D.  Bain,  13  Denmark  Street,  Gateshead  ;  Treasurer, 
W.  Bain.  Committee — G.  Porter,  T.  ThomjDson,  J. 
Matthewson.  Special  features  of  Club — To  associate 
Scotsmen  and  admirers  of  Burns  ;  to  keep  up  Scotch 
custom  and  study  works  of  Burns. 

No.  164— KINNING  PARK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1881.  Fede- 
rated 1907.  Place  and  time  of  meeting.  Masonic  Hall, 
Rutland  Crescent,  2nd  Wednesday  of  month,  at  8  p.ra. 
President,  Jaines  Miller,  15  Walmer  Terrace,  Ibrox  ;  Vice- 
president,  John  D.  M'Lachlan,  104  Middleton  Street, 
Ibrox  ;  Secretary,  Thomas  Deans,  54  Lambhill  Street, 
Plantation,     Glasgow.  Committee — Ex-Bailie     Neilson, 

Wm.  Dickie,  Arch.  Crawford,  James  Mason,  Wm.  Walker, 
Parish  Councillor  Neil  Downie,  John  Stvirdy,  Robert 
Alston.  Special  features  of  Club — Competition  amongst 
school  children  for  singing  and  reciting  works  of  Scottish 
poets  ;  lectures  during  the  year  on  Scottish  literature  ; 
holding  of  Burns's  natal  day  ;  and  social  intercourse 
amongst   members. 

No.  165 — WALLSEND  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1898.  Federated 
18th  April,  1907.  Place  and  time  of  meeting,  Juvel's  Cafe, 
High  Street,  3rd  Wednesday  in  every  month.  President, 
Andrew  Gray,  3  Burn  Avenue  ;  Vice-president,  Jno, 
Campbell,  9  Laburnum  Avenue  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Johnson, 
31  Curzon  Road  ;  Treasurer,  Charles  Scott,  98  Laburnum 
Avenue.  Special  features  of  Club — Lovers  of  Biu-ns  and 
Scottish   literature  ;      Scottish   concerts. 

No.  166 — CLEVELAND  Scottish  Association.  Instituted  January, 
1907.  Federated  July,  1907.  Place  of  meeting,  Devon- 
port  Hotel,  fortnightly.  President,  Alderman  Forbes, 
Old  Ormesby  ;  Vice-presidents,  Dr  Steel,  Southfield  Villas, 
and  Councillor  Crombie,  Linthorpe  ;  Secretary,  A.  W^allace, 
6  Royal  Exchange,  Middlesbrough  ;  Treasurer,  John 
Wilson  ;  Chairman  of  Committee,  D.  Smith.  Special 
features  of  Club — The  promotion  of  friendly  intercoiu-se 
among  the  members,  and  to  welcome  brither  Scots  arriving 
from  across  the  border. 

No.  167 — BIRMINGHAM  Burns  Club.  Instituted  13th  January, 
1906.  Federated  13th  November,  1907.  Place  of  meet 
ing.   Grand   Hotel,   Culmore   Row.        President,    Dr  A.    J. 


180 

Esslemont.  I  Deritend  ;  ^'icc>-pl■(.•sidents,  ^\'.  T.  Sniellie, 
Strathairh",  Kings  Norton,  and  J.  \\  hitelaw,  II  Broad 
Street  Corner  ;  Hon.  Secretary,  H.  Beaumont,  8  Cadbury 
Road,  Moseley  ;  Hon.  Assistant  Secretary,  D.  B.  Gray, 
1 1  Dean  Road,  Erdington  ;  Hon.  Treasurer,  Mr  G.  L. 
B.  Spence,  202  Alcester  Road,  Moseley. 

No.  lf.8— RICCARTON  Burns  Club.  Instituted  7th  February, 
1877.  Federated  14tli  January,  1908.  Place  of  meeting, 
Commercial  Inn.  President,  Mr  R.  P.  Walker,  11  Kay 
Park  Terrace,  Kilmarnock  ;  Vice-president,  Mr  David 
Lang,  18  Portland  Road,  Kilmarnock  ;  Secretary,  Jas. 
P.  Moir,  45  Campbell  Street,  Riccarton  ;  Committee — 
Ex-Bailie  Burnett,  R.  Wyllie,  Geo.  Cunningham,  ex-Bailie 
M'Graw,  J.  P.  Dickson.  Special  features  of  Club — Social 
intercourse  amongst  the  Burns  fraternity  ;  to  spread  and 
become  familiar  with  the  Poet's  works. 

No.  1G9— GLASGOW  AND  DISTRICT  Association  of  Burns  Clubs 
and  Kindred  Societies.  Instituted  1907.  Federated 
1908.  Place  of  meeting.  Trades  Hou.se  Restam-ant,  89 
Glassford  Street,  Glasgow.  President,  James  Ballantine, 
83  Renfield  Street,  Glasgow ;  Vice-presidents,  Alex. 
Pollock,  52  West  Nile  Street,  and  Hugh  M'Coll,  278  St. 
Vincent  Street  ;  Secretary,  J.  Jeffrey  Hunter,  writer,  109 
Bath  Stieet,  Glasgow.  Committee — Robt.  Carmichael 
(Albany),  John  Carmichael  (Tarn  o'  Shante*),  Wm.  Crum 
(Kilbowie),  Thos.  Deans  (Kinning  Park),  Alex.  Johnstone 
(Baillieston),  Alex.  M'Kenzie  (Tam  o'  Shanter),  John  Neil- 
son  (Thornliebank),  Wm.  Reid  (Shettleston),  Peter  Smith, 
jun.  (Ro.sebery),  Jas.  Stewart  (Moorpark),  Major  Thorpe 
(Hamilton),  Jas.  Tudhope  and  Jas.  Webster  (Western), 
and  Provost  Wilson  (Haggis).  Special  features  of  Club — 
To  further  the  interest  of  the  Burns  cult  by  promoting 
closer  union  between  the  Clubs  in  the  district  and  bringing 
the  members  of  these  Clubs  into  more  harmonious  relation- 
ship, and  to  take  the  initiative  in  instituting  and  recom- 
mending movements  likely  to  be  beneficial  to  the  cult. 

No.  170 — LARKHALL  Thistle  Burns  Club.  Instituted  November 
1900.  Federated  18th  April,  1908.  Place  and  time  of  meet- 
ing, Victoria  Bar,  7.30.  Hon.  President,  William  Martin  ; 
rnsidcnt,  Alex.  Grieve,  Drygate  Street,  Larkhall  ;  Hon. 
\  if.  |jri>i(|(iit,  Robert  M'Dowall  ;  Vice-president,  Thomas 
.M(;iiic,  lli<.'h  Millar  Street,  Larkhall;  Secretary,  William 
NicoII,  125  Machan,  Larkhall  ;  Treasurer,  Andrew  Haw- 
thorn. Special  features  of  Club — To  encourage  the 
members  to  take  a  greater  interest  in  the  works  of  Burns. 

No.  171 — CHATTANOOGA  Burns  Society,  Tenn.,  U.S.A.  Insti- 
tuted 25th  January,  1908.  Federated  2nd  June,  1908. 
President,  F.  H.  Caldwell,  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  ;  Vice- 
president,  James  Blackwood,  Chattanooga,  Tenn  ,  Secre- 
tary, R.  B.  Cooke,  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  Special  features 
of  Club — Meets  only  on  call  of  Secretary,  and  at  annual 
dinner  on  25th  January. 

No.  172 — OREGON  Biu-ns  Club,  Portland,  Oregon,  U.S.A.  Insti- 
tuted 25th  January,  1908.  Federated  12th  November, 
1908.  Secretary,  A.  Gavin,  1201  Williams  Avenue,  Pied- 
mont, Portland,  Oregon,  U.S.A. 


181 

No.  173— IRVINE  Btirns  Club.  Instituted  1826.  Federated  18th 
November,  1908.  President,  James  Borland,  Meadow- 
view,  Irvine  ;  Vice-president,  Henry  Abram,  The  Dyke, 
Irvine  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Boyd,  B.L.,  Bellevue,  Irvine  ; 
Hon.  Treasurer,  Robert  F.  Longmuir,  Roseville,  Irvine. 

No.  174— ARDROSSAN  Burns  Chib.  Federated  1908.  Place  of 
meeting.  Lesser  Assembly  Rooms.  President,  Bailie 
Hugh  Flinn  ;  Vice-president,  James  Galloway  ;  Secretary, 
William  Gibson,  Kilmahew,  Ardrossan  ;  Treasurer,  James 
Tyre.  Committee — Rev.  J.  K.  Cameron,  J.  Wilson,  T. 
Haldane,  W.  Tannock,  W.  Muirhead,  and  W.  Stewart. 

No.  175— MEIKLE  EARNOCK  Original  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
1906.  Federated  1908.  Place  and  date  of  meeting, 
Mr  John  Craig's,  Meikle  Earnock,  first  Friday  of  every 
month.  Hon.  President,  R.  H.  Sneddon  ;  President, 
James  Shepherd,  Moore  Street,  Cadzow,  Hamilton  ;  Vice- 
president,  Alex.  Laird,  Eddlewood  Buildings,  Hamilton  ; 
Secretary,  William  Ross,  15  Eddlewood  Buildings,  Hamil- 
ton ;  Treasurer,  John  Craig  ;  Assistant  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  William  Lindsay.  Special  features  of  Club — 
To  keep  ever  green  the  memory  of  Scotia's  greatest  son 
and  disseminate  the  principles  he  strived  to  inculcate. 

No.  176 — RENFREW  Burns  Club.  Federated  20th  December, 
1898.  President,  D.  K.  Michie,  Deanside,  Renfrew  ; 
Vice-president,  R.  Scott,  Neil  Buildings,  Renfrew  ;  Secre- 
tary, L.  Buchanan,  The  Sheiling,  Renfrew. 

No.  177— PRESTWICK  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1902.  Federated 
1908.  Place  of  meeting.  Royal  Hotel,  Prestwick.  Presi- 
dent, Walter  Jarvie,  Royal  Hotel,  Prestwick  ;  Vice-iaresi- 
dent,  Matthew  Morrison,  Main  Street,  Newton-on-Ayr  ; 
Secretary,  Alexander  Smith,  Munton,  Prestwick  ;  Treasurer, 
ex-Bailie  Cochrane.  Special  features  of  Club — Social  and 
educational. 

No.  178— KILMARNOCK  Begbie's  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  20th 
January,  1909.  Federated  20th  January,  1909.  Place  of 
meeting,  Begbie's  Inn.  President,  M.  Stewart,  e/o  Messrs 
D.  &  D.  Carruthers,  Union  Bank  Buildings  ;  Secretary, 
Adam  Mackay,  98  Dundonald  Road. 

No.  179— DAILLY  Jolly  Beggars  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  22nd 
January,  1909.  Federated  22nd  January,  1909.  Place 
of  meeting,  King's  Arms  Hotel.  President,  Robt.  Smith, 
Schoolhouse,  Dailly  ;  Vice-president,  Robt.  Cook,  Wood- 
side  Cottage,  Dailly.  Secretary,  Samuel  M'Bride,  Dal- 
quharran,  by  Maybole.  Committee — Thomas  Dykes, 
Samuel  M'Blain,  and  Hugh  M'Culloch.  Special  feature 
of  Club — Celebration  of  the  Poet's  birthday. 

No.  180— GLASGOW  Tollcross  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  November 
5th,  1908.  Federated  1908.  Place  and  time  of  meeting, 
Hilliar's  Rooms,  Main  Street,  Tollcross,  8  p.m.  President, 
James  Petrie,  Davaar,  Hamilton  Drive,  Shettleston  ; 
Vice-president,  Alex.  Anderson,  Maukinfauld  Road,  Toll- 
cross  ;  Secretary,  Robert  Manson,  5  Rockdove  Gardens, 
Tollcross  ;  Treasurer,  Walter  Newton,  706  Main  Street, 
Tollcross.  Special  features  of  Club — To  promote  the  study 
of  Burns's  works. 


182 

No.    1  SI— GLASGOW     Primrose     Burns     Club.  Instituted      1901. 

Federated  1909.  Place  of  meeting,  Alexandra  Hotel, 
Glasgow.  President,  J.  Latta  Robertson,  14  Rowallan 
Gardens,  Partick  ;  Vice-jiresident,  Thos.  Sutherland, 
Ashbourne  Villa,  Minard  Road,  Partick  ;  Secretary,  G. 
R.  Hunter,  55  Seamore  Street,  City  Road,  Glasgow. 
Special  features  of  Club — To  foster  an  intimate 
acquftintance  with  the  works  of  our  National  Bard,  Robert 
Burns. 

No.  182— STANE  (Shotts)  Mossgiel  Burns  Club.  Instituted  February 
3rd,  1908.  Federated  February  2Gth,  1909.  Place  and 
date  of  meeting,  Stane  Hotel,  first  Friday  of  month.  Presi- 
dent, William  Cairns,  15  Torbothie,  Stane,  Shotts  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  Robert  Campbell,  108  Main  Street,  Stane, 
and  Wm.  Rodgers,  88  Main  Street,  Stane  ;  Secretary, 
Alex.  Walker,  1  Charlotte  Street,  Stane  ;  Treasurer, 
James  Cairns,  Charlotte  Street,  Stane  ;  Special  features 
of  Club — To  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the  Poet's  birth  j 
to  encourage  and  foster  the  study  of  his  works. 

No.  183— LOXDOXDERP.Y  Burns  Club  and  Caledonian  Society. 
Instituted  19(17.  Federated  10th  Jime,  1909.  Place  of 
meeting,  Gowdie"s  Hotel,  Foyle  Street.  President,  David 
C.  Hogg,  H.M.L.,  Victoria  Park ;  Vice-president,  Alex. 
Wightrnan,  Shipquay  Street  ;  ;Secretory,  Jas.  C.  Scrimgeour, 
3  Sunnj'side  Terrace  ;  Treasurer,  Professor  David  Smith, 
D.D.,  College  Terrace.  Special  features  of  Club — The 
objects  of  the  Society  shall  be  to  cherish  the  memory  of 
Burns  ;  to  study  his  works  ;  to  discuss  poets  and  poetry 
in  general  ;  to  endeavour  by  these  means,  or  in  such  other 
manner  as  may  be  approved,  to  cultivate  a  closer  social 
union  amongst  all  classes  of  Scotsmen,  and  other  sym- 
pathisers with  the  objects  of  the  Club,  in  Londonderry 
and  neighbourhood  ;  to  provide  a  fund,  by  annual  sub- 
scription and  entry  fees,  whereby  Scotsmen  in  poor  and 
necessitous  circumstances  may  be  relieved  ;  and  to  defray 
working  expenses. 

No.  184 — BLAIR  AD  AM  Shanter  Burns  Club.  Instituted  August 
21st,  1907.  Federated  August  29th,  1909.  Place  and 
date  of  meeting,  Blairadam  Tavern,  Kelty,  Saturdays,  7 
p.m.  President,  John  Ramsay,  Swanley  Cottage,  Kelty  ; 
Vice-president,  James  Nelson,  Benarty  View,  Kelty  ; 
Secretary,  George  Ireland,  Old  Office  Road,  Kelty  ;  Trea- 
surer, George  Burden.  Committee — Thos.  Sneddon, 
Will  Clark,  Andrew  Anderson,  Thos.  Pryde,  and  Andrew 
Philip.  Special  features  of  Club — Recitations,  songs, 
readings,  draughts,  dominoes,  and  smoking  concerts. 

No.    185 — BURTON     Burns     Club.  Instituted     December,      1908, 

Federated  November  19th,  1909.  President,  John  T. 
C.  Eadie,  J. P.,  Newton-Solway,  Burton-on-Trcnt  ;  Vice- 
president,  David  Burrell,  Shf)tnall  Villa,  Shotnall  Road  ; 
Secretary,  Geo.  Rae,  85  Belvedere  Road,  Burton-on-Trent. 
Committee — R.  N.  Robertson,  Dr  Dochorty,  J.  R.  Peterson, 
J.  J.  Henderson,  J.  P.  MTntyre,  W.  Marshall,  A.  Green, 
A.  F.  M'Vicar,  A.  Skinner,  J.  B.  Johnston,  H.  F.  Miller, 
J.  P.   Miller.        Special  features  of  Club — To  foster  a  love 


183 

for  our  National  Poet  in  the"  hearts  of  all  Scotsmen  in  the 
district. 

No.  186 — KILMARNOCK  Glencairn  Burns  Club.  Instituted  Novem- 
ber 17th,  1909.  Federated  November  27th,  1909.  Place 
and  date  of  meeting,  Bridge  Inn,  Robertson  Place,  second 
Friday  of  month.  President,  James  Gilmour,  Arbuckle 
Street  ;  Vice-president,  Robert  Ritchie,  18  Richardland 
Road  ;  Secretary,  John  Thorburn,  28  Richardland  Road, 
Kilmarnock.  Committee  —  Robert       Ritchie,       John 

M'Gregor,  Matthew  Ttirner,  Alf.  Dimsmore,  Donald  Fer- 
guson, Wm.  M'Call.  Special  features  of  Club — Social 
intercoiu-se  amongst  members  and  kindred  clubs,  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Poet's  birthday,  meetings  for  the  reading 
of  literary  papers  relative  to  the  life  and  works  of  Burns, 
and  kindred  subjects. 

No.;^l  8 7— GALASHIELS  Burns  Club.  Instituted  1908.  Federated 
1908.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Galashiels,  8th  Novem- 
ber, 1911.  President,  A.  J.  Craig,  Old  Gala  House,  Gala- 
shiels ;  Vice-presidents,  H.  S.  Mm-ray,  G.  Sutherland, 
and  T.  Craig-Bro-s\'Ti  ;  Secretary,  Pliilip  Sulley  ;  Assistant 
Secretary,  Tom  C.  Hutchison,  83  High  Street,  Galashiels  ; 
Treasm-er,  Hugh  Murray,  Channel  Street,  Galashiels. 
Special  feature  of  Club  —  School  competitions — essays, 
songs,  recitations  in  all  schools  of  the  town. 

No.  188— DUNS  Working  Men's  Club.  Instituted  1902.  Fede- 
rated 1910.  Place  and  date  of  meeting.  Black  Bull  Hotel, 
Duns,  25th  January.  President,  Thomas  Wood,  Duns  ; 
Vice-president,  William  Blackie,  Duns  ;  Secretary,  Robert 
Cameron,  Duns.  Committee — John  Foreman,  Archibald 
Gibb,  Sergeant  Murray,  and  Thos.  Brackenridge.  Special 
featiu-e  of  Club — Social  evenings. 

No.^189— CLYDEBANK  Barns  o'  Clyde  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
1894.  Federated  3rd  March,  1910.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting,  Mr  Hutcheon's  Restaurant,  monthly.  Hon. 
President,  L.  Watt  ;  President,  Bailie  J.  Hogg,  257  Glasgow 
Road,  Clydebank  ;  Vice-president,  J.  Macdonald,  10 
Bon-accord  Street,  Clydebank  ;  Secretary,  D.  Cargill,  36 
Dumbarton    Road,    Clydebank  ;     Treasurer,    Wm.    Govan. 

No.1190— PORT-GLASGOW     Burns     Club.  Instituted     January, 

1910.  Federated  5th  April,  1910.  Place  and  date  of 
meeting.  Co-operative  Halls,  Princes  Street,  first  Friday 
every  month,  September  till  April.  President,  William 
Gilchrist,  Springhill,  Port-Glasgow  ;  Vice  president, 
George  Anderson,  32  St.  Lawrence  Street,  Greenock  ;  Secre- 
tary, James  Hicks,  jim.,  6  Octavia  Street,  Port-Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  John  C.  Pearson,  Flemington,  Port-Glasgow. 
Special  features  of  Club — To  cherish  the  name  of  Robert 
Burns,  to  study  and  foster  a  love  for  his  wTitings,  and 
generally  to  jsromote  good-fellowship. 

N0.519I— MOORPARK  Biu-ns  Club,  Renfrew.  Instituted  1908. 
Federated  1910.  Place  of  meeting,  Moorpark  Halls, 
Renfrew.  President,  James  Stewart,  Cairnsmuir,  St. 
Andrews  Road,  Renfrew  ;  Vice-president,  Wm.  Campbell, 
Arkleston,  Renfrew  ;    Secretary,  Ebenezer  Inglis,  5  Oxford 


184 

Road,     Renfi'ew  ;      Treasurer,     James     Clark,     Moorpark,. 
Renfrew.        Special    features    of    Club — To    provide    social 
and  literary  meetings  for  members  and  friends  ;  to  encourage 
the  study  and  love  of  Burns's  poetical  works  by  holding 
an  annual  cliildren's  competition  in  March  ;    to  celebrate 
the  birtli  of  the  Poet  by  annual  festival  on  26th  January. 
No.    192— THE    AYRSHIRE    ASSOCIATION    of    Federated    Burns 
Clubs.        Instituted   1908.        Federated    1909.        Place  and 
date  of  meeting.  At  various  places  in  the  coimty  of  Ayr  at 
least  four  times  a  year.        President,  Andrew  Sinclair,  65 
MXelland     Drive,     Kilmarnock  ;       Vice-president,     John 
M'Graw,  "V^^allace  Hill,  Riccarton  ;    Secretary,  Wm.  Lennox, 
11    Nursery   Avenue,    Kilmarnock  ;     Treasurer,   Archibald 
Laird.      Executive  Committee — Messrs  Campbell,  Donnelly, 
Moir,  Borland,  Hall,  and  Burns.       Special  features  of  Club 
— To  further  the  interest  of  the  Burns  cult  by  promoting 
closer    union    between    the    Clubs    in    the    county,    and    to 
render  all  possible  assistance  to  the  work  of  the  Federation. 
No.    193— RUTHERGLEN    Jolly    Beggars    Burns    Club.        Instituted 
31st    August,    1910.        Federated    11th    November,    1910. 
Date  of  meeting,  first  Tuesday  of  every  month.       President, 
John  Bailey,  73  High  Street,  Rutherglen  ;    Vice-president, 
Alexander  Bennett,  Torrance  Hotel,  East  Kilbride  ;    Secre- 
tary, John  Wright,  13  Dunard  Road,  Rutherglen  ;  Treasurer, 
M.  S.  Maxwell. 
No.    194— MIDDLEBIE  Burns  Club.        Instituted   1909.        Federated 
11th  November,  1910.       Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Kirtle- 
bridge,  monthly.       President,  Col.  Irving,  Bonshaw  Tower, 
Ecclefechan  ;    Vice-presidents,  T.  Scott,  Jno.  Nelson,  and 
Geo.  Moffat  ;    Secretary,  Walter  A.  Mather,  Donkins  House, 
Kirtlebridge,    Ecclefechan  ;      Assistant    Secretary,    F.    W. 
Moffat,  Fir  Park  Neuk,  Kirtlebridge.       Sjoecial  features  of 
Club — Social  and  literary. 
No.    195— SHIREMOOR   Blue  Bell    Burns  Club.       Instituted  Novem- 
ber, 190().       Federated  November  14tli,  1910.       Place  and 
date    of   meeting.    Blue    Bell    Hotel,    meetings    held   every 
fourth    week    from    September    2nd,     1911.         President, 
John  Wilson,  sen.,  11  Duke  Street,  Shiremoor,  near  New- 
castle-on -Tyne  ;      Vice-president,    John    Marshall,    C.    Pit 
Cottages,  Backworth,  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ;    Secretary,  Jas. 
Wilson,  16  Harrow  Street,  Shiremoor,  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ; 
Treasurer,    Garnet    Fyfe.         Committee — Robt.    Fyfe,    H. 
Fjrfe,  J.  Atchison,  Wm.  Blewitt,  and  J.  Cimningham. 
No.   196 — MID-ARGYLL    Burns    Club.         Instituted    11th    January, 
1909.      Federated  27th  December,  1910.      Place  of  meeting, 
Royal    Hotel,    Ardrishaig.         President,    John    Campbell, 
Glenfyne     House,     Ardrishaig  ;      Vice-president,      Robert 
Finlay,   Royal   Hotel,   Ardrishaig  ;     Secretary,   Andrew   Y. 
Roy,    Tigh-an-Eas,    Ardrishaig.       Committee — Jas.    Mont- 
gomerie,    Jas.    M'Bain,    jun.,    Richard    Mincher,    A.    M'D. 
Leckie,  and  John  M'Alister.        Special  features  of  Club — 
Celebration  of  the  Poefs  birthday,  and  to  encourage  the 
study  of  his  works. 
No.    197— WINNIPEG    Burns   Club.        Instituted    1905.        Federated 
1911.     Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Winnipeg,  25th  January 


185 

annually,  and  oftener,  as  business  requires.  Presi- 
dent, Wni.  Grassie,  Aikins'  Building,  Winnipeg  ;  Vice- 
presidents,  H.  L.  Chalmers,  J.  F.  Davidson,  and  Wm. 
Thornburn,  Winnipeg,  Man.  ;  Secretary,  A.  G.  Kemp, 
Box  2886,  Winnipeg  ;  Hon.  Treasm-er,  Thos.  Fairbairn  ; 
President  of  Burns  Monument  Committee,  Hon.  Colin  H. 
Campbell,  K.C.  Special  featvires  of  Club — Annual  banquet, 
erection  of  Burns  Monument  in  Winnipeg. 

No.  198— GOREBRIDGE  Twenty-Five  Jolly  Beggars  Biirns  Club. 
Instituted  7th  March,  1911.  Federated  8th  March,  1911. 
Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Mr  John  Brunton's,  last  Saturday 
every  month.  President,  George  Yoimg,  Newbyres  Cot- 
tage, Gorebridge  ;  Vice-president,  Thomas  Winning, 
Stone  Cottages,  Arniston,  Gorebridge  ;  Secretary,  John 
Duncan,  5  Slate  Row,  Arniston,  Gorebridge.  Committee 
— J.  Crawford,  R.  Davidson,  W.  Smith,  J.  M'Neil,  G. 
Muirhead,  J.  Vickers,  R.  Robertson,  R.  Burnside,  W. 
Davidson,  G.  Fairley,  W.  Learmonth,  and  T.  Findlay. 
Special  features  of  Club — Promoting  a  wider  knowledge  of 
the  works  of  the  Poet,  Robert  Burns.  The  object  of  the 
Club  shall  be  the  study  of  Scottish  literature,  delivery  of 
lectures  on  subjects  pertaining  to  Scottish  life  and  character, 
and  to  assist  the  intellectual,  moral,  and  social  improvement 
of  the  members. 

No.  199— NEM'BATTLE  AND  DISTRICT  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
24th  November,  1910.  Federated  7th  March,  1911. 
Place  and  date  of  m.eeting,  Newtongrange,  first  or  second 
Saturday  of  month,  at  7  p.m.  President,  Mr  Mvmgo 
Mackay,  Lingerwood  Cottage,  Newtongrange  ;  Vice- 
president,  Wm.  Carson,  Saughs,  Newtongrange  ;  Secretary, 
Geo.  Hvmiphrey,  Saughs,  Newtongrange.  Special  features 
of  Club^ — Series  of  papers  on  science,  travel,  Scottish 
listory,  literature,  etc.  ;  also  making  arrangements  for 
children's  competitions. 

No.  200— STONEHOUSE  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Federated 
21st  March,  1911.  "  President,  Chas.  Vallance,  32  Argyll 
Street,  Stonehouse  ;  Vice-president,  Daniel  Todd,  33 
New  Street,  Stonehouse  ;  Secretary,  Wm.  Mackie,  Kirk 
Street,  Stonehouse. 

No.  201 — CARLISLE  Newtown  Bxu-ns  Club.  Instituted  November 
25th,  1910.  Federated  April  28th,  1911.  Place  of 
meeting.  Green  Dragon  Hotel,  Carlisle.  President,  P. 
T.  Paterson,  Kirkandrews-on-Eden  ;  Vice-presidents,  G. 
E.  Edmondson,  Millboiirne  Street,  Carlisle,  and  J.  M'Gregor, 
38  Clift  Terrace,  Carlisle  ;  Secretary,  R.  Burns,  Green 
Dragon  Hotel,  Carlisle.  Committee — Messrs  J.  Scott, 
J.  Clark,  T.  Pearson,  D.  Wilson,  R.  Gillespie,  A.  Gray, 
R.  Scott,  J.  Cameron,  J.  Reid,  A.  Paterson,  J.  Wigston, 
R.  Gartner,  R.  R.  Riddell,  J.  Barker,  Bell  Mark,  J. 
Maxwell,  J.  Hair,  and  T.  Hills. 

No.  202 — GO  VAN  Ye  Cronies  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January,  1895. 
Federated  May  18th,  1911.  Place  and  date  of  meeting. 
Red  Lamp,  Maxwell  Street,  at  7.30  p.m.  President,  Mr 
Andrew  Nicol,  11  Katherine  Drive,  South  Govan  ;  Vice- 
president,  John  M'Kinnon,  7  Helen  Street,  Govan  ;  Secre- 
tary, James   Rellie,    18   Elder   Street,    Govan  ;     Treasurer^ 


186 

Matthew  Stirling.  Committee — Meesrs  G.  Whyte,  E. 
J.  Tait,  I.  Chalmers,  K.  Richardson,  D.  Thomson.  Special 
features  of  Club — That  tlie  members  of  the  Club  shall 
consist  of  men  who  lionour  and  revere  the  memory  of 
Burns,  tliat  the  membership  shall  not  exceed  fifty  in 
niunber,  and  each  candidate  for  membership  must  be  a 
Freemason. 

No.  203— DENNISTOUN  Jolly  Beggars  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
Wednesday,  25th  January,  1911.  Federated  Tuesday, 
(itli  June,  1911.  Place  and  date  of  meeting,  Loudoun 
Arms  Hotel,  Duke  Street,  Glasgow,  at  8  p.m.  (last  Thurs- 
day). President,  William  Hood,  197  Duke  Street,  Dennis- 
toun,  Glasgow  ;  Vice-president,  George  F.  Thomas,  85 
Eveline  Street,  Dennistoun,  Glasgow  ;  Secretary,  William 
Williamson,  109  Annfield  Street,  Dennistoim,  Glasgow  ; 
Treasurer,  Thomas  Miller,  170  Thomson  Street,  Glasgow. 
Committee — W.  Mackay,  G.  Newman,  W.  Drummond, 
Jas.  Halbert,  J.  Jack,  and  H.  M'Pherson.  Special  features 
of  Club — The  objects  of  the  Club  shall  be  the  celebration 
of  the  birth  of  Robert  Burns,  occasional  re-union  for  the 
cviltivation  of  social  and  intellectual  intercourse  amongst 
members  and  friends,  and  the  encouragement  of  Scottish 
literature. 

No.  204— DUNDALK  AND  DISTRICT  Burns  Club.  Instituted 
1909.  Federated  1911.  President,  G.  I.  Leshe,  Bruns- 
wick Place,  Dimdalk  ;  Vice-president,  G.  A.  Armstrong, 
B.A.,  Jocelyn  Villa,  Dimdalk  ;  Secretary,  George  William- 
son, 53  Castle  Road,  Dundalk.  Special  features  of  Club — 
To  promote  social  and  friendly  intercourse  amongst  its 
members. 

No.  205— ST.  MIRREN  Burns  Club.  Instituted  January  25th, 
1909.  Federated  September  16th,  1911.  Place  and  date 
of  meeting,  44  Old  Sneddon  Street,  Paisley,  first  Friday  of 
each  month.  Hon.  President,  James  Jones  ;  President, 
John  Baxter,  24  Causeyside  Street,  Paisley  ;  Vice-jDresident, 
William  Orr,  14  Abercorn  Street,  Paisley  ;  Secretary, 
Robert  Crawford,  44  Old  Sneddon  Street,  Paisley  ;  Com- 
mittee— Robert  LawTie,  Robert  Hamilton,  William  Drum- 
mond, and  Archibald  M'Gregor.  Special  features  of  Club 
— To  further  and  maintain  the  interest  in  the  life  of  Burns. 

No.  206— GLASGOW  Daisy  Biu-ns  Club.  Instituted  13th  September, 
1911.  Federated  14th  October,  1911.  Place  and  date 
of  meeting,  Christian  Institute,  Bothwell  Street,  second 
Wednesday  of  each  month,  at  8  p.m.  President,  Matthew 
Hunter,  16  Spencer  Street,  Radnor  Park,  Clydebank  ; 
Vice-president,  Robert  G.  Crawford,  62  Caledonia  Road, 
Glasgow,  S.S.  ;  Secretary,  James  Kirkhope,  56  Caledonia 
Road,  Glasgow,  S.S.  ;  Treasurer,  Thos.  Montgomery  ; 
Representative,  Allan  Cameron,  263  Main  Street,  Bridgeton, 
Glasgow.  Special  features  of  Club — The  cairrying  furrit 
o'  the  memory  o'  oor  ain  Poet  Rabbie  Burns,  and  the  better 
learning  o'  its  members,  by  sic  weys  as  may  frae  ae  time 
tae  anither  be  faun'  suitable,  in  lectures,  essays,  short 
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