Robert Burns |
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Page vii
... Excise Declines Offer of Captain Miller -Drawbacks of Excise and of Dumfries Life- b PAGE Social Habits - Excise Gag - Political and Social CONTENTS vii.
... Excise Declines Offer of Captain Miller -Drawbacks of Excise and of Dumfries Life- b PAGE Social Habits - Excise Gag - Political and Social CONTENTS vii.
Page viii
Thomas Finlayson Henderson. PAGE Social Habits - Excise Gag - Political and Social Views - Discontent - Postponement of Poetic Aims Thomson's Scottish Airs - Character of Contributions to Thomson's Work - Poetry of his Later Years Causes ...
Thomas Finlayson Henderson. PAGE Social Habits - Excise Gag - Political and Social Views - Discontent - Postponement of Poetic Aims Thomson's Scottish Airs - Character of Contributions to Thomson's Work - Poetry of his Later Years Causes ...
Page 94
... excise , though on the 8th he wrote to Robert Muir , that he believed that " all hopes of staying at home will be abortive . " On the 26th he informed his cousin at Montrose that his time of leaving was uncertain , but he did not think ...
... excise , though on the 8th he wrote to Robert Muir , that he believed that " all hopes of staying at home will be abortive . " On the 26th he informed his cousin at Montrose that his time of leaving was uncertain , but he did not think ...
Page 134
... excise he might , without unduly straining the generosity of his friends , very well aspire to , although even this , we learn from a letter to Clarinda , was not quite to be had for the asking . " I have , " he writes , " almost given ...
... excise he might , without unduly straining the generosity of his friends , very well aspire to , although even this , we learn from a letter to Clarinda , was not quite to be had for the asking . " I have , " he writes , " almost given ...
Page 135
... excise duties , " he } set out on the 18th February ; but after examining the farm of Ellisland , Dumfriesshire , with the help of an old friend , Tennant of Glenconner , deemed " the most intelligent farmer " of Ayrshire , he was so ...
... excise duties , " he } set out on the 18th February ; but after examining the farm of Ellisland , Dumfriesshire , with the help of an old friend , Tennant of Glenconner , deemed " the most intelligent farmer " of Ayrshire , he was so ...
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Common terms and phrases
admirable Agnes Broun Alexander Cunningham appeared Auld Ayrshire ballads bard became Burns's character charms circumstances Clarinda clever Common-Place Book convivial courtship Creech Crochallan death Dumfries Dunlop early ecclesiastical Edinburgh edition Ellisland emotions English Epistle excise exciseman experiences expression farm farmer fashion father Fergusson friends friendship Gavin Hamilton genius Gilbert Greenock heart Highland hope humour hypochondria influence inspired intercourse interest Irvine Jean Armour Kilmarnock Kilmarnock volume Kincardineshire kind Kirk kirk-session Kirkoswald least less letter mainly marriage Mary Campbell Mauchline ment merely mind Mossgiel never parish partly passion peasant peculiar perhaps pieces pleasure poems poet poet's poetic poetry political pretty proposed Ramsay recognised regard remarkable Riddell Robert Burns rustic satires says scenes Scotland Scottish sentiments Shanter shortly social song spirit stanza success suppose Sylvander Tarbolton Thomson tion vernacular verse volume wife William William Burnes worldly writes wrote young
Popular passages
Page 16 - I was not so presumptuous as to imagine that I could make verses like printed ones, composed by men who had Greek and Latin ; but my girl sung a song, which was said to be composed by a small country laird's son, on one of his father's maids, with whom he was in love! and I saw no reason why I might not rhyme as well as he ; for, excepting that he could smear sheep, and cast peats, his father living in the moor-lands, he had no more scholar-craft than myself. " Thus with me began love and poetry;...
Page 109 - There was a strong expression of sense and shrewdness in all his lineaments ; the eye alone, I think, indicated the poetical character and temperament. It was large, and of a dark cast, which glowed (I say literally glowed) when he spoke with feeling or interest. I never saw such another eye in a human head, though I have seen the most distinguished men of my time.
Page 139 - Nor have I any cause to repent it. If I have not got polite tattle, modish manners, and fashionable dress, I am not sickened and disgusted with the multiform curse of boarding-school affectation : and I have got the handsomest figure, the sweetest temper, the soundest constitution, and the kindest heart in the county.
Page 41 - I should call it pleasure — but something which exalts me — something which enraptures me — than to walk in the sheltered side of a wood, or high plantation, in a cloudy winter-day, and hear the stormy wind howling among the trees and raving over the plain.
Page 9 - Hannibal gave my young ideas such a turn, that I used to strut in raptures up and down after the recruiting drum and bagpipe, and wish myself tall enough to be a soldier ; while the story of Wallace poured a Scottish prejudice into my veins, which will boil along there till the flood-gates of life shut in eternal rest.
Page 14 - ... giants, enchanted towers, dragons and other trumpery. This cultivated the latent seeds of poetry ; but had so strong an effect on my imagination, that to this hour, in my nocturnal rambles, I sometimes keep a sharp look-out in suspicious places; and though nobody can be more sceptical than I am in such matters, yet it often takes an effort of philosophy to shake off these idle terrors.
Page 14 - In my infant and boyish days, too, I owed much to an old woman who resided in the family, remarkable for her ignorance, credulity, and superstition. She had, I suppose, the largest collection in the country of tales and songs concerning devils, ghosts, fairies, brownies, witches, warlocks, spunkies, kelpies, elf-candles, dead-lights, wraiths, apparitions, cantraips, giants, enchanted towers, dragons, and other trumpery.
Page 57 - This is a complaint I would gladly remedy, but, alas } I am far unequal to the task, both in native genius and education. Obscure I am, and obscure I must be, though no young poet, nor young soldier's heart, ever beat more fondly for fame than mine...
Page 53 - I should have been a wise man ; but the first year, from unfortunately buying bad seed, the second, from a late harvest, we lost half our crops. This overset all my wisdom, and I returned, like the dog to his vomit, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing...
Page 79 - 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 our projected change of life.