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have so often wounded your delicacy, that we shall not distress you with any thing on the subject. There is, however, one part of your public conduct which our feelings will not permit us to pass in silence; our gratitude must trespass on your modesty; we mean, worthy Sir, your whole behaviour to the Scots Distillers. In evil hours, when obtrusive recollection presses bitterly on the sense, let that, Sir, come like a healing angel, and speak the peace to your soul which the world can neither give nor take away.

We have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your sympathizing fellow-sufferers,

And grateful humble Servants,

JOHN BARLEYCORN-Præses.

No. LXXI.

To the Hon. the PROVOST, BAILIES and TOWN COUNCIL of Dumfries.

GENTLEMEN,

THE literary taste and liberal spirit of your good town has so ably filled the various departments of your schools, as to make it a very great object for a parent to have his children educated in them. Still, to me, a stranger, with my large family, and very stinted income, to give my young ones that education I wish, at the high school-fees which a stranger pays, will bear hard upon me.

Some years ago your good town did me the honor of making me an honorary Burgess.-Will you allow me to request that this mark of distinction may extend so far, as to put me on the footing of a real freeman of the town, in the schools?

*

If you are so very kind as to grant my request,* i₺ will certainly be a constant incentive to me to strain every nerve where I can officially serve you; and will, if possible, increase that grateful respect with which I have the honor to be,

Gentlemen,

Your devoted humble Servant.

* This request was immediately complied with.

I am happy to have an opportunity of mentioning, with great repect, Mr. James Gray. At the time of the Poet's death this gentleman was Rector of the Grammar School of Dumfries, and is now one of the Masters of the High School of Edinburgh. He has uniformly exerted himself in the most benevolent manner, in the education and welfare of the Poet's sons.

E.

No. LXXII.

To Mr. JAMES JOHNSON, Edinburgh.

Dumfries, July 4, 1796.

HOW are you, my dear friend, and how comes on your fifth volume? You may probably think that for some time past I have neglected you and your work; but, alas! the hand of pain, and sorrow, and care, has these many months lain heavy on me! Personal and domestic affliction have almost entirely banished that alacrity and life with which I used to woo the rural muse of Scotia.

You are a good, worthy, honest fellow, and have a good right to live in this world-because you deserve it. Many a merry meeting this publication has given us, and possibly it may give us more, though, alas! I fear it. This protracting, slow, consuming illness which hangs over me, will, I doubt much, my ever dear friend, arrest my sun before he has well reached his middle career, and will turn over the Poet to far other and more important concerns than studying the brilliancy of wit, or the pathos of sentiment! However, hope is the cordial of the human heart, and I endeavour to cherish it as well as I can.

Let me hear from you as soon as convenient.Your work is a great one; and now that it is near finished, I see, if we were to begin again, two or three things that might be mended; yet I will venture to prophecy, that to future ages your publication will be the text book and standard of Scottish song and music. I am ashamed to ask another favor of you, because you have been so very good already; but my wife has

a very particular friend of hers, a young lady who sings well, to whom she wishes to present the Scots Musical Museum.* If you have a spare copy, will you be so obliging as to send it by the very first Fly, as I am anxious to have it soon.

Yours ever,

ROBERT BURNS.

* In this humble and delicate manner did poor Burns ask for a copy of a work of which he was principally the founder, and to which he had contributed, gratuitously, not less than 184 original, altered, and collected songs! The Editor has seen 180 transcribed by his own hand, for the Museum.

This Letter was written on the 4th of July,-the Poet died on the 21st. No other letters of this interesting period have been discovered, except one addressed to Mrs. Dunlop, of the 12th of July, which Dr. Currie very properly supposes to be the last production of the dying Bard.

E.

STRICTURES

ON

Scottish Songs and Ballads,

ANCIENT AND MODERN;

WITH

ANECDOTES OF THEIR AUTHORS.

"There needs na' be so great a phrase
Wi' dringing dull Italian lays,
I wad na gi'e our ain Strathspeys
For half a hundred score o' em:
They 're douff and dowie at the best,
Douff and dowie, douff and dowie;
They 're douff and dowie at the best,
Wi' a' their variorum:

They 're douff and dowie at the best,
Their Allegros, and a' the rest,
They cannot please a Scottish taste,
Compar'd wi' Tullochgorum."

Rev. John Skinner.

M

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