BY

T. F. HENDERSON

WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS

METHUEN & CO.

36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

LONDON

New and Cheaper Issue

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

BOYHOOD-1759-1774

Genealogy-Parentage-Connection with Jacobitism

-Alloway-Influence of his Father-Murdoch's

School-Mount Oliphant-Love of Books-Early

Companions - Farm Drudgery - Solitude - The

Seeds of Poesy-Dalrymple-Ayr-"The First of

Human Joys"—"Handsome Nell"

PAGE

I

CHAPTER II

EARLY MANHOOD-1774-1780

Kirkoswald Study of Mankind Taverns - Peggy

--

-

Thomson-Love and Trigonometry-Dancing

Schools - Offends his Father

Sociality Love Adventures

-

-

-

Dissipation

Lack of Aim-

Stirrings of Ambition Lochlea - Tarbolton

Bachelors' Club-Foppery-Disputes with the

Orthodox-Miscellaneous Reading-Early Poetry

19

224153

CHAPTER III

IRVINE AND ITS RESULTS-1781-1783

-

Desire to Marry - Elison Begbie-Jilted - Irvine

Partnership Hypochondria Destruction of

Shop-Town Life-Richard Brown-A Fashion-

able Failing-Return to Lochlea-Death of his

Father-First Common-Place Book-The Poet

on Himself - Freemasonry - Elizabeth Paton-

Penitential and Defiant Verses "The Cutty

Stool". "The Poet's Welcome "-Influence of

Fergusson.

PAGE

31

CHAPTER IV

MOSSGIEL--1783-1786

Failure as a Farmer-Consciousness of Genius-Poetic

Hopes-Mauchline Young Men-Poetic Satires

-Burns and the Kirk-His Religious Belief-

Jean Armour-Chambers-Stevenson Fictions-

The Unlucky" Paper ”—The Kirk and Marriages

-Mutilation of the Paper-Rage and Despair of

Burns-Mary Campbell-A Bachelor's Certificate

- Emigration Resolves - In Hiding - Poetic

Publications-The Kilmarnock Volume-Charac-

teristics of his Verse

CHAPTER V

EDINBURGH AND SCOTTISH TOURS-1787-1788

Reluctance to Emigrate-Feelings of a Father-A

Secret Wretchedness-"The Gloomy Night"—

52