of some German youth, who left cole when he was insulted or provoked ; lege in a body to rob on the highway, and would never have made it a sponbecause Schiller had represented the taneous theme to those friends in captain of a gang as so very noble a whose estimation he felt that his ho. creature. But in this country, we nour stood clear. It is mixed up too, believe, à predilection for that ho- in Burns, with too fierce a tone of denourable profession must have pre- fiance; and indicates rather the pride ceded this admiration of the charac- of a sturdy peasant, than the calm ter.

The style we have been speak- and natural elevation of a generous ing of, accordingly, is now the hero- mind. icks only of the hulks and the house The last of the symptoms of rusof correction ; and has no chance, ticity which we think it necessary to 'We suppose, of being greatly admired, notice in the works of this extraordiexcept in the farewell speech of a nary man, is that frequent mistake of young gentle.nan preparing for Bo- mere exaggeration and violence for tany Bay.

force and sublimity, which has defaIt is humiliating to think how ced so much of his prose composi. deeply Burns has fallen into this de- tion, and given an air of heaviness basing errour. He is perpetually and labour to a good deal of his semaking a parade of his thoughtless. rious poetry. The truth is, that his a ,

, ness, inflammability, and imprudence, forte was in humour and in pathosand talking, with much complacency or rather in tenderness of feeling ; and exultation, of the offence he has and that he has very seldom succeedoccasioned to the sober and corrected, either where mere wit and part of mankind. This odious slang sprightliness, or where great energy infects almost all his prose, and a and weight of sentiment were requi. very great proportion of his poetry; site. He had evidently a very false and is, we are persuaded, the chief, and crude notion of what constitutes if not the only source of the disgust strength of writing; and instead of with which, in spite of his genius, we that simple and brief directness know that he is regarded by many which stamps the character of vigour very competent and liberal judges. upon every syllable, has generally His apology, too, we are willing to had recourse to a mere accumulation believe, is to be found in the original of hyperbolical expressions, which lowness of bis situation, and the encumber the diction instead of exaltslightness of his acquaintance with ing it, and show the determination to the world. With his talents and be impressive, without the power of powers of observation, he could not executing it. This errour also we have seen much of the beings who are inclined to ascribe entirely to the echoed this raving, without feeling defects of his education. The value for them that distrust and contempt of simplicity in the expression of paswhich would have made him blush sion is a lesson, we believe, of nature to think he had ever stretched over and of genius ;-but its importance them the protecting shield of his in mere grave and impressive wrigenius.

ting is one of the latest discoveries Akin to this most lamentable trait of of rhetorical experience. vulgarity, and, indeed, in some mea

With the allowances and excepsure arising out of it, is that perpetual tions we have now stated, we think boast of his own independence, which Burns entitled to the rank of a great is obtruded upon the readers of Burns and original genius. He has, in all in almost every page of his writings. his compositions, great force of conThe sentiment itself is noble, and it ception; and great spirit and animais often finely expressed ;-but a gen- tion in its expression. He has taken teman would only have expressed it a large range through the region of

a

fancy, and naturalized himself in al- apparent labour. His poetry was almost all her climates. He has great most all written primarily from feel. humour; great powers of descrip- ing, and only secondarily from ambition ; great pathos; and great dis- tion. His letters seem to have been crimination of character. Almost nearly all composed as exercises, and every thing that he says has spirit for display. There are few of them and originality; and every thing that written with simplicity or plainness ; he says well, is characterized by a and though natural enough as to the charming facility, which gives a sentiment, they are generally very grace even to occasional rudeness, strained and elaborate in the expresand communicates to the reader a sion. A very great proportion of delightful sympathy with the spon- them, too, relate neither to facts nor taneous soaring and conscious inspi- feelings peculiarly connected with ration of the poet.

the author or his correspondent; but Considering the reception which are made up of general declamation, these works have met with from the moral reflections, and vague discuspublick, and the long period during sions--all evidently composed for which the greater part of them have the sake of effect, and frequently in. been in their possession, it may ap- troduced with long complaints of pear superfluous to say any thing as having nothing to say, and of the to their characteristick or peculiar necessity and difficulty of letter-wrimerit. Though the ultimate judge ting. ment of the publick, however, be al- By far the best of these composiways sound, or at least decisive, as to tions are such as we should consider its general result, it is not always as exceptions from this general chavery apparent upon what grounds it racter, such as contain some speci. has proceeded ; nor in consequence fick information as to himself, or are of what, or in spite of what, it has suggested by events or observations been obtained. In Burns's works directly applicable to his corresponthere is much to censure, as well as dent. One of the best, perhaps, is much to praise; and as time has not that addressed to Dr. Moore, containyet separated his ore from its dross, ing an account of his early life, of it may be worth while to state, in a which Dr. Currie has made such a very general way, what we presume judicious use in his biography. It to anticipate as the result of this se- is written with great clearness and paration. Without pretending to en- characteristick effect, and contains ter at all into the comparative merit many touches of easy humour and of particular passages, we may ven- natural eloquence. We are struck, ture to lay it down as our opinion, as we open the book accidentally, that his poetry is far superiour to his with the following original applicaprose; that his Scottish compositions tion of a classical image, by this unare greatly to be preferred to his lettered rustick. Talking of the first English ones; and that his songs vague aspirations of his own giganwill probably outlive all his other tick mind, he says we think ver; productions. A very few remarks on finely : “I had felt some early stireach of these subjects will compre- rings of ambition ; but they were the hend almost all that we have to say blind gropings of Homer's Cyclop of the volumes now before us. round the walls of his cave.” Of his

The prose works of Burns con- other letters, those addressed to Mrs. sist, almost entirely, of his letters. Dunlop are, in our opinion, by far the They bear, as well as his poetry, the best. He appears, from first to last, seal and the impress of his genius; to have stood somewhat in awe of this but they contain much more bad excellent lady, and to have been no taste, and are written with far more less sensible of her sound judgment

a

а

mend by very slow degrees. The weak- speak it. We beg leave too, in passness of my nerves has so debilitated my ing, to observe, that this Scotch is mind, that i dare neither review past not to be considered as a provincial wants, nor look forward into futurity ; for the least anxiety or perturbation in my dialect,—the vehicle only of rustick breast, produces most unhappy effects on vulgarity and rude local humour. It my whole frame. Sometimes, indeed, is the language of a whole country, when for an hour or two my spirits are a long an independent kingdom, and little lightened, I glimmer a little into still separate in laws, character and futurity ; but my principal, and indeed my only pleasurable employment, is look

manners. It is by no means peculiar ing backwards and forwards in a moral

to the vulgar ; but is the common and religious way. I am quite luansport- speech of the whole nation in early ed at the thought, that ere long, perhaps life,-and with many of its most very soon, I shall bid an eternal adieu to

exalted and accomplished individuals all the pains, and uneasinesses, and dis- throughout their whole existence ; quietudes of this weary life ; for I assure you I am heartily tired of it; and, if I do and, if it be true that, in later times, not very much deceive myself, I could it has been, in some measure, laid contentedly and gladly resign it.

aside by the more ambitious and asThe soul, uneasy, and confined at home, piring of the present generation, it is Rests and expatiates in a life to come. still recollected, even by them, as the

“It is for this reason I am more pleased familiar language of their childhood, with the 15th, 16th, and 17th verses of and of those who were the earliest the 7th chapter of Revelation, than with objects of their love and veneration. any ten times as many verses in the It is connected, in their imagination, whole Bible, and would not exchange the noble enthusiasm with which they inspire not only with that olden time which me for all that this world has to offer." As is uniformly conceived as more pure, for this world, I despair of ever making lofty and simple than the present, a figure in it. I am not formed for the but also with all the soft and bright bustle of the busy, nor the flutter of the colours of remembered childhood gay. I shall never again be capable of and domestick affection. entering into such scenes. Indeed I am

All its altogether unconcerned at the thoughts phrases conjure up images of schoolof this life. I foresee that poverty and day innocence, and sports, and friendobscurity probably await me, and I am in ships which have no pattern in sucsome measure prepared, and daily pre ceeding years. Add to all this, that paring to meet them. I have but just it is the language of a great body of time and paper to return you my grateful thanks for the lessons of virtue and piety poetry, with which almost all Scotchyou have given me ; which were too much

men are familiar; and, in particular, neglected at the time of giving them, but of a great multitude of songs, written which, I hope, have been remembered ere with more tenderness, nature, and it is yet too late.” I. p. 99-101.

feeling, than any other lyrick comBefore proceeding to take any par. positions that are extant, and we may ticular notice of his poetical compo- perhaps be allowed to say, that the sitions, we must apprize our southern Scotch is, in reality, a highly poetical readers, that all his best pieces are language ; and that it is an ignorant, written in Scotch ; and that it is im- as well as an illiberal prejudice, which possible for them to form any ade- would seek to confound it with the quate judgment of their merits, with- barbarous dialects of Yorkshire or out a pretty long residence among Devon.

Devon. In composing his Scottish those who still use that language. poems, therefore, Burns did not To be able to translate the words, is make an instinctive and necessary but a small part of the knowledge use of the only dialect he could emthat is necessary. The whole genius ploy. The last letter which we have and idiom of the language must be quoted, proves, that before he had familiar; and the characters, and ha- penned a single couplet, he could bits, and associations of those who write in the dialect of England with

VOL. II.

far greater purity and propriety than admirable fidelity and completeness nine tenths of those who are called of the picture. well educated in that country. He The sensibility which is associated wrote in Scotch, because the writings with simple imagery and gentle me. which he most aspired to imitate lancholy, is to us the most winning were composed in that language; and and attractive. But Burns has also it is evident, from the variations pre- expressed it when it is merely the served by Dr. Currie, that he took instrument of torture, of keen remuch greater pains with the beauty morse and tender, agonizing regret. and purity of his expressions in There are some strong traits of the Scotch than in English ; and, every former feeling, in the poems entitled one who understands both, must ad- the Lament, Despondency, &c. when, mit, with infinitely better success. looking back to the times

We have said that Burns is almost “ When love's luxurious pulse beat high,” equally distinguished for his tender- he bewails the consequences of his ness and his humour:-we might own irregularities. There is somehave added, for a faculty of combin- thing cumbrous and inflated, howing them both in the same subject, ever, in the diction of these pieces. not altogether without parallel in the We are infinitely more moved with older poets and balladmakers, but al- his Elegy upon Highland Mary. together singular, we think, among of this first love of the poet, modern criticks. The passages of we are indebted to Mr. Cromek for pure humour are entirely Scottish, a brief, but very striking account, --and untranslateable. They consist from the pen of the poet himself. in the most picturesque representa. In a note on an early song inscribed tions of life and manners, enlivened, to this mistress, he had recorded in and even exalted by traits of exquisite a manuscript book. sagacity, and unexpected reflection. “ My Highland lassie was a warmHis tenderness is of two sorts ; that hearted, charming young creature as ever which is combined with circumstan

blessed a man with generous. love. After

a pretty long tract of the most ardent ces and characters of humble, and reciprocal attachment, we met, by apsometimes ludicrous simplicity; and pointment, on the second Sunday of May, that which is produced by gloomy in a sequestered spot by the banks of and distressful impressions acting on

Ayr, where we spent the day in taking a mind of keen sensibility. The pas.

a farewell, before she should embark for

the West Highlands, to arrange matters sages which belong to the former

among her friends for our projected description are, we think, the most change of life. At the close of Autumn exquisite and original, and, in our following, she crossed the sea to meet estimation, indicate the greatest and

me at Greenock; where she had scarce most amiable turn of genius; both landed when she was seized with a maas being accompanied by fine and lignant fever, which hurried my dear girl

to the grave in a few days, before I could feeling pictures of humble life, and

even hear of her illness.” V. p. 237–8. as requiring that delicacy, as well as Mr. Cromek has added, in a note, justness of conception, by which the following interesting particulars, alone the fastidiousness of an ordi- though without specifying the authomary reader can be reconciled to such rity upon which he details them. representations. The exquisite de- « This adieu was performed with all scription of “ The Cotter's Saturday those simple and striking ceremonials Night," affords, perhaps, the finest which rustick sentiment has devised to example of this sort of pathetick. prolong tender emotions and to inspire

The lovers stood on each side of a Its whole beauty cannot, indeed, be discerned but by those whom expe• hands in its limped stream, and, holding

small purling brook; they laved their rience has enabled to judge of the a Bible between them, pronounced their

awe.