SONG. TUNE-Gilderoy. [Internal evidence points out this elegant lyric to be the work of the summer of 1786, and doubtless written for publication in his volume, then in course of printing. It seems too artificial in style to have been inspired by genuine passion, although annotators have pointed to more than one Eliza, as claiming to have been its heroine. Miss Betty Miller, one of the "six belles of Mauchline, and also Eliza Barbour, a relative of Galt the novelist, have been named, and there can be no doubt that the poet must have had some temporary penchant for one or other of these, as, in a letter written to his friend Smith in June 1787, on reaching Mauchline after his six months' ovation in Edinburgh, he tells him what old friends he had been visiting, and among these he mentions his "quondam Eliza." Cunningham's suggestion that the Eliza of this song, whoever she was, may have been the same "Bess" whose leg, "sae straught, sae taper, tight and clean," the bard compared with that of Coila in The Vision, is a pretty shrewd one; the only objection being that when he speaks of "my bonie Betty in other poems, he is referring to Elizabeth Paton, the mother of his own "dearbought Bess," and he notices with great respect, "her person, grace and merit." The poet was evidently much pleased with this song, for in a letter to George Thomson, he commends it to him as very suitable for the air, Gilderoy.] FROM thee, ELIZA, I must go, And from my native shore: They never, never can divide Farewell, farewell, ELIZA dear, But the latest throb that leaves my heart, While Death stands victor by, That throb, ELIZA, is thy part, And thine that latest sigh! THE FAREWELL. TO THE BRETHREN OF ST. JAMES'S LODGE, TARBOLTON. TUNE-Goodnight and joy be wi" you a'. α. was [This was also composed while his poems were at the press, in 1786. Burns became a Freemason so early as 4th July, 1781, and soon engaged with all the ardour of his nature, in the mysteries and socialities of the "sons of light." 'William Wallace, Sheriff of Ayrshire, Grand-Master when this "Adieu produced, is referred to in the closing verse. His death occurred on the 28th November, 1786. Burns, as Depute-Master, being" oft honoured with supreme command, it devolved on him to sign the minutes of the transactions of the Lodge, and it is worthy of observation that down to March 1st, 1786, his name is signed Burness, while after that date, it appears in the contracted form which he adopted on forming the resolution to publish his poems.] ADIEU! a heart-warm, fond adieu ! Oft have I met your social Band, Which none but Craftsmen ever saw! May Freedom, Harmony and Love And YOU, farewell! whose merits claim, To him, the Bard, that's far awa. EPITAPH ON A HENPECKED COUNTRY SQUIRE. [The Epitaph and two Epigrams "On a hen-pecked Country Squire," the poet has recorded in an MS. note, were directed against Mr. Campbell of Netherplace and his wife. These were omitted by the author from the Edinburgh and all his subsequent editions, and have only been recently restored to their wonted place among the poet's productions. Burns had a strong aptitude for producing these smart and often very biting things, and is said to have been prouder of some of them than he was of better directed efforts. His predecessors in Scottish poetry-Ramsay, Penicuick, and Fergusson-had shewn a partiality for versicles of that kind, and no doubt he seems to have felt it necessary to show some samples of his skill in the same way; but he never published more than those given in his first volume, although, as we shall by and bye see, he is the reputed author of scores of others.] As father Adam first was fool'd, A case that's still too common, EPIGRAM ON SAID OCCASION. O DEATH, hadst thou but spar'd his life, Ev'n as he is, cauld in his graff, ANOTHER. ONE Queen Artemisa, as old stories tell, EPITAPHS. ON A CELEBRATED RULING ELDER. [The poet has entered this in his "common-place book," under date "April, 1784," and calls it-" Epitaph for William Hood, senr., in Tarbolton." He was a shoemaker of penurious habits, and he talked eloquently about 'saving grace. "1 HERE Sowter **** in Death does sleep; To H-ll, if he's gane thither, Satan, gie him thy gear to keep, He'll haud it weel thegither. ON A NOISY POLEMIC. [This person was James Humphrey, a jobbing mason, and a fluent controversialist on matters which were far beyond the reach of his intelligence or understanding. He is said to have boasted that he had defeated the poet in a discussion regarding "the final perseverance of the saints," and here Burns has recorded his "opinion" of the champion. Humphrey died so recently as 1844, in the Fail Poors House, at the advanced age of 86; and to his last he held himself out for notice as Burns" "bleth'ran bitch." At same time, when he could obtain a patient hearing, he would whisper to his auditory, that revenge dictated the poet's abusive lines; because one day he met Burns on the high-road, who hailed him with the common question-"What news the day, Humphrey?" "News," quoth the mason, "have ye no' heard that the Deil's dead?-And what's mair, the supreme council o' Hell has elected a successor; and wha d'ye think he is?' "I cannot imagine," said the poet. "Od man," said Humphrey, "by a sweeping majority, they've chosen RAB MOSSGIEL!"] BELOW thir stanes lie Jamie's banes; O Death, it's my opinion, Thou ne'er took such a bleth'ran b-tch, ON WEE JOHNIE. Hic jacet wee Johnie. [This sarcastic epitaph was well known to have been a hit at John Wilson, the printer of his first volume. The poet appears to have considered him a soulless body; yet, although "Johnie" unconsciously printed his own hic jacet, he long survived the composer of it, maintaining a very respectable position in his own line. The works which he printed were numerous, and, in their typographical appearance would not have disgraced the press of the present day. John Wilson, about 1791, removed his printing establishment to Ayr, entering into partnership with his brother Peter, by whom it was managed, while John still for a time kept on the book shop in Kilmarnock. They published a number of volumes; and, in 1803, founded the first Ayrshire newspaper-the present Ayr Advertiser. John realized a competency; and, at his death in 1821, left a small mortification (of an odd nature), for Educational purposes, to the town of Kilmarnock, where for some time he held the office of Magistrate.] WHOE'ER thou art, O reader, know, That Death has murder'd Johnie; An' here his body lies fu' low For saul he ne'er had ony. FOR THE AUTHOR'S FATHER. [These beautiful lines are inscribed on the head-stone over the grave of good William Burness, in the old Kirk-yard of Alloway, a locality made famous by the genius of his son Robert. Few who have read Currie's memoir of the bard, will have overlooked that eloquent passage in the contribution made thereto by old Murdoch, who after depicting the character of the poet's father, thus concludes:-" O for a world of men of such dispositions! I have often wished, for the good of mankind, that it were as customary to honour and perpetuate the memory of those who excel in moral rectitude, as it is to extol what are called heroic actions; then would the mausoleum of the friend of my youth overtop and surpass most of those we see in Westminster Abbey!"] O YE whose cheek the tear of pity stains, The pitying Heart that felt for human Woe; The Friend of Man, to vice alone a foe; 'For ev❜n his failings lean'd to Virtue's side.'* Goldsmith.-(R. B. 1786.) |