these I have endeavoured briefly to give, more especially in the third chapter. Prefixed to the volume, is a good engraving of Nasmyth's original painting of Burns, kindly lent to me for the purpose by Mr. M'Kie of Kilmarnock. It also contains by the kind permission of Gilbert Burns, Esq., Knockmaroon Lodge, county of Dublin, nephew of the poet, facsimiles of the family register of William Burnes, the father of the poet, and of his own manuscript of the address by King Robert Bruce to his soldiers before the battle of Bannockburn. During a residence of twenty years of early life in Ayrshire and in Edinburgh, I became well acquainted with places and persons that were the subject of his verse, and from personal recollection and other sources have contributed some biographical notices and anecdotes respecting them. In the fourth chapter, the loss of many valuable letters from Burns to Robert Aiken is explained; and by the complete refutation of a grave error and mis-statement of Allan Cunningham, I have been enabled to perform a filial and a public duty. In the life of the late Rev. Dr. Norman Macleod, just published, it is stated that when at Balmoral in 1866, he read to the Queen some of the poems of Burns with which Her Majesty was much pleased. In a speech of Dr. Macleod quoted in the Life, he said that he would rejoice to see an edition of the Poems "from which everything "should be excluded which a christian father "would not read aloud in his family circle," an opinion with which his friend Dr. Duncan, Professor of Hebrew in the University of Edinburgh, cordially agreed. The present edition of the Poems and Songs of Burns is of that character. P. F. AIKEN. WALLCROFT HOUSE, DURDHAM DOWN, Contents. Burns compared with Gray and other poets.-Opinions as to his poetry of Lord Lytton, Wordsworth, Byron, Crabbe, Pitt.-His generosity. Despondency.-Visit to Edinburgh, and Address to it-Tours in Scotland.-Clarinda.-Marriage.-Poems, to his bride.-Ellisland.-Social habits of the age.--Cunningham's description of Burns.-His method of Composition.—The poetical temperament.-Letter to Mrs. Dunlop.--Notices of him by Mr. Comparative sketch of the Poetry of Burns and Wordsworth by Lord Neaves.-"Auld Lang Syne" exemplified.-Could Burns write good poetry in English ?-Will the Scottish dialect, as used by him, injure his future celebrity?- --These questions considered. -Notices of Chaucer, Spenser, Cowley, Dryden, with quotations. -Shakspere.-Milton.-Altered state of society, customs, and Loss of valuable Letters of Burns to Robert Aiken. -Mistaken inference and misrepresentation of Mr. Allan Cunningham.- Letter to him of Miss Aiken, confirmed by letters from Burns and other proofs.-His exile to the West Indies averted by the Contemporaries of Burns and their descendants:-Town and county of Ayr.-Effect of poor rates.-Bonny lasses. -River Doon. Dalrymples of Langlands, and of Orangefield, and their kindred. -Governor Macrae.-Lord Glencairn.-Dr. David Shaw.-Dr. Andrew Shaw. - Dr. Dalrymple. Robert Aiken and his descendants.-Dr. Currie.—Grace Aiken. -Mr. Ballantine, his sister and his nephew. -Mrs. General Stewart of Stair and Afton Lodge. Mr. Cunninghame of Enterkine.-Mr. Campbell of Fairfield. Sir Alexander Boswell.-His Duel with Mr. Stuart- Professors Dugald Stewart, Thomas Brown, and Sir John Leslie. NOTE 1st, p 152, refers to Liverpool, p 116.-NOTE 2nd, p 153, refers to Borodino and General Baron de Driesen, pp 125, 127, and 128.-NOTE 3rd, refers to Edinburgh p 35, stated in error, p 141 in the note.-NOTE 4th, p 159, refers to, "Know thou O Stranger to FACSIMILES. Family Register-in which the death of William Burnes the Address of King Robert Bruce to his troops at Bannockburn, |