Ye've heard this while how I've been licket, And by fell Death was nearly nicket? Grim loon! He got me by the fecket And sair me sheuk; But by gude-luck I lap a wicket And turn'd a neuk. But by that health, I've got a share o' 't! struck cut off waistcoat sore-shook good-luck-leaped corner And by that life, I'm promised mair o''t! My hale and weel, I'll take a care o''t health-prosperity A tentier way: Then farewell Folly, hide and hair o' 't, For ance and aye! more careful CHAPTER IV. DUMFRIES (JANUARY TO JULY 26, 1796). HE new year made a most unpropitious opening, owing largely to the failure of the previous harvest. Meetings, riots, and evidences of general discontent alarmed the ministry, and towards the close of the year it was resolved to place some additional restrictions upon the liberty of speech and assembly. The result was the passing of the celebrated Sedition Bill. The broken remnants of the Whig party were greatly exasperated by the measure, and notable among the protests against it was that made at a public meeting held in the Circus-afterwards the Adelphi Theatre-in Edinburgh, Henry Erskine, then Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, presiding. The Tory majority of the Scottish bar, secing their Dean thus engaged, as they said, in 'agitating the giddy and ignorant multitude, and cherishing such humours and dispositions as directly tend to overturn the laws,' resolved, at the approaching annual election to the deanship, to oppose Erskine's reappointment. It was a most painful step for them to take, Erskine being a favourite with all parties and classes; but they were resolute to follow the course which they believed public duty dictated. Throughout the whole of December a newspaper war raged upon the subject, and 'Parliament House' had never known a more agitating crisis. At length, on the 12th of January 1796, the election took place, when Dundas, the Lord Advocate, was preferred to Erskine by a majority of 123 to 38 votes. The deposed dean was deeply mortified. In the vexation of the moment, he went that night to his door, and hewed off from it with a coal-axe the brass-plate which bore the title he had lost. The liberals throughout the country heard the news with a bitterness beyond all common measure. It was not likely that Burns would allow the slight put upon his friend to pass, especially as a Dundas was the instrument. He circulated the following ballad on the affair: THE DEAN OF THE FACULTY. A NEW BALLAD. TUNE-The Dragon of Wantley. Dire was the hate at Old Harlaw Than 'twixt Hal and Bob for the famous job, This Hal for genius, wit and lore Yet simple Bob the victory got And won his heart's desire: Which shows that Heaven can boil the pot, Squire Hal, besides, had in this case Pretensions rather brassy; For talents, to deserve a place, Are qualifications saucy. So their worships of the Faculty, Quite sick of Merit's rudeness, Chose one who should owe it all (d'ye see?) To their gratis grace and goodness! As once on Pisgahı purg'd was the sight So, may be, on this Pisgah height In your heretic sins may ye live and die, But accept, ye sublime majority, My congratulations hearty! With your honors, as with a certain King, In your servants this is striking, The more incapacity they bring The more they 're to your liking! It is not unworthy of note that this was one occasion when the two greatest of Scotland's modern great men may be said to have met in the struggle of public life-for while Burns thus at a distance backed Henry Erskine, the name of Walter Scott is found in the roll of those who opposed and voted against him. TO MR ROBT. CLEGHORN, SAUGHTON MILLS. O THAT'S THE LASSIE O' MY HEART. O wat ye wha that lo'es me, As dews o' summer weeping, Chorus-O that's the lassie o' my heart, My lassie, ever dearer ; O that's the queen o' woman-kind, to be her peer If thou shalt meet a lassie In grace and beauty charming; If thou hast heard her talking, (And thy attention's plighted,) But her by thee is slighted, If thou hast met this fair one, But her thou hast deserted, And thou art broken-hearted: O that's the lassie o' my heart, My lassie, ever dearer; O that's the queen o' woman-kind, such every one MY EVER DEAR Cleghorn-The foregoing had been sent you long ago, but for reasons which you may have heard. Since I saw you, I have been much the child of disaster. Scarcely began to recover the loss of an only daughter and darling child, I became myself the victim of a rheumatic fever, which brought me to the borders of the grave. After many weeks of a sick-bed, I am just beginning to crawl about. Thanks, many thanks for my Gawin Douglas.' This will probably be delivered to you by a friend of mine, Mr Mundell, Surgeon, whom you may remember to have seen at my house. He wants to inquire after Mr Allan. Best compliments to the amiablest of my friends, Mrs Cleghorn; and to little Miss, though she will scarce remember me; and to my thunder-scared friend, Mr Wight. Yours, R. BURNS. [DUMFRIES, January 1796.] TO MRS WALTER RIDDEL. DUMFRIES, 29th January 1796. I cannot express my gratitude to you for allowing me a longer perusal of Anacharsis. In fact, I never met with a book that bewitched me so much; and I, as a member of the library, must warmly feel the obliga |