The works of Robert Burns; with an account of his life, and a criticism on his writings. To which are prefixed, some observations on the character and condition of the Scottish peasantry. As ed. by J. Currie, Issue 670, Volume 11816 |
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Page 34
... farm , about ten miles farther in the country . The nature of the bargain he made was such as to throw a little ready money into his hands at the commencement of his lease ; otherwise the affair would have been imprac- ticable . For ...
... farm , about ten miles farther in the country . The nature of the bargain he made was such as to throw a little ready money into his hands at the commencement of his lease ; otherwise the affair would have been imprac- ticable . For ...
Page 35
... farm my little story is most eventful . I was , at the beginning of this period , perhaps the most ungainly , awkward boy in the parish - no solitaire was less ac- quainted with the ways of the world . What I know of ancient story was ...
... farm my little story is most eventful . I was , at the beginning of this period , perhaps the most ungainly , awkward boy in the parish - no solitaire was less ac- quainted with the ways of the world . What I know of ancient story was ...
Page 37
... farm - house and cottage ; but the grave sons of science , ambition , or avarice , baptize these things by the name of Follies . To the sons and daughters of la- bour and poverty , they are matters of the most se- rious nature ; to them ...
... farm - house and cottage ; but the grave sons of science , ambition , or avarice , baptize these things by the name of Follies . To the sons and daughters of la- bour and poverty , they are matters of the most se- rious nature ; to them ...
Page 42
... farm with a full resolution , Come , go to , I will be wise ! I read farming books ; I calculated crops ; I attended markets ; and , in short , in spite of the devil , and the world , and the flesh , I believe I should have been a wise ...
... farm with a full resolution , Come , go to , I will be wise ! I read farming books ; I calculated crops ; I attended markets ; and , in short , in spite of the devil , and the world , and the flesh , I believe I should have been a wise ...
Page 43
... farm to my brother ; in truth it was only nominally mine ; and made what little preparation was in my power for Jamaica . But , before leaving my native country for ever , I resolved to publish my poems . I weighed my pro- ductions as ...
... farm to my brother ; in truth it was only nominally mine ; and made what little preparation was in my power for Jamaica . But , before leaving my native country for ever , I resolved to publish my poems . I weighed my pro- ductions as ...
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acquaintance afterwards Allan Ramsay appears Ayrshire ballad banks bard beautiful Blind Harry bonny lass brother Burns's character charms composition conversation degree delicacy delight dialect Dumfries Edinburgh Editor effect Ellisland English excelled expression fancy farm father favour Fergusson Fochabers friendship genius Gilbert Burns give happiness heart Highland honour House of Stuart humble humour imagination impression inhabitants interesting Jedburgh Jenny Geddes Kilmarnock kind labour lady language letter lived manners Mauchline melancholy ment mind moral muse nae-body native nature never night o'er objects observations occasion parish particular passion perhaps persons pleasure poems poet poet's poetical poetry powers present produced racter Ramsay received respect Robert Burns rural rustic scene scenery Scot Scotland Scottish peasantry Scottish songs seemed sensibility sentiments society species strain stream sublime superior talents Tarbolton taste temper tender thou tion verses virtue William Burnes writing young
Popular passages
Page 103 - Time but the impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear. My Mary, dear departed shade ! Where is thy place of blissful rest ? Seest thou thy lover lowly laid ? Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast ? 256.
Page 70 - Then kneeling down, to Heaven's Eternal King, The saint, the father, and the husband prays : Hope " springs exulting on triumphant wing," That thus they all shall meet in future days : There ever bask in uncreated rays, No more to sigh, or shed the bitter tear, Together hymning their Creator's praise, In such society, yet still more dear ; While circling time moves round in an eternal sphere.
Page 31 - I owed much to an old woman who resided in the family, remarkable for her ignorance, credulity, and superstition. She had, I suppose, the largest collection in the country of tales and songs concerning devils, ghosts, fairies, brownies, witches, warlocks, spunkies, kelpies, elf-candles, dead-lights, wraiths, apparitions, cantraips, giants, enchanted towers, dragons, and other trumpery.
Page 70 - How His first followers and servants sped; The precepts sage they wrote to many a land; How he, who lone in Patmos banished, Saw in the sun a mighty angel stand, And heard great Bab'lon's doom pronounced by Heaven's command. Then kneeling down to Heaven's Eternal King, The saint, the father, and the husband prays; Hope 'springs exulting on triumphant wing...
Page 213 - When youthful Love, warm-blu.shing strong, Keen-shivering shot thy nerves along, Those accents, grateful to thy tongue, Th' adored Name, I taught thee how to pour in song, To soothe thy flame "I saw thy pulse's maddening play, Wild send thee Pleasure's devious way. Misled by Fancy's meteor ray, By Passion driven; But yet the light that led astray, Was light from Heaven.
Page 307 - ... for the attentive mind, By this harmonious action on her powers, Becomes herself harmonious : wont so oft In outward things to meditate the charm Of sacred order, soon she seeks at home To find a kindred order, to exert Within herself this elegance of love, This fair inspired delight : her temper'd powers Refine at length, and every passion wears A chaster, milder, more attractive mien.
Page 44 - I resolved to publish my poems. I weighed my productions as impartially as was in my power ; I thought they had merit ; and it was a delicious idea that I should be called a clever fellow, even though it should never reach my ears...
Page 103 - Mary, dear departed shade, where is thy place of blissful rest? seest thou thy lover lowly laid? hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast? That sacred hour can I forget, can I forget the hallowed grove where by the winding Ayr we met, to live one day of parting love!
Page 83 - As for this world, I despair of ever making a figure in it. I am not formed for the bustle of the busy, nor the flutter of the gay. I shall never again be capable of entering into such scenes. Indeed I am altogether unconcerned at the thoughts of this life. I foresee that poverty and obscurity probably await me, and I am in some measure prepared, and daily preparing to meet them.
Page 34 - You know our country custom of coupling a man and woman together as partners in the labors of harvest. In my fifteenth autumn, my partner was a bewitching creature, a year younger than myself. My scarcity of English denies me the power of doing her justice in that language, but you know the Scottish idiom: she was a "bonnie, sweet, sonsie lass.