not to be translated. The epithet "bickering" implies that sharp, explosive, fluttering violence, or impetuosity, which belongs to any sudden and rapid progressive movement of short continuance, and it expresses the noise as well as the speed. It is no doubt the same word with the old English "bickering," but used in a more extensive sense: a "bicker" means commonly a short irregular fight, or skirmish: but Milton has "bickering flame," where, although the commentators interpret the epithet as equivalent to quivering, we apprehend it includes the idea of crackling also. Darwin has borrowed the phrase, as may be seen in one of our extracts given above. Nor is it possible to give the effect of the diminutives, in which the Scottish language is almost as rich as the Italian. While the English, for example, has only its manikin, the Scotch has its mannie, mannikie, bit mannie, bit mannikie, wee bit mannie, wee bit mannikie, little wee bit mannie, little wee bit mannikie; and so with wife, wifie, wifikie, and many other terms. Almost every substantive noun has at least one diminutive form, made by the affix ie, as mousie, housie. We ought to notice also, that the established or customary spelling in these and other similar instances does not correctly represent the pronunciation:-the vowel sound is the soft one usually indicated by oo; as if the words were written moosie, hoosie, coorin, &c. It is an advantage that the Scottish dialect possesses, somewhat akin to that possessed by the Greek in the time of Homer, that, from having been comparatively but little employed in literary composition, and only imperfectly reduced under the dominion of grammar, many of its words have several forms, which are not only convenient for the exigencies of verse, but are used with different effects or shades of meaning. In particular, the English form is always available when wanted; and it is the writer's natural resource when he would rise from the light or familiar style to one of greater elevation or earnestness. Thus, in the above verses, while expressing only half-playful tenderness and commiseration, Burns writes "Now thou 's turned out" (pronounce oot), in his native dialect; but it is in the regular English form, "Still thou art blest," that he gives utterance to the deeper pathos and solemnity of the concluding verse. The proper companion to this short poem is that addressed To a Mountain Daisy, on turning one down with the Plough, in April, 1786; but in that the execution is not so pure throughout, and the latter part runs somewhat into common place. The beginning, however, is in the poet's happiest manner : Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow'r, To spare thee now is past my pow'r, 4 Alas! its no thy neebor sweet, When upward springing, blythe, to greet Cauld blew the bitter-biting north Scarce reared above the parent earth The flaunting flowers our gardens yield O' clod or stane 11 Adorns the histie 12 stibble-field, There, in thy scanty mantle clad, In humble guise; But now the share uptears thy bed, 11 Stone. 7 Speckled. 12 Dry and rugged. 13 Snowy. s Peeped, or rather glanced (glanced'st). Such is the fate of simple bard, Of prudent lore, Till billows rage, and gales blow hard, Such fate to suffering worth is given, To misery's brink, Till, wrenched of every stay but heaven, Even thou who mourn'st the Daisy's fate, Till crushed beneath the furrow's weight Shall be thy doom! In a different style, and of another mood, but still, in the strong rush of its comic and satiric eloquence and the hurry of its whimsical fancies, not without occasional touches both of the terrific and the tender, is the glorious Address to the Deil (the Devil): 1 Old. 2 A popular name of the devil, in allusion to his horns. 3 Another, in allusion to his cloots, or hoofs. 4 Who. When twilight did my Grannie summon Or, rustlin', through the hoortrees 16 comin', 7 Unroofing. 10 With unearthly moan (the oo in noon and croon pronounced like the French u). 13 Stone wall of a field. 12 Often beyond. 15 Ghastly, unearthly. 18 Slanting. 11 Quiet, sedate. 14 Humming. 16 Whortleberry bushes. 20 Got. 19 Myself. 23 Bush of rushes. 7 Dug up, disinterred. 10 And fondly cherished, milk as the bull. 20 Aff straught to hell! 2 Away you fluttered in water. 5 Churchyards. 8 Country. 3 Ragwort. 6 Over. 9 Churn. twelve-pint Hawkie (the cow) is gone as barren of 11 Thaws. 14 Mischievous water spirits. 17 Blazing, 12 Hoard, heap. 15 Ford. 18 Never more. 13 Board. 16 Will-o'-the-Wisps. 19 Grip, clasp of the hand. |