Burns in Dumfriesshire: A Sketch of the Last Eight Years of the Poet's LifeA. and C. Black, 1870 - 78 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
1792-Burns present admirers afterwards Allan Cunningham auld Bank Street bard bard's beauty belonged to Burns.-Mr Bonnie Jean brother Brow burgh Burns's Captain charming Chloris Clarencefield close Closeburn Criffel daughter death Deborah Davies Dumfries Dumfries and Galloway Dumfriesshire Dunbar Dunscore Edinburgh Ellisland Excise fair fame farm favourite Fintry Friar's Carse gauger genius gentlemen glass Globe Tavern Gracie heart Highland honour Jacobite James Jean Armour Jessie John Syme Kirkpatrick Kirsty ladies late letter Lewars literary lyric mansion mausoleum Maxwell Michael's minister Miss muse neighbouring never Nicholson night Nith Nithsdale occasion parish parlour at Ellisland.-Mr poems poet poet's poetic Polly Stewart Provost residence Riddel Robert Burns Robert Chambers Ryedale says Scotland seen Solway song tenant thou toast town verse wee thing whilst wife William window wine Woodley Park written young young Jessie
Popular passages
Page 44 - I ASSURE you, my dear Sir, that you truly hurt me with your pecuniary parcel. It degrades me in my own eyes. However, to return it would savour of affectation ; but, as to any more traffic of that debtor and creditor kind; I swear by that HONOUR which crowns the upright statue of ROBERT BURNS-S INTEGRITY — on the least motion of it, I will indignantly spurn the by-past transaction, and from that moment commence entire stranger to you...
Page 63 - Dumfries was like a besieged place. It was known he was dying, and the anxiety, not of the rich and the learned only, but of the mechanics and peasants, exceeded all belief. Wherever two or three people stood together, their talk was of Burns and of him alone ; they spoke of his history — of his person — of his works, — of his family — of his fame, and of his untimely and approaching fate, with a warmth and an enthusiasm which will ever endear Dumfries to my remembrance. All that he said...
Page 62 - AFTER all my boasted independence, curst Necessity -compels me to implore you for five pounds. A cruel scoundrel of a Haberdasher, to whom I owe an account, taking it into his head that I am dying, has commenced a process, and will infallibly put me into jail. Do, for God's sake, send me that sum, and that by return of post. Forgive me this earnestness; but the horrors of a jail have made me half distracted. I do not ask all this gratuitously; for upon returning health, I hereby promise and engage...
Page 35 - Your better art o' hidin'. Think, when your Castigated pulse Gies now and then a wallop ! What ragings must his veins convulse, That still eternal gallop ! Wi' wind and tide fair i' your tail, Right on ye scud your sea-way; But in the teeth o' baith to sail, It maks an unco lee-way.
Page 59 - I was struck," says this lady (in a confidential letter to a friend written soon after), " with his appearance on entering the room. The stamp of death was imprinted on his features. He seemed already touching the brink of eternity. His first salutation was, ' Well, madam, have you any commands for the other world!
Page 57 - I have lately drunk deep of the cup of affliction. The autumn robbed me of my only daughter and darling child, and' that at a distance, too, and so rapidly, as to put it out of my power to pay the last duties to her. I had scarcely begun to recover from that shock, when I became myself the victim of a most severe rheumatic fever, and long the die spun doubtful ; until, after many weeks of a sick-bed, it seems to have turned up life, and I am beginning to crawl across my room, and once indeed have...
Page 33 - A man's a man for a' that. For a' that, and a' that, Their tinsel show, and a' that ; The honest man, though e'er sae poor, Is king o' men for a' that. Ye see yon birkie ca'da lord, Wha struts, and stares, and a' that — Though hundreds worship at his word, He's but a coof for a' that ; For a' that, and a' that, His riband, star, and a' that ; The man of independent mind, He looks and laughs at a
Page 39 - I may venture to assert that when Burns was accused of a leaning to democracy, and an inquiry into his conduct took place, he was subjected in consequence thereof to no more than perhaps a verbal or private caution to be more circumspect in future. Neither do I believe his promotion was thereby affected, as has been stated. That, had he lived, would, I have every reason to think, have gone on in the usual routine. His good and steady friend, Mr. Graham, would have attended to this. What cause, therefore,...
Page 19 - Till ilka carlin swat and reekit, And coost her duddies to the wark, And linket at it in her sark ! Now Tam, O Tam ! had they been queans A' plump and strapping, in their teens ; Their sarks, instead o' creeshie flannen, Been snaw-white seventeen hunder linen ! Thir breeks o' mine, my only pair, That ance were plush o...
Page 38 - THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT THE Solemn League and Covenant Now brings a smile, now brings a tear; But sacred Freedom, too, was theirs : If thou'rt a slave, indulge thy sneer.