FOR R. A. Esq. [An elegant compliment to his friend and early patron, Robert Aiken, writer in Ayr, to whom the Cotter's Saturday Night is inscribed.] KNOW thou, O stranger to the fame FOR G. H. Esq. [A most characteristic tribute to the worth of the poet's early friend and associate, Gavin Hamilton, writer in Mauchline, regarding whom, see the Dedication, page 98, ante.] -N sleeps, THE poor man weeps-here G- A BARD'S EPITAPH. [This touching poem formed the appropriate FINIS to the wonderful volume which was ushered from the Kilmarnock Press in July, 1786. How critical detraction is here disarmed by the modesty and wisdom of the author, who in such choice language writes down so true an estimate of his own character, and preaches to us such a solemn and salutary lesson from the text of his own failings!] Is there a whim-inspir'd fool, Owre fast for thought, owre hot for rule, And o'er this grassy heap sing dool, And drap a tear. Is there a Bard of rustic song, Who, noteless, steals the crouds among, That weekly this area throng, O, pass not by! But with a frater-feeling strong, Here, heave a sigh. Is there a man whose judgment clear, Wild as the wave, Here pause-and thro' the starting tear, Survey this grave. The poor Inhabitant below Was quick to learn and wise to know, And softer flame; But thoughtless follies laid him low, And stain'd his name! Reader attend-whether thy soul Know, prudent, cautious, self-controul The foregoing, which ends the author's first edition, is followed by a GLOSSARY preceded by the following rules: "Words that are universally known, and those that differ from the English only by the elision of letters by apostrophes, or by varying the termination of the verb, are not inserted. The terminations may be thus known; the participle present, instead of ing, ends, in the Scotch Dialect, in an or in; in an, particularly, when the verb is composed of the participle present, and any of the tenses of the auxiliary, to be. The past time and participal past are usually made by shortening the ed into 't." It has been generally assumed that the poet's extended Glossary to his second edition incorporated all the words and explanations contained in his first Glossary; but on close examination, this is found not to be the case. We shall, therefore, introduce in our reprint of the Edinburgh Glossary [within brackets] any words and their meanings contained in the Kilmarnock Glossary which the poet afterwards omitted in the extended one. The above rules or preliminary directions were cancelled in the Edinburgh Glossary, and replaced by entirely new ones; indeed, Burns seems to have become convinced that the Ayrshire manner of terminating verbs such as hirpling, skelping, &c., with an' instead of in', is provincial and vulgar; therefore, in his Edinburgh text, he has changed the spelling of such terminations to in',and hence his reason for withdrawing or altering the foregoing rules. The following lines from The Holy Fair, in the Kilmarnock volume, shewing both methods of spelling these terminations, will happily illustrate what we are referring to: "Hear how he clears the points o' Faith, Wi' rattlin' an' thumpin! Now meekly calm, now wild in wrath, POEMS AND SONGS ADDED TO THE FOREGOING BY THE AUTHOR, IN HIS NEW EDITION PUBLISHED AT EDINBURGH IN APRIL, 1787. DEDICATION. TO THE NOBLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CALEDONIAN HUNT. MY LORDS, AND GENTLEMEN, A SCOTTISH BARD, proud of the name, and whose highest ambition is to sing in his Country's service, where shall he so properly look for patronage as to the illustrious Names of his native Land; those who bear the honours and inherit the virtues of their Ancestors?-The Poetic Genius of my Country found me as the prophetic bard Elijah did Elísha-at the plough; and threw her inspiring mantle over me. She bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural pleasures of my natal Soil, in my native tongue: I tuned my wild, artless notes, as she inspired. She whispered me to come to this ancient metropolis of Caledonia, and lay my Songs under your honoured protection: I now obey her dictates. Though much indebted to your goodness, I do not approach you, my Lords and Gentlemen, in the usual stile of dedication, to thank you for past favours; that path is so hackneyed by prostituted Learning, that honest Rusticity is ashamed of it.-Nor do I present this Address with the venal soul of a servile Author, looking for a continuation of those favours: I was bred to the Plough, and am independent. I come to claim the common Scottish name with you, my illustrious Countrymen; and to tell the world that I glory in the title.-I come to congratulate my Country, that the blood of her ancient heroes still runs uncontaminated; and that from your courage, knowledge, and public spirit, she may expect protection, wealth, and liberty.-In the last place, I come to proffer my warmest wishes to the Great Fountain of Honour, the Monarch of the Universe, for your welfare and happiness. When you go forth to waken the Echoes, in the ancient and favourite amusement of your Forefathers, may Pleasure ever be of your party; and may Socialjoy await your return! When harassed in courts or camps with the justlings of bad men and bad measures, may the honest consciousness of injured Worth attend your return to your native Seats; and may Domestic Happiness, with a smiling welcome, meet you at your gates! May Corruption shrink at your kindling indignant glance; and may tyranny in the Ruler and licentiousness in the People equally find you an inexorable foe! I have the honour to be, With the sincerest gratitude and highest respect, MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, Your most devoted humble servant, EDINBURGH, April 4, 1787. ROBERT BURNS. |