CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ROBERT BURNS. "Far more interesting than any of the written works of Burns, as it appears to us, are his acted ones-the life he willed, and was fated to lead among his fellow-men. These Poems are but little rhymed fragments scattered here and there in the grand un-rhymed Romance of his earthly existence; and it is only when intercalated in this, at their proper places, that they attain their full measure of significance."-CARLYLE. INTRODUCTORY NOTE. While DR. CURRIE, under the sanction, and with the assistance of the Poet's literary executors, was preparing his noble biography and edition of Burns, ROBERT HERON anticipated him by producing, in 1797, not only a "respectable," but a very admirable little memoir of the Bard, concise certainly, but remarkably accurate in its details, considering the scarcity of the materials placed in his hands. In his estimate of the Poet's genius, he falls little short of the highest praise and veneration that the greatest eulogists of Burns have, since then, vied with each other in giving utterance to; and in his delineation of the Bard's character, the main features are excellently drawn, although unfortunately, a little biased by the credence given to uninvestigated rumours which then floated about to the Poet's prejudice, concerning his convivial excesses and errors of moral conduct. DR. CURRIE, in his observations on the Bard's failings, said much to confirm, and little to remove, the impressions which Heron has been unjustly blamed for originating. The Scots Magazine, for January, 1797, has an "Account of the Life and Writings of Robert Burns," which adopts much the same view as Heron has done of the Poet's weaknesses. CROMEK, in 1808 and 1810, although overflowing with veneration for the genius of Burns, touches very slightly on his character; and what little he has been induced to say on the subject of the poet's "blasphemy and ribaldry," our readers will find recorded at page 292, Vol. II., of the present Work. Cromek's Reliques of Burns, however, gave rise to undying articles from the pens of Jeffrey and Sir Walter Scott. In 1811, DR. PEEBLES-the "Peebles frae the Water-fit" of the Holy Fair, "meek and mimly" published what he called, "BURNOMANIA:" a discourse on "the Celebrity of Robert Burns, addressed to all real Christians," which a brother of the same cloth (now living) has characterised as "curious for its illiberality and misjudgment." In the same year, JOSIAH WALKER, a University Professor, who had been personally acquainted with the Poet, published an "Account of the Life and Character of Robert Burns," containing many judicious and valuable remarks on his writings; but recording, at same time, observations and statements more damaging to the Poet's character-flowing as they seemed to do through so much apparent candour and pharisaical sympathy-than the foulest aspersions that hitherto had assailed it. Another University Professor, some thirty years thereafter, by name JOHN WILSON, threw dirt in Josiah Walker's face for all this. After this period (1811,) by apparent universal consent, a demand for JUSTICE TO BURNS seemed to set in like a return tide, with reaction slow but sure. ALEXANDER PETERKIN, in 1814, published a "Review of the Life and Writings of Robert Burns, and of various Criticisms on his Character and Writings," in which the current mis-statements and slanders against the Poet were generously repelled. In 1816, WILLIAM WORDSWORTH, in a letter to James Gray, the early preceptor of the Poet's children, kindly took up the theme; and in 1819, the REV. HAMILTON PAUL, in a Life of Burns, prefixed to an edition of his poetical works, threw down the gauntlet to all the Poet's detractors, ecclesiastical and laic, and vigorously vindicated his character. In 1820, JAMES GRAY published his letter addressed to Gilbert Burns, embracing testimonials in Burns' favour from Alexander Findlater, the Poet's immediate superior officer in the Excise, which brought forth, from the Poet's brother, a humiliating apology for Dr. Currie's errors. After this, in 1822, HEW AINSLIE, a true poet himself, and (incredibile dictu!) still alive, and producing poetry in America, published his Pilgrimage to the Land of Burns, which shall not soon be forgotten by the Poet's countrymen here. In 1828, was published-a gem in Biography-" The Life of Robert Burns," by J. G. LOCKHART, LL.B., the son-in-law, and future Biographer of Sir Walter Scott, and this brought forth the noblest tribute to Burns that ever was penned-namely, a "Critique on Lockhart's Life of Burns," in the Edinburgh Review, December, 1828, by THOMAS CARLYLE. In 1830, SIR HARRIS NICOLAS, a blunt and straight-forward Englishman, produced a "Memoir of Burns"-a reactionary performance, intended to throw cold water on the "hero-worship" which was now surrounding the Poet on every side, and, consequently, somewhat depreciatory in tone. It abounds in errors of fact, and therefore, fallacies in argument; but, notwithstanding these defects, we respect the honesty and manliness of the writer. We do not approve of any "labouring to exalt our National Poet-of extenuating his faults, and denying his vices," and feel bound to agree with him in saying that "the merits of even the most valuable Lives of Burns are lessened by the panegyrical tone that is everywhere conspicuous." After naming these we can afford to be very brief. In 1834 and 1835, Biographies by ALLAN CUNNINGHAM and by JAMES HOGG were produced-the former especially warm and poetical in character, but very deficient in grip-the latter, a motley performance, and literally worthless, excepting where inverted commas mark the paragraphs. Need-we, after this, refer to PROFESSOR WILSON'S Essay on Burns, 1840 ?-to the REV. P. HATELY WADDELL'S "Eulogy on the Genius and Morality of Robert Burns," 1859?-or to his "Life of Burns: a Spiritual Biography," 1867? Such seem, to common admirers of Burns like ourselves, unreliable flights of enthusiasm on the one hand, and mystical raptures of over-fed rhetoric on the other. The even-minded ROBERT CHAMBERS, in 1851-52, winds up his sensible memoirs of the Poet, with the following apt motto, taken from Hare's Life of Sterling, with which also we bring this note to a close: "A bent tree is not to be drawn as a straight one; or the truth of history vanishes, and likewise its use as a discipline of knowledge and of wisdomhence the representation of my friend's life is unsatisfactory. By the omission of certain portions, it might easily have been made to appear more satisfactory; but then, it would have been a lie: and every lie-O that people would believe it!-is at best but a whited sepulchre!" CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF BURNS. "The following Memoir of the Life of one who was a GREAT MAN, solely of GOD ALMIGHTY'S making such, has been composed on the principle that IT IS THE PROPER BUSINESS OF THE BIOGRAPHER TO TRACE THE GRADUAL DEVELOPEMENT OF THE CHARACTER AND TALENTS OF HIS HERO, WITH ALL THE CHANGES WHICH THESE UNDERGO FROM THE INFLUENCE OF EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BETWEEN THE CRADLE AND THE GRAVE; AND AT SAME TIME, TO RECORD ALL THE EMINENT EFFECTS WHICH THE DISPLAY OF THAT CHARACTER AND THE EXERCISE OF THOSE TALENTS HAVE PRODUCED ON HUMAN SOCIETY, IN THE SPHERE WITHIN WHICH THEY WERE EXHIBITED AND EMPLOYED."-Robert Heron, 1797. PATERNAL ANCESTRY OF BURNS. Ev'n I who sing in rustic lore, Haply my Sires have left their shed, And fac'd grim Danger's loudest roar, Bold-following where your Fathers led!-(P. 182, Vol. I.) "My father was of the north of Scotland, the son of a farmer [who, like his ancestors, had rented lands of the noble Keiths of Marischal, and had the honor of sharing their fate. I do not use the word honor with any reference to political principles: loyal and disloyal I take to be merely relative terms in that ancient and formidable court, known in this country by the name of Club-law, where right is always with the strongest. But those who dare welcome ruin, and shake hands with infamy, for what they sincerely believe to be the cause of God, or their King, are-as Mark Anthony says of Brutus and Cassius'honorable men.' I mention this circumstance, because it threw my father on the world at large], where, after many years' wanderings and sojournings, he picked up a pretty large quantity of observation and experience, to which I am indebted for most of my little pretensions to wisdom." -Autobiography. [That part of the foregoing passage which we have placed within brackets, was omitted by Dr. Currie at the request of Gilbert Burns, who had the timidity to deny that his ancestors had been Jacobites; and with a view to disprove that fact, referred to the terms of a parish certificate found among his father's papers, testifying that "the bearer had no concern in the late wicked rebellion." Of course, William Burness had not, for he was not alive in 1715, and although twenty-four years old, and capable of bearing arms in 1745, it is known that when only nineteen years of age, he left his native district, and worked as a gardener, in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. In language very similar to that quoted in the text, the poet thus wrote to Lady W. M. Constable, in 1789:-Though my fathers had not illustrious honors and vast properties to hazard in that contest where even to be unfortunate was glorious, though they left their humble cottages only to add so many units more to the unnoted crowd that followed their leaders,-yet what they could they did, and what they had they lost: with unshaken firmness, and unconcealed political attachments, they shook hands with ruin, for what they esteemed the cause of their king and country." "My fathers that name have rever'd on a throne; Those fathers would spurn their degenerate son, That name should he scoffingly slight it."-(P. 138, Vol. II.) See also, Strathallan's Lament, page 211, Vol. I.] "I HAVE not the most distant pretensions to assume that character which the pye-coated guardians of escutcheons call a gentleman. When at Edinburgh, last winter, I got acquainted in the Herald's Office, and looking through that granary of honors, I there found almost every name in the kingdom; but as for me— My ancient, but ignoble blood Has crept through scoundrels ever since the flood."-Autob. [In 1837, however, a search made in the same quarter by Dr. James Burness of Montrose, a grandson of the poet's cousin and correspondent, was more successful. Tradition had assigned as the root of the Burness family-tree planted in Kincardineshire, a certain Walter Campbell, from Argyleshire, who had, in the early part of the seventeenth century, for political or prudential reasons, abandoned his native district, dropping his proper surname, and assuming that of Burnhouse or Burness, and settled in the parish of Glenbervie, in the Mearns. The public registers consulted by Dr. Burness, shewed that this WALTER OF BURNHOUSE had descendents, as follow: (1.)—WALTER BURNESS, who possessed the farm of Bogjoran, in the same parish: he had four sons, one of whom we shall follow. (2.)-JAMES BURNESS, born in 1656, became tenant of the farm of Brawlinmuir, in Glenbervie. He died in 1743, aged eighty-seven. Of several sons of his, we need follow only one, who ranks as number three. |