LINES INSCRIBED IN A LADY'S POCKET ALMANAC. (STEWART, 1801.) GRANT me, indulgent Heaven, that I may live, THANKSGIVING FOR A NATIONAL VICTORY. (CUNNINGHAM, 1834.) YE hypocrites! are these your pranks? God wont accept your thanks for MURTHER ! LINES ON THE COMMEMORATION OF (STEWART, 1801.) INSTEAD of a song, boys, I'll give you a toast; That we lost, did I say?-nay, by Heav'n, that we found; For their fame it will last while the world goes round. The next in succession I'll give you's THE KING! Whoe'er would betray him, on high may he swing! And here's the grand fabric, the free CONSTITUTION, As built on the base of our great Revolution! And longer with Politics not to be cramm'd, [Admiral Rodney's great victory over the French fleet, off Dominica, in the West Indies, was so far back as April 12, 1782, and the Admiral, who was created a Peer in consequence, died in 1792. It was the custom in loyal Dumfries and elsewhere to commemorate that victory year after year, and Burns did not shrink to join in such manifestations, whatever were his real opinions regarding aggressive warfare. The sentiments expressed in the above toast are highly patriotic and unusually loyal, reminding one much of his grand Volunteer Song produced two years after this period. It must not be supposed that Burns was altogether a castaway," from the respectables of Dumfries, either in 1793 or at any other period of his sojourn there. There are many evidences to the contrary. We instance one. A public library was opened in the Burgh, about the close of 1792; and Burns, who aided in establishing it, was admitted a free member thereof on 5th March 1793. In September following his name appears as a member of committee, and on 30th of that month he presented four books to the Library," Humphrey Clinker," "Julia de Roubignè," "Knox's History of the Reformation," and "De Lolme on the British Constitution." The last named volume bore the following holograph inscription:-"Mr. Burns presents this book to the Library, and begs they will take it as a creed of British Liberty-until they find a better.-R. B." No sooner had these books been delivered, than the poet began to feel certain qualms of uneasiness that the witty double entendre might be noticed and seized as a handle against his political integrity. He accordingly called next day at the Library, and pasted the fly leaf that bore the inscription against the back of the frontispiece portrait which formed the next leaf. That volume is still in the Library, and every curious stranger asks a sight of it; for on holding the portrait up against the light, the inscription can be clearly read.] (It is undoubtedly true that in a period of intense excitement Burns had given offence to several extra-loyal persons in the Burgh and neighborhood by his free expressions (both written and spoken) in favor of the cause of universal liberty, but he had, nevertheless, still many staunch friends and sincere admirers in the old Burgh and the surrounding district, who remained true to him till his death.-J. H.) KIRK AND STATE EXCISEMEN. (STEWART, IS01.) YE men of wit and wealth, why all this sneering Nay, what are Priests? (those seeming godly wise-men,) THE RAPTURES OF FOLLY. (STEWART, 1801.) THOU greybeard, old Wisdom! may boast of thy treasures; Give me with old Folly to live; I grant thee thy calm-blooded, time-settled pleasures, But Folly has raptures to give. [The first of these Epigrams was inscribed by the poet on a window at the King's Arms Tavern, Dumfries; and the latter was similarly inscribed on a window of the Globe Tavern there. They speak for their own parentage, and tell their own story.] GRACE AFTER MEAT. (STEWART, 1801.) L-D, we thank, and thee adore, GRACE BEFORE AND AFTER MEAT. (CHAMBERS, 1852.) O LORD, when hunger pinches sore, And send us, from thy bounteous store, A tup or wether head! Amen. O LORD, since we have feasted thus, Let Meg now take away the flesh, ram ewe And Jock bring in the spirit! Amen. [These "Graces" appear to have been emitted extemporaneously at the poet's favorite "howff"-the Globe Tavern, of which Wm. Hislop was landlord. In regard to the latter pair, Chambers explains that the poet, in company with Wm. Nicol and Allan Masterton from Edinburgh, arrived unexpectedly one evening when Mrs. Hislop, had no edibles prepared that were calculated to appease their craving appetites, except a tup's head and trotters which she had meant for her own family meal. These were offered and accepted, and Burns was asked to officiate as chaplain over the little Godsend of rations. Meg and Jock were probably the table-servants.] IMPROMPTU ON GENERAL DUMOURIEZ'S DESERTION FROM THE FRENCH REPUBLICAN ARMY. (CROMEK, 1810.) YOU'RE Welcome to Despots, Dumouriez ; How does Dampiere do? Aye, and Bournonville too? Why did they not come along with you, Dumouriez? I will fight France with you, Dumouriez ; I will take my chance with you. By my soul, I'll dance with you, Dumouriez. Then let us fight about, Dumouriez ; Then let us fight about, Dumouriez ; Till Freedom's spark be out, Then we'll be d-d, no doubt, Dumouriez. [Dumouriez, after achieving important triumphs as a General in the army of the French Republic, somewhat unexpectedly veered round in favor of the interests of the Monarchy, and was only prevented by fortuitous circumstances from betraying his troops into the enemy's hands. Dampiere, and Bournonville, referred to in the opening stanza, were respectively a brother General, and an emissary of the Convention, whom he had calculated on persuading to follow his example; but in this he was disappointed. Dumouriez deserted and made his escape from France, on 5th April 1793. Burns, as might have been anticipated, did not strictly adhere to the line of policy he assured Mrs. Dunlop, in the preceding month of January, he had chalked out for himself:-“I have set, henceforth, a seal on my lips as to these unlucky politics." At convivial parties he gave free vent to his feelings, and often unguardedly free utterance to his words. On one of those occasions, when the health of William Pitt was proposed and drunk with a will, he followed it up by craving "a bumper to the health of a much better man-General Washington!" * The reader will understand that the verses in the text form a pretty close parody of an old-fashioned song that was then in vogue as a Bacchanalian rant, although now allied to more tender words, namely, "Robin Adair.” As the old version is now almost unknown, we annex it, to show the closeness of Burns's parody:— You're welcome to Paxton, Robin Adair, How does Luke Gardner do? aye, and John Mack'ril too? * Burns's admiration for Washington was unbounded. This is evidenced by his making him the principal figure in his great Ode to Liberty, which we |
