PREFACE,

TO THE FIRST EDITION OF

BURNS POEMS,

PUBLISHED AT KILMARNOCK..

THE following Trifles are not the production of the poet, who, with all the advantages of learned art, and, perhaps, amid the elegancies and idlenesses of upper life, looks down for a rural theme, with an eye to Theocritus or Virgi To the author of this, these and other celebrated names, their countrymen, are, at least in their original language, A fountain shut up, and a book sealed. Unacquainted with the necessary requisites for commencing poet by rule, be sings the sentiments and manners, be felt and saw in himself and his rustic Compeers around him, in bis and their native language. Though a rhymer from his earliest years, at least, from the earliest impulses of the softer passions, it was not till very lately, that a 3

the

the applause, perhaps the partiality, of friendship, wakened his vanity so far as to make him think any thing of his worth shewing; and none of the following works were composed with a view to the press. To amuse himself with the little creations of his own fancy, amid the toil and fatigues of a laborious life; to transcribe the various feelings, the loves, the griefs, the hopes, the fears in his own breast; to find some kind of counterpoise to the struggles of a world, always an alien scene, a task uncouth to the poetical mind----these were his motives for courting the muses, and in these be found poetry to be its own reward.

Now that he appears in the public character of an author, he does it with fear and trembling. So dear is fame to the rhyming tribe, that even be, an obscure nameless Bard, shrinks aghast at the thought of being branded as---An impertinent blockhead, obtruding his nonsense on the world; and because he

can

can make a shift to jingle a few doggerel Scotch rhymes together, looking upon bimself as a poet of no small consequence forsooth!

It is an observation of that celebrated poet, Shenstone, whose divine elegies do honour to our language, our nation, and our species, that Humility has depressed many a genius to a hermit, but never raised one to fame!' If any critic catches at the word genius, the author tells him once for all, that he certainly looks upon himself as possest of some poetic abilities, otherwise his publishing in the manner he has done, would be a manoeuvre below the worst character, which he hopes, bis worst enemy will ever give him. But to the genius of a Ramsay, or the glorious drawings of the poor, unfortunate Ferguson, be, with equal unaffected sincerity, declares, that even in his highest pulse of vanity, he has not the most distant pretensions. These two justly admired Scotch poets he has often had

in

in his eye in the following pieces; but Father with a view to kindle at their fame than for servile imitation.

To his Subscribers, the Author returns his most sincere thanks. Not the mercenary bow over a counter, but the heart throbbing gratitude of the bard, conscious how much he owes to benevolence, and friendship, for gratifying him, if he deserves it, in that dearest wish of every poetic bosom----to be distinguished. He begs his readers, 'particularly the learned and the polite, who may honour him with a perusal, that they will make every allowance for education and circumstances of life; but, if after a fair, candid, and impar tial criticism, he shall stand convicted of dullness and nonsense, let him be done by as he would in that case do by others ----let bim be condemned without mercy to contempt and oblivion..

DEDICATION.

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 be 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 Elisha ----at the plough; and threw her inspiring mantle over me. She bade me

sing