"I congratulate my country that the blood of "her ancient heroes runs uncontaminated; and "that, from your courage, knowledge, and pub"lic spirit, she may expect protection, wealth, " and liberty.

May corruption shrink at your kindling indig"nant glance; and may tyranny in the ruler, and "licentiousness in the people, equally find in you "an inexorable foe !"*

It is to be presumed that these generous sentiments, uttered at an aera singularly propitious to independence of character and conduct, were favourably received, by the persons to whom they were addressed, and that they were echoed from every bosom, as well as from that of the Earl of Glencairn. This accomplished nobleman, a scholar, a man of taste and sensibility, died soon afterwards. Had he lived, and had his power equalled his wishes, Scotland might still have exulted in the genius, instead of lamenting the early fate of her favourite bard.

A taste for letters is not always conjoined with habits of temperance and regularity; and Edinburgh, at the period of which we speak, contained perhaps

* VOL. III. Dedication.

perhaps an uncommon proportion of men of considerable talents, devoted to social excesses, in which their talents were wasted and debased.

Burns entered into several parties of this description, with the usual vehemence of his charac.ter. His generous affections, his ardent eloquence, his brilliant and daring imagination, fitted him to be the idol of such associations; and accustoming himself to conversation of unlimited range, and to festive indulgencies that scorned restraint, he gradually lost some portion of his relish for the more pure, but less poignant pleasures, to be found in the circles of taste, elegance, and literature. The sudden alteration in his habits of life, operated on him physically as well as morally. The humble fare of an Aýr-shire peasant, he had exchanged for the luxuries of the Scottish metropolis, and the effects of this change on his ardent constitution could not be inconsiderable. But whatever influence might be produced on his conduct, his excellent understanding suffered no corresponding debasement. He estimated his friends and associates of every description at their proper value, and appreciated his own conduct with a precision that might give scope to much curious and melancholy reflection. He saw his danger, and at times

formed

formed resolutions to guard against it; but he had embarked on the tide of dissipation, and was borne along its stream.

Of the state of his mind at this time, an authentic, though imperfect document remains, in a book which he procured in the spring of 1787, for the purpose, as he himself informs us, of recording in it whatever seemed worthy of observation. The following extracts may serve as a specimen.

Edinburgh, April, 9th 1787.

"As I have seen a good deal of human life in Edinburgh, a great many characters which are new, to one bred up in the shades of life as I have been, I am determined to take down my remarks on the spot. Gray observes in a letter to Mr. Palgrave, that" half a word fixed, upon, or near "the spot, is worth a cart load of recollection." I don't know how it is with the world in general, but with me, making my remarks, is by no means a solitary pleasure. I want some one to laugh with me, some one to be grave with me, some

one

one to please me and help my discrimination, with his or her own remark, and at times, no doubt, to admire my acuteness and penetration. The world are so busied with selfish pursuits, ambition, vanity, interest or pleasure, that very few think it worth their while to make any observation on what passes around them, except where that observation is a sucker, or branch of the darling plant they are rearing in their fancy. Nor am I sure, notwithstanding all the sentimental flights of novel-writers, and the sage philosophy of moralists, whether we are capable of so intimate and cordial a coalition of friendship, as that one man may pour out his bosom, his every thought and floating fancy, his very inmost soul, with unreserved confidence to another, without hazard of losing part of that respect which man deserves from man; or, from the unavoidable imperfections attending human nature, of one day repenting his confidence.

"For these reasons, I am determined to make these pages my confidant. I will sketch every character that any way strikes me, to the best of my power, with unshrinking justice. I will insert anecdotes, and take down remarks, in the old law phrase, without feud or favour.—Where I hit on any thing clever, my own applause will in somę

measure

measure feast my vanity; and, begging Patroclus', and Achates' pardon, I think a lock and key, a security, at least equal, to the bosom of any friend whatever.

"My own private story likewise, my love-adventures, my rambles; the frowns and smiles of fortune on my bardship; my poems and fragments that must never see the light, shall be occasionally inserted. In short, never did four shillings purchase so much friendship, since confidence went first to market, or honesty was set up to sale.

"To these seemingly invidious, but too just ideas of human friendship, I would cheerfully make one exception-the connexion between two persons of different sexes, when their interests are united and absorbed by the tie of love

When thought meets thought, ere from the lips it part, And each warm wish, springs mutual from the heart.

There, confidence, confidence that exalts them the more in one anothers opinion, that endears them the more to each others hearts, unreservedly "reigns and revels." But this is not my lot, and in my situation, if I am wise, (which by the bye I have no great chance of being,) my fate should -be