The Works of Robert Burns: With an Account of His Life, and a Criticism on His Writings, to which are Prefixed Some Observations on the Character and Condition of the Scottish Peasantry, 1. köideT. Cadell and W. Davies, 1820 |
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acquaintance Adventures of Telemachus afterwards appear Ayrshire Bachelor's Club bard beautiful bonny lass brother Burns's character charms conduct conversation cultivated degree delicacy dialect Dumfries Earl of Glencairn Edinburgh effect Ellisland English excelled fancy farm father favorable friendship genius Gilbert Burns give habits happiness heart honor House of Stewart humble humour imagination interest Jedburgh Jenny Geddes Kilmarnock kind labour lady language letter lived manners marriage Mauchline melancholy ment mentioned mind moral Mossgiel Murdoch muse nae-body native nature never night objects observations occasion parish particular passion peasant perhaps persons pleasure poems poet poet's poetical poetry poor powers produced racter Ramsay received respect Robert Burns rustic scenery scenes Scot Scotland seemed sensibility sentiments situation society spirit sublime superior talents Tarbolton taste tender thought tion verses virtue William Burnes writing
Popular passages
Page 84 - Perhaps the Christian volume is the theme: How guiltless blood for guilty man was shed; How He Who bore in Heaven the second name Had not on earth whereon to lay His head; How...
Page 307 - And wear thou this' — she solemn said, And bound the Holly round my head : The polish'd leaves, and berries red, Did rustling play; And, like a passing thought, she fled In light away.
Page 125 - I forget the hallowed grove, Where by the winding Ayr we met, To live one day of parting love ! Eternity will not efface Those records dear of transports past ; Thy image at our last embrace ; Ah ! little thought we 'twas our last ! Ayr gurgling kissed his pebbled shore, O'erhung with wild woods, thickening, green ; The fragrant birch, and hawthorn hoar, Twined amorous round the raptured scene.
Page 83 - The priest-like father reads the sacred page, How Abram was the friend of God on high ; Or, Moses bade eternal warfare wage With Amalek's ungracious progeny ; Or how the royal bard did groaning lie Beneath the stroke of Heaven's avenging ire ; Or Job's pathetic plaint and wailing cry ; Or rapt Isaiah's wild, seraphic fire ; Or other holy seers that tune the sacred lyre.
Page 125 - Mary! dear departed shade! Where is thy place of blissful rest ? Seest thou thy lover lowly laid ? Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast?
Page 84 - And decks the lily fair in flowery pride, Would, in the way His wisdom sees the best, For them and for their little ones provide; But chiefly, in their hearts with grace divine preside.
Page 83 - They chant their artless notes in simple guise; They tune their hearts, by far the noblest aim : Perhaps ' Dundee's ' wild warbling measures rise, Or plaintive *• Martyrs...
Page 38 - This cultivated the latent seeds of poetry, but had so strong an effect on my imagination, that to this hour, in my nocturnal rambles, I sometimes keep a sharp lookout in suspicious places; and though nobody can be more sceptical than I am in such matters, yet it often takes an effort of philosophy to shake off these idle terrors.
Page 55 - I had been for some days skulking from covert to covert, under all the terrors of a jail ; as some ill-advised people had uncoupled the merciless pack of the law at my heels. I had taken the last farewell of my few friends; my chest was on the road to Greenock ; I had composed the last song I should ever measure in Caledonia, The gloomy night is gathering fast * when a letter from Dr.
Page 42 - ... when I looked and fingered over her little hand to pick out the cruel nettle-stings and thistles. Among her other loveinspiring qualities, she sung sweetly ; and it was her favourite reel to which I attempted giving an embodied vehicle in rhyme.