300 To Mr. Robert Ainslie. The merry Devil, Spunkie his 301 To Miss K. Force of Beauty on Poets. A Benediction 508 304 To the Earl of Glencairn. Remembrance of his noble Brother, with a Copy of a new Edition of his Poems 305 To Dr. Anderson. Declines assisting in his purposed Pub- 309 To Peter Miller, Esq. Declines an Engagement in the Morning Chronicle-Offers occasional Contributions. 310 To Gavin Hamilton, Esq. Congratulations on returning Health-Cautions against Drinking-Father Auld 312 To Mr. Alexander Findlater. Schemes-Wishes-Hopes 314 To Col. W. Dunbar. Is still alive, fulfilling one great End of his Existence-Compliments of the Season in the Bard's 315 To Mr. Heron. Political Ballads-His Situation and Ex- 316 Address of the Scots Distillers to Mr. Pitt 317 Letter to the Provost, &c. of Dumfries DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES. 1. Mausoleum in Memory of Burns, opposite the Title. 2. The Cottage in which Burns was born, opposite 3. Lincluden College 4. Fall of Aberfeldy Page. 9 86 77 293 LETTERS, &c. &c. No. 1. TO A FEMALE FRIEND. Written about the year 1780. I VERILY believe, my dear E. that the pure genuine feelings of love, are as rare in the world as the pure genuine principles of virtue and piety. This I hope will account for the uncommon style of all my letters to you. By uncommon, I mean their being written in such a serious manner, which, to tell you the truth, has made me often afraid lest you should take me for some zealous bigot, who conversed with his mistress as he would converse with his minister. I don't know how it is, my dear; for though, except your company, there is nothing on earth gives me so much pleasure as writing to you, yet it never gives me those giddy raptures so much talked of among lovers. I have often thought that if a well-grounded affection be not really a part of virtue, 'tis something extremely akin to B it. Whenever the thoughts of my E. warms my heart, every feeling of humanity, every principle of generosity, kindles in my breast. It extinguishes every dirty spark of malice and envy, which are but too apt to infest me. I grasp every creature in the arms of universal benevolence, and equally participate in the pleasures of the happy, and sympathize with the miseries of the unfortunate. I assure you, my dear, I often look up to the divine disposer of events, with an eye of gratitude for the blessing which I hope he intends to bestow on me, in bestowing you. I sincerely with that he may bless my endeavours to make your life as comfortable and happy as possible, both in sweetening the rougher parts of my natural temper, and bettering the unkindly circumstances of my fortune. This, my dear, is a passion, at least in my view, worthy of a man, and I will add, worthy of a Christian. The sordid earth-worm may profess love to a woman's person, whilst in reality his affection is centered in her pocket; and the slavish drudge may go a wooing as he goes to the horse-market, to choose one who is stout and firm, and as we may say of an old horse, one who will be a good drudge and draw kindly. I disdain their dirty, puny ideas. would be heartily out of humour with myself, if I thought I were capable of having so poor a notion of the sex, which were designed to crown the pleasures of society. Poor devils! I don't envy them their happiness who have such notions. For my part I propose quite other pleasures with my dear partner. I |