SCOTTISH POETRY. 191 



The biography of Burns, Mr. Cunningham has divided into four 

 parts; Ayrshire Edinburgh Ellisland and Dumfries; we like 

 this, because, in a long narrative, the account is likely to become 

 tedious, and the mind and eye like to be relieved ; the divisions 

 of chapters, as in Mr. Loekhart's life of the Poet, come far too often ; 

 the parts are more to our taste. 



The situation of Burns in Edinburgh was most remarkable : the 

 way in which his company was courted, as the lion of the day, is not 

 to be wondered at, for the " cry of the cuckoo" had not for a long 

 while been heard so beautiful and so melodious ; the hopes of Black- 

 lock were not lost, for Burns had not been long in Edinburgh before 

 two thousand eight hundred and odd copies of his poems were sub- 

 scribed for, by about fifteen hundred subscribers ; and 



" Cards to invite, flew by thousands each night," 



from the titled and mighty of the land. Even the dullest owned the 

 attractions of genius. 



What a strong and vivid picture of Burns returning from the balls 

 of the high-born and courtly to his own sanded floor has Mr. Cun- 

 ningham given us ! 



" Those who were afraid that amid feasting and flattery the smiles of 

 ladies and the applauding nods of their lords Burns would forget himself, 

 and allow the mercury of vanity to rise too high within him, indulged in 

 idle fears. When he dined or supped with the magnates of the land, he 

 never wanted a monitor to warn him of the humility of his condition. 

 When the company arose in the gilded and illuminated rooms, some of the 

 fair guests perhaps 



' Her grace, 



Whose flambeaux flash against the morning skies, 

 And gild our chamber ceilings as they pass/ 



took the hesitating arm of the bard ; went smiling to her coach, waved a 

 graceful good-night with hep jewelled hand, and, departing to her mansion, 

 left him in the middle of the street to grope his way through the dingy- 

 alleys of the 'gude town' to his obscure lodging, with his share of a deal 

 table, a sanded floor, and a chaff bed, at eighteen pence a week." p. 131. 



This is sufficiently wretched ; but Burns' eyes were not open to 

 these invitations that arose " from a wish to relieve the ennui of a 

 supper table, where the guests were all too well-bred to utter any 

 thing strikingly original or boldly witty." With all these gay gilded 

 parties, it is gratifying to hear that Burns found time to write some 

 excellent poems; the "Brigs of Ayr" was the production of this period, 

 as was also the " Address to Edinburgh," besides numerous beautiful 

 lyrics. 



Through the great success of his poems, Burns was enabled to 

 make three tours into the highlands, and one to the border ; of all 

 which he kept journals, and from some, as yet unpublished, Mr. 

 Cunningham has given us many highly pleasing extracts. 



Through Lord Glencairn and Mr. Grahame of Fintray, Burns also 

 obtained a situation in the Excise, worth thirty-five pounds a year; 

 and on the 13th of March 1788, after bargaining for Ellisland, he 

 bade adieu to Edinburgh. 



" The literati of Edinburgh were not displeased, it is likely, when he 



