186 



SCOTTISH POETRY. 



Ion's own words." But of French/' Mr. Cunningham says, " he could 

 have known little in a fortnight." From his studies he was called 

 away to the harvest ; still the Poet found time to read and admire 

 some of Addison's writings, the History of Wallace's Acts and Deeds, 

 and the Life of Hannibal. 



But of all the books which he read at this period, the works of 

 Allan Ramsay were the most likely to attract his attention ; these, 

 with the tales and songs which Jenny Wilson taught him, formed 

 the man's after-mind. He pored over them driving his cart, or walking 

 to his accustomed labour " song by song, verse by verse, carefully 

 noting the true tender or sublime from affectation and fustian." 



Burns was now groping his way about, " unfitted with an aim ;" 

 he knew not which way to turn his hand ; the labours of the field 

 first made him acquainted with his own turn for poetry, where he 

 had " a bonnie sweet sonsie lass" for his partner, " the tones of whose 

 voice made his heart-strings thrill like an Eolian harp." He was so 

 struck with her beauty, as he pulled " the cruel nettle-stings and 

 thistles from her head," that he composed a song upon her. These 

 are one or two of the verses : 



" O, once I loved a bonnie lass, 



Ay, and I love her still, 

 And while that honour warms ray breast, 



I'll love my handsome Nell. 



* * * * * 



She dresses aye sae neat and clean, 



Baith decent and genteel, 

 And then there's something in her gait 



Gars ony dress look weel." 



This was in his fifteenth year ; " and thus," he says, " began with 

 me love and poetry." Of this piece Lockhart said, that it contained 

 " here and there lines of which he need hardly have been ashamed at 

 any period of his life." 



Speaking of Burns at this time, Mr. Cunningham writes : 



" He looked around, and saw no outlet for his ambition. Farming he 

 failed to find the same as it is in Virgil elegance united with toil. The 

 high places of the land were occupied, and no one could hope to ascend 

 save the titled or the wealthy. The church he could not reach without an 

 expensive education, or patronage less attainable still. Law held out 

 temptation to talent, but not to talent without money, while the army 

 opened its glittering files to him who could purchase a commission, or had, 

 in the words of the divine, 



' A beauteous sister or convenient wife/ 



to smooth the way to preferment. With a consciousness of genius, and a 

 desire of distinction, he stood motionless, like a stranded vessel whose sails 

 are still set, her colours flying, and the mariners aboard. He had now and 

 then a sort of vague intimation from his own heart that he was a poet; but 

 the polished and stately versification of English poetry alarmed and dis- 

 mayed him : he had sung to himself a song or two, and stood with his 

 hand on the plough and his heart with the muse." p. 19. 



While the Poet was full of these reveries of ambition, " both his 

 mind and his body were in danger of being crushed, as the daisy 

 was in the Poet's own immortal strains, beneath the weight of the 



