64 l^Tcinsactions. 



II. Further Original Letters, dtc, of the Jhirns Period. 

 By Mr James R. Wilson. 

 Mr Wilson stated that he had discovered these letters among 

 the papers of the late Dr Grierson, Thornhill, and although they 

 were scarcely of the same literary merit as those he made public 

 last year, they were still of considerable value to all interested in 

 the literary characters of the Burns period, and of the early part 

 of this century. The members were, of course, aware that there 

 were in the museum in Thornhill many relics of Burns and of his 

 associates. In particular and most prized of all there was a copy 

 of " The Whistle " in the poet's own hand-writing, beai-ing the 

 following note by Mr William Grierson, the doctor's father : — 

 " Received a present of this poem, which is in the hand- writing 

 of the poet, from his brother Gilbert Bux'ns, enclosed in a letter 

 dated Grant's Braes, 14th December, 1815. — William Grierson." 

 On opening the case in which the poem is preserved the letter 

 referred to was found. It is most interesting, and shows clearly 

 the known sagacity of the writer. This is the letter : — 



Grant's Braes, 14th Dec, 1815. 



Dear Sir, — A thousand times have I reproached myself for being so long 

 of acknowledging receipt of your obliging letter by Mr T. Sibbald, with 

 the very elegant engraving accompanying it (an engraving of the 

 mausoleum), but I have been much and disagreeably occaipied of late with 

 sequestrating stock and crop, attending meetings of creditors, the sale of 

 bankrupts' subjects, &c. 



"Peace and plenty," formerly the toast and wish of the ill-advised, 

 have come upon us with a vengeance, and their ill effects are felt par- 

 ticularly severe in this county of wheat — almost exclusively devoted to 

 corn farming — and I have not seen the country in general in such a 

 depressed desponding state since the conclusion of the American War. 

 Not after all but we are to consider peace as a good thing, but a newly- 

 acquired peace, while tlie war expenditure has not yet ceased, can scarcely 

 fail to produce a depression — I liope only a temporary one — but it appears 

 somewhat preposterous that plenty should be productive of evil. I was 

 quite vexed I was not at home the last time you called here, that I might 

 have given you your choice of the specimens of the poet's hand-writing in 

 my possession. The one I have sent is not a good specimen of his writing, 

 being hurriedly written with bad ink ; but upon the wliole I considered it 

 the most respectable I had to send you, being a poem comj)osed on the 

 banks of the Nith, the persons and scenery familiar to you. 



My wife joins me in kindest compliments to Mrs Grierson and yon. 

 Tell Mrs G. it would give me great pleasure to see her at her ain fire en', 

 and I am not without hopes of having that pleasure, but every year I live 



