50] 
court, acquitted all the defendants. 
Mr. Adam from London, as lead- 
ing counsel for the plaintiff, had a 
fee of 300 guineas; and Mr Er- 
skine the like for the defendants. 
DIED. 21.—At Dumfries, after 
a lingering illness, Robert Burns, 
who excited so much interest by 
the peculiarity of the circumstances 
under which he came forward to 
public notice, and the genius dis- 
covered in his poetical composi- 
tions. Burns was literally a plough- 
man, but neither in that state of 
servile dependence or degrading 
ignorance which the situation might 
bespeak in this country. He had 
the common education of a Scotch 
peasant, perhaps something more, 
and that spirit of independence, 
which in that country is sometimes 
to be found in a high degree in the 
humblest classes in society. He 
had genius, starting beyond the ob- 
stacles of poverty, and which would 
have distinguished itself in any situa- 
tion. His early days were occupied 
in procuring bread by the labour 
of his own hands, in the honour- 
able task of cultivating the earth ; 
but his nights were. devoted to 
books and the.muse, except when 
they were wasted in those haunts of 
village festivity, and the indul- 
gencies of the social bowl, to which 
the poet was but too immoderately 
attached in every period of his 
life. He wrote, not witha view 
to encounter the public eye, or in 
the hope to procure fame by his 
productions, but to give vent to 
the feelings of his own genius—to 
indulge tke impulse of an ardent 
and poetical mind. Burns, from 
that restless activity, which is the 
peculiar characteristic of his coun- 
trymen, proposed to emigrate to 
Jamaica, in order to seek his 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
fortune by the exertiow of those ta- 
jents of which he felt himself pos 
sessed. It was upon this occasion — 
that one of his friends suggested to _ 
him the idea of publishing his — 
poems, in order to raise a few — 
pounds to defray the expences of 
his passage. The idea was eagerly ° 
embraced. A coarse edition ot his 
poems was first published at Ayr. | 
‘They were soon noticed by the gen- — 
tlemenin the neighbourhood. Proofs 
of such uncommon genius in a Sie — 
tuation so humble made the ac- 
quaintance of the author eagerly 
sought after. His poems found — 
their way to Edinburgh; some ex- | 
tracts and an account of the author © 
were inserted in a periodical paper, — 
The Lounger, which was at that 
time in the course of publication. — 
The voyage of the author was de. — 
layed in the hope that a suitable 
provision would be made for him | 
by the generosity of the public. — 
A subscription was set on foot for | 
a new edition of his works, and | 
was forwarded by the exertions of 
some of the first characters of Scot- 
land. The subscription listcontainsa 
greater number of respectable names 
than almost have ever appeared to 
any similar production; but, as 
the book was at a low price, the 
return to the author was inconsi- 
derable. Burns was brought to 
Edinburgh for a few months, every 
where invited and caressed; and 
at last one of his patrons procured 
him the situation of an Exciseman, 
and an income of somewhat less 
than 501. a year. We knew not 
whether any steps were taken to 
better this humble income. Pro- 
bably he was not qualified to fill. 
a superior situation to that which 
was assigned him. We know that 
his manuers refused to partake the 
_ polish 
