38 



Maria Riddell, the Friend of Burns. 



Doubtless that heart was softened by the pitiable condition 

 of the Poet, whom " distress had spited with the world." 

 Burns in a letter (dated by Cunning-ham, " Dumfries, 

 1795 ")65 thanks Mrs. Riddell, in the third person, for send- 

 ing him the book, refers to her " beautiful song-," and adds, 

 in a postscript : — " Mr. Burns will be much obliged to Mrs. 

 Riddell if she will favour him with a perusal of any of her 

 poetical pieces which he may not have seen." In August 

 the Poet writes less formally about Shaw, a protege of Mrs. 

 Riddell's, for whom she wanted to get a " Tide waiter's " 

 place. After advising her to use her influence with the 

 Excise Commissioners, he proceeds : — " I was going to 

 mention some of your female acquaintance, who might give 

 you a lift, but on recollection your interests with the women 

 is I believe a sorry business. So much the better ! 'tis God's 

 judgment upon you for making such a despotic use of your 

 sway over the Men. Yoii a Republican ! You have an empire 

 over us ; and you know it too ; but the Lord's name be praised 

 you have something of the same propensity to get giddy 

 (intoxicated is not a lady's word) with power; and a devilish 

 deal of aptitude to the same blind undistinguishing 

 Favoritism which makes other Despots less dangerous to 

 the welfare and repose of mankind than they otherwise 

 might be. "66 On January 29th, 1796, the Poet, writing to 



The flowers of spring are passed away 



For wintry horrors dark and drear. 

 Yon osiered strea.m, by Avliose lone banks 



My songs have lulled him oft to rest. 

 Is now in icy fetters locked — 



Cold as my false love's frozen breast !" 



(Chambers and Wallace, The Life and Worls of Bohert Burns, vol. 

 iv. (1896), p. 191.). See also The Edinhurgh Magazine, November, 



1795, p. 384; and The Metrical MisceUany, by Maria R 



(1802), pp. 176-177, where a slightly different version of the above 

 IS given and two stanzas are added. 



65 The Complete Worls of Bohert Burns, ed. by Allan Cunning- 

 ham [1886, etc.], p. 416. 



66 W. Scott Douglas, The WorJcs of Bohert Burns, vol. vi. (1879), 

 p. 170. 



