Maria Riddell, the Friend of Burns. 55 



486 Burns (Robert) " Impromptu on Mrs. Riddel's birthday, 

 4 Nov. 179,3," commencing- " Old Winter, with his 

 frosty beard," i p. 4to. 



487 Burns (Robert) Autograph Poem, " Wilt thou be my 

 Dearie," 1 p. 4to. 



488 Burns (Robert) A. L. s. " R. B.," 2 pp. 4to, to Mrs. 

 Riddel, " I have been a grievous sinner against all eti- 

 quette of correspondence, in not writing you long ere 

 now, Tis now ten o'clock ; too late to detain your poor 

 fellow of a servant, untill I hawk up an apology. The 

 following is new Scotch song." He here gives the song 

 commencing " O, bonie was yon rosy brier." 



489 Burns (Robert) A. L. s. " R. B.," 2 pp. 4to, to Mrs. 

 Riddel, " I am in such miserable health, as to be utterly 

 incapable of shewing my loyalty in any way. Rackt as 

 I am with rheumatisms I meet every face with a greeting 

 like that of Balak to Balaam ' Come curse me Jacob, 

 and come defy me Israel !' So say I, come curse me that 

 East wind, and come defy me the North ! ! ! Would 

 you have me in such circumstances copy you out a Love 

 song? No ! If I must write let it be Sedition, or 

 Blasphemy, or something else that begins with a B, so 

 that I may grin v. ith the grin of iniquity, and rejoice 

 with the rejoicing of an apostate Angel." 



490 Burns (Robert) A. L. s. " R. B.," 3 pp. large folio, to 

 Mrs. Riddel, with verses in his autograph, extremely 

 fine specimen. " I cannot express my gratitude to 

 you for allowing me a longer perusal of .'Xnacharsis. In 

 fact I never met with a book that bewitched me so much, 

 and as a member of the library, must warmly feel the 

 obligation you have laid us under. Indeed to me, the 

 obligation is stronger than to any other individual of our 

 Society, as Anacharsis is an indispensable desideratum 

 to a Son of the Muses. Pleyel is still in statu quo. In 

 a little time, however, we will have all the work. He 

 is still in Strasbourg, but the Messrs. Coutts, the 

 London bankers, have been so obliging as to allow my 



