
556 
-ipte the Tay, within the duke’s: plea- 
fure-grounds at Blair-Athol, fuggefted 
{cme new improvements of tafe, which 
‘I beliete to have been fince happily 
‘Thade, in comptiance with his advice. 
i relate this little incident, rather to do 
honour to the duke of Athol, than to 
"Burns: for, it I, be net exceedingly 
“ gaifiaken, nothing that hiftery can record 
of Gecrge the Third, will, im future 
times, be accounted more honourable to 
- his memory, than the circumitances and 
“she converfation cf his well-known inter- 
“tothe highlands of Scotland ; after fond-~ 
ty lingering here and there for a day or 
* retire with his profits in his pocket to the. 
7 
“nearly eleven hundred- pounds. 
‘to be deducted. 
view with Dr. Johnfon. The two con- 
genial companions, BuRNs and Nicot, 
after vifiting many cther of thofe roman- 
tic, picturefgue, and fublime fcenes, of 
which the fame attracts travellers of tafte 
two. ata favourite inn, returned at laft 
to-Edinburgh , and Burg ns-vas now to 
‘clofe accompts with his bogkfeller, and to 
‘country. . 7 
Mr. CREECH has ob! gingly informed 
--me, that the whole fum paid to the poet 
for the copy-right, and for the fubfcrip- 
tion copies of his beck, amounted to 
Out of 
this {um, indeed, the expences of print- 
ing. the edition for the fubfcribers, were 
I have likewife reafon 
to believe, that he had confumed a much 
farger proportion of thefe gaims than 
prudence could approve, while he fuper- 
intended the impreflion. paid his court to 
hs patrons, and-waited the fuil payment 
of the fubfeription-money. 
He was now at laf to fix upon a plan 
for his future lite. He talked loudly. of 
independence of fpirit, and fimplicity of 
manners; and beafted his refolution to 
‘return to the ploughs Yet, ftill he lin, 
gered in Edinourgh, week after. week, 
and month after month, perhaps ex- 
pecting that one or another of his noble 
patrons might procure him fome perma- 
nent and competert annual income, which 
fhould fet him above all neceihty of fu- 
ture exertions to earn for himfelé the 
means of fubfiftence; perhaps uncon-. 
fcioufly reluctant to quit the pleafures of 
that voluptuous town-life to which he 
had for fome time tuo willingly accuftom- 
ed himfelf. An accidental diffocation 
or fraCture of an arm or a leg, confining 
“him for fome weeks to his apartment, 
feft him, during this time, leifure for 
ferious refle@tion ; and he determined to 
retire from the town, without longer 
delay. None of all his patrons interpof- 
a na 4 tp coths 
‘ a RAN ws 
Original Ademsirs of ibe late Robert Burns. 
~ | [Supe 
ed to divert him from his purpofe of re- 
turning to the plough, by the offer of 
any fmall.penfion, or any finecure place 
of mederate emolument, fuch as might 
have given him competence without 
withdrawing bim from his poetical ftu- 
dies. It feemed to be forgotten that 
a ploughman thus exalted into a man of 
letters, was unfitted for his former toils, 
without being regularly qualified to enter 
the career of any new profeffion ; and 
that it became incumbent upon thofe 
patrons who had called him from the 
plough, .not merely to make him their 
companion in the hour. of riot, not fim- 
ply. to fll-his purfe with gold. for a few 
tranfient expences, but to fecure him, as 
far as was. poilible, from being ever over, 
whelmed in -diftrefs, in confequence. of 
the favour which they had fhown him, 
and of the-habits cf hfe into which they 
had feduced.-him... Perhaps, indeed, the 
{ame delufion- of fancy betrayed beth 
Burns and his patrons into the miftakea 
idea that, -afrer all which had paffed, it 
was {til poflible for him to return, in 
cheerful content, to the homely joys and 
-fimple toils of undiffipated rural life. 
In this temper of BurNs mind, in 
this ftate of his fortune, a farm and the 
exer were the objeéts.upon which his 
choice ultimately fixed for future em- 
ployment and fupport.. Mr. ALEXAN- 
DER Woop, the furgeon who attended 
him during the illnefs oceafioned by his 
hurt; no foomer underftood his patient’s 
with, to feek a refource in the fervice of the 
excife, than he, with the ufual aétivity of 
~ his benevolence, effectually recommended 
the poet to the comimiifioners of excife 3 
and the name of Buns was enrolled im 
the lift of their expediant aficcrs. PETER 
MILtLanr,.efq. of Dalfzunten,. deceived, 
like. Burns himfelf, and Burns's other 
friends, into. an idea, that the poet and 
excileman might yet be refpeétable and 
happy.as a farmer, generoufly propofed 
to. eftablith. him im a farm, upon: con- 
ditions. of leafe which prudence and ins 
duitry might eafily render exceedingly 
advantageous. BuRNs eagerly accepted 
the offers of this .beneyolent patron. 
Two of the poet’s friends from dgr/ire, 
were invited to furvey that farm im Dum- 
friesfbire, which, Mr. MILiar offered. 
A. ‘leafe was granted to the poetical far- 
ner at that annual rent which. his own 
friends. declared that the due cultivatiow 
of his farm might eafily enable him to 
pay : what yer. remained of the profits 
af, his’ publication was laid ont im 
the purchafe of. farm-ffock ; and Mz. 
: | .. MILLaR 
