t of any other writer-not excepting even Shakespeare, for many a person who never reads a book is familiar with

ncessant toil, which ended only in disappointment. The family were so poor that Robert was obliged to work hard even when very young, and at fifteen he was his father's chief helper. In later years he described his life at Mt. Oliphant as combining "the cheerless

eir books the poet mentions certain plays of Shakespeare, Pope's works,-including his translation of Homer,-the Spectator, Allan Ramsay's writings, and several volumes on religious and philosophical subjects. Probably in this list the Bible should stand first. He himself studied the art of verse-making in a collection of songs. He says: "I p

the farm did not prosper. On reaching the age of twenty-seven the poet determined to go to Jamaica where he had been promised a position as overseer of an estate. In order to raise money to pay his passage

een. He says of Burns: "His person was strong and robust; his manner rustic, not clownish; a sort of dignified plainness and simplicity. His countenance was more massive than it looks in any of the portraits. . . There was a strong expression of sense and shrewdness in all his lineaments; t

near losing his place through an act of indiscretion which proved him to be more poet than exciseman. He bought four guns which had come into the possession of the government through the seizure of a smuggling vessel, and sent them with expressions of admiration and sympathy to the French Legislative Assembly. These were the early days of the Revolution when young men in many parts of the world were enthusiastic in their support of the mo

his affections even for the field-mouse and the daisy. Because his verse beats with the passions of his fiery and sympathetic nature, the world loves him as it loves few other poets. Among the best known of his productions are The Cotter's Saturday Night, Tam o' Shanter, Address to the Unco Guid, To a Mouse, and To a Mountain Daisy. In speaking of his songs, one might mention first, Sco

'S SATURDA

nored, much res

y bard his

ide I scorn ea

, a friend's es

, in simple S

n in life's se

ings strong, th

a cottage wo

unknown, far happie

blaws loud wi'

winter-day is

retreating frae[

rains o' craws[6

Cotter frae

weekly moil[7]

es, his mattocks,

[9] in ease and

moor, his course doe

lonely cot a

helter of an

things, toddlin, s

wi' flichterin'[1

gle,[13] blink

stane,[15] his th

fant prattling

ry kiaugh and c

ite forget his l

r bairns come d

t, amang the

leugh, some herd,

and to a nee

ope, their Jen

m, love sparklin

aps, to shew a b

r sair-won pen

nts dear, if the

ned brothers an

er's weelfare ki

, swift-winged,

ncos[24] that he

rtial, eye thei

forward poi

her needle an

ook amaist as wee

es a' wi' admo

and their mis

27] a' are wa

labors wi' an e

out o' sight, to

e to fear the

duty, duly,

ion's path ye g

ounsel and as

in vain that sough

p comes gently

s[31] the mean

bor[32] lad cam

rands, and co

er sees the c

y's e'e, and fl

, anxious care, i

fflins[33] is

he mother hear

orthles

come Jenny brin

h, he takes the

es the visit's

37] of horses, ple

artless heart o'

thfu',[39] scarce

a woman's wile

uth sae[41] bashf

k her bairn's respec

where love lik

aptures! bliss

h this weary,

ience bids me

ught of heav'nly

in this mel

outhful, lovin

breathe out th

ite thorn that scen

uman form, tha

llain! lost to

studied, sly

enny's unsuspe

jured arts! diss

tue, conscienc

ity, no relen

rents fondling'

ned maid, and their

per crowns thei

ritch, chief o'

eir only hawkie[

allan snugly cho

forth in compl

her weel-hained

ssed, and aft he

ine, garrulo

d auld, sin' lint w

pper done, wi'

e ingle form

s o'er wi' pa

,[51] ance[52] hi

] rev'rently

s[54] wearing th

t once did sweet

portion with

hip God!" he says

r artless notes

earts, by far the

[57] wild warbli

rtyrs,[57] wort

7] beets[58] the

far of Scotia

ese, Italian tri

s no heart-felt

hey with our Cre

father reads t

the friend of

e eternal war

s ungracious

yal Bard[62] d

roke of Heaven

ic plaint,[63]

h's wild, ser

eers that tune

istian volume[6

blood for guil

re in heaven t

h whereon to la

ollowers and se

e they wrote to

lone in Patm

un a mighty

at Bab'lon's

's comman

down to Heaven

father, and the

xulting on triu

all shall meet

ask in uncre

gh, or shed t

ing their Cre

ety, yet sti

me moves round in

is, how poor Rel

omp of metho

play to cong

'ry grace, ex

ncensed, the pag

ain, the sacerd

] in some cot

leased, the lang

of Life the inma

ll take off the

cottagers reti

ir their secr

to Heaven the

lls the raven's

lily fair in

ay His wisdom s

or their littl

heir hearts with G

these old Scotia'

loved at home,

are but the breath

s the noblest w

in fair Virtue

eaves the pal

ling's pomp? a

the wretch of

of hell, in wi

my dear, my

rmest wish to

hardy sons

th, and peace, and

ven their simpl

contagion, w

crowns and cor

pulace may ri

fire around their

poured the p

ro' Wallace's un

nobly stem ty

the second g

God peculiarl

spirer, guardi

er, Scotia's

patriot and th

ion raise, her or

low the text as given in the scholarly Centenary Bu

w pictures of home life so charming as that portrayed in this poem. The stanza employed is the Spenserian stanza,

by Burns, mean

Aiken, an early friend of the poe

n, think

sook, with the k softened; i.e.

Frae,

gh has a guttur

o' craws, tr

Moil,

s, implement

morn, t

meward,

tacher,

hterin', f

ngle, f

, cheerfully,

h-stane, he

ile. A' has the sound of a in all; pronounce kiaugh something like kee-owch', giving the ch a

Presently the older children come dropping in. (

Ca', f

to a neebor town, some, heedful, run o

E'e,

Braw

penny-fee, ha

Spiers

os, wonde

heers,

as weel's the new, makes old clo

nkers, yo

ydent,

Jauk,

Gang

a kens,

eebor,

afflins

] Na

Ben, i

; i.e. Jenny's parents are pleas

Cracks

Kye, c

d laithfu', sh

s wiles, with a wo

] Sa

e lave,

h, pity,

o' Scotia's food, wholesome por

Soupe,

Hawkie

beyond the wall snugly chews her cud. In a cottage of th

r well-saved cheese, pungent; i.e. her

a's (pronounced like cause) it guid, And

, it was a twelve-month old since flax was in flower;

nated in the fact that large Bibles were first used in the hall, or principa

Ance

ft cap made of sea

haffets, gra

s, which were sung in Jerusalem. Zion is really the

ales, s

tyrs, Elgin, well

ts, fans

no unison have they; i.e. t

or Abraham.

ade, etc. See

ly Burns refers to certain of the Psalms

plaint. The "plaint

an volume, i.e. t

followers, etc. See

epts sage. See

the island of Patmos, or Patmo, west of Asia Minor, and there to have written the Apocalyp

e Pope's Essay on Man, Epistle I, l.

Power, the

y, perhaps

etc. See The Deserted V

etc. Pope's Essay on

Certes

ponent of Edward I of England, but he finally suffered defeat, and in 1305 was captured and taken to London, where he was tried, condemned, and behe

TAYLOR