please him, he would then think of proper introductory, connecting, and concluding stanzas; hence, the middle of a poem was often first produced. It was, I think, in summer, 1784, when in the interval of harder labour, he and I were weeding in the garden, (kailyard) that he repeated to me the principal part of this epistle. I believe the first idea of Robert's becoming an author was started on this occasion. I was much pleased with the epistle, and said to him, I was of opinion it would bear being printed, and that it would be well received by people of taste; that I thought it at least equal, if not superior, to many of Allan Ramsay's epistles, and that the merit of these, and much other Scotch poetry, seemed to consist principally in the knack of the expression, but here, there was a strain of interesting sentiment, and the Scotticism of the language scarcely seemed affected, but appeared to be the natural language of the poet; that besides there was certainly some novelty in a poet pointing out the consolations that were in store for him when he should go a begging. Robert seemed very well pleased with my criticism, and we talked of sending it to some Magazine, but as this plan afforded no opportunity of knowing how it would take, the idea was dropped.

It

It was, I think, in the winter following, as we were going together with carts for coal to the family fire (and I could yet point out the particular spot) that the author first repeated to me the Address to the Deil. The curious idea of such an address was suggested to him by running over in his mind, the many ludicrous accounts and representations we have from various quarters of this august personage. Death and Doctor Hornbook, though not published in the Kilmarnock edition, was produced early in the year 1785. The schoolmaster of Tarbolton parish, to eke up the scanty subsistence allowed to that useful class of men, had set up a shop of grocery goods. Having accidentally fallen in with some medical books, and become most hobby-horsically attached to the study of medicine, he had added the sale of a few medicines to his little trade. He had got a shopbill printed, at the bottom of which, overlooking his own incapacity, he had advertised, that "advice would be given in common disorders "at the shop gratis." Robert was at a masonmeeting in Tarbolton, when the Dominie unfortunately made too ostentatious, a display of his medical skill. As he parted in the evening from this mixture of pedantry and physic, at the place where he describes his meeting with Death, one of those floating ideas of ap god at vliego kata and not redui, euparition

.

parition he mentions in his letter to Dr. Moore, crossed his mind; this set him to work for the rest of the way home. These circumstances he related when he repeated the verses to me next afternoon, as I was holding the plough, and he was letting the water off the field beside me. The Epistle to John Lapraik was produced exactly on the occasion described by the author. He says in that poem, On fasten-e'en we had a rockin, (p. 236.) I believe he has omitted the word rocking in the glossary. It is a term derived from those primitive times, when the country women employed their spare hours in spinning on the rock, or distaff. This simple implement is a very portable one, and well fitted to the social inclination of meeting in a neighbour's house; hence the phrase of going a rocking, or with the rock. As the connexion the phrase had with the implement was forgotten when the rock gave place to the spinningwheel, the phrase came to be used by both sexes on social occasions, and men talk of going with their rocks as well as women.

It was at one of these rockings at our house, when we had twelve or fifteen young people with their rocks, that Lapraik's song, beginning "When I upon thy bosom lean," was sung, and we were informed who was the author. Upon this, Robert wrote his first epistle to Lap

VOL. III.

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raik, and his second in reply to his answer; The verses to the Mouse and Mountain Daisy were composed on the occasions mentioned, and while the author was holding the plough; I could point out the particular spot where each was composed. Holding the plough was a favorite situation with Robert for poetic conpositions, and some of his best verses were produced while he was at that exercise. Several of the poems were produced for the purpose of bringing forward some favourite sentiment of the author. He used to remark to me, that he could not well conceive a more mortifying picture of human life, than a man seeking work. In casting about in his mind how this sentiment might be brought forward, the elegy Man was made to Mourn, was composed. Robert had frequently remarked to me that he thought that there was something peculiarly venerable in the phrase," Let us worship God," used by a decent sober head of a family introducing family worship. To this sentiment of the author the world is indebted for the Cotter's Saturday Night. The hint of the plan, and title of the poem, were taken from Fergusson's Farmer's Ingle. When Robert had not some pleasure in view in which I was not thought fit to participate, we used frequently to walk together when the weather was favourable, on the Sunday afternoons, (those pre

cibus breathing-times to the labouring part of the community) and enjoyed such Sundays as would make one regret to see their number abridged.* It was in one of these walks that I first had the pleasure of hearing the author repeat the Cotter's Saturday Night. I do not recollect to have read or heard any thing by which I was more highly electrified. The fifth and sixth stanzas, and the eighteenth, thrilled with peculiar extasy through my soul. I men tion this to you, that you may see what hit the taste of unlettered criticism. I should be glad to know, if the enlightened mind and refined taste of Mr. Roscoe, who has borne such honorable testimony to this poem, agrees with me in the selection. Fergusson, in his Hallow Fair of Edinburgh, I believe, likewise furnishi ed a hint of the title and plan of the Holy Fair. The farcical scene the poet there describes was often a favorite field of his observation, and the most of the incidents he mentions had actually passed before his eyes. It is scarcely necessary to mention, that the Lament was composed on that unfortunate passage in his matrimonial history, which I have mentioned in my letter to Mrs. Dunlop, after the first dis Jon 267 1 Holey at To D Potraction

The above was written in reference to the Decads of revolutionary Franceofysbane sd, G. BUL 2 c2

20013.