Contents

The Italic letters indicate the publication in which the several compositions respectively
appeared; see note prefixed to the Contents of Volume I. Pieces which have not appeared
in any previous edition of the poet's works are marked n. The letter o refers to the authorised
edition of the Letters to Clarinda, Edinburgh, 1843.

ELLISLAND.

JUNE 1788-DECEMBER 1791-(CONTINUED.)

Letter to John M'Murdo, Esq., 9TH JAN. 1789,

Letter to Professor Dugald Stewart, 20TH JAN. (e)-FRAGMENT OF THE

Poet's Progress-CREECH SATIRISED,

CREECH'S RELATION TO BURNS,

Letter to

22D JAN.-VIRTUES DIFFICULT TO SOME, COMPARED
WITH OTHERS-GOOD WRITING REQUIRES CARE AND PAINS,

Extempore to Captain Riddel, on returning a Newspaper,

Letter to Captain Riddel—SENDS SOME IDLE RHYMES,

7

BURNS'S JEALOUS FEELINGS-Ode on Mrs Oswald,

C

7

BURNS AND PEGASUS AT WANLOCKHEAD-To John Taylor,

9

Letter to Bishop Geddes, 3D FEB.-HIS MARRIAGE AND PROSPECTS,

Letter to Mr James Burnes, 9TH FEB.-FAMILY MATTERS,

VISIT TO EDINBURGH-RACKING OF ACCOUNTS WITH CREECH,

WILLIAM, A YOUNGER BROTHER OF BURNS-Letter to him,

12

13

Letter to Clarinda, 9TH MARCH, Defending His CONDUCT,

LETTER FROM THE REV. P. CARFRAE, ABOUT A FRIEND'S POEMS,

Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 4TH MARCH-MORTIFIED FEELINGS,

Letter to the Rev. P. Carfrae, ABOUT HIS FRIEND'S POEMS,

18

PAGE

Letter to Mr Peter Hill, Bookseller-A PRESENT OF A CHEESE--WHIMSICAL
PROPOSAL,

.

Letter to Dr Moore, 23D MARCH-INTRODUCES REV. MR NIELSON, AND
GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF HIS Ode on Mrs Oswald,

Letter to Mr William Burns, 25TH MARCH,

A PARISH LIBRARY-Letter to Mr P. Hill, 2D APRIL-FRUGALITY,

Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 4TH APRIL, ENCLOSING Sketch of Charles James Fox,

Letter to Mrs M'Murdo, 2D MAY-COURTEOUS Gratitude,

Letter to Mr Cunningham, 4TH MAY, ENCLOSING Verses on a Wounded Hare,

BURNS'S ANTIPATHY TO FIELD-SPORTS-HIS DOGS, .

Delia, AN ODE,

DR GREGORY'S CRITICISM ON THE VERSES TO A HARE,

On Seeing a Wounded Hare Limp by me, FINAL COPY,

Letter [IN VERSE] to James Tennant of Glenconner,

C

с

j

e

23

23

25

27

29

30

Letter to Mr Richard Brown, 21ST MAY-GOOD WISHES,
Letter to Mr James Hamilton, 26TH MAY-SYMPATHY WITH HIS MISFORTUNES, h
BURNS GIVES NEW POEMS TO CREECH-Letter to Creech, 30TH MAY,
Address to the Toothache,

Letter to Mr M'Auley of Dumbarton, 4TH JUNE-HIS DOMESTIC CIRCUMSTANCES
-FAVOURITE PSALMS,

Letter to Mr Robert Ainslie, 8TH JUNE-SERIOUS THOUGHTS ON MATRIMONY,

DUNSCORE CHURCH, AND ITS MINISTER-Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 21st June—

RELIGIOUS VIEWS,

CORRESPONDENCE with Helen-MARIA WILLIAMS-CRITICISM ON HER POEM,

The Slave Trade,

Letter to Mr John Logan of Knockshinnoch, 7TH AUG.—The Kirk's Alarm,

The Kirk's Alarm,

BURNS'S FAMILY EXTENDING-PROCURES A NOMINATION AS EXCISE-OFFICER
OF THE DISTRICT,

CORRESPONDENCE WITH MR PETER STUART, OF THE Star NEWSPAPER,

Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 6TH SEPT.-RELIGION A COMFORT,

SONG Willie Brewed a Peck o' Maut,

QUESTION AS TO THE PRESENCE OF BURNS AT THE CONTEST,

ANNIVERSARY OF MARY CAMPBELL'S DEATH,

To Mary in Heaven,

POETICAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH DR BLACKLOCK,

62

63

64

Letter to Francis Grose, Esq., INTRODUCING HIM TO PROFESSOR STEWART,

Written in an Envelope enclosing a Letter to Captain Grose,

Letter to Mr Richard Brown, 4TH Nov.-A Meeting Difficult, .

Letter to Mr William Burns, 10TH NOV.-A BANKRUPTCY,

BURNS'S KINDNESS TO HIS YOUNGER Brother,

76

AN ELECTION CONTEST.-SONG-The Laddies by the Banks o' Nith,

Letter to Robert Graham, Esq., 9TH DEC.-THE EXCISE BUSINESS AND
VERSE-MAKING,

The Five Carlines,

SICKNESS-Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 13TH DEC.-RELIGIOUS FEELINGS AND

VIEWS,

TRANSIENCY OF BURNS'S SERIOUS FEELINGS,

Letter to Lady Winifred Maxwell Constable, 16TH DEC.-JACOBITISM-HIS

JACOBITE ANCESTORS,

MISS JEFFREY, THE BLUE-EYED Lassie; her HISTORY,

SONG-When first I saw fair Jeanie's Face,

Letter to the Countess of Glencairn—GRATITUDE-SATISFACTION WITH HIS

Sketch-New-year's Day [1790]-to Mrs Dunlop,

THEATRICALS AT DUMFRIES-Letter to Gilbert Burns, 11TH JAN. 1790,

Prologue at Dumfries Theatre,

Letter to Mr William Dunbar, 14th Jan.-ANXIOUS TO KEEP UP CORRE-

SPONDENCE-EXCISE BUSINESS-HIS CHILDREN-HOPES OF A BETTER

Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 25тп JAN.-OLD SCOTTISH SONGS-FALCONER,

AUTHOR OF The Shipwreck,

93

33

e

9

106

Letter to Mr Peter Hill, 2D FEB.-MISS BURNS'S CASE,

h

107

Letter to Mr W. Nicol, 9TH FEB.-nis Mare DEAD-THEATRICALS,

Letter to Mr William Burns, 10TH FEB.-ADVICES,

CORRESPONDENCE WITH MR PETER STUART-VERSIFIED LETTER TO HIM—

Letter to Mr Cunningham, 13TH FEB.-MISS BURNET-HAPPINESS AND

PAGE

Letter to Mr P. Hill, 2D MARCH-ORDERS FOR BOOKS-DEPLORES THAT
SELFISHNESS IS UNAVOIDABLE,

BURNS'S CHARACTER REVEALED IN HIS LETTERS,

Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 10TH APRIL SCOTLAND OVERLOOKED IN PUBLIC
PROCEEDINGS-ETHICAL VIEWS-MACKENZIE'S Writings,

.

Letter to Dr Moore, 14TH JULY-PROPOSES TO CRITICISE Zeluco,

ELECTION CONTEST, DESCRIBED IN an Epistle to Mr Graham of

Fintry,

*j

Letter to Mr Murdoch, 16TH JULY-RECOMMENDS HIS BROTHER WILLIAM, h

Elegy on Captain Matthew Henderson,

Letter to Mrs Dunlop, 8TH AUG.-HAS BEEN OFFENDED BY A FRiend,

Letter to Mr Cunningham, 8TH AUG.—much Busied—Independence,

OCCUPATIONS OF BURNS-HIS HOUSEHOLD AT ELLISLAND,

PETTY BUSINESS MATTERS-JAMES HALLIDAY,

VISIT OF MR RAMSAY OF OCHTERTYRE TO BURNS,

A HOPEFUL TIME WITH BURNS-IRONICAL LETTER OF NICOL,

DR ANDERSON'S Bee-CORRESPONDENCE

OF

116

117

118

120

121

125

BLACKLOCK AND BURNS

RESPECTING THAT WORK,

h

136

DEATH OF MR WILLIAM BURNS,

137

BURNS IN AN EXCISE PROSECUTION-A BUSINESS PAPER BY HIM,

Letter to Collector Mitchell-THE SAME EXCISE Case,

VISIT OF MR ROBERT AINSLIE TO ELLISLAND-A KIRN DANCE,

Tam o' Shanter,

Letter to Francis Grose, Esq.-LEGENDS OF ALLOWAY KIRK,

SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE POSTHUMOUS CHILD (M. Henri),

Letter to Mr William Dunbar, 17TH JAN. 1791-GOOD WISHES,

Letter to Mr Peter Hill, 17TH JAN.-SENDS MONEY TO ACCOUNT-POVERTY
-WEALTH EXCUSES OFFENCE,

PECUNIARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF BURNS AT THIS TIME- -HE ACTS AS AN

ACCOMMODATOR OR CREDITOR,

THE BOOKS ORDERED BY BURNS FROM HILL,

153

153

154

Letter to Mr Cunningham, 23D JAN.-Elegy on Miss Burnet,

Letter to the Rev. Archibald Alison, 14TH FEB.-REMARKS ON THE

ASSOCIATION THEORY OF BEauty,

Letter to Mrs Graham of Fintry-HOPES THAT HIS POETRY WILL OUTLIVE

HIS POVERTY,

e

162

Lament of Mary Queen of Scots on the Approach of Spring,

Letter to Dr Moore, 28TH FEB.-REMARKS ON HIS OWN RECENT POEMS-
HIS PROSPECTS,

CARELESSNESS IN DISTRIBUTING HIS COMPOSITIONS WILL NOT WRITE for

MONEY,