on the 21st of July 1796, at the age of 37. Thus died Robert Burns, the pupil of nature; the poet of infpiration; and who poffeffed, in no ordinary degree, the powers and failings of genius. Of the former, his works will remain a lafting monument; of the latter, his conduct and fate afford but too melancholy 2 proof-Let others profit by the mif conduct of Burns. P remature end was put to his life, genius; and fuch was the power cf attraction which encircled him, that, notwithstanding his manners, he never failed to delight and excel in converfation. The keennefs of fatire was his forte and his foible; for though nature had endowed him with a large portion of that perilous gift, it must be confeffed, that he too frequently fuffered it to be the vehicle of perfonal animofity, and that often without juft caufc. The darts of ridicule were frequently directed, as the caprice of the moment fuggefted, or the altercations of parties, or of perfons, happened to kindle the flame. But this was not always the cafe, though his wit had generally the start of his judgment, and often led him to the indulgence of raillery, uniformly acute, yet it was often, perhaps always, unaccompanied by any defire to wound. He paid, however, the forfeit of his talents as dearly as any one could do, for (as Yorick fays of himself), for every ten jokes he got an hundred enemies. After what we have faid, it will not appear furprifing, that no provifion was made for his family. The laft portion of his life was fpent in much diftrefs and indigence. His widow, with 6 children, (one of whom was born the day after the death of the father,) are left to the charity and bounty of their countrymen. A public fubfcription has been fet on foot for their fupport, and a pofthumous edition of his works, we understand, is in confiderable forwardnefs. The children are too young to form an estimate of their abilities or genius, but we are informed that the eldeft boy difcovers much of his father's genius and man ner. Burns was endowed with a wonderful difcernment of character, he looked almost with an intuitive glance into men and manners. This, with a high sense of independence, fet him always at his eafe in every company he mixed with. They who knew and efteemed Burns only as a poet, knew but part of his merit; for all who had the pleafure of Much allowance will be made by ebeing perfonally acquainted with him, very candid mind for the fplenetic will allow, that poetry was actually not his warmth of a spirit whom diftrefs often forte. Few outfhone Burns in the charts "fpited with the world." His foul of converfation; the fpontaneous elo- was never languid or inactive; it acquence of focial argument; and the un- knowledged no degree between the exftudied poignancy of brilliant repartee, tremes of love and hatred; conceiving never failed to strike and to charm thofe every thing with the force of a strong who heard him. Lurns' external ap- imagination, what accorded with his pearance was not, perhaps, beyond opinion, was put often in too favourable mediocrity, although rather agreeable a point of view, that which met his than otherwife. His body was robuft, difapprobation was fet up as nugatory and moulded for the rough exercifts and ridiculous. of his profeffior. His features were He poffeffed in an imminent deftamped with the hardy character of gree, as he himself expreffes it, "The independence; and when he fpoke, a light that led aftray," which alterconfcious fuperiority giftened in his nately exalted him above, and funk countenance. He defpifed, or affected him beneath the man. "The pento defpife, all foftnefs and polifh. But chant Mr Burns had uniformly acthe lightning of his fine dark eye, was knowledged for the feftive pleasures always the harbinger of fome flash of of the table, (fays a panegyrift) and towards Then gently fean your brother man, . One point muft ftill be greatly dark, In fome others he defcends to the molt malevolent perfonal abufe, withcandour, and charity which he fo often out fhowing any of that liberality, recommends. towards the fairer and fofter objects of the more reprehenfible, that he refused Nature's creation, has been the rallying to adopt the corrections of fome of the point where the attacks of his cenfors, beft judges, and first literary characters both pious and moral, have been direct- in this country: he forgot his own lied; and to thefe, it must be confeffed, he beral advice: fhowed himself no Stoic. His poetical pieces blend, with alternate happiness of defcription, the frolic fpirit of the joy. infpiring bowl, or melt the heart to the tender and impaffioned fentiments in which beauty always taught him to pour forth his own. But who will wish to reprove the feelings he has confecrated with fuch lively touches of nature? And where is the rugged moralift that will perfuade us fo far to "chill the genial current of the foul," as to regret that Ovid ever celebrated his Corinna, or that Anacreon fung beneath his vine." Burns appears to have had often We do not think it neceffary to ena melancholy defponding caft, and his ter minutely into the character of Burns poems written under this frame of as a Poet, or to give a critical detail of mind fhew ftrong impreffions of relihis works; good fenfe and juft reflec-gion and reverence for the Deity, as tion run through most of them. Every made to Mourn, a " Prayer in the prof his "Ode to Defpondency, "Man was reader of difcernment and tafte, will not fail to applaud their merit, and condemn their faults; there is certainly more to praife, than to blame in them. The diftinction between'virtue and vice, however, ought never to be loft fight of; general encomiums without referve may not only bias the tafte and opinion of the young and thoughtlefs, but may feduce others to a mifemployment of their talents. Burns was a man who faw every thing in the frongest point of view, and being alfo of quick conception, he often forgot to make the proper allowances for the frailty of human nature. The most energetic language and the most powerful ridicule were therefore employed in expofing what he confidered as errors. It is to be regretted that thefe fhould fometimes be directed against fubjects of a facred nature; in ridiculing the abufe of religion, and expofing fuperftition, fanatifm, and hypocrify, he is of ten in danger of ridiculing religion it felf, and of fpeaking too lightly of things the most facred. As inftances, we might quote his "Addrefs to the Deil," and "The Holy Fair." In this he is pect of Death," and others of his ferious compofitions. His talent for defcription, and the numerous delicate touches of nature which abound in all his poems need not be particularized, cannot pass unnoticed "the Cottar's Saturday night," where they appear with fo much beauty and variety. but we In his defcriptions, like Thomfon, he paints things as they are, exhibits them in their moft picturefque and ftriking circumftances, but never crouds his poem with far fetched images, or lumbers it with fulfome epithets. Of his knowledge of the world, and his obfervations on men and manners, we have many fi.iking preofs. In the "Twa Dogs" much fatire and pertinent remark is to be found. His epifle to defcription, though it favours more of a Young Friend comes under the fame worldly wifdom than of warm heartednefs and generofity, particularly the following verfe: "Ay free, aff han' your ftory tell B 24 Conceal yourfel' as wel's ye can Frae critical diffection: But keek thro' every other man Wi' fharpened, fly inspection." But the extent and fublimity of his genius appears with greateft fplendour, in the "Vifion, and Tam o'Shanter." It is there his imagination foars the highest, and difplays the true genius of poetry, The laft is almoft an epitome of all his powers; it is fuch as a great poet only could write. his of their fuccefs, and fhowing the In thus endeavouring to make readers acquainted with the charaof Burns, we have divefted ourfel of ali prejudice and partiality. If have faid any thing to his difcredit, well founded, we should be extrem forry, and will most readily retra In eftimating his merits, we hope, have not exceeded the opinion a judgment of any one better able a better entitled to judge. We shall conclude this account Upon the whole, we must exprefs our opinion, that the diftinguishing excellence of Burns' poems, confifts in his just and beautiful reflections. There is not, perhaps, one poem in the book, in which fomething moral does not occur, and fomething which the reader would not wish to remember. Thefe inferting the Bard's epitaph, whic reflections are not ftrained, or fought Burns meant for himfelf, and whic for, they are natural, and often intro- is very applicable to his character. duced, moft happily, amidst the excurfive flights of fancy. When defcribing Tam o'Shanter, in all the happiness of getting drunk with Souter Johnny, he ftops to make this beautiful reflec tion : "But pleafures are like poppies You feize the flower, its bloom is fled: It is to be regretted, that fo many poems of merit, are written in a dialect intelligible only to a few. This circum.. ftance, however, enhances their value to Scotchmen; and the peculiarity of humour which he difplays, and manners he defcribes, could not be conveyed in any other language. Though Burns wrote with fluency and eafe, yet he confidered it below him to be an author by profeffion, or to write for gain. A friend knowing his family to be in great want, urged the propriety, and even neceffity, of publifhing a few poems, affuring him EPITAPH. Is there a whim-infpired fool, Let him draw near; And owre this graffy heap fing dool, Is there a Bard of ruftick fong, O, país not by! Is there a man, whofe judgment clear, Wild as the wave; Was quick to learn, and wife to know, And fofter flame; Reader attend !-Whether thy foul Is Wisdom's root. ANEC ANECDOTE OF THE OXFORD CLERGY. M. MORITZ, accompanied by an Oxford clergyman, who had joined him on the road, entered Oxford in the evening. “At length," proceeds our traveller, "my companion ftopped to take leave of me, and faid, he should cow go to his college. “And I, faid I, will feat myself for the night on this ftone-bench, and await the morning, as it will be in vain for me, I imagine, to look for fhelter in an house at this time of night. "Seat yourself on a ftone, faid my companion, and fhook his head: No! Do! come along with me to a neighbouring ale-house, where, it is poffible, they mayn't be gone to bed, and we may yet find company. We went on a few houses further, and then knocked at a door. It was then nearly twelve. They readily let us in; but how great was my aftonishment, when, on our being hewn into a room on the left, 1 faw a great number of clergymen, all with their gowns and bands on, fitting round a large table, each with his pot of beer before him. My travelling companion introduced me to them, as a German clergyman, whom he could not fufficiently praife, for my correct pronunciation of the Latin, my orthodoxy, and my good walking. took a hearty draught out of his pt beer, and knocked on the table with his hand. The converfation nov became louder, more general, and a little confufed: they inquired after Mr Bruns, at prefent profeffor at Ilmftadt, and who was known by may of them. "Among thefe gentlemen, there was one of the name of Clerk, who feemed ambitious to pafs for agreat wir, which he attempted, by farting fundry objections to the Bible. I fould have liked him better if he had confined himfelf to punning and playing on his own name, by telling us again and again, that he should still be, at least, a Clerk, even though he fhould never become a clergyman. Upon the whole, however, he was, in his way, a man of fome humour, and an agreeable companion, "Among other objections to the Scriptures, he started this one to my travelling companion, whofe name I now learnt was Maud, that it was faid, in the Bible, that God was a winebibber, and a drunkard. On this Mr Maud fell into a violent paffion, and maintained, that it was utterly impoffible that any fuch paffage fhould be found in the Bible. Another divine, a Mr Caern, referred us to his abfent brother, who had already been forty years in the church, and muft certainly know fomething of fuch a paffage, if it were in the Bible, but he would venture to lay any wager his brother knew nothing of it. "Waiter! fetch a Bible !" called out Mr Clerk, and a great family Bible was immediately brought in, and opened on the table, among all the beer jugs. "I now faw myfelf, in a moment as it were, all at once tranfported into the midst of a company, all apparently very refpectable men, but all ftrangers to me. And it appeared to me extraordinary, that I fhould thus at midnight be in Oxford, in a large company of Oxonian clergy, without well knowing how I had got there. Meanwhile, however, I took all the pains in my power to recommend myself to my company, and, in the courfe of converfation, I gave them as good an account as I could of our German univerfities, neither denying, nor concealing, that, now and then, we had riots and disturb- "Mr Maud and Mr Caern, who ances. "O we are very unruly here had been before most violent, now fat too," said one of the clergymen, as he as if ftruck dumb. A filence of fome "Mr Clerk turned over a few leaves, and in the book of Judges, ixth chapter, verfe 13, he read, "Should I leave my wine, which cheareth God and man?" mines prevailed, when, all at once, the irit of revelation feemed to come on re, and I faid, "Why, gentlemen! younuft be fenfible, that is but an allegdical expreflion: and I added, how ofte, in the Bible, are kings called Gos!" paffage in Ifaiah, chapter vii. 20. he read these words :-"In the fame day fhall the Lord fhave with a razor, &c. the head, and the hair of the feet; and it fhall alfo confume the beard." If Mr Maud and Mr Caern were before stunned and confounded, they were much "Why, yes, to be fure," faid Mr more fo now; and even Mr Caern's Mad, and Mr Caern," it is an alle- brother, who had been forty years in gorial expreffion; nothing can be more the church, feemed to have left them in clear; it is a metaphor, and therefore the lurch! for he was no longer referit is bfurd to underftand it in a literal red to. I broke filence a fecond time, fenfe And now they, in their turn, an faid, "Why, gentlemen, this alfo triumphed over poor Clerk, and drank is clearly metaphorical, and it is equally largedraughts to my health. Mr Clerk, juft, ftrong, and beautiful." "Aye, howver, had not yet exhaufted his to be fure it is," rejoined Mr Maud quiver; and fo he defired them to ex- and Mr Caero, both in a breath; at the plain to him a paffage in the prophecy fame time rapping the table with their of Ifaiah, where it is faid, in exprefs knuckles. I went on, and faid, "You terms, that God is a barber. Mr know it was the cuftom for those who Maud was fo enraged at this, that he were captives to have their beards fhorn ; called Clerk an impudent fellow; and the plain import, then, of this remarkMr Caern again ftill more earnestly re- able expreffion, is nothing more, than ferred us to his brother, who had been that God would deliver the Jews to be forty years in the church; and who, the prifoners of a foreign people, who therefore, he doubted not, would also would fhave their beards! Aye to be confider Mr Clerk as an impudent fel- fure it is; any body may fee it is; why low, if he maintained any fuch abomin- it is as clear as the day! So it is, reable notions. Mr Clerk, all this while, joined Mr Caern; and my brother, who fat perfectly compofed, without either has been forty years in the church, exa fmile or a frown; but turning to a plains it juft as this gentleman does." REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW YEAR. THE annual revolution of the fun, days of the year, which they confecratthe decline of one year, and the dawn ed to Janus, and paid particular atof another, very naturally imprefs the tention to the ceremony of withing a mind with a ferious awe, and make it happy new year. Before the day was turn inward upon itself to review the fpent, they not only visited and congradays that are paft. Almost all nations, tulated, but prefented Arena, and offer. both ancient and modern, have concured vows to the gods for each, other's red in folemnizing this feafon. The prefervation. Athenians inftituted a folemn feftival, to be obferved at the new moon, the beginning of every lunar month. When the fun had completed his revolution, they celebrated his return to the fame point of his orbit, and the renewal of his journey, with games, and an interchange of prefents and good wifhes, The Romans, who derived their religion, sciences, arts, and cuftoms, from the Greeks, folemnized the firft and laft Although the year, among the many different nations of antiquity, was not begun at the fame period, (the Romant January, which was their first month, falling, like ours, in the depth of Win * On which account it has been said they reprefented him with two faces. In this I adopt the calendar, as reformed by Numa from that of Romulus; Julius Cæfar and Pope Gregory VIII. in this refpe&, left it as they found it. ter; |