Letter from Robert Burns to James Sibbald, January 1787
Sir,
So little am I acquainted with the modes & manners of
the more publick and polished walks of life, that I often feel myself
much embarrassed how to express the feelings of my heart, par
ticularly Gratitude. -
"Rude am I in speech,
"And little blest with the set, polish'd phrase;
"Forsince thse arms of mine has seven's year's pith,
"Till now, some nine moons wasred, they have us'd
"Their dearest effort in the rural field;
"And therefore, little can I grace my cause
"In speaking for myself -"
The warmth with which you have befriended an obscure man
and young Author, in your three last Magazines - I can
only say, Sir, I feel the weight of the obligation, and wish
I could express my sense of it. - In the mean time, accept
of this conscious acknowledgement from,
Sir, your oblidged, humble serv.t
Rob.t Burns
Lawn Market
Friday morn:
So little am I acquainted with the modes & manners of
the more publick and polished walks of life, that I often feel myself
much embarrassed how to express the feelings of my heart, par
ticularly Gratitude. -
"Rude am I in speech,
"And little blest with the set, polish'd phrase;
"Forsince thse arms of mine has seven's year's pith,
"Till now, some nine moons wasred, they have us'd
"Their dearest effort in the rural field;
"And therefore, little can I grace my cause
"In speaking for myself -"
The warmth with which you have befriended an obscure man
and young Author, in your three last Magazines - I can
only say, Sir, I feel the weight of the obligation, and wish
I could express my sense of it. - In the mean time, accept
of this conscious acknowledgement from,
Sir, your oblidged, humble serv.t
Rob.t Burns
Lawn Market
Friday morn:
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/11
- Alt. number
- 3.6037
- Date
- January 1787
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/11
- Alt. number
- 3.6037
- Date
- January 1787
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Letter from Robert Burns to James Sibbald, January 1787. dated "Lawn Market, Friday morn." [January 1787] "Robt. Burns."
This letter from January 1787 was written by Robert to James Sibbald, the founder of the Edinburgh Magazine.
Sibbald was the very first to print a positive review of Burns's first volume of poems, the Kilmarnock edition, in November 1786. Published over a series of issues, Sibbald printed excerpts of the poems and called Burns 'a striking example of native genius bursting through the obscurity of poverty and the obstructions of a laborious life.'
Robert writes this letter to express his heartfelt thanks to publisher. The depth of Burns's appreciation is expressed in the final paragraph where he reflects on his youth and obscurity.
Burns Kilmarnock edition was published on the last day of July 1786, 612 copies were printed and within a month some 600 had been sold.
Robert writes this letter to express his heartfelt thanks to publisher. The depth of Burns's appreciation is expressed in the final paragraph where he reflects on his youth and obscurity.
Burns Kilmarnock edition was published on the last day of July 1786, 612 copies were printed and within a month some 600 had been sold.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Letters from and to Robert Burns
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Letter from Robert Burns to James Sibbald, January 1787
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