Letter of Robert Burns to Robert Graham, Jan 7th 1794
Sir,
The language of supplication is almost the
only language in which I have it in my power to
approach you, & I have your generous commands for coming
to you with it, on every opportunity. - I hope, & know then,
that you will forgive me, for mentioning to you a
circumstance which has come to my knowledge, & which
it is possible, though, I am afraid, by no means probable,
may be of some service to me.
Mr Corbet is I know, at the top of the Collectors'
List, & as there they are most of them old me, it is
extremely probably that the place he holds may be soon
vacant.- That place - supervisor General - is, I
understand, nearly secured for Mr Findlater, my Super.r
here. - Could it be possible then, Sir, that an old
Supervisor who may be still continued, as I know
is sometimes the case, after they are rather to infirm
for
The language of supplication is almost the
only language in which I have it in my power to
approach you, & I have your generous commands for coming
to you with it, on every opportunity. - I hope, & know then,
that you will forgive me, for mentioning to you a
circumstance which has come to my knowledge, & which
it is possible, though, I am afraid, by no means probable,
may be of some service to me.
Mr Corbet is I know, at the top of the Collectors'
List, & as there they are most of them old me, it is
extremely probably that the place he holds may be soon
vacant.- That place - supervisor General - is, I
understand, nearly secured for Mr Findlater, my Super.r
here. - Could it be possible then, Sir, that an old
Supervisor who may be still continued, as I know
is sometimes the case, after they are rather to infirm
for
for much Duty, could not such an Officer be appointed
to Dumfries, & so let the Officiating Job fall to my
share? - This is a bare possibility, if it be one, so I
again beg your pardon for mentioning it, & I have done
with the subject.
You will have seen, or heard of a Publication of Scots
Songs, under the hand of Playel; & where I appear in
some of the Scots Poesy of the Work. - Miss Graham
will do me the honour to accept of a Copy- a trifling,
but most servant tribute of Gratitude, to the best Friend
& truest, almost only, Patron, I have in the world: a
Gentleman whose manner of bestowing, would give a
pleasure to the feelings to unfortunate Royalty.-
Should the Chapter of Chances & Changes, which God forbid!
ever place a Child of yours in the situation to need
a Friend, as I have done; may they likewise find that
Generous Friend that I have found in you!
I shall order a Copy of the Sonatas as I have none
by me, to be sent from the Publisher.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your grateful humble
Rob.t Burns.
to Dumfries, & so let the Officiating Job fall to my
share? - This is a bare possibility, if it be one, so I
again beg your pardon for mentioning it, & I have done
with the subject.
You will have seen, or heard of a Publication of Scots
Songs, under the hand of Playel; & where I appear in
some of the Scots Poesy of the Work. - Miss Graham
will do me the honour to accept of a Copy- a trifling,
but most servant tribute of Gratitude, to the best Friend
& truest, almost only, Patron, I have in the world: a
Gentleman whose manner of bestowing, would give a
pleasure to the feelings to unfortunate Royalty.-
Should the Chapter of Chances & Changes, which God forbid!
ever place a Child of yours in the situation to need
a Friend, as I have done; may they likewise find that
Generous Friend that I have found in you!
I shall order a Copy of the Sonatas as I have none
by me, to be sent from the Publisher.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your grateful humble
Rob.t Burns.
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/68
- Alt. number
- 3.6100
- Date
- January 1794 to February 1794
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Graham, Robert
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/68
- Alt. number
- 3.6100
- Date
- January 1794 to February 1794
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Graham, Robert
Description
Letter of Robert Burns to Robert Graham, dated Jan 7th 1794. The date is supplied by J.C. Ewing.
This is a two page letter to Robert Graham in which Burns, reflecting on the likely promotion of two senior Excise colleagues, puts forward the case for his own promotion as a replacement.
On the first page Burns offers a supplicatory opening where he suggests that Graham may possibly be of some service to him. He draws Graham's attention to the situation of his local Collector Corbet and that his own Supervisor Findlater is about to be promoted to Supervisor General. He speculates that if the moves were constructed appropriately he could fall heir to the Officiating vacancy. He admits, however, that this is unlikely to happen.
Page two concludes his argument for promotion and continues with general pleasantries to do with songs he has contributed to a publication of Scots Songs, better known as George Thomson's Select Scottish Airs. There has been no trace of a reply from Graham and no further mention of this rather forward suggestion by Burns. His excise career continued without any advancement.
Page two concludes his argument for promotion and continues with general pleasantries to do with songs he has contributed to a publication of Scots Songs, better known as George Thomson's Select Scottish Airs. There has been no trace of a reply from Graham and no further mention of this rather forward suggestion by Burns. His excise career continued without any advancement.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Letters from and to Robert Burns
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Letter of Robert Burns to Robert Graham, Jan 7th 1794
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