Alterations of the verses Written in Friars' Carse Hermitage
43.
Alteration of the Verses, Page 27. ----
Thou whom chance may hither lead,
Be thou clad in russet-weed,
Be thou deckt in silken stole,
Grave these counsels on thy soul. ----
Life is but a day at most,
Sprung from Night, in darkness lost;
Hope not sunshine every hour,
Fear not clouds will always lour. --
When Youth & Love with sprightly dance
Beneath thy morning star advance,
Pleasures with her siren-air
May delude the thoughtless pair;
Let Prudence bless Enjoyment's cup,
Then, raptur'd, sip & sip it up. ----
As thy day grows warm & high,
Life's meridian flaming nigh,
Dost thou spurn the humble vale?
Life's proud summits would'st thou scale?
Alteration of the Verses, Page 27. ----
Thou whom chance may hither lead,
Be thou clad in russet-weed,
Be thou deckt in silken stole,
Grave these counsels on thy soul. ----
Life is but a day at most,
Sprung from Night, in darkness lost;
Hope not sunshine every hour,
Fear not clouds will always lour. --
When Youth & Love with sprightly dance
Beneath thy morning star advance,
Pleasures with her siren-air
May delude the thoughtless pair;
Let Prudence bless Enjoyment's cup,
Then, raptur'd, sip & sip it up. ----
As thy day grows warm & high,
Life's meridian flaming nigh,
Dost thou spurn the humble vale?
Life's proud summits would'st thou scale?
44
Check thy climbing step elate,
Evils lurk in felon-wait;
Dangers, eagle-pinion'd, bold,
Soar around each cliffy hold,
While chearful Peace, with linnet-song,
Chants the lowly dells among. ----
As they shades of evening close,
Beckoning thee to long repose,
As life itself becomes disease,
Seek the chimney nook of Ease:
There, ruminate with sober thought
On all thou'st seen, & heard, & wrought;
And teach the sportive Younkers round,
Saws of Experience, sage & sound. ----
Say, Man's true, genuine estimate,
Th' important query of his fate,
Is not, art thou High, or Low?
Did thy fortune ebb or flow?
Did
Check thy climbing step elate,
Evils lurk in felon-wait;
Dangers, eagle-pinion'd, bold,
Soar around each cliffy hold,
While chearful Peace, with linnet-song,
Chants the lowly dells among. ----
As they shades of evening close,
Beckoning thee to long repose,
As life itself becomes disease,
Seek the chimney nook of Ease:
There, ruminate with sober thought
On all thou'st seen, & heard, & wrought;
And teach the sportive Younkers round,
Saws of Experience, sage & sound. ----
Say, Man's true, genuine estimate,
Th' important query of his fate,
Is not, art thou High, or Low?
Did thy fortune ebb or flow?
Did
45
Did many talents gild thy span?
Or frugal Nature grudge thee, One?
Tell them, & press it on their mind,
As thou thyself must shortly find,
The smile, or frown, of awful Heaven,
To Virtue, or to Vice, is given:
Say, to be just, & kind, & wise,
There solid Self-enjoyment lies;
That foolish, selfish, faithless ways,
Lead to be wretched, vile & base. --
Thus, resigned & quiet, creep
To thy bed of lasting sleep:
Sleep, whescne thou shalt ne'er awake,
Night, where dawn shall never break,
Till Future Life, future no more,
To light & joy the Good restore,
To light & joy unknown before. --
Stranger, go! Heaven be thy guide!
Quod, the Beadsman on Nith-side. --
Did many talents gild thy span?
Or frugal Nature grudge thee, One?
Tell them, & press it on their mind,
As thou thyself must shortly find,
The smile, or frown, of awful Heaven,
To Virtue, or to Vice, is given:
Say, to be just, & kind, & wise,
There solid Self-enjoyment lies;
That foolish, selfish, faithless ways,
Lead to be wretched, vile & base. --
Thus, resigned & quiet, creep
To thy bed of lasting sleep:
Sleep, whescne thou shalt ne'er awake,
Night, where dawn shall never break,
Till Future Life, future no more,
To light & joy the Good restore,
To light & joy unknown before. --
Stranger, go! Heaven be thy guide!
Quod, the Beadsman on Nith-side. --
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/168
- Alt. number
- 3.6215.i
- Date
- December 1788
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Stewart, Mrs Alexander
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/168
- Alt. number
- 3.6215.i
- Date
- December 1788
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Stewart, Mrs Alexander
Description
Alterations of the verses Written in Friars' Carse Hermitage, part of the Afton manuscript collection.
This manuscript is headed 'Alteration to the verses, Page 27', which refers to the page number in the Afton Manuscript volume where Burns recorded his first version of this poem. Here on page 43 is the later, longer version. Based on the same theme, the format is somewhat different. Burns considers the ages of man, youth, maturity and old age, at the last giving way to the peace of death and the joy of the resurrection.
This first page starts off almost repeating the original, addressing itself to the rustic and the rich before describing the insignificance of man's life span and the vagaries of experience. In this version, Burns goes on to consider the joys of youth, counselling prudence then turning to the ambitions of middle age.
In the second page Burns develops the aspirations of middle age. He considers the mountain we aim to climb to reach the high places of our ambition, but cautions the reader to the dangers lurking there and reminds us of the peace of mind to be found in keeping our paths on lower ground. He then looks at old age and directs us to share our knowledge and experience with young people.
On the third page Burns continues to ask what attributes were allotted by nature and reminds us that they are predestined by heaven. He also hopes that our lot lies in a just path rather than a foolish one. Finally he turns our attention to the peace of the grave and to the joy of the resurrection.
Robert Burns was a neighbour of Captain Robert Riddell who lived in the mansion house called Friars' Carse. Nearby was a secluded monk’s hermitage to which the Captain gave Robert a key and it was here that he also wrote this later version of the poem. He enclosed it with a letter to his friend and confidante Mrs Dunlop on 7 December 1788, adding the comment 'tell me which of them you like best'.
This particular manuscript is part of the Afton Manuscript collection. This collection of thirteen poems was presented by Robert to Mrs Alexander Stewart of Stair in 1791.
In the second page Burns develops the aspirations of middle age. He considers the mountain we aim to climb to reach the high places of our ambition, but cautions the reader to the dangers lurking there and reminds us of the peace of mind to be found in keeping our paths on lower ground. He then looks at old age and directs us to share our knowledge and experience with young people.
On the third page Burns continues to ask what attributes were allotted by nature and reminds us that they are predestined by heaven. He also hopes that our lot lies in a just path rather than a foolish one. Finally he turns our attention to the peace of the grave and to the joy of the resurrection.
Robert Burns was a neighbour of Captain Robert Riddell who lived in the mansion house called Friars' Carse. Nearby was a secluded monk’s hermitage to which the Captain gave Robert a key and it was here that he also wrote this later version of the poem. He enclosed it with a letter to his friend and confidante Mrs Dunlop on 7 December 1788, adding the comment 'tell me which of them you like best'.
This particular manuscript is part of the Afton Manuscript collection. This collection of thirteen poems was presented by Robert to Mrs Alexander Stewart of Stair in 1791.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Alterations of the verses Written in Friars' Carse Hermitage
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