On reading, in a newspaper, the Death of J.McLeod, Esq. Brother to a Young Lady
On reading in a Newspaper the death of
J- McL -- Esquire, brother to a young Lady,
a particular friend of the Author.-
Sad thy tale, thou idle page,
And rueful thy alarms.
Death tears the brother of her love
From Isabella's arms. -
Sweetly deckt with pearly dew
The morning rose may blow,
But cold, successive noontide blasts,
May lay its beauties low.-
Fair on Isabella's morn
The sun propitious smil'd,
But long ere noon, succeeding clouds
Succeeding hopes beguil'd.-
Fate oft tears the bosom chords
That Nature finest strung:
So Isabella's heart was form'd
And so that heart was wrung.
J- McL -- Esquire, brother to a young Lady,
a particular friend of the Author.-
Sad thy tale, thou idle page,
And rueful thy alarms.
Death tears the brother of her love
From Isabella's arms. -
Sweetly deckt with pearly dew
The morning rose may blow,
But cold, successive noontide blasts,
May lay its beauties low.-
Fair on Isabella's morn
The sun propitious smil'd,
But long ere noon, succeeding clouds
Succeeding hopes beguil'd.-
Fate oft tears the bosom chords
That Nature finest strung:
So Isabella's heart was form'd
And so that heart was wrung.
Dread Omnipotence alone
Can heal the wound He gave,
Can point the brimful, grief worn eyes
To scenes beyond the grave.-
Virtue's blossoms there shall blow,
And fear no withering blast;
There Isabella's spotless worth
Shall happy be at last. -
Can heal the wound He gave,
Can point the brimful, grief worn eyes
To scenes beyond the grave.-
Virtue's blossoms there shall blow,
And fear no withering blast;
There Isabella's spotless worth
Shall happy be at last. -
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/107
- Alt. number
- 3.6267
- Date
- 1787
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/107
- Alt. number
- 3.6267
- Date
- 1787
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
On reading, in a newspaper, the Death of J.McLeod, Esq. Brother to a Young Lady.
Title continues "a particular friend of the Author's". The "Young Lady" being Miss Isabella McLeod. Begins. "Sad thy tale, thou idle page". 6 four-line verses. There is another copy of this in the Glenriddell MS Vol. 1 and also in this collection s
This Poem is subtitled by Burns "brother to a young lady, a particular friend to the author". The lady in question was Isabella McLeod whom Burns had met in Edinburgh and whose brother's death by suicide he had seen reported in a newspaper and moved him to write this sad poem. (poem no 162)
In page one Burns imagines the early joy Isabella will have had in her brother's companionship and the hurt and sadness brought about by his untimely passing.
In this second page of the poem, Burns says that God alone can heal Isabella's grief and points her to the other side of the grave where one will be happy at last.
John McLeod of Raasay died on 20th July 1787 within a year of his father's death. Burns originally sent these lines from Mossgiel but here they have been copied out on a later occasion on pages 6 & 7 of this collection of poems.
In page one Burns imagines the early joy Isabella will have had in her brother's companionship and the hurt and sadness brought about by his untimely passing.
In this second page of the poem, Burns says that God alone can heal Isabella's grief and points her to the other side of the grave where one will be happy at last.
John McLeod of Raasay died on 20th July 1787 within a year of his father's death. Burns originally sent these lines from Mossgiel but here they have been copied out on a later occasion on pages 6 & 7 of this collection of poems.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- On reading, in a newspaper, the Death of J.McLeod, Esq. Brother to a Young Lady
Caring for collections
A gift of £5 a month can help us ensure collections like the Robert Burns Collection receive ongoing care and are shared with as many people as possible.