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Epistle to Dr John Mackenzie

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/02/122
Alt. number
3.6286
Date
1786
On display
No
Creator
Burns, Robert (Author)

Description

Epistle to Dr. John Mackenzie. Begins: "Dear Thinker John, Your creed I like it past expression, I'm sure, o'truth, it's nae transgression". The first eight of 13 six-line stanzas are given here. Dated 18 April 1786.

Robert wrote this poem for his friend Dr John Mackenzie. The two first met in 1783, when Mackenzie attended Robert's father William at Lochlea. The two quickly became friends when Burns moved to Mossgiel, as Mackenzie lived in Mauchline.

Mackenzie received several literary mentions from Burns, including being featured in the poem The Holy Fair as the personification of commonsense. Burns relied on letters of introduction Mackenzie sent to his Edinburgh friends and upon his return from that city, Burns rented a room for himself and Jean in Mackenzie's house.

Dr Mackenzie later moved to Irvine and following Burns's death, became a founding member of the Irvine Burns Club.

Archive information


Hierarchy

  1. Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs ( )
  2. Epistle to Dr John Mackenzie

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