Letter from Robert Burns to Alexander Fraser Tytler, 6 December 1795
A poor caitiff, driving, as I am ^at this moment with an
Excise-quill, at the rate of Devil take the hindmost, is ill-
qualified to round the period of Gratitude, or swell the pathos of
Sensibility. - Gratitude, like some other amiable qualities of the
mind, is now a days so abused by Impostors, that I have some -
times wished that the project of that sly dog, Momies I think it is,
had gone into effect- planting a window in the breast of
Man. - In that case, when a poor fellow comes, as I do at this
moment, before his Benefactor, tongue-tied with the sense
of these very obligations, he would have had nothing to do
but place himself in front of his Friend, & lay bare the
workings of his bosom. -
I again trouble you with another, & my last parcel of
Manuscript. - I am not interested in any of these;
blot them at your pleasure. - I am much indebted
to you for taking the trouble of correcting the Press-worth
One instance indeed may be rather unlucky: if the
"And tread the shadowy path to that dark world unknown. -
"Shadowy, " instead of "dreary" as I believe it stands at present. -
I wish this could be noticed in the Errata. - This come of
writing, as I generally do, from the memory. -
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
your deeply indebted humble serv.t Rob.t Burns
6th Dec.r
1795
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/101
- Alt. number
- 3.6334
- Date
- 6 December 1792
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Tytler, Alexander Fraser
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/101
- Alt. number
- 3.6334
- Date
- 6 December 1792
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Tytler, Alexander Fraser
Description
Letter from Robert Burns to Alexander Fraser Tytler, dated 6 December 1795. Thanking him for correcting the "Press-work" of the Second Edinburgh Edition.
Alexander Fraser Tytler was a lawyer and Professor of History at Edinburgh University as well as being a minor poet and essayist. He later was the Judge-Advocate of Scotland.
Here, Burns sends his heart-felt thanks to Tytler for proofing his manuscripts for the second Edinburgh Edition and encloses his last parcel of work for his perusal.
The year '1795' has been entered erroneously in another hand. The letter is also docketed by Tytler.
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 Alexander Fraser Tytler, 6 December 1795
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