Letters from Robert Burns to Mrs Dunlop of Dunlop, 20 December 1794 to12 January 1795
Dumfries Dec. 20th
I have been prodigiously disappointed, in this London
journey of yours. - In the first place, when your last
to me reached Dumfries, I was in the country, & did not
return untill too late to answer your letter: in the
next place, I thought you would certainly take this
route; & now, I know not what is become of you,
or whether this may reach you at all. - God grant
that it may find you & yours in prospering
health & good spirits! - Do, let me hear from you
the soonest possible.-
As I hope to get a Frank from my friend Miller, I
shall, every leisure hour, take up the pen & gossip
away whatever comes first: prose or Poesy, Semon,
or Song. - In this last article, I have abounded, of
late. - I have often mentioned to you, a superb
Publication of Scottish Songs which is making
its
I have been prodigiously disappointed, in this London
journey of yours. - In the first place, when your last
to me reached Dumfries, I was in the country, & did not
return untill too late to answer your letter: in the
next place, I thought you would certainly take this
route; & now, I know not what is become of you,
or whether this may reach you at all. - God grant
that it may find you & yours in prospering
health & good spirits! - Do, let me hear from you
the soonest possible.-
As I hope to get a Frank from my friend Miller, I
shall, every leisure hour, take up the pen & gossip
away whatever comes first: prose or Poesy, Semon,
or Song. - In this last article, I have abounded, of
late. - I have often mentioned to you, a superb
Publication of Scottish Songs which is making
its
its appearance in your Great Metropolis, & where
I have the honour to preside over the Scottish verse, as
no less a personage than Peter Pindar does over the
English. - I wrote the following for a favourite air -
Song
My Chloris, mark how green the groves,
The primrose banks how fair;
The balmy gales awake the flowers,
And wave thy flaxen hair:
The lavrock shuns the palace gay,
And o'er the cottage sings;
For Nature smiles as sweet, I ween,
To shepherds as to kings.
The minstrels sweep the skilful' string,
In lordly lighted ha';
The shepherd stops his simple reed,
Blythe, in the birken shaw:
The princely revel may survey
Our rustic dance wi' scorn;
But are their hearts as light as ours
Beneath the milk white thorn. -
The
I have the honour to preside over the Scottish verse, as
no less a personage than Peter Pindar does over the
English. - I wrote the following for a favourite air -
Song
My Chloris, mark how green the groves,
The primrose banks how fair;
The balmy gales awake the flowers,
And wave thy flaxen hair:
The lavrock shuns the palace gay,
And o'er the cottage sings;
For Nature smiles as sweet, I ween,
To shepherds as to kings.
The minstrels sweep the skilful' string,
In lordly lighted ha';
The shepherd stops his simple reed,
Blythe, in the birken shaw:
The princely revel may survey
Our rustic dance wi' scorn;
But are their hearts as light as ours
Beneath the milk white thorn. -
The
The shepherd, in the flowery glen,
In shepherd's phrase will woo;
The Courtier tells a finer tale,
But is his heart as true. -
These wild wood flowers I've pu'd, to deck
Then spotless breast o' thine:
The Courtier's gems may witness love,
But 'tis na love like mine. -
Dec. 29th Since I began this letter, I have been
appointed to act in the capacity of Supervisor here,
& I assure you, what with the load of business, & what
with that business being new to me, I could scarcely
have commanded ten minutes to have spoken to
you, had you been in town, much less to have written
you an epistle. - This appointment is only
temporary, & during the illness of the present
incumbent; but I look forward to an early period
when I shall be appointed in full form: a consummation
devoutly to be wished! - My Political sins
seem
In shepherd's phrase will woo;
The Courtier tells a finer tale,
But is his heart as true. -
These wild wood flowers I've pu'd, to deck
Then spotless breast o' thine:
The Courtier's gems may witness love,
But 'tis na love like mine. -
Dec. 29th Since I began this letter, I have been
appointed to act in the capacity of Supervisor here,
& I assure you, what with the load of business, & what
with that business being new to me, I could scarcely
have commanded ten minutes to have spoken to
you, had you been in town, much less to have written
you an epistle. - This appointment is only
temporary, & during the illness of the present
incumbent; but I look forward to an early period
when I shall be appointed in full form: a consummation
devoutly to be wished! - My Political sins
seem
seem to be forgiven me. -
This is the season (New Years day is now my date)
of wishing; & mine are most fervently offered up
for you! - May life, to you, be a positive blessing while
it lasts, for your own sake; & may it yet be greatly
prolonged, is my wish for my own sake & for the
sake of the rest of your friends! - What a transi-
business is life! - Very lately I was a boy; but t'other
day I was a young man; & I already begin to feel
the rigid fibre & stiffening joints of Old Age coming
fast o'er my frame. - With all my follies of youth,
& I fear, a few vices of manhood, still I congratulate
myself on having had in early days religion strongly
impressed on my mind. - I have nothing to say
to any body as, to which Sect they belongs, or what
Creed they believes; but I look on the Man who is
firmly persuaded of Infinite Wisdom & Goodness super-
intending & directing every circumstance that can
happen in his lot. - I felicitate such a man as
This is the season (New Years day is now my date)
of wishing; & mine are most fervently offered up
for you! - May life, to you, be a positive blessing while
it lasts, for your own sake; & may it yet be greatly
prolonged, is my wish for my own sake & for the
sake of the rest of your friends! - What a transi-
business is life! - Very lately I was a boy; but t'other
day I was a young man; & I already begin to feel
the rigid fibre & stiffening joints of Old Age coming
fast o'er my frame. - With all my follies of youth,
& I fear, a few vices of manhood, still I congratulate
myself on having had in early days religion strongly
impressed on my mind. - I have nothing to say
to any body as, to which Sect they belongs, or what
Creed they believes; but I look on the Man who is
firmly persuaded of Infinite Wisdom & Goodness super-
intending & directing every circumstance that can
happen in his lot. - I felicitate such a man as
having a solid foundation for his mental enjoyment; a
firm prop & sure stay, in the hour of difficulty, trouble
& distress; & a never-failing anchor of hope, when
he looks beyond the grave. -
12th Jan. ry
You will have seen our worthy & ingenious friend, the
Doctor, long ere this. I hope he is well, & beg to be
remembered to him. - I have just been reading over
again, I dare say for the hundred & fiftieth time, his
"View of Society & Manners; & still I read it with
unsated delight. - His humour is perfectly original. -
It is ^neither the humour of Addison, nor Swift, nor Sterne,
Not any body, but Dr Moore. & is positively as rich
a vein as any of them could boast By the
bye, you have deprived me of Zeluco: remember
that, when your are disposed to rake up the sins of
my neglect from among the ashes of my laziness. -
He has paid me a pretty compliment, by quoting
me, in his last Publication. though I must beg
leave
firm prop & sure stay, in the hour of difficulty, trouble
& distress; & a never-failing anchor of hope, when
he looks beyond the grave. -
12th Jan. ry
You will have seen our worthy & ingenious friend, the
Doctor, long ere this. I hope he is well, & beg to be
remembered to him. - I have just been reading over
again, I dare say for the hundred & fiftieth time, his
"View of Society & Manners; & still I read it with
unsated delight. - His humour is perfectly original. -
It is ^neither the humour of Addison, nor Swift, nor Sterne,
Not any body, but Dr Moore. & is positively as rich
a vein as any of them could boast By the
bye, you have deprived me of Zeluco: remember
that, when your are disposed to rake up the sins of
my neglect from among the ashes of my laziness. -
He has paid me a pretty compliment, by quoting
me, in his last Publication. though I must beg
leave
leave to say, that he has not written this last
work in his usual happy manner. - Entre nous
you know my Politics; & I cannot approve of the
honest Doctor's whining over the deserved fate of a cer
pair of Personages. - What is there in the delivering
over a perjured Blockhead & an unprincipled Prostitute
into the hands of the hangman. that it should arrest
a moment, attention, in an eventful hour, when
my friend Roscoe in Liverpool gloriously expressed
it. - "When the welfare of Millions is hung in the sca[?]
"And the balance yet trembles with fate!"
But our friend is already indebted to people in power,
& still looks forward for his Family, so I can apologise
for him; for at bottom I am sure he is a staunch
friend to liberty. Thank God, these London trials
have given us a little more breath & I imagine that
the time is not far distant when a man may
freely blame Billy Pit, without being called an
enemy to his Country. –
Adieu!
RBurns
work in his usual happy manner. - Entre nous
you know my Politics; & I cannot approve of the
honest Doctor's whining over the deserved fate of a cer
pair of Personages. - What is there in the delivering
over a perjured Blockhead & an unprincipled Prostitute
into the hands of the hangman. that it should arrest
a moment, attention, in an eventful hour, when
my friend Roscoe in Liverpool gloriously expressed
it. - "When the welfare of Millions is hung in the sca[?]
"And the balance yet trembles with fate!"
But our friend is already indebted to people in power,
& still looks forward for his Family, so I can apologise
for him; for at bottom I am sure he is a staunch
friend to liberty. Thank God, these London trials
have given us a little more breath & I imagine that
the time is not far distant when a man may
freely blame Billy Pit, without being called an
enemy to his Country. –
Adieu!
RBurns
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/123
- Alt. number
- 3.6358
- Date
- 20 December 1794 to 12 January 1795
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/123
- Alt. number
- 3.6358
- Date
- 20 December 1794 to 12 January 1795
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Letters from Robert Burns to Mrs Dunlop of Dunlop, dated between 20 December 1794 and 12 January 1795.
Following the death of her elderly husband in 1785, Mrs Francis Anna Wallace Dunlop (1730 - 1815) was suffering from depression when a friend gave her a copy of Burns's poems. She was so impressed that she was inspired to write to the poet and offer her services as a sounding board for his work. The friendship between the two continued until the poet's death.
This letter was written by Burns on at least four different sittings during December 1794 and January 1795. During the first sitting, dated 20 December 1794, Burns writes that he has tried in vain to send a letter to Mrs Dunlop, who has been travelling to and from London, with little success. He hopes that she is in good health and mentions that George Thomson's Select Collection of Scottish Airs will soon be published in Edinburgh. He also encloses a copy of the song My Chloris, mark how green the groves.
During the second sitting, dated 29 December, Burns announces that he has been appointed as an interim Supervisor of excise due to the illness of his own supervisor. He apologises for not having more time to write when he cuts off his letter for the second time.
The third sitting takes place on 1 January 1795. In this section, he wishes good health and a long life to Mrs Dunlop while lamenting the passage of time and the rapid approach of old age.
In the last section, written on 12 January, Burns discusses Dr John Moore's latest publication but complains of his sympathies with the recently executed King and Queen of France. As a supporter of the French Revolution, Burns writes:
’I cannot approve of the honest Doctor's whining over the deserved fate of a certain pair of Personages. -- What is there in the delivering over a perjured Blockhead & an unprincipled Prostitute into the hands of the hangman...’.
These comments lead to a cooling of the friendship, as Mrs Dunlop did not agree with Burns's republican sympathies. The friendship was renewed shortly before his death in July 1796
During the second sitting, dated 29 December, Burns announces that he has been appointed as an interim Supervisor of excise due to the illness of his own supervisor. He apologises for not having more time to write when he cuts off his letter for the second time.
The third sitting takes place on 1 January 1795. In this section, he wishes good health and a long life to Mrs Dunlop while lamenting the passage of time and the rapid approach of old age.
In the last section, written on 12 January, Burns discusses Dr John Moore's latest publication but complains of his sympathies with the recently executed King and Queen of France. As a supporter of the French Revolution, Burns writes:
’I cannot approve of the honest Doctor's whining over the deserved fate of a certain pair of Personages. -- What is there in the delivering over a perjured Blockhead & an unprincipled Prostitute into the hands of the hangman...’.
These comments lead to a cooling of the friendship, as Mrs Dunlop did not agree with Burns's republican sympathies. The friendship was renewed shortly before his death in July 1796
Archive information
Place of creation
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Letters from and to Robert Burns
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Letters from Robert Burns to Mrs Dunlop of Dunlop, 20 December 1794 to12 January 1795
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