Join

Letter from Robert Burns to James Candlish, 21 March 1787

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/01/153
Alt. number
3.6039
Date
21 March 1787
On display
No
Creator
Burns, Robert (Author)
Recipient
Candlish, James

Explore correspondence between the creator and recipient

Description

Letter from Robert Burns to James Candlish, dated Edinburgh, 21 March 1787.

James Candlish was a school mate of Burns who studied medicine at Glasgow University. He married Jean Smith, the sister of Robert Burns's friend James Smith and one of the 'Mauchline Belles'. About 1788, Candlish settled in Edinburgh as a lecturer in Medicine.

Burns wrote this letter in March 1787 acknowledging receipt of a letter from his friend and explaining why he had taken so long to reply.

Burns explains that it is not 'the intoxication of good fortune' making him indifferent to old friendships, but that he simply can't find the suitable words to make a 'good letter' and he is now writing to ensure his silence is not misinterpreted.

Archive information

Place of creation


Hierarchy

  1. Letters from and to Robert Burns ( )
  2. Letter from Robert Burns to James Candlish, 21 March 1787