Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Ainslie
My Dear friend,
My first welcome to this place was
the inclosed letter.- I am very sorry for it, but what is
done is done. I pay you no compliment when
I say that except my old friend Smith there is not
any person in the world I would trust so far.
Please ^call at the Ja.s Hog [?]tional and [page torn]
the wench and give her ten or twelve shillings but
don't for Heaven's sake meddle with her as a piece
I insist on this on your honor; and advise her out to
some country friends. You may perhaps not like
the business, but I just tax your friendship thus far
call immediately or [?] soon as it is dark
for God sake, lest the poor soul be starving. Ask
her for a letter I wrote her just now, by way of token
it is unsigned. Write me after the meeting:
Rob.t Burns
My first welcome to this place was
the inclosed letter.- I am very sorry for it, but what is
done is done. I pay you no compliment when
I say that except my old friend Smith there is not
any person in the world I would trust so far.
Please ^call at the Ja.s Hog [?]tional and [page torn]
the wench and give her ten or twelve shillings but
don't for Heaven's sake meddle with her as a piece
I insist on this on your honor; and advise her out to
some country friends. You may perhaps not like
the business, but I just tax your friendship thus far
call immediately or [?] soon as it is dark
for God sake, lest the poor soul be starving. Ask
her for a letter I wrote her just now, by way of token
it is unsigned. Write me after the meeting:
Rob.t Burns
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/18
- Alt. number
- 3.6045
- Date
- June 1788
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Ainslie, Robert
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/18
- Alt. number
- 3.6045
- Date
- June 1788
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Ainslie, Robert
Description
In this Letter Robert Burns asked Richard Anslie for assistance. In Edinburgh as he has just received a letter from May Cameron, a servant girl in Edinburgh whom Robert met during his recent visit. She announces that she is carrying Robert's child and is in need of assistance as she is destitute.
Burns asks Ainslie to call at the place she is staying to give her 'ten or twelve shillings' and suggest she move to the country to wait out the pregnancy. Burns tells Ainslie to ask for the unsigned letter he has just written to her for confirmation of her identity.
He adds, 'You may perhaps not like the business, but I just tax your friendship thus far.'
Archive information
Place of creation
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Letters from and to Robert Burns
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Ainslie