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Letter from Robert Burns to George S. Sutherland, 31 December 1789

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/01/33
Alt. number
3.6060.a-c
Date
31 December 1789
On display
No
Creator
Burns, Robert (Author)
Recipient
Sutherland, George S.

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Description

Letter from Robert Burns to George S. Sutherland, 31 December 1789 a. Letter b. Fragment with 8 lines of Prologue c. Note of authentication

This single page letter from Burns to theatre-owner George Sutherland encloses a 34-line poem for Sutherland to use as a prologue at his New Year performance of the Dumfries theatre company in January 1790.

In the letter, Burns recalls being reminded while riding home and musing in the dark of the imminent New Year performance of Sutherlands' theatre players and quickly puts together his first 'crude suggestions of my Muse' on some verses celebrating the New Year for Sutherland to use as he wishes at his show.

The fragment is eight lines, from line 7 to line 14 of the poem, titled 'Prologue spoken at the Theatre at Dumfries' ('No song nor dance I bring'). The published version is not identical with this fragment and has probably been taken from the version which Burns sent to his brother Gilbert a few days after the performance.

In the 'Prologue', Burns offers some words of wisdom in the name of Father Time and in the fragment, his first attempt at the 14th line is crossed out but reads 'Said Sutherland in one word bid them - Think'. The corrected line reads 'He bade me on you press this one word - Think'.

George Sutherlands' Dumfries Theatre had been visited by Burns who in a later letter to his brother described him 'a man of genius' and reported that Sutherland had 'spouted the prologue to his audience with great applause'.

Page two of this letter contains a number of child like drawings of birds.

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  1. Letters from and to Robert Burns ( )
  2. Letter from Robert Burns to George S. Sutherland, 31 December 1789