Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, 10 September 1788
Ellisland near Dumfries - Sept.r 10th 1788
Sir,
The scrapes and premunires into which our indiscretions and follies, in
the ordinary constitution of things often bring us are bad enough but it is peculiarly
hard that a man's virtues should involve him in disquiet and the very goodness of
his heart cause the persecution of his peace. - You, Sir, have patronised and befriended
me, not by barren compliments which meerly fed my vanity, or little marks of
notice which perhaps only encumbered me more in the awkwardness of my native
rusticity, but by being my persevering Friend in real life; and now, as if your
continued Benevolence has given me a prescriptive right I am going again to trouble
you with any importunities. -
Your Hon’ble Board sometime ago gave me my Excise Commission which I regarded as
my sheet anchor in life. - My Farm, now that I have tried it a little, tho I think it will
in time be a saving bargain, yet does by no means promise to be such a Penny worth as I
was taught to expect. - It is in the last stage of worn-out poverty, and will take some
time before it pay the rent. I might have had cash to supply the deficiencies of these
hungry years, but I have a younger brother who is supporting my aged mother, another,
still much younger brother and three sisters, on a farm in Ayr-shire; and it took all
my surplus over what I thought necessary for my farming capital, to save not only
the comfort but the very existence of that fireside family-circle from impending
destruction. - This was done before I took the farm; and rather than abstract my
money from my brother a circumstance which would ruin him, I will resign the
farm and enter immediately into the service of you Honours. - But I am
embarked now in the farm: I have commenced married man: and I am determined
to and by my Lease till resistless necessity compel me to quit my ground
There is one way by which I might be enabled to extricate myself from this
Sir,
The scrapes and premunires into which our indiscretions and follies, in
the ordinary constitution of things often bring us are bad enough but it is peculiarly
hard that a man's virtues should involve him in disquiet and the very goodness of
his heart cause the persecution of his peace. - You, Sir, have patronised and befriended
me, not by barren compliments which meerly fed my vanity, or little marks of
notice which perhaps only encumbered me more in the awkwardness of my native
rusticity, but by being my persevering Friend in real life; and now, as if your
continued Benevolence has given me a prescriptive right I am going again to trouble
you with any importunities. -
Your Hon’ble Board sometime ago gave me my Excise Commission which I regarded as
my sheet anchor in life. - My Farm, now that I have tried it a little, tho I think it will
in time be a saving bargain, yet does by no means promise to be such a Penny worth as I
was taught to expect. - It is in the last stage of worn-out poverty, and will take some
time before it pay the rent. I might have had cash to supply the deficiencies of these
hungry years, but I have a younger brother who is supporting my aged mother, another,
still much younger brother and three sisters, on a farm in Ayr-shire; and it took all
my surplus over what I thought necessary for my farming capital, to save not only
the comfort but the very existence of that fireside family-circle from impending
destruction. - This was done before I took the farm; and rather than abstract my
money from my brother a circumstance which would ruin him, I will resign the
farm and enter immediately into the service of you Honours. - But I am
embarked now in the farm: I have commenced married man: and I am determined
to and by my Lease till resistless necessity compel me to quit my ground
There is one way by which I might be enabled to extricate myself from this
embarrassment, a scheme which I hope and am certain is in your power to effectuate.
I live here, Sir, in the very centre of a country Excise Division; the present Officer lately
lived in a farm which he rented in my nearest neighbourhood; and as the gentleman
gentleman, owing to some legacies, is quite opulent, a removal could do him no
manner of injury; and on a month's warning, to give me a little time to look
again over my instructions, I would not be afraid to enter on business, 0
I do not know the name of his Division, as I have not yet got acquainted with any of
Dumfries Excise People; but his own name is Leonard Smith. - It would
suit me to enter on it, beginning of next summer; but I shall be in Edinburgh
to wait on you about the affair, sometime in the ensuing winter. -
When I think how and on what I have written to you, Sir, I shudder at my
own Hoardieffe. - Forgive me, Sir! I have told you my situation. - If asking
anything less could possibly have done, I would not have asked so much. -
If I were in the Service, it would likewise favour my Poetical schemes. - I am
thinking of something, in the rural way of the Drama kind. - Originality of
character is, I think, the most striking beauty in that Species of Composition,
and my wanderings in the way of my business would be vastly favourable to my
picking up original traits of Human nature. -
I again, Sir, earnestly beg your forgiveness for this letter. - I have done
violence to my own feelings in writing it. -
"---If I naught have done amiss,
"Impute it not! " --
My thoughts on this business, as usual with me when my mind is burdened,
vented themselves in the enclosed verses, which I have taken the liberty to in-
scribe to you. -
You, Sir, have the power to bless: but the only claim I have to your
friendly offices, is my having already been the Object of your goodness, which
I live here, Sir, in the very centre of a country Excise Division; the present Officer lately
lived in a farm which he rented in my nearest neighbourhood; and as the gentleman
gentleman, owing to some legacies, is quite opulent, a removal could do him no
manner of injury; and on a month's warning, to give me a little time to look
again over my instructions, I would not be afraid to enter on business, 0
I do not know the name of his Division, as I have not yet got acquainted with any of
Dumfries Excise People; but his own name is Leonard Smith. - It would
suit me to enter on it, beginning of next summer; but I shall be in Edinburgh
to wait on you about the affair, sometime in the ensuing winter. -
When I think how and on what I have written to you, Sir, I shudder at my
own Hoardieffe. - Forgive me, Sir! I have told you my situation. - If asking
anything less could possibly have done, I would not have asked so much. -
If I were in the Service, it would likewise favour my Poetical schemes. - I am
thinking of something, in the rural way of the Drama kind. - Originality of
character is, I think, the most striking beauty in that Species of Composition,
and my wanderings in the way of my business would be vastly favourable to my
picking up original traits of Human nature. -
I again, Sir, earnestly beg your forgiveness for this letter. - I have done
violence to my own feelings in writing it. -
"---If I naught have done amiss,
"Impute it not! " --
My thoughts on this business, as usual with me when my mind is burdened,
vented themselves in the enclosed verses, which I have taken the liberty to in-
scribe to you. -
You, Sir, have the power to bless: but the only claim I have to your
friendly offices, is my having already been the Object of your goodness, which
producing my debt instead of my discharge. -
I am sure I go on Scripture-grounds in this affair; for I "ask in faith
"nothing doubting; " and for the true Scripture-reason too - Because I have
the fullest conviction that, "my Benefactor is good." -
I have the honour to be, Sir, your deeply indebted humble serv.t
Robt Burns
I am sure I go on Scripture-grounds in this affair; for I "ask in faith
"nothing doubting; " and for the true Scripture-reason too - Because I have
the fullest conviction that, "my Benefactor is good." -
I have the honour to be, Sir, your deeply indebted humble serv.t
Robt Burns
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/57
- Alt. number
- 3.6088
- Date
- 10 September 1788
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Graham, Robert
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/57
- Alt. number
- 3.6088
- Date
- 10 September 1788
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Graham, Robert
Description
Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, dated Ellisland, 10 September,1788.
This is a three page letter in which Burns explains his financial and farming problems to Robert Graham of Fintry. He asks Graham to consider making room for him in a local Excise Division by ousting the incumbent officer, as Burns's financial need is greater. If this were to happen, Burns would solve his business problems and be able him to embark on more literary projects. Burns also encloses a poem 'To Robert Graham of Fintry Esqr, with a request for an Excise Division'.
In the first page Burns acknowledges the previous assistance he had received from Robert Graham and asks for another favour. He sets the scene by explaining how he has financially supported his brother Gilbert and other family members to keep them from impending destitution.
He also alludes to the growing realisation that the deal he struck in taking on the farm at Ellisland may not have been a good one, describing it to be 'in the last stage of worn-out poverty'. He however ends the page determined to see it through.
On page two Burns gets to the point of his letter which is to ask Graham to help place him as Excise Officer in a local Division, thereby making him better-off. He suggests that this could be achieved by removing the incumbent officer Leonard Smith, whom Burns considers would not suffer due to a recent legacy.
Towards the end of the page Burns realises he may have been a bit forthright in this suggestion and asks forgiveness, adding that it may be offset by giving him the opportunity for more literary work in the future.
Burns has at the end of the second page noted his intention to include a poem which he has written and inscribes to Robert Graham in which he produces an adulatory set of verses based on the patronage he has received. Burns also sent copies to a number of friends who thought well of it. (poem no 230) which he also copied into his second Common-place Book dated 8th September 1788.
Burns closes with a scripture reference to thank his benefactor.
He also alludes to the growing realisation that the deal he struck in taking on the farm at Ellisland may not have been a good one, describing it to be 'in the last stage of worn-out poverty'. He however ends the page determined to see it through.
On page two Burns gets to the point of his letter which is to ask Graham to help place him as Excise Officer in a local Division, thereby making him better-off. He suggests that this could be achieved by removing the incumbent officer Leonard Smith, whom Burns considers would not suffer due to a recent legacy.
Towards the end of the page Burns realises he may have been a bit forthright in this suggestion and asks forgiveness, adding that it may be offset by giving him the opportunity for more literary work in the future.
Burns has at the end of the second page noted his intention to include a poem which he has written and inscribes to Robert Graham in which he produces an adulatory set of verses based on the patronage he has received. Burns also sent copies to a number of friends who thought well of it. (poem no 230) which he also copied into his second Common-place Book dated 8th September 1788.
Burns closes with a scripture reference to thank his benefactor.
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 Graham, 10 September 1788