Letter from Robert Burns to Robert Graham, dated, 9 December 1789

Sir

I have of a good while had a wish to trouble you with a letter, and had certainly done it long
ere now but for a humiliating something that throws cold water on the resolution; as
who should say, "You have found Mr. Graham a very powerful and kind friend indeed, and
"that interest he is so kindly taking in your concerns you ought by everything in your
"power to keep alive and cherish."- Now, though since God has thought proper to make one
Powerful & another Helpless, the connection of Onlidger and Oblidgee is all fair; & though
the situation of my being Client under your Patronage is to me highly honourable yes,
Sir, allow me to flatter myself that as a Poet & an Poorest Man you first interested your-
self in my welfare, and principally as such still you permit me to approach
you.-

I have found the Excise business go on a great deal smoother with me than I apprehended;
owing a good deal to the generous friendship of Mr. Mitchel my Collector, and the
kind assistance and instruction of Mr. Findlater my supervisor.- I dare to be
honest, and I fear no labour.- Nor do I find my hurried life greatly inimical
to my correspondence with the Muses.- Their visits to me indeed, and I believe
to most of their acquaintances, like the visits of good angels are short, & far between,
but still I meet them now and then and I jog through the wild hills of Niths-
dale.- I take the liberty to enclose you a few bagatelles, all of them the vagaries
of my leisure thoughts in my Excise rides.

If you know, or have ever seen, Capt. Grose the Antiquarian, you will enter
into any humour that is in the verses on him.- Perhaps you have seen them
already, as they found their way into a London newspaper.-

Though I dare say you have none of the Solemn-league-&-covenant fire which

shone so conspicuous in Lord George Gordon and the Kilmarnock weavers, yet I think
you must have heard of Dr McGill, one of the clergymen of Ayr, and his heretical
book.- God help him, poor man! though he is one of the worthiest as well as one of
the ablest in the whole priesthood of the Kirk of Scotland, in every sense of that
ambiguous term, yet for the blasphemous heresies of squaring Religion by the rules of
Common Sense, and attempting to give a decent character to Almighty God and a rational
account of his proceedings with the son of Man, the poor Doctor and his
numerous family are in imminent danger of being thrown out to the mercy
of the winter winds.- The enclosed Ballad on that business is I confess too local,
but I laughed at some conceits in it myself, though I am convinced in my con-
science that there are several heavy stanzas in it too.-

The Election-ballad alludes, as you will see, to the present canvass in
our string of Boroughs.- I do not believe that there will be a harder run match
in the whole General Election. The Great Man here, like all Renegades, is
a flaming zealot.- Kick'd out before the astonished indignation of his deserted
Master, and despised I suppose by the Party who took him in to be a mustering
faggot at the mysterious orgies of their midnight iniquities, and a useful drudge
in the dirty work of their Country Elections, he would fain persuade this part
of the world that he is turned Patriot; and, where he knows his men, has the
impudence to aim away at the un-mistrusting manner of a Man of conscience
and Principle.- Nay to such an intemperate height has his zeal carried him
that, in convulsive violence to every feeling in his bosom, he has made
some desperate sha attempts at the hopeless business of getting himself a character
for benevolence; and in one or two late terrible strides in pursuit of Party-
interest, has actually stumbled on something like meaning the welfare of
his fellow-creatures.- I beg your pardon, Sir, if I differ from you in my idea of this

this Great Man, but were you to know his sins as well of Omission as Commission to
this outraged Land, you would dub your curse with the execrating voice of the
Country.- I am too little a man to have any political attachments; I am deeply
indebted to, and have the warmest veneration for, Individuals of both Parties; but a man who
has it in his power to be the Father of a Country, and who is only known to
that Country by the mischiefs he does in it, is a character of which one can-
not speak with patience.-

Sir Ja.s Johnston does "what man can do," but yet I doubt his fate.- Of the Borough
of Annan, he is secure.- Kirkcudbright is dubious.- He has the Provost;
but Lord Dear, who does the honours of Great Man to the place, makes every
effort in his power for the opposite interest.- Luckily for Sir James, his
Lordship though a very good lord, is a very poor politician.- Dumfries
& Sanquhar are decidedly the Duke's "to let or sell"; so Lochmaben, a
city containing upwards of fourscore living souls that cannot discern
between their right hand and their left - for drunkenness, has at
present the balance of power in her hands. - The Hon’ble Council of that
ancient borough are fifteen in number; but alas! their fifteen names in-
owing a bill of fifteen pounds, would not discount the said bill in any
banking office.- My Lord Provost who is one of the soundest headed, best
hearted, whisky-drinking fellows in the south of Scotland, is devoted to
Sir James, but His Grace thinks he has a majority of the Council; tho'
I who have the honour to be a Burgess of the town & know somewhat behind
the curtain, could tell him a different story.-

The worst of it for the Buff & blue folks is, that their Candidate
Captn. M-, my landlord's son, is, entre nous, a youth by no means

above mediocrity in his abilities; and is said to have a huckster-lust
for shillings, pence & farthings.- This is the more remarkable
as his father's abilities & benevolence are so justly celebrated.-

The Song beginning, "Thou lingering star &c." is the last, & in my own
opinion by much the best of the enclosed Compositions.- I beg leave
to present it with my most respectful Compliments to Mr
Graham.-

I return you by the Carrier the bearer of this, Smith's Wealth of
Nations, Marshal's Yorkshire & Angola. - Les Contes de Fontaine
is in the way of my trade and I must give it another reading or two; &
Chansons Joyeuse’s, & another little French book I keep for the same
reason.- I think you will not be reading them, & I will not keep
them long.

Forgive me, Sir, for the stupid length this epistle.- I pray
Heaven it may find you in a humour to read "The Belfast
new Almanack", or, "The Batchelor’s garland, containing five
"excellent new songs", or the Paisley Poets session of the Psalms of
David and then my impertinence may disgust the less.

I have the honour to be,
Sir,
your ever grateful humble servant.
Rob.t Burns
Ellisland 9th Dec.
1789