Dr thinker John,
Your creed, I like it past expression,
I'm sure o' truth it's nae transgression
To say the great Westminster Vession,
Wi' a; their clatter,
In carraches, or large confession
Ne'er made a better.
For me, I ken a weel plough'd rigg,
I ken a handsome hizzie's leg
When, springing taper straught an' trig,
It fires my fancy;
But system-Sandy mills to bigg
Is nae that chancy.
Sma' skill in holy war I boast;
My wee-bit spunk o' Latin's losst,
An' Logic gies me ay the hoast
An' cuts my win,
So I maun tak the rear-guard post,
Far, far behind.
I see the poopet ance a week,
An' carefu' ev'ry sentence cleek;
Or if frae -- a smirking keek
Spoil my devotion,
Your creed, I like it past expression,
I'm sure o' truth it's nae transgression
To say the great Westminster Vession,
Wi' a; their clatter,
In carraches, or large confession
Ne'er made a better.
For me, I ken a weel plough'd rigg,
I ken a handsome hizzie's leg
When, springing taper straught an' trig,
It fires my fancy;
But system-Sandy mills to bigg
Is nae that chancy.
Sma' skill in holy war I boast;
My wee-bit spunk o' Latin's losst,
An' Logic gies me ay the hoast
An' cuts my win,
So I maun tak the rear-guard post,
Far, far behind.
I see the poopet ance a week,
An' carefu' ev'ry sentence cleek;
Or if frae -- a smirking keek
Spoil my devotion,
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/122
- Alt. number
- 3.6286
- Date
- 1786
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/122
- Alt. number
- 3.6286
- Date
- 1786
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Epistle to Dr. John Mackenzie. Begins: "Dear Thinker John, Your creed I like it past expression, I'm sure, o'truth, it's nae transgression". The first eight of 13 six-line stanzas are given here. Dated 18 April 1786.
Robert wrote this poem for his friend Dr John Mackenzie. The two first met in 1783, when Mackenzie attended Robert's father William at Lochlea. The two quickly became friends when Burns moved to Mossgiel, as Mackenzie lived in Mauchline.
Mackenzie received several literary mentions from Burns, including being featured in the poem The Holy Fair as the personification of commonsense. Burns relied on letters of introduction Mackenzie sent to his Edinburgh friends and upon his return from that city, Burns rented a room for himself and Jean in Mackenzie's house.
Dr Mackenzie later moved to Irvine and following Burns's death, became a founding member of the Irvine Burns Club.
Dr Mackenzie later moved to Irvine and following Burns's death, became a founding member of the Irvine Burns Club.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Epistle to Dr John Mackenzie