Letter from Robert Burns to Peter (Patrick) Miller, 20 October 1787
Sir,
I was spending a few days at Sir William Murray
Oughtertyre and did not fet your oblidging letter till today
I came to town. - I was still more unlucky in catching
a miserable cold ^for for which the medical gentlemen have
ordered me into close confinement, "under pain of
Death!" the severest of penalties.- In two or three
days, if I get better, and if I hear at your lodgings
that you are still at Dalswinton, I will take a
ride to Dumfries directly.- From something in
your last, I would wish to explain my idea of being your
Tenant. - I want to be a farmer in a small
farm, about a plough-gang, in a pleasant coun-
try, under the auspices of a good landlord. - I have
no fooling notion of being a Tenant on easier terms
I was spending a few days at Sir William Murray
Oughtertyre and did not fet your oblidging letter till today
I came to town. - I was still more unlucky in catching
a miserable cold ^for for which the medical gentlemen have
ordered me into close confinement, "under pain of
Death!" the severest of penalties.- In two or three
days, if I get better, and if I hear at your lodgings
that you are still at Dalswinton, I will take a
ride to Dumfries directly.- From something in
your last, I would wish to explain my idea of being your
Tenant. - I want to be a farmer in a small
farm, about a plough-gang, in a pleasant coun-
try, under the auspices of a good landlord. - I have
no fooling notion of being a Tenant on easier terms
than another. - To find a farm where one can live
at all, is not easy. - I only mean living soberly,
like an old-style farmer, and joining personal
industry. - The banks of Nith are as sweet, poetic
ground as any I ever saw; and besides, Sir, 'tis but
justice to the feelings of my own heart, and the opinion
of my best friends, to say that I would wish to
call you landlord sooner than any landed gentle-
man I know. - These are my views & wishes,
and in whatever way you think best to lay out your
farms, I shall be happy to rent one of them. - I
shall certainly be able to ride to Dalswinton about
middle of nexr week, if I hear you are not gone. -
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your obliged humble servt
Rob.t Burns
Edin.r 20th Oct.
1787
at all, is not easy. - I only mean living soberly,
like an old-style farmer, and joining personal
industry. - The banks of Nith are as sweet, poetic
ground as any I ever saw; and besides, Sir, 'tis but
justice to the feelings of my own heart, and the opinion
of my best friends, to say that I would wish to
call you landlord sooner than any landed gentle-
man I know. - These are my views & wishes,
and in whatever way you think best to lay out your
farms, I shall be happy to rent one of them. - I
shall certainly be able to ride to Dalswinton about
middle of nexr week, if I hear you are not gone. -
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your obliged humble servt
Rob.t Burns
Edin.r 20th Oct.
1787
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/20
- Alt. number
- 3.6047
- Date
- 20 October 1787
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/20
- Alt. number
- 3.6047
- Date
- 20 October 1787
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Letter from Robert Burns to Peter (Patrick) Miller, dated Edinburgh, 20 October 1787, in blue bound leather book.
Robert Burns met his supporter and future landlord Patrick Miller through an anonymous donation. In December 1786, an unknown patron left ten guineas for Burns with James Sibbald, the publisher of the Edinburgh Magazine. Burns, discovering the identity of the donor, then began a friendship Miller.
This letter, written in October 1787, follows on from previous correspondence between Burns and Miller concerning Burns's interest in the lease of Ellisland Farm. The farm was part of the Dalswinton estate owned by Miller.
Burns explains to Miller how he would go about being Miller's tenant farmer. He wants 'to be a farmer in a small farm, about a plough-gang' ( 110 Scots acres) 'in a pleasant land under the auspices of a good landlord.'
Robert then indicates that his cold should be sufficiently better to allow him to ride down to Dumfries the following week.
Burns explains to Miller how he would go about being Miller's tenant farmer. He wants 'to be a farmer in a small farm, about a plough-gang' ( 110 Scots acres) 'in a pleasant land under the auspices of a good landlord.'
Robert then indicates that his cold should be sufficiently better to allow him to ride down to Dumfries the following week.
Archive information
Place of creation
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Letters from and to Robert Burns
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)