Letter from Robert Burns to Alexander Fraser Tytler, 6 December 1795

Sir,
A poor caitiff, driving, as I am ^at this moment with an
Excise-quill, at the rate of Devil take the hindmost, is ill-
qualified to round the period of Gratitude, or swell the pathos of
Sensibility. - Gratitude, like some other amiable qualities of the
mind, is now a days so abused by Impostors, that I have some -
times wished that the project of that sly dog, Momies I think it is,
had gone into effect- planting a window in the breast of
Man. - In that case, when a poor fellow comes, as I do at this
moment, before his Benefactor, tongue-tied with the sense
of these very obligations, he would have had nothing to do
but place himself in front of his Friend, & lay bare the
workings of his bosom. -

I again trouble you with another, & my last parcel of
Manuscript. - I am not interested in any of these;
blot them at your pleasure. - I am much indebted
to you for taking the trouble of correcting the Press-worth
One instance indeed may be rather unlucky: if the

lines to Sir John Whiteford are printed, they ought to end,
"And tread the shadowy path to that dark world unknown. -
"Shadowy, " instead of "dreary" as I believe it stands at present. -
I wish this could be noticed in the Errata. - This come of
writing, as I generally do, from the memory. -
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
your deeply indebted humble serv.t Rob.t Burns
6th Dec.r
1795