Edin.r March 17.th 1788
Fair Empress of the Poet's soul,
And Queen of Poetesses;
Clarinda, take this little boon,
This humble pair of Glasses. ----
And fill them high with generous juice,
As generous as your mind;
And pledge me in the generous toast ----
"The whole of Humankind!" ----
"To those who love us!" second fill;
But not to those whom we love,
Lest
Fair Empress of the Poet's soul,
And Queen of Poetesses;
Clarinda, take this little boon,
This humble pair of Glasses. ----
And fill them high with generous juice,
As generous as your mind;
And pledge me in the generous toast ----
"The whole of Humankind!" ----
"To those who love us!" second fill;
But not to those whom we love,
Lest
Lest we love those who love not us: ----
A third -- "to thee and me, Love!"
Long may we live! Long may we love!
And long may we be happy!!!
And may we never want a Glass;
Well charg'd with generous Nappy!!!!!
Sylvander. --
A third -- "to thee and me, Love!"
Long may we live! Long may we love!
And long may we be happy!!!
And may we never want a Glass;
Well charg'd with generous Nappy!!!!!
Sylvander. --
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/155
- Alt. number
- 3.6390
- Date
- 7 March 1788
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- McLehose, Agnes
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/155
- Alt. number
- 3.6390
- Date
- 7 March 1788
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- McLehose, Agnes
Description
Verses to Clarinda. Begins "Fair Empress of the Poet's soul"; 4 four-line verses.
Robert met Mrs Agnes McLehose during his extended trip to Edinburgh. Although they were both involved with other people, the two began an epistolatory affair which has been immortalized through their surviving correspondence. Addressing each other as ‘Sylvander’ and ‘Clarinda’ to protect their identities in case of exposure, Robert and Agnes continued to write to each other for years, even after Robert married Jean Armour and moved to Ellisland near Dumfries.
At the height of their affair in 1788, Robert sent these wine glasses to Agnes along with his love poem Verses to Clarinda:
'Fair Empress of the Poet’s soul,
And Queen of Poetesses;
Clarinda, take this little boon,
This humble pair of Glasses.'
'Fair Empress of the Poet’s soul,
And Queen of Poetesses;
Clarinda, take this little boon,
This humble pair of Glasses.'
Archive information
Place of creation
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Verses to Clarinda