CCXXX.

TO MRS GRAHAM OF FINTRY.

ELLISLAND, February 1791. MADAM,-Whether it is that the story of our Mary Queen of Scots has a peculiar effect on the feelings of a poet, or whether I have in the enclosed ballad (p. 165) succeeded beyond my usual poetic success, I know not, but it has pleased me beyond any effort of my Muse for a good while past; on that account I enclose it particularly to you. It is true the purity of my motives may be suspected. I am already deeply indebted to Mr Graham's goodness; and what, in the usual ways of men, is of infinitely greater importance, Mr G. can do me service of the utmost importance in time to come. I was born a poor dog; and however I may occasionally pick a better bone than I used to do, I know I must live and die poor: but I will indulge the flattering faith that my poetry will considerably outlive my poverty; and without any fustian affectation of spirit, I can promise and affirm that it must be no ordinary craving of the latter shall ever make me do anything injurious to the honest fame of the former. Whatever may be my failings-for failings are a part of human naturemay they ever be those of a generous heart and an independent mind! It is no fault of mine that I was born to dependence, nor is it Mr Graham's chiefest praise that he can command influence: but it is his merit to bestow, not only with the kindness of a prother, but with the politeness of a gentleman, and I trust it shall pe mine to receive with thankfulness, and remember with undi. minished gratitude. R. B.

and as to my boys, poor little fellows! if I cannot place them on as high an elevation in life as I could wish, I shall, if I am favoured so much by the Disposer of events as to see that period, fix them on as broad and independent a basis as possible. Among the many wise adages which have been treasured up by our Scottish ancestors, this is one of the best-Better be the head o' the commonalty than the tail o' the gentry.

But I am got on a subject, which, however interesting to me, is of no manner of consequence to you: so I shall give you a short poem on the other page, and close this with assuring you how sincerely I have the honour to be, yours, &c.

R. B.

CCXXXII.

TO THE REV. G. BAIRD.

ELLISLAND, February 1791.

REVEREND SIR,-Why did you, my dear sir, write to me in such a hesitating style on the business of poor Bruce? Don't I know, and have I not felt, the many ills, the peculiar ills, that poetic flesh is heir to? You shall have your choice of all the unpublished poems I have; and had your letter had my direction so as to have reached me sooner, it only came to my hand this moment, I should have directly put you out of suspense on the subject. I only ask that some prefatory advertisement in. the book, as well as the subscription-bills, may bear that the publication is solely for the benefit of Bruce's mother. I would not put it in the power of ignorance to surmise, or malice to insinuate, that I clubbed a share in the work from mercenary motives. Nor need you give me credit for any remarkable generosity in my part of the business. I have such a host of peccadilloes, failings, follies, and backslidings--anybody but myself might perhaps give some of them a worse appellation-that by way of some balance, however trifling, in the account, I am fain to do any good that occurs in my very limited power to a fellow-creature, just for the selfish purpose of clearing a little the vista of retrospection. R. B.

CCXXXIII.

TO MR CUNNINGHAM.

ELLISLAND, 12th March 1791.

IF the foregoing piece be worth your strictures, let me have them. For my cwn part, a thing that I have just composed always appears through a double portion of that partial medium in which an author will ever view his own works. I believe, in