But to change the theme: I am still catering for Johnson's publication; and among others, I have brushed up the following old favourite song a little, with a view to your worship. I have only altered a word here and there; but if you like the humour of it, we shall think of a stanza or two to add to it.1

1 The name of the song here alluded to has not been ascertained

R. B.

APPENDIX.

No. 10 (p. 33).—ADDITIONAL STANZAS OF THE VISION, &C.

A MANUSCRIPT of ten leaves, in Burns's handwriting, was till lately in possession of William Allason Cunninghame, Esq. of Logan House, grandson of Mrs General Stewart of Stair. It contains The Vision unabridged, as it stood in 1786-The Gloomy Night is Gathering Fast-The Lass of Ballochmyle—My Nanie 0—Handsome_Nell— Song in the Character of a Ruined Farmer-Song, Though Cruel Fate should bid us Part-and Misgivings of Despondency on the Approach of the Gloomy Monarch of the Grave; all of them being poems which did not appear in the first edition, but most of which were inserted in the Edinburgh, or second edition. Fron allusions, the MS. was undoubtedly written after July 1786, and before the Edinburgh edition came out. It seems to be the MS which Burns sent to Mrs Stewart of Stair, when contemplating his West-India voyage (see Vol. I. p. 298.) By the liberality of Mr Dick, bookseller, Ayr, present proprietor of the MS., we are enabled to present such portions of its contents as have not seen the light:

ADDITIONAL STANZAS OF THE VISION.'

After 18th stanza of printed copies:

With secret throes I marked that earth,

That cottage, witness of my birth;

And near I saw, bold issuing forth
In youthful pride,

A Lindsay, race of noble worth,

Famed far and wide.

Sundrum.-B. Mr Hamilton of Sundrum was married to a sister of Colonel Montgomery of Coilsfield; consequently, Burns felt a great interest in the family. The female pair were Misses Lillias and Margaret Hamilton, the latter of whom still lives (1851.)

Hail! nature's pang, more strong than death!
Warm friendship's glow, like kindling wrath!
Love, dearer than the parting breath

Of dying friend!

'Not even with life's wild devious path,

1 Stair.-B.

Your force shall end!

2 These words are written over the original in another hand.

3 The Montgomeries of Coilsfield.

4 Captain James Montgomery, Master of St James's Lodge, Torbolton, to which the author has the honour to belong.-B.

5 Auchinleck.-B. The poet here pays a compliment to the Boswell family, and particularly to the biographer of Johnson.

6 Ballochmyle. The Whitefoords were at this time parting with the property. 7 Mauchline.

Originally written' only.'

6

A compliment to Miss Wilhelmina Alexander, the Bonny Lass of Ballochmyle,' in whom certainly, when Maria Whitefoord departed, the poetic worshipper of beauty found a new goddess not inferior to the former divinity.

2 Cumnock.-B.

3 Mr Farquhar Gray.-B.

5 Caprington.-B. Cunningham of Caprington, Baronet.

6 Colonel Fullarton.-B.

7 Dr Fullarton.-B.

4 Auchinskieth.

8 Orangefield.-B. Mr Dalrymple of Orangefield, near Ayr, was an active patron of Burns.

II.

The sun was sinking in the west,
The birds sang sweet in ilka grove ;
His cheek to hers he fondly prest,
And whispered thus his tale o' love :

‘O Jeanie fair, I loe thee dear;

O canst thou think to fancy me;
Or wilt thou leave thy mammie's cot,
And learn to tent the farms wi' me?

'At barn or byre thou shalt na drudge,
Or naething else to trouble thee;
But stray amang the heather-bells,
And tent the waving corn wi' me.'

Now what could artless Jeanie do?
She had nae will to say him na;
At length she blushed a sweet consent,

And love was aye between them twa.

I have some thoughts of inserting in your index, or in my notes, the names of the fair ones, the themes of my songs. I do not mean the name at full, but dashes or asterisms, so as ingenuity may find

them out.

The heroine of the foregoing is Miss Macmurdo, daughter to Mr Macmurdo of Drumlanrig, one of your subscribers. I have not painted her in the rank which she holds in life, but in the dress and character of a cottager.1

Mr Macmurdo at this time resided at or in the immediate neighbourhood of Dumfries. Mr Clarke acted as music-master to his daughters.

BURNS TO MR THOMSON.

July 1793.

I ASSURE you, my dear sir, that you truly hurt me with your pecuniary parcel. It degrades me in my own eyes. However, to return it would savour of affectation; but, as to any more traffic of that debtor and creditor kind, I swear, by that HONOUR which crowns the upright statue of ROBERT BURNS'S INTEGRITY-on the least motion of it, I will indignantly spurn the bypast transaction, and from that moment commence entire stranger to you! BURNS'S character for generosity of sentiment and independence of mind will, I trust, long outlive any of his wants which the cold, unfeeling ore can supply; at least I will take care that such a character he shall deserve.

This sentence does not appear in the original letter.