Scotland/Scots > Life of Robert Burns

ROBERT BURNS.
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marnock, and began to copy out his performances
for the press. He carried his MSS. piecemeal to
the printer; and, encouraged by the ray of light
which unexpected patronage had begun to throw
on his affairs, composed, while the printing was in
progress, some of the best poems of the collection.
The tale of the Twa Dogs, for instance, with
which the volume commenced, is known to have
been written in the short interval between the pub¬
lication being determined on and the printing be¬
gun. His own account of the business to Dr
Moore is as follows :—
“ I gave up my part of the farm to my brother:
in truth, it was only nominally mine ; and made
what little preparation was in my power for Ja¬
maica. But before leaving my native land, I re¬
solved to publish my Poems. I weighed my pro¬
ductions as impartially as was in my power: I
thought they had merit; and it was a delicious
idea that I should be called a clever fellow, even
though it should never reach my ears—a poor
negro-driver—or, perhaps, a victim to that inhos¬
pitable clime, and gone to the world of spirits. I
can truly say, that, pauvre inconnu as I then was,
I had pretty nearly as high an idea of myself and
of my works as I have at this moment, when the
public has decided in their favour. It ever was
my opinion, that the mistakes and blunders, both
in a rational and religious point of view, of which
we see thousands daily guilty, are owing to their
ignorance of themselves.—To know myself, had
been all along my constant study. I weighed my¬
self alone; I balanced myself with others : I
r watched every means of information, to see how
' much ground I occupied as a man and as a poet:
1 I studied assiduously Nature’s design in my for-
1