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CHAPTERVIII
PROMINENTVISITORSHEhospitalityforwhichtheBurgessSocietyhasalwaysbeendistinguisheddoesnotrequiretorelyforsupportonwrittenevidence.Unfortun-atelyduringthefirsttwodecadesofitsauthenticatedexistencelittleknowledgeofthisaspectoftheSociety'sactivityisobtainablefromthewrittenrecord.Itisonlyspasmodically,asitwere,thatsecretariesintheseearlydaysblossomedforthintowhatmaybetermed"literarypurveyorsofsocialgossip."ThroughoutthetwocenturiesofitsexistencetheBurgessSocietyhasentertainedmanyeminentvisitorswhosenameshavenotalwaysbeenrecorded.DuringtheBruntsfieldperiodthevisitorswerenumerous;menofeminence,apartfromactualplayonthelinks,dinedintheoldGolfTavernwithafrequencywhichbetokenedacordialfriendshipandanungrudgedhospitality.AtMusselburghmanyguestsofprominencewereenter-tainedattheBurgessClub-house,andthepresenthomeoftheSocietyhasprovedequallyagreeabletovisitorsfromallovertheglobe.ThefirstvisitorwhodinedwiththeSociety,sofarasrevealed,wasBailieThomsonoftheEdinburghTownCouncil,thusshowingthattheSocietywasintouchwiththeMagistracyasearlyas1780.WilliamRossMunroofNewmore,Ross-shire,wasalsoaguestonthatoccasion,andboththesevisitorsweremadeHonoraryMembers.Nothingfurtherisrelatedinthisconnectionuntil1793,whenwefindthatMr.WilsonofWilsontown,Dr.WilsonofSt.Andrews,James41

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