BURNS NIGHT

Southland Times, Issue 22491, 28 January 1935, Page 9

BURNS NIGHT

CHIEFTAIN MILLER’S ADDRESS LIFE OF THE POET. In his address at the Bums night held on Friday evening, Chieftain John Miller, in his address, stated: “Brother and Sister Scots, we meet to-night to pay a tribute to .the memory of Robert Bums, Scotland’s National Poet,” began Chieftain Miller. “All over the world wherever Scots foregather to-night their theme will be—The Immortal Memory of Burns. “Owing to the fact that the gentleman who was to give the address is unable to come to Invercargill I was asked to fill the gap,” he went on. “It was with a good deal of misgiving that I agreed to do so. No doubt there are some |n this hall who know more of the poet’s life and works than I do, and are better qualified to handle the subject. I lay no claim to be a Burns scholar, but simply an admirer of the Bard, and a brother Scot. “Burns was a great exponent of democracy and brotherhood amongst men and nations as is shown in ‘A man’s a man for a’ that. “That was written in the 18th century and the sentiments there expressed by Bums are what is required to-day to put the world’s affairs in order,” continued the speaker. “When six years old Robert and his brother Gilbert were first sent to the little village school at Alloway Mill, but when the teacher of the school left, their father arranged with some of his neighbours to secure the services of a young teacher named John Murdoch who set Up a small school which the brothers attended. About this time, 1766, his father took a poor farm at Mount Oliphant, two miles off. The boys’ attendance became irregular and Murdoch gave up the school after two and a-half years. The children were then chiefly taught by their father. In 1772 Robert attended the parish school at Dalrymple, to improve his writing. The next summer he spent three weeks with Murdoch, who had been appointed Master at Ayr Grammar School. Murdoch gave Bums one week’s training in English and two in French. Bums had to return home at harvest time to assist. At thirteen years of age Robert helped to thresh the com and at fifteen he was the principal labourer on the farm, for they could not afford to keep a hired servant. John Murdoch took a great interest in the boy and lent him the life of Hannibal to read (his first book other than school books). Burns afterwards borrowed a life of Wallace. Burns was a great reader and his father encouraged this, buying and borrowing some educational ana tneological works. He became a very proficient English and French s^ hol ® r ’ His first poem ‘Handsome Nell inspired by Nelly Kilpatrick, a fellow labourer in the fields, was composed m his seventeenth year. “Mount Oliphant, as has been stated, was a poor place. William Burness and his family continued to struggle on there for nearly twelve years, the last two or three of which were the hardest they had experienced during their term, and to add to their trouble Provost Ferguson, who had always been a generous landlord, aiea. held a high opinion of the integrity of William Burness and had advanced him £lOO when he went into the farm of Mount Oliphant. After his death, his struggling tenant fellmfo the hands of the factor whose: cal ous treatment served to drive deeper into the proud soul of William B “Robert says—‘my father’s spirit was soon irritable, but not easily broken, and to weather the last two years the lease we retrenched expenses,, and by doing so were able j° the end of the term.’ ,At Whitsuntide, 1777 William Burness leased a farm or 130 acres at Lochlea in Tarbolton Parish, ten miles further in the country, where the family hoped to make good. But William Burness bent by overwork and worry was already at fifty an old and broken man. , “About this time Roberts gay and adventurous spirit began to free itself, his admirable talent for debate found many opportunities to display his abil ities. His studies came to a sudden end however, by his falling madly in love with a girl, Peggy Thomson, whose innocent charms drove trigonometry out of his head, and so he returned to Lochlea and laboured hard at the plough. In honour of Peggy Thomson he wrote ‘Now Westlin’ Winds.

We’ll gently walk and sweetly talk. Till the silent moon shines clearly, I’ll grasp thy waist, and fondly prest Swear how I love thee dearly. Not vernal showers to budding flowers Not autumn to the farmer “So dear can be. as thou to, me, My fair, my lovely charmer. “During this period he wrote ‘Winter,’ a dirge, also the stirring ballad, ‘John Barleycorn,’ and ‘The Death and Dying Words of poor Mailie,’ the poet’s pet yowe. In his leisure hours besides cultivating the muse he frequently visited the village of Tarbolton where with others he formed a debating society-—The Bachelors’ Club—a body with a limited membership, comprised of the youths of the parish, who met regularly for social and intellectual entertainment. About this time also he joined the Freemasons and remained all his life a loyal brother of the compass and square. “Bums was now 22 years old and for the first time had fallen seriously in love, the object of his affections being a girl named Elison Begbie, the daughter of a neighbouring fanner. “Three months before their father died Robert and Gilbert foreseeing the inevitable disaster had. leased the farm of Mossgiel from Gavin .Hamilton, the Mauchline lawyer who in after years became a fast friend of the poet. After the father’s funeral Lochlea was abandoned and the family repaired to their new home to make a fresh start. It was a family venture and as all of them were thoroughly trained in farm work and had never lived other than frugally, it was reasonable for them to believe that the enterprise would prosper. That it did not begin by prospering was no fault of Robert’s. He read ‘farming works,’ he ‘calculated crops, he worked hard in the .fields, lived soberly and thriftily, but it was of no avail. In the first year, from unfortunately buying in bad seed, and in the second, from a late harvest he states he lost half of both crops. ‘‘During the three years’ residence at Mossgiel at the age of 25 to 28 Burns 3 name became firmly established as that of Scotland’s greatest poet, it was at Mossgiel that some of his best-known poems were produced, including such masterpieces as ‘The Epistle to Davie, ‘Death and Dr Hornbook,’ "The Holy Fair,’ ‘Hallowe’en.’ ‘The Jolly Beggars, ‘To a Mouse,’ “The Cottars’ Saturday Night,’ ‘The Twa Dogs’ and ‘The Vision.’ On these poems alone the reputation of Bums might well rest. Taken as a whole no other poetic effusions can be compared- with them. Written in the Scots’ dialect his verses show kindly humour, wit, love of the outward world, and knowledge of men, all beautifully intertwined into one strand of poetry unlike anything else that ha.s been seen before or since. •“During his sojourn at Mossgiel he became acquainted with Jean Armour, it is said he met her at a dance. When the burly bright-eyed farmer swung into the dance there came,, scuffling and romping at his heels,. his shaggy collie; ‘Faith,’ laughed Robin,. ‘I wish I could get ony o’ the lasses to like me as weel as my dog.’ , , . “Their assignations resulted m nis desire for a secret marriage, <he ga ve her a legal certificate of marriage,

signed by himself and regularly witnessed, which was as valid as a marriage certificate of a clergyman or magistrate in Scottish law. Jean's father compelled the destruction of the certificate. This and her father’s threatened legal prosecution nearly upset the mind of Bums and he determined to leave Scotland for Jamaica, to escape from his mental torture, but he had not the wherewithal to pay Ills passage. His friends persuaded him to publish his verses and to this he consented. A collection of 50 of his best pieces was made and 600 copies of this octavo volume were printed and sold to subscribers at the price of 3/- each (only one copy of this original work—the Kilmarnock edition, is now known to exist and it was sold in 1896 for £121). All that Burns netted from this transaction was about £2O clear and out of that he actually purchased his ticket for Jamaica. During the time he was preparing his Kilmarnock edition he met Mary Campbell and suffering from the treatment meted out to him by the Armours and believing with all his heart that Jean had cast him off for ever, and that the destruction of the marriage certificate had set him free, he found solace and comfort in his Highland Mary. Their love was deep and short, their courtship only lasted some two months. On a Sunday afternoon, May 14, 1786, they parted on the banks of the fail water. They exchanged Bibles as a mark of betrothment and she agreed to accompany him as his wife to Jamaica. In October the same year Mary caught a fever and died while nursing her brother. . His love for Mary Campbell is commemorated in the poems “Highland Lassie,” “Will you go to the Indies, My Mary?” “Highland Mary” and especially in his most pathetic poem “To Mary in Heaven.” The journey to Jamaica did not eventuate, his published verses sold out in two months and were read in the higher ranks of society, a second edition was called for and Burns was induced to go to Edinburgh and there launch his second and larger edition. Bums went to Edinburgh in 1786 when nearly 28 years of age, and here his career if short, was brilliant. When the second edition was published Bums had no further real reason for remaining in Edinburgh except to collect his money from the publisher, Creech, whb was dilatory in his payments. Three thousand copies were published and Bums ultimately received about £5OO. Along with one Robert Ainslee he set out on a tour of the border towns, crossing the border and going as far as Newcastle, then to Carlisle, from Carlisle on through Dumfries to Dalswinton looking round for a farm. Ultimately he returned to Mauchline where he was received with pride and joy by his mother, brothers and sisters. Here he renewed his intimacy with Jean Armour, but her father still remained obdurate. The actions of the parents angered him, but against Bonnie Jean he could not hold rancour. Shortly afterwards he left for the West Highlands where he spent a couple of weeks and returned .to Mauchline. , . “On February 16, 1788, Burns left Edinburgh and returned to Mauchline, called on Jean and reconciled her to her mother. He had long entertained a desire to return to the land, so. he paid another visit to Ellisland in Nithsdale, six miles north of Dumfries. Although the buildings were in a dilapidated condition and had all to be rebuilt, the place had many attractions for him. It was situated in beautiful surroundings. Allan Cunningham said to him, “Mr Bums, you have made a poet’s choice, not a farmer’s.” Bums had set his heart on the place and in March, 1788, he leased the farm, consisting of 100 acres. “In April, 1788, he married Jean Armour at the house of his friend, Gavin Hamilton. It was eight months before the house at Ellisland was ready for occupation. Meantime Jean stayed on at'Mauchline and Bums, though busy on the farm, thought little ot frequently riding the fifty miles to see her. During this separation his Bonnie Jean was constantly in his thoughts. “For a time Bums was happy and contented at Ellisland but through bad weather and poor crops the farming adventure proved a failure. In an endeavour to better his position he accepted a position as exciseman at £5O a year. He had a large district to supervise, which entailed his riding 200 miles every week. This took him away from home a lot, and the farm went from bad to worse, and after 3| years he gave up the farm and retired to Dumfries where he continued his excise duties until his health gave way and he died there on July 21, 1796, at the age of 37. Four days later, amidst a vast concourse of townsmen and strangers the mortal remains of Robert Bums were deposited, with military honours, in St. Michael’s Church yard of Dumfn“The news that Bums was dead sounded like a knell announcing a great national bereavement. Men woke up to realize the greatness of the gitt which, in him, had been vouchsafed to the nation. Self-reproach mingled with universal sorrow as men asked themselves whether they might not have done more to cherish and prolong that rarely gifted life. Public sympathy was aroused and the widow and five children were placed above want. Later the body was removed to a special corner of the church yard and an elaborate mausoleum erected to his “Carlyle said of him: We are far from regarding him as guilty before the world, as guiltier than the average, nay, from doubting that he is less guilty than one in ten thousand. “Short was his life, but he lives on in the hearts of succeeding generations.”