FOOTNOTES:[5]Letter to the Right Hon. Joseph W. Henley, M.P., President of the Board of Trade, regarding Life-Assurance Institutions.By Robert Christie, Esq. Edinburgh: Constable & Co.
[5]Letter to the Right Hon. Joseph W. Henley, M.P., President of the Board of Trade, regarding Life-Assurance Institutions.By Robert Christie, Esq. Edinburgh: Constable & Co.
[5]Letter to the Right Hon. Joseph W. Henley, M.P., President of the Board of Trade, regarding Life-Assurance Institutions.By Robert Christie, Esq. Edinburgh: Constable & Co.
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A public library had been established by subscription among the citizens of Dumfries in September 1792, and Burns, ever eager about books, had been from the first one of its supporters. Before it was a week old, he had presented to it a copy of his poems. He does not seem to have been a regularly admitted member till 5th March 1793, when 'the committee, by a great majority, resolved to offer to Mr Robert Burns a share in the library, free of any admission-money [10s. 6d.] and the quarterly contributions [2s. 6d.] to this date, out of respect and esteem for his abilities as a literary man; and they directed the secretary to make this known to Mr Burns as soon as possible, that the application which they understood he was about to make in the ordinary way might be anticipated.' This is a pleasing testimony to Burns as a poet, but still more so to Burns as a citizen and member of society. His name appears in September as a member of committee—an honour assigned by vote of the members.
On the 30th of this month, the liberal poet bestowed four books upon the library—namely,Humphry Clinker,Julia de Roubigné,Knox's History of the Reformation, andDelolme on the British Constitution. The present intelligent librarian, Mr M'Robert, reports, respecting the last-mentioned work, a curious anecdote, which he learned directly from the late Provost Thomson of Dumfries. Early in the morning after Delolme had been presented, Burns came to Mr Thomson's bedside before he was up, anxiously desiring to see the volume, as he feared he had written something upon it 'which might bring him into trouble.' On the volume being shewn to him, he looked at the inscription which he had written upon it the previous night, and, having procured some paste, he pasted over it the fly-leaf in such a way as completely to conceal it.
The gentleman who has been good enough to communicate these particulars, adds: 'I have seen the volume, which is the edition of 1790, neatly bound, with a portraitof the author at the beginning. Some stains of ink shine through the paper, indicating that there is something written on the back of the engraving; but the fly-leaf being pasted down upon it, there is nothing legible. On holding the leaf up to the light, however, I distinctly read, in the undoubted manuscript of the poet, the following words:—
"Mr Burns presents this book to the Library, and begs they will takeit as a creed of British liberty—until they find a better. R. B."
'The words, "until they find a better," are evidently those which the poet feared "might bring him into trouble." Probably, if the inscription had not been written on the back of the engraving, he might have removed it altogether: at all events, his anxiety to conceal it shews what trivial circumstances were in those days sufficient to constitute a political offence.' Ay, and to think of this happening in the same month with the writing ofScots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled!
Fully to appreciate the feelings of alarm under which Burns acted on this occasion, it must be kept in view that the trial of Mr Thomas Muir for sedition had taken place on the 30th of August, when, in the evidence against him, appeared that of his servant, Ann Fisher, to the effect that he had purchased and distributed certain copies of Paine'sRights of Man. The stress laid upon that testimony by the crown-counsel had excited much remark. It might well appear to a government officer like Burns, that his own conduct at such a crisis ought to be in the highest degree circumspect. We do not know exactly the time when the incident which we are about to relate took place, but it appears likely to have been nearly that of Muir's trial. Our poet one day called upon his quondam neighbour, George Haugh, the blacksmith, and, handing him a copy of Paine'sCommon SenseandRights of Man, desired him to keep these books for him, as, if they were found in his own house, he should be a ruined man. Haugh readily accepted the trust, and the books remained in possession of his family down to a recent period.—Chambers's Life and Works of Burns, Vol. IV., just published.
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The following is worthy of notice, as exemplifying what may be done, by judicious attention, to improve an important national staple:—
'In a lecture recently delivered by Mr Owen at the Society of Arts, the learned professor detailed the particulars of a highly interesting experiment, which resulted in the establishment of one of the very few instances in which the origination of a distinct variety of a domestic quadruped could be satisfactorily traced, with all the circumstances attending its development well authenticated. We must premise it by stating, that amongst the series of wools shewn in the French department of the Great Exhibition, were specimens characterised by the jury as a wool of singular and peculiar properties; the hair, glossy and silky, similar to mohair, retaining at the same time certain properties of the merino breed. This wool was exhibited by J. L. Graux, of the farm of Mauchamp, Commune de Juvincourt, and the produce of a peculiar variety of the merino breed of sheep, and it thus arose. In the year 1828, one of the ewes of the flock of merinos in the farm of Mauchamp, produced a male lamb, which, as it grew up, became remarkable for the long, smooth, straight, and silky character of the fibre of the wool, and for the shortness of its horns. It was of small size, and presented certain defects in its conformation which have disappeared in its descendants. In 1829, M. Graux employed this ram with a view to obtain other rams, having the same quality of wool. The produce of 1830 only included one ram and one ewe, having the silky quality of the wool; that of 1831 produced four rams and one ewe with the fleece of that quality. In 1833, the rams, with the silky variety of wool, were sufficiently numerous to serve the whole flock. In each subsequent year the lambs have been of two kinds—one preserving the character of the ancient race, with the curled elastic wool, only a little longer and finer than in the ordinary merinos; the other resembling the rams of the new breed, some of which retained the large head, long neck, narrow chest, and long flanks of the abnormal progenitor, whilst others combined the ordinary and better-formed body with the fine silky wool. M. Graux, profiting by the partial resumption of the normal type of the merino in some of the descendants of the malformed original variety, at length succeeded, by a judicious system of crossing and interbreeding, in obtaining a flock combining the long silky fleece with a smaller head, shorter neck, broader flanks, and more capacious chest. Of this breed the flocks have become sufficiently numerous to enable the proprietor to sell examples for exportation. The crossing of the Beauchamp variety with the ordinary merino has also produced a valuable quality of wool, known in France as the "Mauchamp Merino." The fine silky wool of the pure Mauchamp breed is remarkable for its qualities, as combining wool, owing to the strength as well as the length and fineness of the fibre. It is found of great value by the manufacturers of Cashmere shawls, being second only to the true Cashmere fleece in the fine flexible delicacy of the fabric, and of particular utility when combined with the Cashmere wool in imparting to the manufacture qualities of strength and consistence, in which the pure Cashmere is deficient. Although the quantity of the wool yielded by the Mauchamp variety is less than in the ordinary merinos, the higher price which it obtains in the French market—25 per cent. above the best merino wools—and the present value of the breed, have fully compensated M. Graux for the pains and care manifested by him in the establishment of the variety, and a council medal was awarded to him.'
We find the above abstract in theCritic(London Literary Journal); and our chief object in making the quotation, is to bring the subject under the notice of wool-growers in the home country, as well as in Australia. What, it may be asked, could not be done by every store-farmer following the example of M. Graux?
BY W. E. L.
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Yes! she is dead: the splendour of her eyesSleeps 'neath the lids for ever; on my sightNever again shall flash their high delight,Tender and rich with love's sweet ecstasies.Never again, deep down from vulgar ken,Shall the pure gushing of her soul rejoice,And we stand silent, as to hear the voiceOf waters falling to a soundless glen.And scarce again from other lips shall comeSuch beauteous truths, such fresh imaginings,As, like the warm south-wind, upon their wingsBear off our fancy to their own bright home.Yet am I calm: though hard it be to smoothWaters upshaken from the deepest deep;Though it be hard to watch, yet never weep,The darkening cynosure of passionate youth;Yet am I calm. The heart I had to bringWas marred with imperfection and decay,Now the free spirit, riven from the clay,Drinks at the fountain whence all love must spring.O passed from earthly to celestial love!O reft from me and from my clinging grasp,And circled straightway by the close, warm claspOf seraph bosoms in the land above!I will not weep thee more. But if I longToo sorrowfully for thy presence here,Not vainly on thy turf shall fall the tear,But thy dead name shall blossom into song.
Yes! she is dead: the splendour of her eyesSleeps 'neath the lids for ever; on my sightNever again shall flash their high delight,Tender and rich with love's sweet ecstasies.
Never again, deep down from vulgar ken,Shall the pure gushing of her soul rejoice,And we stand silent, as to hear the voiceOf waters falling to a soundless glen.
And scarce again from other lips shall comeSuch beauteous truths, such fresh imaginings,As, like the warm south-wind, upon their wingsBear off our fancy to their own bright home.
Yet am I calm: though hard it be to smoothWaters upshaken from the deepest deep;Though it be hard to watch, yet never weep,The darkening cynosure of passionate youth;
Yet am I calm. The heart I had to bringWas marred with imperfection and decay,Now the free spirit, riven from the clay,Drinks at the fountain whence all love must spring.
O passed from earthly to celestial love!O reft from me and from my clinging grasp,And circled straightway by the close, warm claspOf seraph bosoms in the land above!
I will not weep thee more. But if I longToo sorrowfully for thy presence here,Not vainly on thy turf shall fall the tear,But thy dead name shall blossom into song.
Printed and Published by W. and R.Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh. Also sold by W. S.Orr, Amen Corner, London; D. N.Chambers, 55 West Nile Street, Glasgow; and J.M'Glashan, 50 Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.—Advertisements for Monthly Parts are requested to be sent toMaxwell & Co., 31 Nicholas Lane, Lombard Street, London, to whom all applications respecting their insertion must be made.