. First steps with American and British authors. an becametiresome and disagreeable, and at last utterly unendur-able. He consequently left it, tried farming on his own account, and failed. Disgust-ed with every thing abouthim, he resolved to leaveScotland, and to trv his for-tune in the West Indies,where so many Scots hadalready reaped an abundanceof wealth. In order to paythe expense of the voyageout, Burns published a co-lection of his poems. Thiswas so successful that hereceived more than enoughmoney, and great these circumstances,he gave up the idea of going abroad; and t
. First steps with American and British authors. an becametiresome and disagreeable, and at last utterly unendur-able. He consequently left it, tried farming on his own account, and failed. Disgust-ed with every thing abouthim, he resolved to leaveScotland, and to trv his for-tune in the West Indies,where so many Scots hadalready reaped an abundanceof wealth. In order to paythe expense of the voyageout, Burns published a co-lection of his poems. Thiswas so successful that hereceived more than enoughmoney, and great these circumstances,he gave up the idea of going abroad; and the Ayrshirepoet was invited by the great people of Edinburgh to paythem a visit. They gave him a most cordial receptionwhen he came, feasting and lionizing him ; and he, plough-man though he was, conducted himself as if he were thefinest gentleman among them. When this grand timewas over, the poet went back to his old life, which did notlook more pleasant after his brilliant holiday experiencesin Edinburgh. Troubles came upon him, and he had at. ROBERT BURXS. ROBERT BURNS, 225 last to accept the humble office of exciseman. Unfortu-nately, this was the very worst employment he could haveengaged in. He craved strong drink, and in the fulfil-ment of his dirties as exciseman he had too many oppor-tunities of indulging himself. One night in January hecaught cold. The cold brought on fever; and at the ageof thirty-seven the great but unfortunate poet died, in 1796,at Dumfries, leaving a wife and six children in poverty. Burns is best known as a lyric poet. His songs aremostly about love, patriotism, and pleasure. Of the first,that beginning ^Ae fond kiss, and then we sever, is agood example ; of the second, • Scots wha hae wi Wallacebled ; and of the third, the songs which occur through-out The Jolly Beggars. The characteristics of his styleare humor, careful and loving study of nature, and anability to express the emotions of the human heart whichShakspeare alone has been able to
Size: 1391px × 1797px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectenglishliterature
