relieved; but this was immediately followed by a new attack of fever. When brought back to his own house in Dumfries, on the 18th of July, he was no longer able to ftand upright. At this time a' tremor pervaded his frame; his tongue was parched, and his mind funk into delirium when not roused by converfation. On the fecond and third day the fever in creased, and his ftrength diminished. On the fourth, the fufferings of this great but ill-fated genius were terminated, and a life was clofed in which virtue and paffion had been at perpetual variance.

"The death of Burns made a ftrong and general impreffion on all who had interested themselves in his character, and especially on the inhabitants of the town and county in which he had spent the latter years of his life. Flagrant as his follies and errors had been, they had not deprived him of the refpect and regard entertained for the extraordinary powers of his genius, and the generous qualities of his heart. The gentlemen volunteers of Dumfries determined to bury their illustrious affociate with military honours, and every preparation was made to render this laft service folemn and impreffive.

"Burns died in great poverty; but the independence of his fpirit, and the exemplary prudence of his wife, had preferved him from debt. He had received from his poems a clear profit of about nine hundred pounds. Of this fum, the part expended on his library (which was far from extenfive) and in the humble furniture of his house remained; and obligations were found for two hundred pounds advanced by him to the affiftance of thofe to whom he was united by the ties of blood, and ftill more by

those of esteem and affection. When it is confidered that his expences in Edinburgh, and on his various journeys, could not be inconfiderable; that his agricultural undertaking was unfuccefsful; that his income from the excife was for fome time as low as fifty, and never rofe to above feventy pounds ayear; that his family was large, and his fpirit liberal-no one will be furprised that his circumstances were fo poor, or that, as his health decayed, his proud and feeling heart funk under the fecret confcioufnefs of indigence, and the apprehenfions of abfolute want. Yet poverty never bent the spirit of Burns to any pecuniary meannefs. Neither chicanery nor fordidness ever appeared in his conduct. He carried his difregard of money to a blameable excels. Even in the midft of diftrefs he bore himself loftily to the world, and received with a jealous reluctance every offer of friendly affiftance. His printed poems had procured him great celebrity, and a just and fair recompenfe for the latter offsprings of his pen might have produced him confiderable emolument. In the year 1795, the editors of a London newspaper, high in its character for literature and independence of fentiment, made a propofal to him, that he should furnish them once a week with an article for their poetical department, and receive from them a recompenfe of fifty-two guineas per aunum; an offer which the pride of genius difdained to accept. Yet he had for several years furnished, and was at that time furnishing, the Museum of Johnson with his beautiful lyrics, without fee or reward, and was obftinately refufing all recompenfe for his afliftance to the greater work of Mr. Thomson.

which the juftice and generofity of that gentleman was preffing upon him.

"The fenfe of his poverty, and of the approaching diftrefs of his infant family, preffed heavily on Burns as he lay on the bed of death. Yet he alluded to his indigence, at times, with fomething approaching to his wonted gaiety. What bu finefs,' faid he to Dr. Maxwell,. who attended him with the utmoft zeal, has a phyfician to waste his time on me? I am a poor pigeon not worth plucking. Alas! I have not feathers enough upon me to carry me to my grave.' And when his reason was loft in delirium, his ́ideas ran in the fame melancholy train; the horrors of a jail were continually prefent to his troubled imagination, and produced the most affecting exclamations.

"As for fome months previous to his death he had been incapable of the duties of his office, Burns dreaded that his falary fhould be reduced one half, as is ufual in fuch cafes. His full emoluments were however continued to him by the kindness of Mr. Stobbie, a young expectant in the excife, who per formed the duties of his office without fee or reward; and Mr. Graham of Fintry, hearing of his illness, though unacquainted with its dan gerous nature, made an offer of his affiftance towards procuring him the means of preferving his health. Whatever might be the faults of Burns, ingratitude was not of the number. Amongst his manufcripts, various proofs are found of the fenfe he entertained of Mr. Graham's friendship, which delicacy towards that gentleman has induced us to fupprefs; and on this laft occafion there is no doubt that his heart overflowed towards him, though

he had no longer the power of expreffing his feelings.

"On the death of Burns, the inhabitants of Dumfries and its neighbourhood opened a fubfcription for the fupport of his wife and family; and Mr. Miller, Mr Macmurdo, Dr. Maxwell, Mr. Syme, and Mr. Cunningham, gentlemen of the firit refpectability, became trustees for the application of the money to its proper objects. The fubfcription was extended to other parts of Scotland, and of England alfo, particularly London and Liverpool. By this means a fum was raifed amounting to feven hundred pounds; and thus the widow and children were rescued from immediate diftrefs, and the most melancholy of the forebodings of Burns happily disappointed. It is true, this fum, though equal to their prefent fupport, is infufficient to fecure them from future penury. Their hope in regard to futurity depends on the favourable reception. of these volumes from the public at large, in the promoting of which the candour and humanity of the reader may induce him to lend his affiftance.

His

Burns, as has already been men tioned, was nearly five feet ten inches in height, and of a form that indicated agility as well as ftrength. His well raised forehead, fhaded with black curling hair, indicated extenfive capacity. eyes were large, dark, full of ardour and intelligence. His face was well formed, and his countenance uncommonly interefting and expreflive. His mode of drefling, which was often flovenly, and a certain ful> nefs and bend in his fhoulders, characteristic of his original profeffion, difguif.d in fome degree the natural fymmetry and elegance of

his form. The external appearance of Burns was roft ftrikingly indicative of the character of his mind. On a first view, his phyfiognomy had a certain air of coarfenefs, mingled however with an expreffion of deep penetration, and of calm thoughtfulness approaching to melancholy. There appeared in his firft manner and addreis perfect cafe and felf-poffeflion, bat a ftern and almoft fupercilious clevation, not indeed incompatible with opennefs and affability, which however be fpoke a mind confcious of fuperior talents. Strangers that fuppofed themfelves approaching an Ayrshire peafant, who could make rhymes, and to whom their notice was an honcur, found the mfelves f etdily overawed by the prefence of a man who bore himself with dignity, and who poffefled a fingular power of correcting forwardnefs and of repelling intrufion. But though jealous, of the refpe&t due to himfelf, Burns never enforced it where he faw it was willingly paid; and though inacceffible to the approaches of pride, he was open to every advance of kindness and of benevolence. His dark and haughty countenance eafily relaxed into a look of goodwill, of pity, or of tendernefs; and, as the various emotions fucceeded each other in his mind, affumed with equal eafe the expreffion of the broadest humour, of the moft extravagant mirth, of the deepeft melancholy, or of the moft fublime emotion. The tones of his voice happily correfponded with the expreflion of his features, and with the feelings of his mind. When to thefe endowments are added, a rapid and diftinct apprehenfion, a moft powerful understanding, and happy command of language-of ftrength as well as brilliancy of ex

preffion-we fhall be able to account for the extraordinary attractions of his converfation-for the forcery which in his focial parties be feemed to exert on all around him. in the company of women this forcery was more efpecially apparent. Their prefence charmed the fiend of melancholy in his bofom, and awoke his happiest feelings; it excited the powers of his fancy as well as the tenderness of his heart; and, by reftraining the vehemence and the exuberance of his language, at times gave to his manners the impreffion of tafte, and even of elegance, which in the company of men they feldom poffeffed. This influence was doubtlefs reciprocal. A Scottish lady, accustomed to the best fociety, declared with characteristic naïveté, that no man's converfation ever carried her fo completely off her feet as that of Burns; and an English lady, familiarly acquainted with feveral of the most distinguished characters of the prefent times, affured the editor, that in the happiest of his focial hours there was a charm about Burns which he had never feen equalled. This charm arose not more from the power than the verfatility of his genius. No languor could be felt in the fociety of a man who paffed at pleasure from grave to gay, from the ludicrous to the pathetic, from the fimple to the fublime; who wielded all his faculties with equal strength and eafe, and never failed to impress the offfpring of his fancy with the ftamp of his underflanding.

"This indeed is to reprefent Burns in his happiest phafis. In large and mixed parties he was often filent and dark, fometimes fierce and overbearing; he was jealous of the proud man's fcorn, jealous to

an

an extreme of the infolence of wealth, and prone to avenge, even on its innocent poffeffor, the partiality of fortune. By nature kind, brave, fincere, and in a fingular degree compaffionate, he was on the other hand proud, irafcible, and vindictive. His virtues and his failings had their origin in the extraordinary fenfibility of his mind, and equally partook of the chills and glows of fentiment. His friendips were liable to interruption from jealousy or difguft, and his enmities died away under the influence of pity or felf-accufation. His understanding was equal to the other powers of his mind, and his deliberate opinions were fingularly candid and juft; but, like other men of great and irregular genius, the opinions which he delivered in converfation were often the offspring of temporary feelings, and widely different from the calm decifions of his judgment. This was not merely true refpecting the characters of others, but in regard to fome of the most important points of human fpeculation.

"On no fubject did he give a more striking proof of the ftrength of his understanding, than in the correct estimate he formed of himfelf. He knew his own failings; he predicted their confequence; the melancholy foreboding was never

long abfent from his mind; yet his pallions carried him down the stream of error, and fwept him over the precipice he faw directly in his courfe. The fatal defect in his character lay in the comparative hy weaknefs of his volition, that fuperior faculty of the mind, which governing the conduct according to the dictates of the understanding, alone entitles it to be denominated rational; which is the parent of fortitude, patience, and feif-denial; which, by regulating and combining human exertions, may be faid to have effected all that is great in the works of man, in literature, in fcience, or on the face of nature. The occupations of a poet are not calculated to strengthen the governing powers of the mind, orto weaken that fenfibility which requires perpetual control, fince it gives birth to the vehemence of paffion as well as to the higher powers of imagination. Unfortunately the favourite occupations of genius are calculated to increase all its peculi arities; to nourish that lofty pride which difdains the littlenefs of prudence, and the reftrictions of order; and by indulgence to increafe that fenfibility, which in the prefent form of our exiftence is fcarcely compatible with peace or happiness, even when accompanied with the choiceft gifts of fortune!

gion, he was yet young when he commenced the courfe of his extraordinary mortifications. The first vow, which the plan of life he had chosen to himself induced him to make, was to continue perpetually upon his legs, and neither to fit down upon the ground, nor lie down to reft, for the space of twelve years. All this time, he told me, he had employed in wandering through different countries. When I inquired how he took the indifpenfable refreshment of fleep, when wearied with fatigue, he faid, that at first, to prevent his falling, he used to be tied with ropes to fome tree or poft; but that this precaution, after fome time, became unneceffary, and he was able to fleep ftanding without fuch fupport.

"The complete term of this first penance being expired, the next he undertook was to hold his hands, locked in each other, over his head, the fingers of one hand dividing thofe of the other, for the fame space of twelve years. Whether this particular period is chofen in compliment to the twelve figns of the zodiac, or to the Indian cycle of twelve years, 1 cannot decide. He was ftill determined not to dwell in any fixed abode; fo that, before the term of this laft vow could be accomplished, he had travelled over the greater part of the continent of Afia. He firft fet out by crofing the peninfula of India through Guzerat; he then paffed by Surat to Bulfora, and thence to Conftantinople; from Turkey he went to Ifpahan; and fojourned fo long among the different Perfian tribes, as to obtain a confiderable knowledge of their language, in which he converfed with tolerable cafe. In his paffage from thence towards Rullia, he fell

in with the Kuffaucs (hordes of Coffacs) upon the borders of the Cafpian fea, where he narrowly escaped being condemned to perpetual flavery: at length he was fuffered to pafs on, and reached Mofcow: he then travelled along the northern boundary of the Ruffian empire, and through Siberia arrived at Pekin in China, from whence he came through Tibet, by the way of Tefhoo Loomboo, and Nipal, down to Calcutta.

“ When I first saw him at this place, in the year 1783, he rode upon a piebald Tangun horfe from Bootan, and wore a fatin embroidered dress, given to him by Tefhoo Lama, of which he was not a little vain. He was robuft, and hale; and his complexion, contrafted with a long bushy black beard, appeared really florid. I do not fuppofe that he was then forty years of age. Two Gofeins at tended him, and affifted him in mounting and alighting from his horse. Indeed he was indebted to them for the athiftance of their hands on every occafion; his own, being fixed and immoveable in the pofition in which he had placed them, were of course perfectly useless.

"The circulation of blood feemed to have forfaken his arms; they were withered, void of fenfation, and inflexible. Yet he spoke to me with confidence of recovering the ufe of them, and mentioned his intention to take them down the following year, when the term of his penance would expire,

"Other Gofe ns affured me, though I could not help doubting the fact, that it is practicable to restore withered limbs, thus circumfianced, to perfect ufe. This is effected, they fay, though not without great labour, and fome pain, by means

of