The Letters of Robert Burns | Page 2

Peter Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. Beugo, engraver, Edinburgh
To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry
To his Wife, at Mauchline.
To Miss Chalmers, Edinburgh
To Mr. Morison, wright, Mauchline
To Mrs. Dunlop, of Dunlop
To Mr. Peter Hill
To the Editor of the "Star"
To Mrs. Dunlop, at Moreham Mains
To Dr. Blacklock
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. John Tennant
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Dr. Moore, London
To Mr. Robert Ainslie
To Professor Dugald Stewart
To Mr. Robert Cleghorn, Saughton Mills

To Bishop Geddes, Edinburgh
To Mr. James Burness
To Mrs. Dunlop
To, Mrs. M'Lehose (formerly Clarinda)
To Dr. Moore
To his Brother, Mr. William Burns
To Mr. Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh
To Mrs. M'Murdo, Drumlanrig
To Mr. Cunningham
To Mr. Richard Brown
To Mr. Robert Ainslie
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Miss Helen Maria Williams
To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry.
To David Sillar, merchant, Irvine.
To Mr. John Logan, of Knock Shinriock
To Mr. Peter Stuart, editor, London
To his Brother, William Burns, saddler, Newcastle-on-Tyne
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Captain Riddel, Friars Carse

To Mr. Robert Ainslie, W.S.
To Mr. Richard Brown, Port-Glasgow
To Mr. R. Graham, of Fintry
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Lady Winifred M. Constable
To Mr. Charles K. Sharpe, of Hoddam
To his Brother, Gilbert Burns, Mossgiel
To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S.
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. Peter Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh
To Mr. W. Nicol
To Mr. Cunningham, writer, Edinburgh
To Mr. Hill, bookseller, Edinburgh
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Dr. John Moore, London
To Mr. Murdoch, teacher of French, London
To Mr. Cunningham
To Mr. Crauford Tait, W.S., Edinburgh
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. William Dunbar, W.S.

To Mr. Peter Hill
To Dr. Moore
To Mrs. Dunlop
To the Rev. Arch. Alison
To the Rev. G. Haird
To Mr. Cunningharn, writer, Edinburgh
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. Cunningham
To Mr. Thomas Sloan
To Mr. Ainslie
To Miss Davies
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. William Smellie, printer
To Mr. William Nicol
To Mr. Francis Grose, F.S.A
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. Cunningham
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mrs. Dunlop

To Mr. R. Graham, Fintry
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. Robert Graham, of Fintry
To Mr. Alex. Cunningham, W.S., Edinbiugh
To Mr. Cunningham
To Miss Benson, York, afterwards Mrs. Basil Montagu
To Mr. John Francis Erskine, of Mar
To Miss M'Murdo, Drumlanrig
To John M'Murdo, Esq., Drumlanrig
To Mrs. Riddel
To Mrs. Riddel
To Mrs. Riddel
To Mrs. Riddel
To Mr. Cunningham
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. James Johnson
To Mr. Peter Hill, Jun., of Dalswinton
To Mrs. Riddel
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mrs. Dunlop, in London

To the Hon. The Provost, etc., of Damfries
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr James Johnson
To Mr. Cunningham
To Mr. Gilbert Burns
To Mrs. Burns
To Mrs. Dunlop
To Mr. James Burness, writer, Montrose
To his Father-in-law, James Armour, mason, Mauchline
THE THOMSON LETTERS

BURNS'S LETTERS.
It is not perhaps generally known that the prose of Burns exceeds in
quantity his verse. The world remembers him as a poet, and forgets or
overlooks his letters. His place among the poets has never been
denied--it is in the first rank; nor is he lowest, though little remembered,
among letter-writers. His letters gave Jeffrey a higher opinion of him as
a man than did his poetry, though on both alike the critic saw the seal
and impress of genius. Dugald Stewart thought his letters objects of
wonder scarcely less than his poetry. And Robertson, comparing his
prose with his verse, thought the former the more extraordinary of the
two. In the popular view of his genius there is, however, no denying the
fact that his poetry has eclipsed his prose.
His prose consists mostly of letters, but it also includes a noble
fragment of autobiography; three journals of observations made at
Mossgiel, Edinburgh, and Ellisland respectively; two itineraries, the

one of his border tour, the other of his tour in the Highlands; and
historical notes to two collections of Scottish songs. A full enumeration
of his prose productions would take account also of his masonic
minutes, his inscriptions, a rather curious business paper drawn up by
the poet-exciseman in prosecution of a smuggler, and of course his
various prefaces, notably the dedication of his poems to the members of
the Caledonian Hunt.
His letters, however, far exceed the sum of his other-prose writings.
Close upon five hundred and forty have already been published. These
are not all the letters he ever wrote. Where, for example, is the literary
correspondence in which he engaged so enthusiastically with his
Kirkoswald schoolfellows? "Though I had not three farthings' worth of
business in the world, yet every post brought me as many letters as if I
had been a broad-plodding son of daybook and ledger." Where are the
letters which brought to the ploughman at