1 Reward. Ah, Tam! ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin'! 1 In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin'! And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle ; 5 Now, wha11 this tale o' truth shall read, 2 Herring. 3 Bridge. Fiend, = never. design. 6 Knew. 7 Jump. NOTES. 1. Chapman. See notes (174), page 27. 2. Drouthy, from 'drouth'=' drought' (old druguth), from dryge (dry).Neibor, neighbour, old neahbur, lit. near-dweller. Cf. Ger. nachbar. From neah (near), and gebur (boor: cf. Ger. bauer, cultivator, peasant), from buan, to dwell, till, cultivate. 4. To tak the gate, to take the road, set out, begin to go (home, or elsewhere). 6. Unco, short for uncouth' (old un 13 dear 205 210 215 220 5 Eagerness, anxious 9 Jade. 10 Seized, cuth), lit. un-known; hence strange, unusual; and as adv., very. 8. Stiles. Old Eng. stigel (step), from stigan (to climb). 18. As ta'en. The usual ellipsis would be as to have ta'en;' but the form in the text is common in Scotch: cf. 73: 6 as 'twad blawn' for 'as it would have blown.' 19. Thou was. Cf. To a Mouse, 25, 28, 33; and below, 22, 24, &c. Also notes (256 and 259), page 52. 'Ca'-a-shoe 25. Was ca'd a shoe on. on' is taken as compound verb transitive. Relat. subj. 'that' is to be supplied. 26. The smith and thee gat... fou. Dr Murray carefully notes this apparent use of objective case for nominative, and distinguishes it from the 'direct or proper nominative,' and from the 'direct objec tive,' calling it an indirect case, used like the French moi, toi, lui, eux, for both nominative and objective in certain positions. But while in French this indirect case or dative is in its history and derivation distinct from the direct accusative, the indirect case in Scotch is, viewed etymologically, really the objective of the English (the dative or accusative of the Anglo-Saxon).' (Dialect of Southern Counties, page 187.) He enumerates six cases (page 190), of which this is one, namely, 'when two or more nominatives form the subject of the same verb.' Cf. The Author's Earnest Cry and Prayer, 14: Scotland and me's in great affliction.' 28. Kirton Jean, Kirk-town Jean; Jean Kennedy, whose place of business was in the kirk-town-in the part of the town or village close to the kirk (church). 31. Warlock, wizard, a man supposed to be in compact with the devil. Old warloga, werloga, a belier (leogan, to lie; loga, a liar) or breaker of his compact or bargain (war). Mirk, 'In the mirk,' or murk in the dark. Cf. the adj. 'murky.' To express intense darkness, the Scotch say 'it is dark and mark' (mirk). 40. Drank. Cf. The cakes eat crisp;' 'the paper feels rough;' &c. (See Murison's First Work in English, sect. 211.) 63. Borealis, belonging to Boreas (Lat., * Juice, liquid. 'The the north wind); northern. Borealis race' is the 'Aurora Borĕalis' or 'Northern Lights.' 69. Keystane. Cf. 206, note; and explain the metaphor. 81. Skelpit imitates the sound of the horse's feet dashing through the 'dub and mire' of the road. 105. John Barleycorn. A personification of the corns or grains of barley, used in making malt, whence 'the barley bree' * (The Happy Trio, chorus, 4)-ale, whisky, &c. Cf. Scotch Drink, 17-8, 23-4: 'Leeze me on thee, † John Barley corn, Thou king o' grain !... But when thou pours thy strong heart's blood, There thou shines chief.' 108. Usquebae, usquebaugh, whisky. From Keltic uisge-beath, lit. water of life, like Fr. eau de vie, and Lat. aqua vita. The root of uisge appears in many names, especially of rivers : Usk, Esk, Exe, Axe, the Wash, Wis- in Wisbeach, Ouse, Ox- (a corruption of Ouse) in Oxford, &c. 110. Fair play. Elliptical for if he got fair play,' or such like conditional clause.- -Cared na (for) deils, &c. 114. Vow! or wow!= 'lo !' Common in old Scotch ballads. 116. Brent new 'brand-new,' burnednew; the same as 'fire-new.' Bright, fresh, untarnished, as if just taken from the fire: 'quite new. 120. Auld Nick, Old Nick, the Devil. Old Eng. nicor, a water-god, seamonster. Icel. nykr, a fabulous water-goblin. 187. Caper, leap, jump; like the frisking of a goat (Lat. caper). 194. Byke, building, dwelling, nest, hive. From Old Eng. byggan. See To a Mouse, 21, note. + Lit. 'lief is (to) me on thee;''especially dear to me art thou." 201. Fairin', fairing; present given at, Cf. 'make' (209). Keystane, the stone in the middle of the arch.-Brig, bridge. Cf. Old Eng. brycg. (See Beowulf, 2734, note.) 210. Fient, fiend. Used like 'devil,' simply as a strong negative, = 'never.' 217. Carlin, fem. of 'carle.' Old Eng. ceorl, Icelandic karl (a man). Usually, an old woman of the ruder sort; hence any woman, with depreciation implied. EDMUND BURKE.-1729?-1797. EDMUND BURKE was the son of a Dublin attorney. After a course of desultory study at Trinity College, he entered himself of the Middle Temple, London, in 1747, and began to keep terms in 1750, but his energies were not directed so much to the law's grave study as to literature and politics. In 1761 he went to Ireland as private secretary to 'Single-speech' Hamilton, who was secretary to the Lord Lieutenant; and on his return became (1765) private secretary to the Prime Minister, the Marquis of Rockingham, who influenced his election to parliament in 1766. His distinguished parliamentary career extended down to 1794, Burke is described by De Quincey as 'the supreme writer of his century,' and by Mr Matthew Arnold as 'our greatest English prosewriter.' His first literary venture was a parody of Lord Bolingbroke's principles and an imitation of his style, under the title of A Vindication of Natural Society (1756). In the same year appeared A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of our Ideas on the Sublime and Beautiful. In 1758 he suggested to Dodsley the idea of the Annual Register, and wrote much of the history and politics of it for several years. The Observations on a late Publication intituled The Present State of the Nation' (1769), was followed by Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents (1770). His energy was next expended on a series of great parliamentary debates-on the American War, on Pitt's Regency Bill, and on Indian misgovernment (culminating in the great impeachment of Warren Hastings). The troubles in France at once engaged his earnest attention. In 1790 he wrote Reflections on the Revolution in France, which he followed up by several pamphlets maintaining his positions. THE INDEPENDENT MEMBER. (From Speech at Bristol, just before an Election, Sept. 6, 1780.) As to the opinion of the people, which some think in such cases is to be implicitly obeyed; near two years' tranquillity, which followed the act, and its instant imita tion in Ireland, proved abundantly that the late horrible spirit was, in a great measure, the effect of insidious art, and perverse industry, and gross misrepresentation. But suppose that the dislike had been much more deliberate, and much more general than I am persuaded it was— when we know that the opinions of even the greatest multitudes are the standard of rectitude, I shall think myself obliged to make those opinions the masters of my conscience. But if it may be doubted whether Omnipotence itself is competent to alter the essential constitution of right and wrong, sure I am that such things as they and I are possessed of no such power. No man carries further than I do the policy of making government pleasing to the people. But the widest range of this politic complaisance is confined within the limits of justice. I would not only consult the interest of the people, but I would cheerfully gratify their humours. We are all a sort of children that must be soothed and managed. I think I am not austere or formal in my nature. I would bear, I would even myself play my part in, any innocent buffooneries, to divert them. But I never will act the tyrant for their amusement. If they will mix malice in their sports, I shall never consent to throw them any living, sentient creature whatsoever, no, not so much as a kitling, to torment. But if I profess all this impolitic stubbornness, I may chance never to be elected into Parliament.' It is certainly not pleasing to be put out of the public service. But I wish to be a member of parliament, to have my share of doing good and resisting evil. It would therefore be absurd to renounce my objects in order to obtain my seat. I deceive myself indeed most grossly, if I had not much rather pass the remainder of my life hidden in the recesses of the deepest obscurity, feeding my mind even with the visions and imaginations of such things, than to be placed on the most splendid throne of the universe, tantalised with a denial of the practice of all which can make the greatest situation any other than the greatest curse. Gentlemen, I have had my day. I can never sufficiently express my gratitude to you for having set me in a place wherein I could lend the slightest help to great and laudable designs. If I have had my share in any measure giving quiet to private property and private conscience; if by my vote I have aided in securing to families the best possession, peace; if I have joined in reconciling kings to their subjects, and subjects to their prince; if I have assisted to loosen the foreign holdings of the citizen, and taught him to look for his protection to the laws of his country, and for his comfort to the good-will of his countrymen ;-if I have thus taken my part with the best of men in the best of their actions, I can shut the book ;-I might wish to read a page or two more—but this is enough for my measure.— I have not lived in vain. And now, Gentlemen, on this serious day, when I come, as it were, to make up my account with you, let me take to myself some degree of honest pride on the nature of the charges that are against me. I do not here stand before you accused of venality, or of neglect of duty. It is not said that, in the long period of my service, I have, in a single instance, sacrificed the slightest of your interests to my ambition, or to my fortune. It is not alleged that, to gratify any anger, or revenge of my own, or of my party, I have had a share in wronging or oppressing any description of men, or any one man in any description. No! the charges against me are all of one kind, that I have pushed the principles of general justice and benevolence too far; further than a cautious policy would warrant; and further than the opinions of many would go along with me.-In every accident which |