Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 2.djvu/156

450 ture, and with general science. At another time he wandered on a jaunt of four or five weeks through the Highlands, in company with the late Mr William Nicol, a man who had been the companion and friend of Dr Gilbert Stuart, and who, in vigour of intellect, and in wild, yet generous, impetuosity of passion, remarkably resembled both Stuart and Burns; who for his skill and facility in Latin composition, was perhaps Avithout a rival in Europe; but whose virtues and genius were clouded by habits of bacchanalian excess; whose latter years were vexatiously embittered by a contest with a creature, who, although accidentally exalted into competition with him, was unworthy even to unloose his shoe-latchet; who, by the most unwearied and extraordinary professional toil, in the midst of a persevering dissipation, by Avhich alone it was, at any time, interrupted, won and accumulated an honourable and sufficient competence for his family; and, alas ! who died within these few weeks, of a jaundice, with a complication of other complaints, the effects of long continued intemperance! So much did the zeal of friendship, and the ambition of honest fame, predominate in Nicol's mind, that he was, in his last hours, exceedingly pained by the thought, that since he had survived Burns, there remained none who might rescue his mixed character from misrepresentation, and might embalm his memory in never-dying verse!

In their excursion, Burns and his friend Nicol were naturally led to visit the interesting scenery adjacent to the duke of Atholl's seat at Dunkeld, on the banks of the Tay. While they were at a contiguous inn, the duke, accidentally informed of Mr Burns' arrival so near, invited him, by a polite message, to Dunkeld House. Burns did not fail to attend his obliging inviter; was received with flattering condescension ; made himself sufficiently agreeable by his conversation and manners; was detained for a day or two by his grace's kind hospitality; and, ere fie departed, in a poetical petition, in name of the river Bruar, which falls into the Tay, within the duke's pleasure grounds at Blair-Athol, suggested some new improvements of taste, which have been since happily made in compliance with his advice. I relate this little incident, rather to do honour to the duke of Athol, than to Burns ; for, if I be net exceedingly mistaken, nothing that history can record of George the Third, will, in future times, be accounted more honourable to his memory, than the circumstances and the conversation of his Avell-known interview with Dr Johnson. The two congenial companions, Burns and Nicol, after visiting many other of those romantic, picturesque, and sublime scenes which abound in the Highlands of Scotland; after fondly lingering here and there for a day or two at a favourite inn, returned at last to Edinburgh; and Burns was now to close accompts with his bookseller, and to retire with his profits in his pocket to the country.

Mr Creech has obligingly informed me, that the whole sum paid to the poet, for the copy-right, and for the subscription copies of his book, amounted to nearly eleven hundred pounds. Out of this sum, indeed, the expenses of printing the edition for the subscribers, were to be deducted. I have likewise reason to believe, that he had consumed a much larger proportion of these gains than prudence could approve, while he superintended the impression, paid his court to his patrons, and Availed the full payment of the subscription money.

He was now, at last, to fix upon a plan for future life. He talked loudly of independence of spirit, and simplicity of manners : and boasted his resolution to return to the plough. Yet, still he lingered in Edinburgh, week after week, and month after month, perhaps expecting that one or other of his noble patrons might procure him some permanent and competent annual income, which should sit him above all necessity of future exertions to earn for himself the means of subsistence; perhaps unconsciously reluctant to quit the pleasures of that voluptuous town life to which he had for some time too willingly accustomed himself