Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 07.djvu/443

 much rash impulsiveness, he struggled hard to ‘act a manly part’ through life. There is less to be forgiven to him than to most of those whose genius has led to morbid developments of character.

Burns's works were: 1. ‘Poems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect,’ Kilmarnock, printed by John Wilson, 1786. 2. ‘Poems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect,’ Edinburgh, printed for the author, and sold by William Creech, 1787. This includes the first collection, with additions. 3. ‘Poems,’ &c., ‘third edition,’ was published in London in 1787. The Edinburgh edition was reprinted in Philadelphia and New York in 1788, and in Belfast (1788, 1789), and Dublin (1788, 1789). 4. ‘Poems,’ &c. (2 vols.) (second edition), Edinburgh and London, 1793 (includes twenty new pieces). 5. ‘Poems,’ &c., 2 vols. The second edition, considerably enlarged, Edinburgh and London, 1794 (a reprint of No. 4) and the last published in Burns's lifetime. 6. ‘The Scots Musical Museum, humbly dedicated to the Catch Club, instituted at Edinburgh, June 1771, by James Johnson.’ The six volumes of this book, dated 1787, 1788, 1790, 1792, 1796, and 1803, include 184 songs written or collected by Burns. This work was republished in 1839 in 4 vols., with notes by William Stenhouse and Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, edited by David Laing, who edited another edition in 1853. 7. ‘A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice, … with Select and Characteristic Verses,’ both Scotch and English, adapted to the airs, including upwards of 100 new songs by Burns. Six vols., folio, London and Edinburgh. This work was brought out in parts between 1793 and 1805. Burns contributed nearly seventy songs, of which only six appeared before his death. The second part appeared in August 1798, the third in July 1799. In 1799 Stewart & Meikle of Glasgow issued the ‘Jolly Beggars,’ ‘Holy Willie's Prayer,’ and other suppressed poems in a series of weekly tracts. They were reprinted in (8) a volume called ‘Poems ascribed to Robert Burns’ (Thomas Stewart, Glasgow, 1801). 9. ‘Letters addressed to Clarinda,’ by Robert Burns; first printed by Stewart of Glasgow in 1802 from copies surreptitiously obtained. An authorised edition, with a notice of Mrs. m'Lehose, who died on 22 Oct. 1841, was published by her grandson, W. C. m'Lehose, in 1843. 10. ‘Reliques of Robert Burns … collected and published by R. H. Cromek,’ London, 1808. This includes seventy-two letters, ‘strictures on Scotch songs and ballads,’ written by Burns in a copy of the ‘Musical Museum;’ commonplace books; letters from William Burns, Robert's younger brother; and some poems. Collective editions of Burns's works have appeared in almost every year since his death. Some of them include new poems. The most important are: 1. ‘The Works of Robert Burns, with an account of his Life, and a criticism on his Writings; to which are prefixed some Observations on the Character and Condition of the Scotch Peasantry,’ Liverpool and London, 1800. This is Currie's edition; the first volume includes the life, the second his correspondence and poems, the third formerly published poems, the fourth correspondence with Thomson and new poems. A second and third edition followed in 1801, a fourth in 1803, a fifth in 1805, a sixth in 1809, and a seventh in 1813. Currie's name was not given. In 1820, the copyright having expired, the publishers brought out an eighth edition, edited by Gilbert Burns. He was to receive 500l. for two editions, but his notes were ‘few and meagre;’ the edition failed, and he only received 250l., from which he at last repaid his brother's loan. 2. ‘Works of Robert Burns, with Life by Allan Cunningham,’ 8 vols. foolscap 8vo, London, 1834, with many additions. A convenient edition in 1 vol. imperial 8vo was published by Tegg in 1840, and has since been reprinted for Bohn. 3. ‘Works of Robert Burns by the Ettrick Shepherd and William Motherwell,’ 5 vols. foolscap 8vo, Glasgow, 1836. Hogg supplied the memoir in vol. v. The editors claim to have added 180 pieces to Currie's collection. 4. ‘Poetical Works of Robert Burns’ (, Aldine Edition of British Poets), London, 1830 and 1839. Memoir by Sir Harris Nicolas, who expresses regret in the 1839 edition at being now compelled by publishing considerations to give 200 new, or partly new, letters or poems from manuscript which will not add to the poet's fame, and in contradiction to his ‘earnest and pathetic injunctions.’ The manuscripts thus used were sold in London on 13 Dec. 1854, and are now in the British Museum. 5. ‘Works of Robert Burns’ (with many illustrations and documents, 2 vols. imperial 8vo, Blackie & Sons), 1843–4; edited by Alexander Whitelaw and regularly reprinted. 6. In 1838 R. Chambers edited a ‘people's edition’ of Currie's ‘Life’ and of the ‘Poetical Works,’ and in 1829 of the prose works, with additional material. In 1851 he published ‘The Life and Works of Robert Burns’ (W. & R. Chambers, 4 vols. 12mo), in which all the writings are inserted in chronological order, with indications of the original sources and with a connecting narrative. The profits, amounting to 200l., were given