Page:Life of Robert Burns.pdf/8

 8 vity which cannot be justified, and is only to be accounted for on the supposition of his wishing to brave out his shame in the eyes of his jovial asso- ciates for the tenderness and manliness of Burns's general feeling will not permit us to think that such deportment was the deliberate expression of his mind. About three months before the death of William Burness, Robert and Gilbert, who had for some- time foreseen the storm that was thickening round their father's dwelling, came to the resolution of taking the farm of Mossgiel, in the neighbouring parish of Mauchline with the view of providing the family with a shelter. It was stocked with their joint property and savings, but not with- standing all their exertions they could make little out of it. It was during their residence at Moss- giel, which continued four years, that Burns 'composed some of his most celebrated pieces. Among these were The Holy I'rilsie, or Twa Herds, Holy Willie's Prayer, the Epistic to Davie, Death and Doctor Hornbook, the verses to the Mouse and Mountain Daisy, the Cottar's Satur- day Night, &c. Among these are some of those pieces so remarkable for the poignancy of their satire and the breadth of their humour Telex- plain the causes which gave rise to such of these productions as glance upon religion, or rather upon certain teachers of religion, whom he has therein commemorated, would be impracticable in so brief a memoir. Suffice it to say, that at the period of their composition, an unusual ferment prevailed in the district of Ayrshire where our poet resided, occasioned by misunderstandings betwixt several of the leading clergy and the heritors, -among the latter of whom was Burns?