Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/18

 he kept sacred. Hard-headed, industrious, religious, somewhat austere, he ruled his household with a despotism which affection and respect on the part of the ruled made light and easy. To the blood of the Burnesses a love of knowledge was native, as valor, in the old times, was native to the blood of the Douglases. The poet's grandfather built a school at Clockenhill in Kincardine, the first known in that part of the country. Burness was of the same strain, and he resolved that his sons should have every educational advantage his means could allow. To secure this he was willing to rise early and drudge late. Accordingly, Robert, when six years old, was sent to a school at Alloway Mill, and on the removal of the teacher a few months afterwards to another post, Burness, in conjunction with a few of his neighbors, engaged Mr. John Murdoch, boarding him in their houses by turns, and paying him a small sum of money quarterly. Mr. Murdock entered upon his duties, and had Robert and Gilbert for pupils. Under him they acquired reading, spelling, and writing; they were drilled in English grammar, taught to turn verse into prose, to substitute synonymous expressions for poetical words, and to supply ellipses. He also attempted to teach them a little church music, but with no great success. He seems to have taken to the boys, and to have been pleased with their industry and intelligence. Gilbert was his favorite on account of his gay spirits and frolicksome look. Robert was by comparison taciturn—distinctly stupid in the matter of psalmody—and his countenance was swarthy, serious, and grave.

Our information respecting the family circle at Mount Oliphant, more interesting now than that of any other contemporary Scottish family circle, is derived entirely from the reminiscences of the tutor, and of Gilbert and Robert themselves. And however we may value every trivial fact and hint, and attempt to make it a window of insight, these days, as they passed on, seemed dull and matter-of-fact enough to all concerned. Mr. Murdoch considered his pupils creditably diligent, but nowise remarkable. To Gilbert, these early years were made interesting when looked back upon in the light of his brother's glory. Of that period, Robert wrote a good deal at various times to various correspondents, when the world had become curious; but as in the case of all such writings, he unconsciously mixes the past with the present—looks back on his ninth year with the eyes of his thirtieth. He tells us that he was by no means a favorite with anybody; that though it cost the master some thrashings, "I made an excellent English scholar, and by the time I was ten or eleven years of age, I was a critic in substantives, verbs, and particles." Also we are told that in the family resided a certain old woman—Jenny Wilson by name, as research has discovered who had the largest collection in the country of tales and songs concerning devils, ghosts, fairies, etc., and that to the recital of these Robert gave attentive ear, unconsciously laying up material for future Tams-O-Shanter, and Addresses to the Deil. As for books, he had procured the Life of Hannibal, and the History of Sir William Wallace; the first of a classical turn, lent by Mr. Murdoch, the second, purely traditionary, the property of a neighboring blacksmith, constituting probably his entire secular library; and in a letter to Mrs. Dunlop, he describes how the perusal of the latter moved him,—

"In those boyish days, I remember in particular being struck with that part of Wallace's story where these lines occur:

{{fine block|{{ppoem|Syne to the Leglen wood when it was late, To make a silent and a safe retreat.}}

I chose a fine summer Sunday, the only day my line of life allowed, and walked half a dozen miles to pay my respects to the Leglen wood, with as much devout enthusiasm as ever pilgrim did to Loretto, and explored every den and dell where I could suppose my heroic countryman to have lodged."

When Mr. Murdock left Mount Oliphant, the education of the family fell on the father, who, when the boys came in from labor on the edge of the wintry twilight, lit his candle and taught them arithmetic. He also when engaged in work with his sons, directed the conversation to improving subjects. He got books for them from a book-