BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

ROBERT BURNS was born January 25, 1759.

His father, William Burns, or Burness, was of the North of Scotland where, at Kincardineshire, his ancestors for many generations had been farmers. He was "thrown by early misfortunes on the world at large," says the poet in his biographical letter to Dr. Moore, and there he adds, "after many years' wanderings and sojournings, I picked up a pretty large quantity of observation and experience, to which I am indebted for most of my little pretensions to wisdom. I have met with few who understood men, their manners and their ways, equal to him; but stubborn, ungainly integrity, and headlong, ungovernable irascibility, are disqualifying circumstances; consequently, I was born a very poor man's son."

After several years' residence near Edinburgh, he took seven acres of land in Doonside with the intention of becoming a nurseryman, but was engaged as gardener and overseer to Mr. Fergusson of Doonholm. He retained the land, and on one spot of it built a clay "biggin" or cottage, divided into a kitchen with a recess for a bed, and a "spence" or sitting-room with a fireplace and chimney. Gilbert Burns remarked, long afterwards, that when it was altogether cast over inside and outside with lime it had "a neat and comfortable appearance." It still stands, and is used as a Burns museum. Here in December, 1757, he brought his bride, Agnes Brown, the daughter of a Carrick farmer; a red-haired, dark-eyed, hot-tempered lassie eleven years his junior.

Robert was their first-born. When he was seven years old his father became tenant of a small farm belonging to Mr. Fergusson, at Mount Oliphant, not far from the mouth of "Bonnie Doon." The land was poor; and after the death of their generous master" they "fell into the hands of a factor," who, says Burns, sat for the picture that he drew of one in his tale of "Twa Dogs."

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Still more trying was their life at Tarbolton on the Ayr, where they took a larger farm in 1777. At first they lived comfortably; but a difference as to terms arose, and "after three years' tossing and whirling in the vortex of litigation," the suit was decided in favor of the landlord, and William Burness, whose health and spirit were entirely broken, died in February, 1784, “just saved from the horrors of a jail."

Robert began to go to school when he was six years old. In 1765, John Murdoch, a young man of eighteen, became his teacher. In his recollections Murdoch says that Robert and Gilbert were generally near the head of their classes, "even when ranged with boys by far their seniors." He says that they committed to memory the hymns and other poems of Masson's collection with uncommon facility; but strangely enough the two boys were behind all the others in music. "Robert's ear," says

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