he should obtain a supply. Yet even in this situation, his active imagination had formed to itself pictures of eminence and distinction. His despair of making a figure in the world, shows how ardently he wished for honourable fame; and his contempt of life, founded on this despair, is the genuine expression of a youthful and generous mind. In such a state of reflection, and of suffering, the imagination of Burns naturally passed the dark boundaries of our earthly horizon, and rested on those beautiful representations of a better world, where there is neither thirst, nor hunger, nor sorrow, and where happiness shall be in proportion to the capacity of happiness. Such a disposition is far from being at variance with social enjoyments. Those who have studied the affinities of mind, know that a melancholy of this description, after a while seeks relief in the endearments of society, and that it has no distant connexion with the flow of cheerfulness, or even the extravagance of mirth. It was a few days after the writing of this letter, that our poet," in "giving a welcoming carousal to the new-year, "with his gay companions," suffered his flax to catch fire, and his shop to be consumed to ashes. The energy of Burns' mind was not exhausted by his daily labours, the effusions of his muse, his social social pleasures, or his solitary meditations. Some time previous to his engagement as a flax-dresser, having heard that a debating club had been established in Ayr, he resolved to try how such a meeting would succeed in the village of Tarbolton. About the end of the year 1780, our poet, his brother, and five other young peasants of the neighbourhood, formed themselves into a society of this sort, the declared objects of which were to relax themselves after toil, to promote sociality and friendship, and to improve the mind. The laws and regulations were furnished by Burns. The members were to meet after the labours of the day were over, once a week, in a small public-house in the village; where each should offer his opinion on a given question or subject, supporting it by such arguments as he thought proper. The debate was to be conducted with order and decorum, and after it was finished, the members were to choose a subject for discussion at the ensuing meeting. The sum expended by each was not to exceed three-pence; and with the humble potation that this could procure, they were to toast their mistresses, and to cultivate friendship with each other. This society continued its meetings regularly for some time, and in the Autumn of 1782, wishing to preserve some account of their proceedings, they purchased a book, into which their laws and regulations were copied, with a preamble, containing a short history of their transactions transactions down to that period. This curious document, which is evidently the work of our poet, has been discovered, and it deserves a place in his memoirs. "History of the rise, proceedings, and regulations of the Bachelor's Club. "Of birth or blood we do not boast, "As the great end of human society is to be"come wiser and better, this ought therefore to "be the principal view of every man in every sta"tion of life. But as experience has taught us, "that such studies as inform the head and mend "the heart, when long continued, are apt to ex"haust the faculties of the mind; it has been "found proper to relieve and unbend the mind, "by some employment or another, that may be "agreeable enough to keep its powers in exercise, "but at the same time not so serious as to exhaust "them. But superadded to this, by far the greater part of mankind are under the necessity of earn"ing the sustenance of human life by the labour of "their bodies, whereby, not only the faculties of "the mind, but the nerves and sinews of the bo "dy, "dy, are so fatigued, that it is absolutely necessary to have recourse to some amusement or di" version, to relieve the wearied man, worn down "with the necessary labours of life. "As the best of things, however, have been perverted to the worst of purposes, so, under "the pretence of amusement and diversion, men "have plunged into all the madness of riot and dissipation; and, instead of attending to the "grand design of human life, they have begun "with extravagance and folly, and ended with 66 guilt and wretchedness. Impressed with these "considerations, we the following lads in the pa"rish of Tarbolton, viz. Hugh Reid, Robert "Burns, Gilbert Burns, Alexander Brown, Wal"ter Mitchel, Thomas Wright, and William M'Gavin, resolved for our mutual entertain"ment, to unite ourselves into a club or society, "under such rules and regulations, that while we "should forget our cares and labours in mirth and "diversion, we might not transgress the bounds "of innocence and decorum; and after agreeing on these, and some other regulations, we held "our first meeting at Tarbolton, in the house of "John Richard, upon the evening of the 11th of " November 1780, commonly called Hallowe'en, "and after choosing Robert Burns president for "the night, we proceeded to debate on this ques "tion ❝tion-Suppose a young man, bred a farmer, but "without any fortune, has it in his power to marry "either of two women, the one a girl of large for 66 tune, but neither handsome in person, nor agree"able in conversation, but who can manage the "household affairs of a farm well enough; the "other of them a girl every way agreeable, in per66 son, conversation, and behaviour, but without any fortune: which of them shall be choose?— "Finding ourselves very happy in our society, we "resolved to continue to meet once a month in "the same house, in the way and manner pro"posed, and shortly thereafter we chose Robert "Ritchie for another member. In May, 1781, 66 we brought in David Sillar,* and in June, Adam "Jamaison, as members. About the beginning "of the year 1782, we admitted Matthew Pat66 terson, and John Orr, and in June following we "chose James Patterson as a proper brother for "such a society. The club being thus increased, 66 we resolved to meet at Tarbolton on the race"night, the July following, and have a dance in "honour of our society. Accordingly we did ८८ meet, each one with a partner, and spent the " evening in such innocence and merriment, such "cheerfulness * The person to whom Burns addressed his Epistle to Davie, a brother pact. |