"Dedication" to Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect
From a 1787 edition of Poems:
Dedication.
To the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Caledonian Hunt.
My Lords, and Gentlemen,
A Scottish Bard, proud of the name, and whose highest ambition is to sing in his Country’s service, where shall he so properly look for patronage as to the illustrious Names of his native Land; those who bear the honours and inherit the virtues of their Ancestors?—The Poetic Genius of my Country found me as the prophetic bard Elijah did Elisha—at the plough; and threw her inspiring mantle over me. She bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural pleasures of my natal Soil, in my native tongue: I tuned my wild, artless notes, as she inspired.—She whispered me to come to this ancient metropolis of Caledonia, and lay my Songs under your honoured protection: I now obey her dictates.
Though much indebted to your goodness, I do not approach you, my Lords and Gentlemen, in the usual stile of dedication, to thank you for past favours; that path is so hackneyed by prostituted Learning, that honest Rusticity is ashamed of it.—Nor do I present this Address with the venal soul of a servile Author, looking for a continuation of those favours: I was bred to the Plough, and am independent. I come to claim the common Scottish name with you, my illustrious Countrymen; and to tell the world that I glory in the title.—I come to congratulate my Country, that the blood of her ancient heroes still runs uncontaminated; and that from your courage, knowledge, and public spirit, she may expect protection, wealth and liberty.—In the last place, I come to proffer my warmest wishes to the Great Fountain of Honour, the Monarch of the Universe, for your welfare and happiness.
When you go forth to waken the Echoes, in the ancient and favourite amusement of your Forefathers, may Pleasure ever be of your party; and may Social-joy await your return! When harassed in courts or camps with the justlings of bad men and bad measures, may the honest consciousness of injured Worth attend your return to your native Seats; and may Domestic Happiness, with a smiling welcome, meet you at your gates! May Corruption shrink at your kindling indignant glance; and may tyranny in the Ruler Ruler[sic] and licentiousness in the People equally find you an inexorable foe!
I have the honour to be,
With the sincerest gratitude and highest respect,
My Lords and Gentlemen,
Your most devoted humble servant,
Robert Burns.
Edinburgh,
April 4. 1787
Commentary
This dedication, which opened the 1787 edition of Burns’ Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, has been recorded in The Best Laid Schemes: Selected Poetry and Prose of Robert Burns with virtually no alterations. The sole difference between the two editions is a period that appears after “Dedication” and an extra “Ruler” between pages vii and viii in the 1787 edition, neither of which appears in the later compilation of Burns’ works.There are a few noteworthy aspects of this dedication I would like to point out. The first regards to whom it is dedicated: “the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Caledonian Hunt.” As mentioned on the introductory page of this project, “the Caledonian Hunt” was an Edinburgh aristocratic sporting club* whose members agreed to subscribe to a second edition of Burns’ Poems**. This is intriguing because it emphasizes Burns’ interest in cultivating patrons to whom he would target his writing.
Another aspect worth noting is Burns’ nod to his childhood and teenage years. He mentions that “the Poetic Genius of [his] Country found [him]…at the plough,” which is assumably a direct reference to his childhood and teenage years living on a farm his father acquired.
Third, the language Burns’ utilizes in this dedication is reflective of the second text I will examine for this project — “The Vision.” The aforementioned “Poetic Genius of [his] Country” parallels the “Scottish Muse” figure in “The Vision,” especially when considering the “mantle,” earthy imagery, and the Scottish patriotic tone present in both texts.
Similarities between Burns as he portrays himself in the “Dedication” and the speaker in “The Vision” introduces the idea that Burns is blurring the lines between what is autobiographical and fictitious in his writing, which lends itself to the complexity and genuine nature integral to so many of his pieces.
_______________________________________________________
* See Edson, Michael, pp. 105
** See Crawford, Robert. “Burns, Robert.” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
The first four photos featured in the gallery above were scanned from a 1787 copy of Burns' Poems. The following two photos were scanned from a 2009 compilation of Burns' pieces titled The Best Laid Schemes: Selected Poetry and Prose of Robert Burns, edited by Robert Crawford and Christopher MacLachlan.
