BURNS.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 99, 11 July 1843, Page 3

BURNS.

On Burns’s first appearance in Edinburgh he was'introduced, among many others, to Mr. Taylor, the overweening parochial schoolmaster of Currie, who was also a competitor in versemaking, and whose opiuion of his own merits far overbalanced what little estimation he might have formed of the plain unlettered peasant of Ayrshire, whose name was as - yet new to the public. Mr. H ,’ at whose table Burns was a frequent guest, invited Taylor one day to dine with them, when the evening was spent with the usual good humour and jocularity. Taylor had brought his manuscript poems, a few of which were read to Burns, for his favourable opinion previous to printing. Some of the passages were odd enough, such as,

“ Rin, little bookie, round the warld loup,. 1 Whilst lin grave do lie wi’ &' caiild doup.” At which Burns laughed exceedingly. Notwithstanding the pedantic and absurd perversity of the poems, he gave .him a recommendatory line to the printer. Next morning Mr, H meeting Taylor, inquired of him what he thought of the Ayrshire poet. “ Hoot,” quoth the self-admiring pedagogue, “ the lad ’ill do—considering his want o’ lear, the lad’s weel eneugh.” An appreciation of self over the , superior accomplishments of others, is not confined to : the schoolmaster of Currie, as the following anecdote will show:—

Commodore Elliot, who distinguished himself so much by capturing Thufot, was one day crossing the Frith of Forth in a Kinghoriv pinnace, and, for want of anything better to amuse himself with, he asked permission to steer the vessel. “ Gad, Sir,” said the Commodore, when he used to relate the anecdote, “ I thought myself a good steersman. 1 had taken the lielm of rtiy’own yessel, when chasing Thurot. It did not appear, however, that my qualifications' made a great impression upon the master of this boat; for soon after I heard him say to his son (a lurching boy) ; ‘ Jock, tak the helm out o’ that man’s hand, for he carina steernane.’ ”