_April 9._ William Nicol Burns born. _April._ ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ published in Grose’s _Antiquities of Scotland_ and in the March _Edinburgh Magazine_. _June 19-22._ Burns in Ayrshire to attend Gilbert’s wedding. _Aug. 25._ Auction of crops at Ellisland. _Sept. 10._ Formal renunciation of Ellisland lease signed. _Nov. 11._ Burns moves into Dumfries. _Nov. 29-Dec. 11._ Burns in Edinburgh. Farewell again to Agnes M’Lehose. 1792. _Feb._ Burns promoted to Dumfries Port Division. _Feb. 29._ Capture of schooner _Rosamond_. _April 10._ Burns made honorary member of Royal Company of Archers, Edinburgh. _April 19._ Sale of the _Rosamond’s_ carronades. _Aug._ VOL. IV of _Scots Musical Museum_ published. _Sept. 16._ Burns begins work for Thomson’s _Select Collection_. _Nov. 13._ Burns subscribes for Edinburgh _Gazetteer_. _Nov. 21._ Birth of Elizabeth Riddell Burns. Mid-_Dec._ Burns’s last visit to Dunlop House. _Dec. 31._ Inquiry into Burns’s loyalty. 1793. _Jan. 5._ Burns defends himself to Graham of Fintry. _Feb. 1._ France declares war against England. _Feb._ Second Edinburgh edition of _Poems_ published. _March._ Burns asks, and receives, burgess privileges in the Dumfries schools. _May 19._ Burns moves to house in Mill Vennel. _June._ First number of Thomson’s _Select Collection_ published. _c._ _July 30-Aug. 2._ First Galloway tour with Syme. _Aug._ The Edinburgh sedition trials. _c._ _Aug. 30._ ‘Bannockburn’ sent to Thomson. _c._ _Dec. 31._ Beginning of the Riddell quarrel. 1794. _Jan. 12._ Final breach with Maria Riddell. _April 21._ Death of Robert Riddell. _c._ _May 1._ Burns declines a post on _Morning Chronicle_, London. _c._ _June 25-28._ Second Galloway tour with Syme. _Aug. 12._ Birth of James Glencairn Burns. _c._ _Dec. 22._ Burns appointed Acting Supervisor at Dumfries. 1795. _Jan. 12._ Burns posts the letter which estranged Mrs. Dunlop. _Jan. 31._ Burns joins in organizing the Dumfries Volunteers. _Feb._ Reconciliation with Maria Riddell. _April._ The Reid miniature painted. Alexander Findlater resumes his duties as Supervisor at Dumfries. _Sept._ Death of Elizabeth Riddell Burns. _Dec.-Jan._ Burns ill with rheumatic fever. 1796. _Mar. 12-14._ Food riots in Dumfries. _July 3-16._ Burns at the Brow Well. _July 18._ Burns writes his last letter. _July 21._ Death of Burns. _July 25._ Funeral of Burns, and birth of his son Maxwell. _Dec._ VOL. V of _Scots Musical Museum_ published. CONTENTS PREFACE v CHRONOLOGY OF BURNS’S LIFE xiii