I shall return your books very soon. I only wish to give Dr. Adam Smith one other perusal, which I will do in one or two days. R. B. [Footnote 101: A collector in the Excise.] * * * * * CXXXIL--TO DAVID SILLAR, MERCHANT, IRVINE.[102] ELLISLAND, 5 _Aug_. 1789. My Dear Sir,--I was half in thoughts not to have written to you at all, by way of revenge for the two damn'd business letters you sent me. I wanted to know all about your publications--your news, your hopes, fears, etc., in commencing poet in print. In short, I wanted you to write to Robin like his old acquaintance Davie, and not in the style of Mr. Tare to Mr. Tret, as thus:-- "Mr. Tret.--Sir,--This comes to advise you that fifteen barrels of herrings were, by the blessing of God, shipped safe on board the _Lovely Janet_, Q.D.C., Duncan Mac-Leerie, master, etc." I hear you have commenced married man--so much the better. I know not whether the nine gipsies are jealous of my lucky, but they are a good deal shyer since I could boast the important relation of husband. I have got about eleven subscribers for your book.... My best compliments to Mrs. Sillar, and believe me to be, dear Davie, ever yours, ROBT. BURNS. [Footnote 102: This letter was first published in 1879. The original is probably lost, but a copy is to be found in the minute-book of the Irvine Burns Club. Sillar was "Davie, a brother poet."] * * * * CXXXIII.--TO MR. JOHN LOGAN, OF KNOCK SHINNOCK. ELLISLAND, NEAR DUMFRIES, 7_th Aug_. 1789. Dear Sir,--I intended to have written you long ere now, and, as I told you, I had gotten three stanzas on my way in a poetic epistle to you; but that old enemy of all _good works_, the Devil, threw me into a prosaic mire, and for the soul of me I cannot get out of it. I dare not write you a long letter, as I am going to intrude on your time with a long ballad. I have, as you will shortly see, finished "The Kirk's Alarm;" but now that it is done, and that I have laughed once or twice at the conceits in some of the stanzas, I am determined not to let it get into the public; so I send you this copy, the first that I have sent to Ayrshire, except some few of the stanzas, which I wrote off in embryo for Gavin Hamilton, under the express provision and request that you will only read it to a few of us, and do not on any account give, or permit to be taken, any copy of the ballad. If I could be of any service to Dr. M'Gill, I would do it, though it should be at a much greater expense than irritating a few bigoted priests, but I am afraid serving him in his present _embarras_ is a task too hard for me. I have enemies enow, God knows, though I do not wantonly add to the number. Still, as I think there is some merit in two or three of the thoughts, I send it to you as a small, but sincere testimony how much, and with what respectful esteem, I am, dear Sir, your obliged humble servant R. B.