The cheerfu' supper done, wi' serious face,
They, round the ingle, form a circle wide;
The sire turns o'er, wi' patriarchal grace,
The big ha'-Bible, ance his father's pride:
His bonnet rev'rently is laid aside,

His lyart haffets wearing thin and bare;
Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide,

He wales a portion with judicious care;

And, "Let us worshp God!" he says, with solemn air."

Having partaken of some refreshment, chatted with the hostess, inscribed our names in the visiter's book, and purchased a few views and a small Guide Book,* we proceeded to call upon Mrs. Begg, the sister of Burns, who, we were informed, resided in a cottage at the distance of about a mile from the place of her brother's birth. After a pleasant ramble through green lanes, we came to a neat-looking cottage which was pointed out to us as the abode we were seeking. It was enclosed from the road by wooden palisadings, and trees and flowers clustered about the front of the dwelling. We knocked at the door, which was speedily opened by a young lady, who had previously observed us through the chamber window. We apologised for intruding upon her privacy without an introduction, but were soon set at our ease in that respect. Strangers were evidently frequent visiters. She asked us into a well-furnished parlour, informed us that her mother would be with us presently, and in the meantime entered into conversation with us in an exceedingly frank and agreeable style. Mrs. Begg now made her appearance, and gave us a cordial reception. She is, we should say, between sixty and seventy years of age, of dark complexion, and we fancied that there was a resemblance in her features to those of the poet; but the twilight was creeping on, and imagination helps us wonderfully to likenesses. She appeared to possess considerable shrewdness and common sense, and conversed freely, both in regard to her brother and general topics. She informed us that they had been quite overwhelmed with visiters during the festival which had been held the previous year in honour of her brother, and so many authors and celebrated people had called upon them that they had been quite confused. Nothing could be more free from affectation than the manners of both mother and daughter. Mrs. Begg has two daughters, and Isabella, the one that we saw, is the younger of the two. She is good looking, cheerful, intelligent, and perhaps about four or five-andtwenty years of age. Our only wonder was that she remained unmarried, as we should have thought she would have had no lack of suitors anxious to form an alliance with one possessed of such personal recommendations, and so nearly related to the poet. Not wishing to protract our visit unreasonably, we bade them a hearty farewell before the shades of night came upon us, and departed, much gratified with our interview. Thanks to the exertions of Messrs. Chambers and others, we believe Mrs. Begg and her daughters are now in the enjoyment of a moderate competence.

On our way home we called at a Tavern, near the Wallace Tower, which is said to be the place where Tam o' Shanter was in the habit of meeting Souter Johnnie, and a sign over the door exhibits the two figures to passers by and conveys the information that the originals met at that house. I cannot vouch, of course, for the accuracy of this statement, but it seems a very likely tenement for such meetings to have taken place in. The farm of Shanter was situated on the Carrick coast, between Turnberry and Colzean, in the parish of Kirkoswald, and was tenanted by Douglas Graham, a stout, hearty, fellow, addicted to smuggling, fond of a social glass, and apt to return late from Ayr on market nights. Graham's identity as the original of Tam o' Shanter has been established on the authority of Burns himself. At Glenfit, near Shanter, dwelt John Davidson, a shoemaker and tanner, in a small way, whose wife, Ann Gillespie, had acted as nurse to the mother of Burns, on which account there was always a friendship between the two families. Graham's wife was subject in an unusual degree to superstitious beliefs and fears, and used to regard her husband's late return on market nights, as not only a violation of worldly propriety, but a tempting of the evil powers of a supernatural kind, which she supposed to influence the affairs of mortals. Burns and some youthful companions had once taken shelter in Shanter farm-house, where they found that the good man was absent at Ayr market. Kate received them frankly, and in the course of conversation launched forth into a lament about the habits of her husband, his toping

*We are indebted to this little work for several particulars mentioned in the present sketch.

with the miller, smith, and souter, and his late hame-comings from market, prophesying th

"late or soon,

He wad be found deep drowned in Doon."

Amongst other things, she spoke of Alloway Kirk, which she said he dreaded to pass at night, and yet he never on that account took care to come home an hour earlier. The poet and his friends staid with her till twelve o'clock, and then left her, still waiting, a waefu' woman, for the return of her husband. The visits of Graham to Ayr were more frequent than those of his neighbours, in consequence of his supplying malt to a great number of public houses in that burgh, and on the road to it; it being then the custom for every person who sold ale, to make the liquor at home. It was the business of the gudeman of Shanter to go there once a-week, not "on Monanday," like the mautman of old Scottish song, but on Friday, the market-day of the burgh. His friend Davidson, dabbling a little, as has been stated, in the business of a tanner, had wares to dispose of and money to gather on the same day and in the same place; so the two would proceed to town together. As Graham had to call for liquor at every customer's house, by way of showing respect and gratitude, he had much more of that commodity at his disposal than he chose to make use of himself; and he was accordingly very glad when the Souter or any other friend went in with him to partake of it. There was a particular taverner in Ayr, one Benjie Graham, a Carrick man, and possibly tracing some Scotch kindred to the gudeman of Shanter, who was always very hospitable to the pair, usually pressing them to dine at his own table. Animated by a due sense of Benjie's kindness, Douglas Graham and John Davidson resolved to give him a treat in return, and it was on a New Year's Night that it came off. Graham on this occasion went beyond all former excesses, and, riding home at a late or perhaps rather an early hour, in the midst of a storm of wind and rain, his bonnet, with the bank-notes he had that day drawn in the market laid into the flap of it, was blown off, as he was riding over Brown Carrick Hill, and carried he knew not where. With just sufficient sense to observe the place where this incident had occurred, he rode home, where he had of course to stand a strict investigation before his wife. To excuse a late return was usually no easy matter; but, on the present occasion, he had to apologise for the absence of his bonnet and its precious contents. The only expedient he could devise was to forge something that might be expected to pass with his wife, whom he knew to be credulous in at least one direction. He therefore trumped up a story of his having seen a dance of witches and warlocks in Alloway Kirk, of having been pursued by them to the Bridge of Doon, and of having there escaped from them only with the loss of his bonnet. There was little peace between the good couple for that night. Early in the morning, after awaking from a brief sleep, Graham was visited with a painful recollection of his loss, and rising from his bed, immediately set out on his good mare, to reconnoitre the road before many people should be stirring. On returning to the spot, and searching well in all directions, he found the bonnet lying in a plantation by the wayside, with the money undiminished within it. At the next quarterly meeting for settlement of smuggling accounts, the story of the bonnet and the alleged vision of witches at Alloway Kirk were brought up against Graham, and made the subject of endless merriment. Burns, whose mind was prepared for the humour by his recollection of the complaints of the gudewife of Shanter, was present on this occasion, and must doubtless have greatly enjoyed the joke. One other circumstance of an actual nature has been remembered by tradition as likely to have been in the mind of Burns while composing his poetical tale: Graham had, it seems, a good grey mare, which was very much identified with his own appearance. One day, being in Ayr, he tied the animal to a ring at the door of a public-house, where, contrary to his original intentions, he tarried so long, that the boys, in the meantime, plucked away the whole of the animal's tail, for the purpose of making fishing-lines. It was not till next morning, when he awoke from a protracted bouse, that the circumstance was discovered by his son, who came in crying that the mare had lost her tail. Graham, when he comprehended the amount of the disaster, was, it seems, so much bewildered as to its cause, that he could only attribute it, after a round oath, to the agency of witches. This anecdote might be also drawn up against Graham at the quarterly meeting before-mentioned, and was probably what suggested the catastrophe of the affair of Alloway Kirk.* The Tavern I allude to as having called at is an old-fashioned house,

VOL. 8 No. 8-2 S.

*Land of Burns.

with a spacious kitchen, and the present tenants being small farmers, the landlady was attending to a cauldron placed over the fire, and containing some prepared food for the cattle. The house is now principally frequented by carriers. It required no great stretch of imagination to believe it the one alluded to in the former anecdote, and when we got planted

"Fast by an ingle, bleezing finely,

Wi reaming swats that drank divinely,"

we summoned before us Tam and his "drouthy crony," and once again it seemed as though "The landlady and Tam grew gracious, Wi' favours, secret, sweet, and precious; The souter tauld his queerest stories; The landlord's laugh was ready chorus."

We now repaired to our Inn, and, after spending an hour or two with some intelligent inhabitants of Ayr, we retired to a good night's repose. In the morning we had another ramble in the neighbourhood of Ayr, and were much delighted with the beauty of the scenery. We also went in quest of an old man who, it was stated, had been intimate with the poet, but he informed us that he had only once walked with him part of the way to Kilmarnock. It was, however, something to hold converse with one who had been in the company of Burns. About noon we departed by Railway for Ardrossan, and sailed from thence by Steamer to England, carrying with us a remembrance of the "Land of Burns" that will not easily be eradicated. Countess of Wilton Lodge, Manchester District.

Presentations.

June 14, 1845, a Patent Lever Watch and Guard, value £9 6s., to P P. D. G. M. John Lomax, by the Caledonian Lodge, Bolton District. -August 16, 1845, a splendid silver Medal to P. G. Richard Budgen, by the Ynyr Gwent Lodge, Tredegar District.-January 23, 1844, a valuable Silver Snuff Box to P. G J. C. Gillard, of the temple of Friendship Lodge, irmingham District. -May 17, 1845, a handsome Silver Medal to P. G. Abraham Goodall, by the Offspring of leace Lodge, Brighouse District. May 17, 1845, a beautiful Silver Snuff Box to Brother James C. Holt, by the United Queen Victoria Lodge, Halifax District.-January, 1845 a handsome silver Medal to P. P. G. M. Charles Enoch Clissold, by the Corinium, Friendship, and Oakley Lodges, Cirencester District.

#latriages.

May 16, 1845, at Stroud, P G John Lawler, of the Corinium Lodge, Cirencester, to Eliza, daughter of Mr. George Fluck, of the former place.-May 26, 1845, P V. Whitworth Riley, of the Sincerity Lodge, shaw District, to Be ty, daughter of brother James Cooper of the same Lodge. -May 1, brother Thomas Lloyd, of the Widow and Orphan's Friend Lodge, Mitcham District to Miss Emma Knott.- December 13, 1843, at the parish church, Nuneaton, by the Rev.1.ockwood, Mr. Samuel Drakeford, junr., chemist, of the Loyal Howard Lodge, Atherstone District, to Ann, youngest daughter of the late Mr. George Townsend, of Burton Hastins, Warwickshire.-May 1, brother Thomas Davies, of the Temple of Peace Lodge, Newport, to Mrs Rachel Jones, of the ame place. May 3, brother David Williams, of the Temple of Peace Lodge, Newport, to Miss Amelia Partridge, of the same place. -April 13, 1845, P.G John Bartlam, of the Deritend Lodge, kirmingham District, to Miss Mary Ann James. - September 27, 1844, N. G. Williams, of the Widow's Friend Lodge, Birmingham District, to Miss Brown, of Bridgnorth; May 6, 1844, brother William oll tt, of the same Lodge, to Eliza Silverster - April 14, 1845. P. G. John Jarrall, of the Rock of Hope Lodge, Bradford District. to Miss Elizabeth Riley.-May 18, 1845, P. G. Thomas Ethe.ington, of the Loyal Earl of Durham Lodge, Bishopwearmouth District, to Miss Alice Cranmer.

Deaths.

January 1, 1845, P. G. John Neate, of the Loyal Corinium Lodge; January 8, brother Thomas Price, of the Loyal Corinium Lodge; April 22, brother Abel Price, of the Loyal Friendship Lodge; May 18, brother Charles Turner, of the Loyal Corinium Lodge; all in the Cirencester District March 14, 1815, brother James Tayl r; April 1, 1845, brother William Davies; both of the Widow's Friend Lodge.- March 11, 1845, the wife of brother Henry Elston Almond; June 17 1845, the wife of brother John Davison; both of the Paradise Lodge, ourn District.-May 13, 1845, the wife of brother William anderson, of the Rose and Thistle Lodge; May 1, brother Richard Wentworth, of the Sir William Milner Lodge; both in the Tadcaster District. - May 8, Jane, the wife of brother James Speight, aged 46 years; May 15, brother Richard Bruce, junr, aged 25 years; both of the Myrtle Lodge, Bingley District.—April 2, 1845, aged 41, P. P D. G M. John Williams, of the Loyal Ancient Briton Lodge, Carmarthen June 17, 1845, the wife of brother Alexander Strachan, of the Banks of Ury and Griach Lodge, Aberdeen District. - February 3, 1815, the wife of P. G. Abraham Ashworth: April 6 h, 1845, G. M. James Ashworth, son of the above Abraham A-hworth, aged 22 years; April 14, P Sec. Jacob Ingham; all of the Loyal Fleece Lodge.--April 15, 1845, at Borobridge, P. Prov. G. M. James Swinbank, examining officer of the Ripon District, aged 36 years. -March 11, brother Thomas Broadhurst, of the Briton's Pride Lodge. Coventry Di-trict.- March 23, Sarah, the wife of P. G. Francis horp, of the Loyal Briton's Pride Lodge, Coventry District.

END OF VOLUME EIGHT.

Manchester: P. G. M. MARK WARDLE and SON, Printers, Fennel Street.