The genius of B. is marked by spontaneity, directness, and sincerity, and his variety is marvellous, ranging from the tender intensity of some of his lyrics through the rollicking humour and blazing wit of Tam o’ Shanter to the blistering satire of Holy Willie’s Prayer and The Holy Fair.  His life is a tragedy, and his character full of flaws.  But he fought at tremendous odds, and as Carlyle in his great Essay says, “Granted the ship comes into harbour with shrouds and tackle damaged, the pilot is blameworthy ... but to know how blameworthy, tell us first whether his voyage has been round the Globe or only to Ramsgate and the Isle of Dogs.”

The books about Burns, his life and writings, are innumerable.  Among the Lives are those by Currie (1800); Allan Cunningham (1834); J.G.  Lockhart (1828), on which is based Carlyle’s memorable Essay (which see).  Among the famous ed. of the Poems may be mentioned the first (Kilmarnock 1786), Edin. (1787), and the Centenary (1896), by W.E.  Henley and T.F.  Henderson.

SUMMARY.—­B. 1759, flax-dresser at Irvine 1781, farms at Mossgiel, has love affair with Jean Armour, pub. first ed. of poems 1786, visits Edin. 1786, goes to Ellisland, became exciseman 1789, pub. songs, c. 1791, d. 1797.

BURTON, JOHN HILL (1809-1881).—­Historian, was b. and ed. at Aberdeen, was in 1831 called to the Bar, but had little practice, and in 1854 was appointed Sec. to the Prison Board of Scotland, and in 1877 a Commissioner of Prisons.  He became at an early period of his life a contributor to Blackwood’s Magazine and other periodicals, and in 1846 pub. a life of Hume, which attracted considerable attention, and was followed by Lives of Lord Lovat and Lord President Forbes.  He began his career as an historian by the publication in 1853 of History of Scotland from the Revolution to the Extinction of the last Jacobite Insurrection, to which he added (1867-70) History of Scotland from Agricola’s Invasion to the Revolution, in 7 vols., thus completing a continuous narrative.  Subsequently he pub. a History of the Reign of Queen Anne (1880).  Other works of a lighter kind were The Book-Hunter (1862), and The Scot Abroad (1864).  B.’s historical works display much research and a spirit of candour and honesty, and have picturesque and spirited passages, but the style is unequal, and frequently lacks dignity.  On the whole, however, his is regarded as the most generally trustworthy and valuable history of Scotland at present existing.