Allan Ramsay. [A biography.] - National Library of Scotland

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tions he let drop the faikire of the speculation well-nigh
ruined him. But the increasing sale of his books, and
the expanding prosperity of his business, soon recouped
his outlay. That he was much depressed by his losses,
heavy and unexpected as they were, is evident from a
private letter he wrote at this time to the President, and
which is still preserved at Culloden House. * Will you,'
he writes, ' give me something to do ? Here I pass a
sort of half-idle, scrimp life, tending a trifling trade that
scarce affords me the needful, Had I not got a parcel
of guineas from you, and such as you, who were pleased
to patronise my subscriptions, I should not have had a
gray groat. I think shame—but why should I, when I
open my mind to one of your goodness ?—to hint that I
want to have some small commission, when it happens
to fall in your way to put me into it.'
Not without an element of pathos is the scene that is
here presented, of him, who had done so m.uch to amuse
and elevate his fellows, being compelled to make such a
request. Satisfactory is it, however, to know that, though
the poetical epistle ' to the Lords ' was fruitless of
practical benefit in the way he desired, albeit exciting
for him the warmest sympathy among the worthy
senators of the College of Justice, there is reason to
believe the President was able to throw ' some small
commission ' in Ramsay's way, and thus, by his opportune
generosity, to dispel the thunderclouds of misfortune
hurrying hard upon the poet's steps.
Of course, to his enemies (amongst whom was Penne-
cuik, the poet), as well as to the more bigoted of the
clergy, his trials were a judgment upon his conduct. A
shoal of pamphlets and pasquinades appeared, as though