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

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152 FAMOUS SCOTS like Burns, or Beranger, or Heine, with masterful hand over the entire gamut of human passions ; that to him was not given, as to them, the supremely keen insight into the workings of the human heart, and the magical witchery of wedding sense to sound so indissolubly, that alter but a word in the texture of the lines and the poem is ruined. Yet, in his province, Ramsay was dowered with a gift but little less notable, that of portraying so faithfully the natural beauties of his country, and the special characteristics of his country- men, that, in a greater degree even than Burns, were Ramsay's songs only recognised as his, in place of being ascribed to others,—he has a right to the proud title of Scotland's national song -writer. Not for a moment do I seek to place Ramsay on a pedestal co-equal with Burns — that were an error worse than folly; not for a moment do I seek to detract from the transcendent merit of our great national poet. But though I do not rate Burns the less, I value Ramsay the more, when I say that, had there been no Ramsay there might have been no Burns nor any Fergusson — at least, the genius of the two last named poets would not have found an adequate vehicle of expression lying readymade to their hand. Ramsay it was who virtually rendered the Scots vernacular a possible medium for the use of Burns ; and this service, unconsciously rendered by the lesser genius to the greater, is generously acknowledged by the latter, who could not but be aware that, as his own star waxed higher and yet higher from the horizon line of popularity, that of his elder rival waned more and more. Therefore his —
ALLAN RAMSAY 153 noble panegyric on Ramsay is but a tribute to his 'father in song' — ; ; 'Thou paints auld nature to the nines, ; ; In thy sweet Caledonian lines Nae gowden stream through myrtle twines, Where Philomel, While nightly breezes sweep the vines, Her griefs will tell. In gowany glens thy burnie strays. Where bonnie lassies bleach their claes Or trots by hazelly shaws and braes, Wi' hawthorns gray, Where blackbirds join the shepherd's lays At close o' day. Thy rural loves are nature's sel' Nae bombast spates o' nonsense swell Nae snap conceits, but that sweet spell O' witchin' love, That charm that can the strongest quell. The sternest move.'
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UAN RA U OUPH SMEATO FAMOUS •SCOT
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Digitized by the Internet Archive i
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ALLAN: RAMSAY BY OLIPHANT : SMEATON
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DAVID MASSON, LL.D. EMERITUS-PROFES
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The Family Tree ..... CONTENTS CHAP
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ALLAN RAMSAY CHAPTER I THE FAMILY T
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ALLAN RAMSAY n and precepts discove
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ALLAN RAMSAY 13 grew to resemble Ge
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ALLAN RAMSAY 15 his lordship's serv
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ALLAN RAMSAY 17 But to our narrativ
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ALLAN RAMSAY 19 and the beaux espri
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ALLAN RAMSAY 21 Drummond of Hawthor
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CHAPTER II HIS apprenticeship; a bu
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ALLAN RAMSAY 25 January 1701. Altho
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ALLAN RAMSAY 27 for it is matter of
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ALLAN RAMSAY 29 Wallace and Bruce t
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ALLAN RAMSAY 31 of the thousands of
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ALLAN RAMSAY 33 But now a change ev
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ALLAN RAMSAY 35 was of old divided,
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ALLAN RAMSAY 37 were the books his
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ALLAN RAMSAY 39 was richly wooded,
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CHAPTER IV THE EASY CLUBj EARLY POE
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ALLAN RAMSAY 43 was not accommodati
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ALLAN RAMSAY 45 tbemselves up to ch
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; — ALLAN RAMSAY 47 a poetical ad
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ALLAN RAMSAY 49 suggestive of Steel
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ALLAN RAMSAY 51 Easy Club, he wrote
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ALLAN RAMSAY 53 Cocks with their ca
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ALLAN RAMSAY 55 same in spite of th
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ALLAN RAMSAY 57 increased. Of cours
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ALLAN RAMSAY 59 week by week, was o
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ALLAN RAMSAY 6i A reliable gauge of
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ALLAN RAMSAY 63 always ready to rec
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ALLAN RAMSAY 65 in his tentative en
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ALLAN RAMSAY 67 and is obviously an
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ALLAN RAMSAY 69 Not he wha whilome
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ALLAN RAMSAY 71 University of Edinb
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ALLAN RAMSAY 73 originality with re
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ALLAN RAMSAY 75 religious life of t
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ALLAN RAMSAY 77 did to dissipate th
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ALLAN RAMSAY 79 But in 1724 our poe
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ALLAN RAMSAY 8i cated to the Duke o
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ALLAN RAMSAY 83 conclusion of Dunba
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CHAPTER VII 'the gentle shepherd';
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ALLAN RAMSAY 87 since the Idylls of
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ALLAN RAMSAY 89 attempt to deprecia
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ALLAN RAMSAY 91 the beauties withou
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ALLAN RAMSAY 93 Marot, with his Com
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ALLAN RAMSAY 95 (great-grandson of
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CHAPTER VIII RESTING ON HIS LAURELS
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ALLAN RAMSAY 99 The year 1728 had v
Page 105 and 106: ALLAN RAMSAY loi drawing of The Gen
Page 107 and 108: ALLAN RAMSAY 103 most notable perso
Page 109 and 110: ALLAN RAMSAY 105 Storemasters of th
Page 111 and 112: ALLAN RAMSAY 107 idea of becoming a
Page 113 and 114: ALLAN RAMSAY 109 which day they sha
Page 115 and 116: ALLAN RAMSAY in to rub salt into th
Page 117 and 118: ALLAN RAMSAY 113 informed Mr. Rober
Page 119 and 120: ALLAN RAMSAY 115 should break doon
Page 121 and 122: ALLAN RAMSAY 117 own, but whose lib
Page 123 and 124: ALLAN RAMSAY 119 from scurvy in the
Page 125 and 126: ALLAN RAMSAY 121 represents him in
Page 127 and 128: ALLAN RAMSAY 123 Wood or of Patie B
Page 129 and 130: ALLAN RAMSAY 125 poems, however, oc
Page 131 and 132: ALLAN RAMSAY 127 distinctively nati
Page 133 and 134: ALLAN RAMSAY 129 The extravagances
Page 135 and 136: ALLAN RAMSAY 131 The girls then ent
Page 137 and 138: ALLAN RAMSAY 133 Blyther than Iambs
Page 139 and 140: ALLAN RAMSAY 135 Patie and Peggy ta
Page 141 and 142: ALLAN RAMSAY 137 aunt, in the fore
Page 143 and 144: ALLAN RAMSAY 139 general happiness,
Page 145 and 146: ALLAN RAMSAY 141 centor in Roman Ca
Page 147 and 148: ALLAN RAMSAY 143 also the one on th
Page 149 and 150: ALLAN RAMSAY 145 faults and foibles
Page 151 and 152: ALLAN RAMSAY 147 of his age. Like R
Page 153 and 154: ALLAN RAMSAY 149 To a soup^on of di
Page 155: — ALLAN RAMSAY 151 Or if you affe
Page 159 and 160: ALLAN RAMSAY 155 But here no beds a
Page 161 and 162: ALLAN RAMSAY 157 and he asks his co
Page 163 and 164: ALLAN RAMSAY 159 Not costly things,
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Allan Ramsay. [A biography.] - National Library of Scotland

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