nothing that could effend the feelings of any body, was produeed about the same period.
After residing some time at Mossgiel, he seems to have perceived that the farm would at best furnish no more than the bare means of subsistence to so large a family, and came at last to the resolution of trying his fortune in the West Indies.
Jamaica was now his mark; and, through the influenee of a friend in Irvine, he procured a situation as assistant overseer on a plantation in that colony. To defray his outfit, and other expenses, it now oecurred to him, for the first time, to publish his poems, though of their yielding him any thing he was extremely doubtful. They were at length printed at Kilmarnoek, the edition consisting of 600 copies; and our poet, after paying all expenses, cleared about £20. In the meantime, his fame began to take a start, and copies of his volume having fallen into the hands of people of taste and judgment, a general inquiry about him began to prevail, and it beeame an object of desire with some of his friends to detain him in his native country. With this view, as appointment in the Excise, or some other public office, was suggested; and Burns, it would appear, was not averse to fall in with their wishes. Having been introduced about the same time also to the tables and acquaintanee of several distinguished families, the originality and vigour of
