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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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400 BIO GRAPH T C AL SKETC €I E S. tracted a ruinous second marriage, his elder children’ were in a manner thrown destitute upon the world. This account may not be entitled to much credit j but that the circumstances of her early life had been respectable, was in some degree evinced by a superior education and a personal demeanour, which, notwithstanding her misfortunes, betokened an acquaintance with the better class of society. Miss Burns came to Edinburgh about 17S9, at which period she had scarcely completed her twentieth year. Her youth, beauty, and handsome figuredecked out in the highest style of fashion-attracted very general notice as she appeared on the “ Evening Promenades ;” and the fame of her charms having at length brought her before the Magistrates, on a complaint at the instance of some of her neighbours: the case excited an unusual sensation. Banishment “forth of the city,” under the penalty, in case of return, of being drummed through the streets, besides confinement for six months in the house of correction, was the severe decision of Bailie Creech, who happened to be the sitting Magistrate.’ Against this sentence Miss Burns entered an appeal to the Court of Session, by presenting a bill of suspension to the Lord Ordinary (Dreghorn), which was refused ; but, on a reclaiming petition, the cause came to be advised by the whole Court, when one of the private complainers acknowledged that he had been induced to sign the complaint, for which he was sorry, in ignorance of any ‘‘ riot or disturbance having been committed in the [petitioner’s] house.” This statement had no doubt its due weight, and the Court was pleased to remit to the Lord Ordinary to pass the bill. While the cause was pending, Burns the Poet is said to have written an inimitably humorous letter to his friend the late Peter Hill, bookseller, inquiring the fate of his namesake. In the published works of the Poet, the following ‘‘ Lines ” are given, as having been “ written under the Portrait of the celebrated Miss Burns : ”- “ Cease, ye prudes, your envious railing, Lovely Burns has charms-confess ;’ Had a woman ever less ! ’’ True it is, she had one failing- After a few years of unenviable notoriety, Miss Burns fell into a decline ; Miss Burns had two siuters, both nearly as handsome and pretty as herself. a She lived in Rose Street, directly opposite the back windows of Lord Swinton’s house. 3 Bailie Creech was greatly annoyed in consequence of this decision ; and as his antipathy to the “fair but frail” victim of his magisterial indignation wm well known, various squibs were circulated at his expense. Among others, it was announced in a London journal that “Bailie Creech, of literary celebrity in Edinburgh, was about to lead the beautiful and accomplished Miss Burns to the hymeneal altar.” The Bailie was exceedingly wroth, and only abandoned his threatened action against the editor, on the promise of a counter-statement being given in next publication. The per contra accordingly appeared, but in a way by no means calculated to allay the irritation of the civic functionary. It was to the following effect :-“Iu a former number we noticed the intended marriage between Bailie Creech of Edinburgh, and the beautiful Miss Burns of the same place. We have now the authority of that gentleman to say that the proposed marriage is not to take place, matters having been otherwise arranged to the mutual satisfaction of both parties and their respective friends I ”
Volume 9 Page 535
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