t dumfries in his thirty-eighth year.
it is not necessary here to attempt to disentangle or expin away the numerous amours in which he was ehrough the greater part of his life. it is evident that burns was a man of extremely passioure and fond of viviality; and the misfortunes of his lot bined with his natural tendeo drive him to frequent excesses of self-indulgence. he was often remorseful, arove painfully, if itently, after better things. but the story of his life must be admitted to be in its externals a painful and somewhat sordid icle. that it tained, however, many moments of joy aation is proved by the poems here printed.
burns'
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