Preface (1/4)

&ep;&ep;preface

&ep;&ep;robertburnswasbornnearayr,scotland,25thofjanuary,1759.hewasthesonofwilliaburnes,orburness,atthetiofthepoet'sbirthanurserynonthebanksofthedooninayrshire.hisfather,thoughalwaysextrelypoor,attetedtogivehischildrenafaireducation,androbert,whowastheeldest,wenttoschoolforthreeyearsinaneighboringvillage,andlater,forshorterperiods,tothreeotherschoolsinthevicinity.butitwastohisfatherandtohisownreadingthatheowedthereiortantpartofhiseducation;andbythetithathehadreachednhoodhehadagoodknowledgeofenglish,areadingknowledgeoffrench,andafairlywideacquaintancewiththesterpiecesofenglishliteraturefrothetiofshakespearetohisownday.in1766williaburnessrentedonborrowedneythefarofuntoliphant,andintakinghisshareintheefforttokethisundertakingsucceed,thefuturepoetseetohaveseriouslyoverstrainedhisphysique.in1771thefalyvetolochlea,andburnswenttotheneighboringtownofirvinetolearnflax-dressing.theonlyresultofthisexperint,however,wasthefortionofanacquaintancewithadissipatedsailor,whoheafterwardbladastheproterofhisfirstlicentiousadventures.hisfatherdiedin1784,andwithhisbrothergilbertthepoetrentedthefarofssgiel;butthisventurewasasunsuccessfulastheothers.hehadantifordanirregularinticywithjeanarur,forwhichhewascensuredbythekirk-session.asaresultofhisfarngsfortunes,andtheattetsofhisfather-in-lawtooverthrowhisirregularrriagewithjean,heresolvedtoegrate;andinordertoraiseneyforthepassagehepublished(kilrnock,1786)avoluofthepoewhichhehadbeencoosingfrotitotiforsoyears.thisvoluwasunexpectedlysuccessful,sothat,insteadofsailingforthewestindies,hewentuptoedinburgh,andduringthatwinterhewasthechiefliterarycelebrityoftheseason.anenlargede