the poetical beauty of the one composed at a later date. by Robert Burns, but it touches nervously on many particular features of the subject's character, alike as a poet and a man, and may be allowed, not inappropriately, to close this writing:

Sacred to the memory of ROBERT FERGUSSON, who met a fate from which the possession of humble talents might have secured him. But with Nature's most spontaneous gifts, he displayed, both in his poems and his conversation, strength without labour, and ease without affectation. To these shining qualities he added nobler; he was manly in his manners, open in his actions, sincere in his attachments, generous in his resentments; a good-humour'd satirist of folly, an enthusiastic lover of merit. But, thus adorned, wanting that persevering fortitude which often obtains patronage from the great, to Fortune's lofty favours the child of nature was denied. His feeling soul, unable longer to sustain the impressions made on enlarged sensibility, and limited means, burst from its narrow prison of this world, to gain a better."

PORTRAITS OF FERGUSSON.

THE various portraits of ROBERT FERGUSSON which have appeared, each in turn claimed to be authentic, present, when ranged together as in this volume, a face of such widely differing aspect, that comment on them individually is almost unavoidable. To say emphatically at this time of day which affords the correct, or most nearly accurate presentation of the poet, were, of course, no easy matter. While that is so, reconciliation of all, on the other hand, is obviously out of the question. Were the Grosart portrait, at page xxxiv., removed from the catalogue the difficulty would be greatly lessened. But Dr. Grosart, in 1851, held so stoutly for this being-by sanction of Miss Ruddiman-"the alone authenticated" and only faithful" likeness, that even although it does not agree with contemporary accounts of the attractive nature of FERGUSSON's appearance, and has no feature really in common with the quite fascinating and undisputed Runciman portrait forming the frontispiece here, one hesitates to cast it utterly aside. If we would hesitate about casting it aside utterly, however, we would hesitate yet more about accepting it as a portrait (vide Dr. Grosart) that "literally represents the poet." It shows a face so weak and unattractive so destitute of any suggestion of genius or characterand it bears so little resemblance, in nose, and mouth,

and chin, to any of the other portraits-that one is all but forced to regard it as a caricature, and not a portrait at all.

I. The Runciman portrait, a lithographed copy of which faces the title-page in this volume, prepared at second-hand from the original painting in the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, can scarcely be denied the credit of being authentic. The late Dr. Grosart even, in February, 1897, when Mr. William Drummond Young, the well-known Edinburgh photo-artist, was preparing his justly celebrated photogravure from it, was constrained to proclaim it beautiful as a work of art, and true to the very life." The painting came into public knowledge only shortly before the issue of Mr. Drummond Young's photogravure, when it was given on loan for exhibition in the institution named. It is the property of Miss Raeburn, the grand-daughter of Sir Henry RaeburnScotland's Sir Joshua Reynolds-to whom it was presented by the artist. Where it had "lain" or "hung " unobserved in all the intervening years has not been explained. But it was at Chesterfield, the house of Raeburn's grandson, when Dr. John Brown wrote his prefatory note to the series of photographs from engravings after Raeburn, about thirty years ago. Dr. Brown says:-"At the fireside [in the diningroom] is a small head of FERGUSSON the poet, by Runciman-intense and painful, the eyes full of perilous light and coming frenzy-in colour dingy beside the glow of Raeburn. It is not the same portrait as the one engraved in his works, also by Runciman." That it is not the same is clear. But

apart from the "Sir Precentor" sketch (see page xl.) there was evidently a "drawing" of the poet by Alexander Runciman; and it is probably to this that FERGUSSON himself refers, in the "Codicil" to his "Last Will," when he writes:

"To Walter Ruddiman, whose pen

Still screen'd me from the dunce's den,
I leave of phiz a picture, saving
To him the freedom of engraving

Therefrom a copy, to embellish

And give his work a smarter relish."

This "picture

appears to have been delivered over to Mr. Ruddiman, indeed, and David Laing, of the Writers to the Signet's Library, was able to supply Dr. Grosart with some interesting particulars regarding it. Mr. Ruddiman, Laing said, had entrusted the portrait to Mr. James Cummyng; and while the second edition of the poems was in the press, in 1782, he addressed this card to Mr. Cummyng:-"Tho. Ruddiman's compliments to Mr. Cummyng, begs he would look among his papers for a quarto book of drawings which T. R. left with Mr. C. some months ago. It contains a sketch of the likeness of R. FERGUSSON, whose works T. R. has nearly ready for publication, and wishes to have his head engraved with all speed. If Mr. C. will leave the book with his son, T. R. will send for it this afternoon, Tuesday, 7th May, 1782." In a postscript to another letter to Cummyng, Ruddiman says:The want of FERGUSSON's head is an infinite loss to me at present-14th May, 1782." The volume was issued without a portrait, so that Cummyng must have mislaid the drawing. turned up later, as we will see immediately.

But it

And

taking that with the "Sir Precentor" sketch and the Runciman painting, it should be fairly evident to anyone with half an eye in his head that the portrait so highly lauded by Dr. Grosart in 1851 can have little claim to credit as "the alone authenticated" and "only faithful" likeness.

II. This (see page xviii.), was the first portrait of FERGUSSON that appeared in any volume of his poems. It is the one, besides, on which most of the subsequent portraits were based. In all likelihood it was prepared from the Runciman drawing. Where else could it

come from? It was given as a frontispiece in the first part of Poems on Various Subjects, by ROBERT FerGUSSON, published by Morison & Son, Perth, in 1788. "I may state," says Dr. Grosart, "that Miss Ruddiman, Professor Vilant of St. Andrews, Mr. Howden, jeweller, and Mr. Spence of Edinburgh, all recognised a likeness in the portrait of Morison & Son, and its re-engravings. Still there was a something unsatisfactory, which is easily accounted for by the improving alterations made."

III. The Grosart portrait, a reproduction of which appears at page xxxiv., has been frequently referred to here. I call it the Grosart portrait, because it appears alone in the edition of The Works of Robert Fergusson, edited by the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart, LL.D., and published by Messrs. A. Fullarton & Co., London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, in 1851. Recommending it to the public in that work, the reverend editor remarks:-"The portrait which is given in the present edition is carefully and faithfully re-engraved from a private copper-plate, which belonged to Mr.