_Burnomania_ (Vol. v., p. 127.).--Your correspondent ELGINENSIS has got
the "Burnomania" of Dr. William Peebles, the minister of
Newton-upon-Ayr, himself one of the minor poets of Scotland by virtue of
his _Crisis, or the Progress of Revolutionary Principles_, Edinburgh,
1803 and 1804; and _Poems, consisting of Odes and Elegies_, Glasgow,
1810; all in my collection.
Like the transcendent powers of a living vocalist, the genius of Burns
could brook no rival, and for a long period, notwithstanding the futile
attempts of the smaller poetical _fry_ to arrest its progress by their
Lilliputian shafts, the "Ayrshire Ploughman" maintained a species of
monopoly of the public mind and attention.
Dr. Peebles, as a candidate for poetical fame, no doubt found this
"Burnomania" sufficiently annoying; he therefore put forth his puny arm,
in the publication alluded to by ELGINENSIS, to stem it, and,
considering that the poetry of Burns was then in the zenith of its
popularity, we need not add that the worthy Doctor's work proved but a
_turf_ to the _cataract_, and is only now known as a curiosity.
I may however notice, that Dr. Peebles had a deeper _grudge_ than
rivalry to settle with Burns, the satirical poet having aimed at him in
the "Holy Fair" and the "Kirk's Alarm;" and should your correspondent
seek to know more of the author of his book, he will find him noticed in
Paterson's _Contemporaries of Burns_, Edinburgh, 1830.
While upon the subject I may further note, that among many other carpers
at the "Burnomania" was James Maxwell, better known as the "Poet in
Paisley," who attacked Burns and his friend Lapraik in a _brochure_,
entitled "_Animadversions on some Poets and Poetasters of the present
Age, especially R----t B----s and J----n L----k, with a Contrast of some
of the former Age_: Paisley, Neilson, for the Author, 1788. In this
curious piece, which was unknown to Motherwell,--our pair of poets, with
all their patrons and friends,--among whom Maxwell is _shocked_ to find
both _ministers_ and _elders_,--
"For some of our clergy his poems esteem,
And some of our elders think no man like him,"--
all these, and such like, are severely censured by the moral poet for
admiring "this stupid blockhead," besides being menaced with a certain
place, to which their favourites are certainly doomed, should they
continue to support such arch-enemies of the Kirk and order. How
appropriate, then, is the remark of the Rev. Hamilton Paul, one of
Burns' warmest admirers and editors, when, _lumping_ all these envious
spirits together, he says,--
"Some weak attempts have been made by narrow-minded men to expose
to ridicule this 'Burnomania,' as they term it; but like self-love
converted by the plastic power of the poet into social affection,
it is spreading wider and wider every day."
"Friends' kindred, neighbour, first it doth embrace;
Our country next, and next all human race."