Burns Holograph Manuscripts. (D. Brown and Co., Kilmarnock.) —It is
difficult to see how any literary object of genuine im- portance can be served at this time of day by reproducing in print, verbatim et literatim, the holograph MSS. in the possession of the Burns Monument Museum Committee at Kilmarnock. Con noisseurs in texts and devotees of Burns will, however, appreciate the truly loving care with which the editor of this volume, Mr. David Sneddon, has accomplished his self-imposed task. His notes are perhaps unnecessarily long and numerous; otherwise we have no serious fault to find with his work. The ordinary reader will note some peculiarities in the spelling affected by Burns, who in 1785 was still" Burness." He writes " harrangues " and" callor " in " callor air," and speaks of the hares as" herplan," while the "lay'rocks " were " chantin'."
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