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During the years 1781–1782, at the age of 23, Robert Burns (1759–1796) lived in Irvine, North Ayrshire for a period of around 9 months,〔Dougall, page 232.〕〔Douglas, page 24.〕 whilst learning the craft of flax-dressing from Alexander Peacock, who may have been his mother's half-brother, working at the heckling shop in the Glasgow Vennel.〔Hogg, page 56.〕 Dr John Cumming of Milgarholm, a provost of Irvine, claimed that he had invited Burns to come to Irvine to learn flax dressing.〔Hunter, Page 264〕 During this time he made a number of acquaintances, befriended several locals and took regular walks into the Eglinton Woods via the old Irvine to Kilwinning toll road and the Drukken or Drucken (Drunken)〔(Scots Dictionary )〕 Steps over the Red Burn and back via the site of Saint Brides or Bryde's Well at Stanecastle.〔Boyle, page 48.〕 Burns had several other connections with the Eglinton Estate and other branches of the Montgomerie family. He probably left in March 1782.〔Hogg, page 57.〕 == The Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton == Archibald Montgomerie, the eleventh Earl of Eglinton (1726–96) succeeded to the title in 1769. He was known as General Montgomerie, having raised the 77th Regiment of Foot in the Highlands in 1757, of which he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in command.〔(Burns Encyclopedia )〕 Archibald, the 11th Earl, stood as guarantor for the printing of the 1786 'Kilmarnock Edition' of Robert Burns' poems, together with John Hamilton,〔McQueen, page 38.〕 later Dr. Hamilton, a medical student and son of Provost Charles Hamilton of Irvine. The Hamiltons lived at the entry to the Glasgow Vennel close to Burns ' lodgings and may have been a link in his coming to Irvine in the first instance.〔Hill, page 67.〕 The Earl of Eglinton also sent ten guineas to Burns on his arrival in Edinburgh as a subscription for a 'brace', that is two copies, quoted however as 42 by most authors (36 by one〔Hogg, page 143.〕 and in the subscribers list〔Burns, page XX.〕〔Chambers, V. II, page 16.〕〔Boyle, page 50.〕〔(Life of Robert Burns )〕) of the Edinburgh Edition of the Poems. At 5s for subscribers and 6s for others, 10 guineas for two would have been extremely generous.〔(Burns Encyclopedia )〕〔(In a letter to Mrs Dunlop. )〕 and the actual intention is quoted as ''To bespeak (order in advance) the new edition and hand him a suitable gift of money.''〔Chambers, V. II, page 16〕 Mrs. Dunlop of Dunlop, a regular correspondent of Burns, had spoken to her friend Doctor John Moore about Burns as a ''Miracle of Genius'' and it was this 'Kind Man' who had encouraged the Earl to become a patron of Burns.〔 Writing in response to the Earl's purchase on 11 January 1787, Burns said: ''Your Munificence, my Lord, certainly deserved my very grateful acknowledgements, but your Patronage is a bounty peculiarly suited to my feelings.''〔 The Earls retained their interest in Burns as shown by the subscribers list in James Currie's ''The Complete Works of Burns'', the first major work on the life and works of Burns, published in 1800. The 12th Earl subscribed for 12 copies; more copies than most subscribers who were not actually in the book trade. The Montgomeries in general and Colonel Hugh Montgomerie (Sodger Hugh) in particular, are included in Burns' 'The Author's Earnest Cry and Prayer' of 1776, dedicated "To the Right Honourable and Honourable Scotch Representatives in the House of Commons."〔(Burns's Poems. )〕 These lines refer to the Earl:- This stanza was suppressed in Burns' first editions, even though it was well known that Sodger Hugh found it 'easier to do a thing than to talk about it'.〔Aikman, page 3.〕 Burns also wrote the following lines:- The 12th Earl of Eglinton, 'Sodger Hugh' was a third cousin of the 11th Earl, originally lived at Coilsfield House near Tarbolton, where Burns's 'Highland Mary', probably Mary Campbell, had been a byre woman and possibly the mistress of the Earl's brother, Captain James Montgomerie of Coilsfield. She had previously worked for Gavin Hamilton in Mauchline.〔Hogg, page 95.〕〔(Highland Mary and Captain Montgomerie )〕 Mary Campbell inspired some of Burns' finest and most famous poems. Burns wrote the following lines about his separation from Mary Campbell at Coilsfield (Montgomery Castle):〔Dougall, pages 120–121〕 – The 12th Earl's sister, Lillias, married John Hamilton of Sundrum, who was appointed 'Oversman', or referee, in Robert Burns' father's dispute with his landlord David McLure.〔(Lillias Hamilton née Montgomerie. )〕 Montgomerie's Peggy, Peggy Thompson, was another of Burns' daliances. Peggy was a 'superior servant', possibly the housekeeper of Coilsfield House and Burns made her acquaintance through passing billets doux (love letters) to her at church. He vowed to her:〔Dougall, page 119.〕- It was clear to him that she loved another, and Burns wrote that it took him a few months to get over her.〔Chambers, V. 1, page 70.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Robert Burns and the Eglinton Estate」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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