ord of that evening given by Burns, it is interesting (p. 036)
to turn to the impression made on Professor Stewart by this their
first interview. He says,--

"His manners were then, as they continued ever afterwards, simple,
manly, and independent; strongly expressive of conscious genius and
worth, but without anything that indicated forwardness, arrogance, or
vanity. He took his share in conversation, but not more than belonged
to him; and listened with apparent attention and deference on subjects
where his want of education deprived him of the means of information.
If there had been a little more of gentleness and accommodation in his
temper, he would, I think, have been still more interesting; but he
had been accustomed to give law in the circle of his ordinary
acquaintance, and his dread of anything approaching to meanness or
servility rendered his manner somewhat decided and hard. Nothing
perhaps was more remarkable among his various attainments than the
fluency, and precision, and originality of his language, when he spoke
in company; more particularly as he aimed at purity in his turn of
expression, and avoided, more successfully than most Scotchmen, the
peculiarities of Scottish phraseology."

Burns parted with Dugald Stewart, after this evening spent with him in
Ayrshire, to meet him again in the Edinburgh coteries, amid which the
professor shone as a chief light.

Not less important in the history of Burns was his first introduction
to Mrs. Dunlop of Dunlop, a lady who continued the constant friend of
himself and of his family while she lived. She was said to be a lineal
descendant of the brother of the great hero of Scotland, William
Wallace. Gilbert Burns gives the following account of the way in (p. 037)
which his brother's acquaintance with this lady began.

"Of all the friendships, which Robert acquired in Ayrshire or
elsewhere, none seemed more agreeable to him than that of Mrs. Dunlop
of Dunlop, nor any which has been more uniformly and constantly
exerted in behalf of him and his family, of which, were it proper, I
could give many instances. Robert was on the point of setting out for
Edinburgh before Mrs. Dunlop heard of him. About the time of my
brother's publishing in Kilmarnock, she had been afflicted with a long
and severe illness, which had reduced her mind to the most distressing
state of depression. In this situation, a copy of the printed poems
was laid on her table by a friend; and happen