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Description: | Rambling four page letter in reply to an earlier one from Burns now aged 20, reflecting on the value of friendship and general philosophical matters. He gives Burns positive encouragement with respect to the Country Dancing lessons he has undertaken.
Candlish was a school mate of Burns, studied medicine at Glasgow University, Married Jean Smith, the sister of R.B's friend James Smith and one of the 'Mauchline Belles'. About 1788, Candlish settled in Edinburgh as a lecturer in Medicine. In a letter to Peter Hill, dated March 1791 from Ellisland, RB refers to Candlish as 'the earliest friend except my only brother that I have on earth, and one of the worthiest fellows that ever any man called by the name of Friend'.
Candlish signs off asking to be reminded to Gilbert and a hope for further correspondence. He signs himself McCandlish at this stage in his life but later dropped the 'Mc' to be known as Candlish. The letter is a little damaged making it difficult to read in places but it provides one of the earliest examples of Burns's correspondence if only from the receiving end. | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 | Publisher: | Burns Monument Trust | Temporal: | 1779-01-01 - 1779-12-31 | Source: | Burns Scotland | Identifier: | Letter of James Candlish to Robert Burns | Go to resource |
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