Description: | In this poem Burns personifies the five Dumfriesshire Boroughs as five women each giving their opinion as to whom should be their Parliamentary representative at Westminster, The incumbent Sir James Johnston or the challenger Captain Patrick Miller, son of Burns' landlord.
In the election of 1789, the candidates for the 5 boroughs (Dumfries, Lochmaben, Annan, Kirkudbright, Sanquhar) were Sir James Johnston of Westerhall (Tory) and Patrick Miller of Dalswinton (Whig). Though Whig by nature, Burns disliked young Miller, and heartily detested the Duke of Queensborough his patron. Gradually he swung to the Tory side during the election campaign, but the seat was won by Miller.
In this second page Burns continues to introduce the rest of the Boroughs, Annan, Kirkudbright, and Sanquhar. He tells how there was some competition from the men of worth in the district to be the M.P. but all came down to a choice between two, So the five Carlins would need to fix a date to meet and settle the choice. |