1924-01-26 — Page 9

BURNS MEMORY.

LAST NIGHT'S TRIBUTE.

WITTY SPEECH BY H.E. THE

VOOVERNOR.

because I feel like the mouse of which he sports with such convic tion,

THE HONGKONG

cansed the great change in the two statements. I do not suppose for a moment Jeffrey really meant what he said: he knew it was the sort of thing his readers expected him to say or to think, and I think the difference between those two statements is the measure of im

"Wee "aleskit," cow'rin," tim" "rous beastie" and 1 салдов етед hope that the spirit of Scotland will endow me with the art of speaking in the portance of Robert Burns to the The anniversary of the birth of same way as it did the other mouse history of Scotland. At the time Robert Burns, Scotland's greatest in the story, which is probably he started writing Sentland was. bard, was worthily calobrated by familiar to all of you. It is an old I suppose, at its lowest level. local Scots and others at the

It from ** national point. ot Hongkong Hotel last night, when stary and will bear repetition.

by its efforts dinner was partaken of by a large is the story of a lonely Scot living rin, because

mistaken enforts to and distinguished gathering in in lachy lodgings in London. From-possibly very appropriate surroundings, his native land was sent in January replace the Scottish king on the Pipers were in attendance, several a bottle of the national drink of throne of the United Kingdom it of those present were in High-Scotland, which he kept until he appeared to be sinking fato a pro- land costunie, and there was partook of a solitary meal on the vice of England, and when such haggis, barley bree and other re-birthday of Robert Barns, He was a remarkable 223 * Boswell minders of Scotis including a drinking the wine of his country thought it necessary to apologise large portrait of Burns himself with his frugal meal and was unfor being a Scotsman I think it and a model of his cottage. The

was getting chair was occupied by this year's fortunate enough in rising to upset

rather serious. I have never Chieftain, Mr. Sutherland, the the remainder of the whiskey in his

known, in recent years, a Scote- guest of honour being H. E. the glass over the bread lying on the

man apologising for his nation- Governor, to whom was entrusted table. Coming back a few ininutesity (Hear hear). I think you the toast of the evening, "The Inter he saw a small mouse nibbling will all admit the Scottish lan- Immortal Memory of Baras.” at the whiskey impregnated in the guage and the Scottish people owe Following the dinner, essential bread. He made a noise to frightens great debt to the immortal Jy Scottish in character, the it away.

The mouse looked up memory of Robert Burns. Chieftain called upon His Excel-curled up his whiskers, assumed an lency to propose the toast of attitude of self-defence and said the evening, extending a hearty

You can bring your-eat now" welcome to him.

ine immortal Memory. (Loud langhter). I apologise for the His Excellency the Governor was language of the mouse, but it is received with low applause probably the first time he had come rxing tu proposé "The Immortal facross Scotch whiskey. (Renewed Memory." He said: "Gentlemen, if laughtery

The Poet's Art,

ahows the position

The Bard's Personality.

It is of interest to consider what sort of man this was to whom rou owe this debt. I suppose that there have been few people of whom so many biographies have teen written and so many criti- isms made as Robert Burns. I confess I have not endeavoured to |

large proportion of

I am unable to make myself heard I beg that you will excuse

I must express my gratitude to a study any mt because not being a handy Scot former Chieftain who had lor some bave found that the asphere was years just been seizing every oppor. rather too much for me and I have tunity to induce

improve had to spend most of the evening my acquaintance with the works

on the Verandah. ` (Laughter).

The

toast which, i did no offer but

me to

them, nor do I propose to do so.! Most of them, to my mind, seem omewhat interfering and imper- inest. It is not for me to discuss the minor details of the life of

meditating on the immortal Bard of the bard, not only for the great Burns; the main thing is that pleasure I have obtained in read having lived a variety of life he ing his works but because it has

produced certain poems in the which I consented to propose is that solved a problem which has been time. A great deal of time has of The Immortal Memory of Koberi 10 me for years, ever since been wastedin attacking his habits.

I took to atteading meetings and a great deal Scotsmen on the 30th November.

them.

TELEGRAPH SATURDAY JANUA

CAFE WISEMAN

Cakes and Pastries

Many new kinds recently introduced.

Made at our Daylight Bakery under expert European Superivsion.

Lane, Crawford, Ltd.

Path Baby

and Is always ready for action never fails to entertain in bringing

is defence of

like a

to

your home the

charm of

"An honest mas mday

glass,

it is quite possible he may not An honest mas may like a lass.”

have conized his liking in either mase to a single glass or a single ass, but after all that was very largely his business, (Laughter). and though perhaps we may regret

Buzus I may say that it is A unre necessary in propusing his

It always appeared to me a very health than in writing an epitaph curious circumstance that one was to speak the exne: truth-laughter)sked to celebrate the patron saint bat at the same time I su bound of Scotland. St. Andrew, when the to confess that I have no fault tv honour of the occasion appear And in this case with the adjective led to be shared by haggis "Immortal" na attacliad to the and Robert Barns One can memory of lubert Burns (Applause) understand the haggis because It is a commonplace of literary one realises that in olden times criticism that literary man who the ancient Greeks used to sacri

fice that part of the anima!

that a man should not rise above bas been over-praised in his life or

their gods, (Laughter), but I was the normal morality and sobriety just after his death then gues

always puzzled about the presence of his time. it is, unreasonable to

bis

to

motion Pictures.

PATHE-BABY

Complete $60.00

FILMS

(Nour inflaumable) :

1.50

PATHE-ORIENT

through a period of eclipse, and it is only some time after he is dead Burns, until I had been induced expect too much sobriety. I can and almost compelled by Mrot help thinking in reading some that you can range him in

Stephen to study him with greater of these criticisms that the real proper position compared with

care, then realised that it is trouble was that Burns started others Two great writers of Scot

a serious feeling on the part of the from the lower social rank. It land have not yet emerged from the Scotsmen, and that they realise seems to me rather ridiculous to depth of the trough into which that Scotland owes a very great deal attach undue importance to cer- they have descended: I refer to to Robert Burns, who has preserved tain lapses of sobriety and mo- Sir Walter Scott and Thomas the Scottish language, which was rality at a time when the upper life of any great author the better, to you the great loss to poetry it Carlyle, who are both now sultering in danger of falling into consider classes of society were corrupt in. You know that Burns was brought was that he did not go to Jamaica

undeserved" under-rating able disregard in his time. He did both respects. I cannot help up in an honest, God-fearing, poor for a

iruman

short time. Cannot you

and who. I are sure, in another for the Scottish language what Sir thinking that what was at the family in Scotland. He early be imagine the wonderful poems a **generation or half a generation will Walter Scott did for Scottish his back of the minds of the critics came known for his poetie talent, man would write who had such be restored to their proper place-lory-made it understood to other was "How dare this man imitate and after a time he published his great appreciation of the beauties

like to illustrate what I mean by betters." people than the Scots. I should or interfere with the vices of his first book of poems, but then owing of cature, of the suncy skies, the to the results of his social habits tropical daw, the animal life of reading you two extracts from

he thought it necessary to consider the forests, and then on his return eminent literary men, both of them I think the .ess investi seriously going to Jamaica the comparison he would produce

gation made into the details of the wonder whether it ever occurred (Continued on Page 16.)

and a very high place it is among others. (Applause).

Burns Level. But Burns has outlived any such depression. He has reached prob ably his right level; possibly nec

Scotsmer.

The Scotch Tongue. Writing in 1779 Professor Beattie

Burns and Bananas.

quite the high level be will reach of Aberdeen refers to "The Vulgar HONGKONG SPORTS & PASTIMES

With his usual insight be informed [broad Scotch" and says: “To write

his friend in the latter days of his in that tongue and yet to write life that he would be more respect seriously is now impossible, such

applied to an important subject, so that if a Scotch merchant or man

ed 100 years bence than he was as is the effect of mean expressions the time. More than 100 years have passed and time has only proved the truth pf Barns, prophesy. 1

of business were to write to his countrymen in his native dialect

think we may therefore safely say the other would conclude that he that the word "Immortal" is right was in jest Not that this lan-

Demury of Robert

more ridiculous than

guage is

And that the Burns will endure as long as the fathers. But for more than half a Scots language, I will not say is century past it has even by the spoken, but is understood (Laughter Scots themselves been considered and applause)

•

I must make my own position clear. I regard it as a very high honour to be asked to propose the health of this North Briton, but I

"fect that it was scarcely air

Lie

**

as the dialect of the valgar. To an Englishman who had never can- versed with the common people of Scotland the language would ap- pear only antiquated, obscure unintelligible, but fa a Scotchman.

and certainly not to you and more

who thoroughly understands it and especially not fair to Robert Barns. is aware of its vulgarity, it appears ludicrous from the contrast be because any appreciation of him tween meanness of phrase and must necessarily involve quotations dignity or seriousness of senti- from his poetry, with which I am ment That verdict, I again afraid, I am entirely incompetent hasten to point out, was that of a to grapple (Laughter). You will Scotsman. It may be compared find the respectable Lowlander with this, written in 1809 by whose forbears thought the only Francis Jeffrey: "We beg leave in good Highlander was dead, appear-passing to observe that this ing in a kilt and pot infrequentlyScotch is not to be considered as playing the bagpipes, the sound of a provincial dialect--the vehicle which would have sent his ancestors only of rustic vulgarity and rude local humour. It is the language looking for the ancestral gun от elaymore; and I find that anybody pendent kingdom and still separate of a whole country, long an inde- who I have normally "supposed to lin laws, character and manners. be of respectable Sassanach blood It is by no means peculiar to the is finding he had somewhere a six-vulgar, but is the common speech teenth quartering of Scotch nobility of the whole nation in early life, (Laughter) · I hasten to explain and with many of its exalted and that I have no claim at all to Scotch accomplished individuals through- blood I do not even put forward out their whole existence. Scotch the claim, previously put forward is in reality a highly poetical lan- on such an occasion, that I occa guage, and it is an ignorantas sionally wear a tartan tie (Laughter) would seek to confound it with the well as an universal prejudice that I feel, therefore, it is hopeless for batbarous dialects of Yorkshire me, to try and grapple, properly and Devon." I submit that it is with quotations from the bard, mainly the influence of Burus that

BY APPOINT ngplad n the Houdi

Victor

Rovery fincz Old

John Dee

Petde

(Sixth Series).

You may jazz from night till morn, and

still be fresh, if you take VICTORIA" VAT and PYERIS

DEWAR'S “VICTORIA VAT" &

Sole Agents

A. S. WATSON & CO., LIMITED.

Hongkong.

Powell

Telephone C.4578

For the Races.

JUST ARRIVED

Smart Model Hats,

Coats.

Sunshades.

En tout. Cas.

Rainproofs.

Wm. POWELL Ltd.

12, Des Vœux Road.

BRANDIES.

Legrand et Fils.

Courvoisier & Co.

Rouyer, Guillet & Co.

John Exshaw No. I & Very Fine Old Liqueur

F. O. V. Liqueur..

B. B. Pale Old Liqueur.

CALDBECK. MACGREGOR & CO., LTD.

(Telephone Central No. 75)

15, Queen's Road Central

ACEH BESS

JAPAN

ASAHI BEER.

BREWED BY

DAI NIPPON BREWERY

Co., Ltd.

ΤΟΚΥΟ

Specially Brewed for Export

Sole Agents

Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, Ltd.

HONGKONG.

Now, is the winter of the Pipe Smoker's content,

As the Government will not reduce the Duty on Tobacco, we have reduced our prices for the following Brande:

Skippers...

Pinnace Navy Cut

B.D.V. Mixture

$1.29

$1.29

$1.30

Cordangan

$1.50

Boardmans, Chairman Recorder,

John Cotton, Barneys, Parson's Pleasure, Punch Bowl, Army Mix-

ture all to -

$1.44

$1.80

Ardath

Vafiadis Eg

reduced to non

La France

Dames

Superfines

THE HONGKONG CIGA

WTS

51.40

51.30

ORE. LTD