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Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson
page 56 of 332 (16%)
against the influence and fame of the school's hero?

And now we come to the culminating point of Burns's early
period. He began to be received into the unknown upper
world. His fame soon spread from among his fellow-rebels on
the benches, and began to reach the ushers and monitors of
this great Ayrshire academy. This arose in part from his lax
views about religion; for at this time that old war of the
creeds and confessors, which is always grumbling from end to
end of our poor Scotland, brisked up in these parts into a
hot and virulent skirmish; and Burns found himself identified
with the opposition party, - a clique of roaring lawyers and
half-heretical divines, with wit enough to appreciate the
value of the poet's help, and not sufficient taste to
moderate his grossness and personality. We may judge of
their surprise when HOLY WILLIE was put into their hand; like
the amorous lads of Tarbolton, they recognised in him the
best of seconds. His satires began to go the round in
manuscript; Mr. Aiken, one of the lawyers, "read him into
fame;" he himself was soon welcome in many houses of a better
sort, where his admirable talk, and his manners, which he had
direct from his Maker, except for a brush he gave them at a
country dancing school, completed what his poems had begun.
We have a sight of him at his first visit to Adamhill, in his
ploughman's shoes, coasting around the carpet as though that
were sacred ground. But he soon grew used to carpets and
their owners; and he was still the superior of all whom he
encountered, and ruled the roost in conversation. Such was
the impression made, that a young clergyman, himself a man of
ability, trembled and became confused when he saw Robert
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