hi john ... I understand he had to raise the printing funds by subscriptions but he had done that successfully before... particularly with the kilmarnock first book...
I know that the Edinburgh book sold well but Burns couldnt get the profit money off the printer.. currie..i think his name was..without a bit of a struggle.
But still, it was a lucrative exercise for him... he made 5OO pounds from the first book... and more from the second.. at a time when the best he could expect from farming would be around 15 pounds a YEAR, and that was the year he tried the more successful flax crop.
Of course the Excise job meant more money per year and a good pension for jean on his death... but still ..
to turn his back on trying to gather subscriptions for what already prooved to be something that 'saved' him, and reaffirmed his destiny as the west of scotland Bard.
I just dont understand it.. and I wonder if there are any writings that I have missed that may explain it to me.
There is letters rejecting money from Thompson...Burns feeling the acceptance of which would demean the muse or something like that...

A little bit like joe strummer maybe...

Maybe its something he decided was not to be turned into 'business'..
I get that... and it makes me admire him more... but all those kids.. all that family to support... Its strange to me that he wouldnt continue..
Auld lang syne... yea I heard he collected it.. and others... but thank God he saved it from obscurity eh?