Robert Fergusson

Born Sept. 15, 1750, in Edinburgh; died there Oct. 16, 1774. Scottish poet.

Fergusson, who graduated from St. Andrews University, wrote in both English and Scottish Gaelic. He played a conspicuous part in the attempt of Scottish intellectuals of his day to revive their native language as a literary medium. His poems, known for their humor, unaffectedness, picturesque folk scenes, and festive color, exercised a marked influence on R. Burns. Among them are “Leith Races,” “The Farmer’s Ingle,” “The Daft Days,” and “Address to the Tron Kirk Bell.”