But, twenty times, I rather would be, Than under gospel colours hid be, Just for a screen. An honest man may like a glass, He'll still disdain, An' then cry zeal for gospel laws, Like some we ken. They tak religion in their mouth; All hail, Religion! maid divine! Thus daurs to name thee; To stigmatize false friends of thine Can ne'er defame thee. Tho' blotch't an' foul wi' monie a stain, An' far unworthy of thy train, Wi' trembling voice I tune my strain To join wi' those, 70 Who boldly daur thy cause maintain In spite o' foes: In spite o' crowds, in spite o' mobs, At worth an' merit, By scoundrels, even wi' holy robes, But hellish spirit. O Ayr! my dear, my native ground! A candid, lib'ral band is found Of public teachers, As men, as christians too, renown'd, An' manly preachers. Sir, in that circle you are nam'd; An' some, by whom your doctrine's blam'd, (Which gies you honour), Even, Sir, by them your heart's esteem'd, Pardon this freedom I have ta'en, An' if impertinent I've been, 80 90 Whase heart ne'er wrang'd ye, But to his utmost would befriend Ought that belang'd ye. TO GAVIN HAMILTON, ESQ., MAUCHLINE. RECOMMENDING A BOY. Mosgaville, May 3, 1786. HOLD it, Sir, my bounden duty, Was here to lure the lad away An' wad hae don't aff han': But lest he learn the callan tricks, As faith I muckle doubt him, Like scrapin' out auld Crummie's nicks, As lieve then I'd have then, Not fitted otherwhere. Altho' I say't, he's gleg enough, But then wi' you, he'll be sae taught, 10 * Cromek says, "Master Tootie then lived in Mauchline; a dealer in Cows. It was his common practice to cut the nicks or markings from the horns of cattle, to disguise their age. He was an artful trick-contriving character; hence he is called a Snick-drawer. Burns styles the Devil, in his address to that personage, 'an auld, snick-drawing dog.'" An' get sic fair example straught, An' shore him weel wi' hell; -Aye when ye gang yoursel. If ye then, maun be then My word of honour I hae gi'en, To try to get the twa to gree, In legal mode an' form: An' if a Devil be at a', In faith he's sure to get him. Ye ken your Laureat scorns : VAR. Earnest money. 20 30 40 BURNS. EPISTLE TO MR. M'ADAM, OF CRAIGEN-GILLAN, IN ANSWER TO AN OBLIGING LETTER HE SENT IN THE COMMENCEMENT OF MY POETIC CAREER. IR, o'er a gill I gat your card, "See wha taks notice o' the Bard!" "Now deil-ma-care about their jaw, "Twas noble, Sir; 'twas like yoursel, Tho', by his banes wha in a tub Match'd Macedonian Sandy! On my ain legs, thro' dirt and dub, And when those legs to gude, warm kail, Wi' welcome canna bear me; A lee dyke-side, a sybow-tail, 10 20 |