Morality's demure decoys.
Shall here nae mair find quarter :
Mackinlay, Russell, are the boys
That heresy can torture; 2

3

They'll gie her on a rape a hoyse,"

4

And cowe her measure shorter

By th' head some day.

Come, bring the tither mutchkin in,

And here's-for a conclusion-
To ev'ry New Light' mother's son,
From this time forth, confusion !
If mair they deave us wi' their din,
Or patronage intrusion,

We'll light a spunk, and ev'ry skin,
We'll rin them aff in fusion,

Like oil some day.

EPISTLE TO JAMES SMITH."

"Friendship, mysterious cement of the soul!
Sweet'ner of Life, and solder of Society!
I owe thee much-

BLAIR.

DEAR SMITH, the slee'st, pawkie thief,
That e'er attempted stealth or rief!*

1 VAR. "delusive joys" (MS.).

2 VAR. "Will clap him in the torture" (MS.). rope a hoist.

3

4 cut.

A cant-phrase in the West of Scotland, for those religious opinions which Dr. Taylor, of Norwich, has defended so strenuously.-R. B.

6 match.

James Smith was a shopkeeper in Mauchline, who is celebrated in one of Burns's epigrams (p. 154). He was Burns's constant friend when he got into

8 theft.

Ye surely hae some warlock-breef1

Owre human hearts;

For ne'er a bosom yet was prief

For me,

Against your arts.

I swear by sun an' moon,

An' ev'ry star that blinks aboon,

Ye've cost me twenty pair o' shoon,

Just gaun to see you;

An' ev'ry ither pair that's done,

Mair taen I'm wi' you.

That auld, capricious carlin, Nature,
To mak amends for scrimpet stature,
She's turn'd you off, a human-creature
On her first plan,

And in her freaks, on ev'ry feature

She's wrote the Man.

Just now I've taen the fit o' rhyme,
My barmie noddle's' working prime.

difficulties early in the spring of 1786, in his relations with Jean Armour. Smith afterwards had a calicoprinting manufactory at Avon, near Linlithgow, which was unsuccessful; and he died before Burns, in the West Indies. In February, 1786, Burns said in a letter to Richmond, from Mossgiel, "I am extremely happy with Smith: he is the only friend I have now in Mauchline." On April 28th, 1788, Burns acquainted Smith with his marriage, and added, "I intend to present Mrs. Burns with a printed shawl, an article of which I dare say you have variety; 'tis my first present to her since I have irrevocably called her mine; and I have a kind of whimsical wish to get her the said first present from an old and much valued friend of hers and mine, a trusty Trojan, on whose friendship I count myself possessed of a life rent lease."

1 spell.

2 brain excited with drink.

My fancy yerket' up sublime,

Wi' hasty summon ;

Hae ye a leisure-moment's time

To hear what's comin ?

Some rhyme a neibor's name to lash;

Some rhyme (vain thought!) for needfu' cash
Some rhyme to court the countra clash,'
An' raise a din;

For me, an aim I never fash;3

I rhyme for fun.

The star that rules my luckless lot,
Has fated me the russet coat,

An' damn'd my fortune to the groat;
But, in requit,

Has blest me with a random-shot

O' countra wit.

This while my notion's taen a sklent,*
To try my fate in guid, black prent;
But still the mair I'm that way bent,

Something cries "Hoolie!" I red you, honest man, tak tent!"

Ye'll shaw your folly ;

"There's ither poets, much your betters,
Far seen in Greek, deep men o' letters,
Hae thought they had ensur'd their debtors,
A' future ages;

Now moths deform, in shapeless tatters,

Their unknown pages."

Then farewell hopes of laurel-boughs,

To garland my poetic brows!

' lashed.

;

4 an inclination.

5 Stop.

7 heed.

Henceforth I'll rove where busy ploughs

Are whistlin thrang,

An' teach the lanely heights an' howes

My rustic sang.

I'll wander on, wi' tentless heed
How never-halting moments speed,
Till fate shall snap the brittle thread;
Then, all unknown,

I'll lay me with th' inglorious dead,

Forgot and gone!

But why o' death begin a tale?
Just now we're living sound an' hale;
Then top and maintop crowd the sail,

Heave Care o'er-side!

And large, before Enjoyment's gale,

Let's tak the tide.

This life, sae far's I understand,
Is a' enchanted fairy-land,

Where Pleasure is the magic-wand,

That, wielded right,

Maks hours like minutes, hand in hand,

Dance by fu' light.

The magic-wand then let us wield;
For ance that five-an'-forty's speel'd,
See, crazy, weary, joyless eild,

Wi' wrinkl'd face,

Comes hostin,1 hirplin' owre the field,

Wi' creepin pace.

When ance life's day draws near the gloamin, Then fareweel vacant, careless roamin;

1 coughing.

2 limping.

An' fareweel cheerfu' tankards foamin,

An' social noise:

An' fareweel dear, deluding woman,
The joy of joys!

O Life! how pleasant, in thy morning,
Young Fancy's rays the hills adorning !
Cold-pausing Caution's lesson scorning,
We frisk away,

Like school-boys, at th' expected warning,
To joy an' play.

We wander there, we wander here,

We

eye the rose upon the brier, Unmindful that the thorn is near,

And tho' the puny

Among the leaves;

Some, lucky, find a flow'ry spot,

For which they never toil'd nor swat;
They drink the sweet and eat the fat,

But1 care or pain ;

And haply eye the barren hut

With high disdain.

With steady aim, some fortune chase;
Keen hope does ev'ry sinew brace;
Thro' fair, thro' foul, they urge the race,

An' seize the prey :

Then cannie, in some cozie place,

They close the day.

And others, like your humble servan', Poor wights! nae rules nor roads observin,

1 without.