ON WEE JOHNNY.

Hic jacet wee Johnny.

WHOE'ER thou art, O reader, know
That death has murdered Johnny!
And here his body lies fu' low-

For saul he ne'er had ony.

ON THE DEATH OF A HENPECKED COUNTRY

SQUIRE.

ONE Queen Artemisia, as old stories tell,

When deprived of her husband she loved so well,
In respect for the love and affection he showed her,
She reduced him to dust, and she drank off the powder.
But Queen Netherplace, of a different complexion,
When called on to order the funeral direction,
Would have ate her dead lord, on a slender pretence,
Not to show her respect, but-to save the expense!

soul

TAM THE CHAPMAN.

As Tam the Chapman on a day

Wi' Death forgathered by the way,

Weel pleased, he greets a wight sae famous,
And Death was nae less pleased wi' Thamas,
Wha cheerfully lays down his pack,
And there blaws up a hearty crack;
His social, friendly, honest heart

Sae tickled Death, they couldna part:
Sae, after viewing knives and garters,

Death taks him hame to gie him quarters.

met

well, so

no

who

blows

home, give

ON MISS J. SCOTT, OF AYR.

Он, had each SCOT of ancient times,
Been JEANY SCOTT, as thou art;
The bravest heart on English ground,
Had yielded like a coward.

ON A WORM-EATEN EDITION OF SHAKSPEARE
IN A NOBLEMAN'S LIBRARY.

THROUGH and through th' inspired leaves,
Ye maggots, make your windings;
But oh! respect his lordship's taste,
And spare the golden bindings.

WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY CHURCH.

A CAULD, cauld day December blew,
A cauld, cauld kirk, and in't but few;
A caulder minister never spak,
Ye'se warmer be ere I come back.

ON A FRIEND.

AN honest man here lies at rest
As e'er God with his image blest!
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of age, and guide of youth;

Few hearts like his, with virtue warmed,
Few heads with knowledge so informed:
If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

HOWLET FACE.

gone many

none, knew

cold

How daur ye ca' me howlet-faced,
Ye ugly, glowering spectre?
My face was but the keekin' glass,
An' there ye saw your picture.

dare, owl

staring

looking

THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT.

THE Solemn League and Covenant

Cost Scotland blood-cost Scotland tears;
But it sealed freedom's sacred cause-

If thou'rt a slave, indulge thy sneers.

ON A CERTAIN PARSON'S LOOKS.

THAT there is falsehood in his looks
I must and will deny;

They say their master is a knave-
And sure they do not lie.

ON MR M'MURDO.

INSCRIBED ON A PANE OF GLASS IN HIS HOUSE.

BLEST be M'Murdo to his latest day

No envious cloud o'ercast his evening ray;
No wrinkle furrowed by the hand of care,
Nor ever sorrow add one silver hair!

Oh, may no son the father's honour stain,
Nor ever daughter give the mother pain!

WRITTEN ON A WINDOW OF THE GLOBE TAVERN,
DUMFRIES.

THE graybeard, old Wisdom, may boast of his treasures,
Give me with gay Folly to live;

I grant him his calm-blooded, time-settled pleasures,
But Folly has raptures to give.

EXCISEMEN UNIVERSAL.

WRITTEN ON A WINDOW IN THE KING'S ARMS, DUMFRIES.

YE men of wit and wealth, why all this sneering
'Gainst poor excisemen? give the cause a hearing.
What are your landlords' rent-rolls? teasing ledgers:

What premiers-what? even monarchs' mighty gaugers: excisemen
Nay, what are priests, those seeming godly wise men?
What are they, pray, but spiritual excisemen?

ON A GROTTO IN FRIARS' CARSE GROUNDS.

To Riddel, much-lamented man,
This ivied cot was dear;

Reader, dost value matchless worth?
This ivied cot revere.

ON A NOTED COXCOMB.

LIGHT lay the earth on Billy's breast,
His chicken heart's so tender;

But build a castle on his head,
His skull will prop it under.

ON A PERSON

BORING A COMPANY WITH REFERENCES TO THE MANY GREAT
PEOPLE HE HAD BEEN VISITING.

No more of your titled acquaintances boast,
And in what lordly circles you've been:
An insect is still but an insect at most,
Though it crawl on the head of a queen.

ON SEEING THE BEAUTIFUL SEAT OF THE
EARL OF GALLOWAY.

WHAT dost thou in that mansion fair?—

Flit, Galloway, and find

Some narrow, dirty, dungeon cave,

The picture of thy mind!

ON THE SAME.

No Stewart art thou, Galloway,
The Stewarts all were brave;
Besides, the Stewarts were but fools,
Not one of them a knave.

Bright ran thy line, O Galloway,
Through many a far-famed sire!
So ran the far-famed Roman way,
So ended in a mire.

TO THE SAME,

ON THE AUTHOR BEING THREATENED WITH HIS RESENTMENT.

SPARE me thy vengeance, Galloway;

In quiet let me live:

I ask no kindness at thy hand,

For thou hast none to give.

TO MISS JESSY LEWARS:

ON A MENAGERIE OF WILD BEASTS.

TALK not to me of savages

From Afric's burning sun;
No savage e'er could rend my heart,
As, Jessy, thou hast done.
But Jessy's lovely hand in mine,
A mutual faith to plight,

Not even to view the heavenly choir
Would be so blest a sight.

TOAST,

WRITTEN ON A CRYSTAL GOBLET.

FILL me with the rosy wine,
Call a toast-a toast divine;
Give the poet's darling flame,
Lovely Jessy be the name;
Then thou mayest freely boast
Thou hast given a peerless toast.