And perish'd mony a bonnie boat, And shook baith meikle corn and bear, It was her best, and she was vauntie. But here my muse her wing maun cour; Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r; To sing how Nannie lap and flang (A souple jade she was, and strang), And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd, And thought his very e'en enrich'd ; Even Satan glowr'd, and fidg'd fu' fain, And hotch'd and blew wi' might and main : Till first ae caper, syne anither, Tam tint his reason a' thegither, And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark! As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke, When, pop! she starts before their nose; When, "Catch the thief!" resounds aloud; Ah, Tam! ahı, Tam! thou 'll get thy fairin! In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin! In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin ! Kate soon will be a woefu' woman! Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg, And win the key-stane of the brig ; There at them thou thy tail may toss, A running stream they dare na cross. But ere the key-stane she could make, The fient a tail she had to shake! For Nannie, far before the rest, Hard upon noble Maggie prest, And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle; But little wist she Maggie's mettle — Ae spring brought off her master hale, But left behind her ain gray tail: The car in caught her by the rump, Now, wha this tale o' truth shall read, ADDRESS TO THE DEIL. O Prince! O Chief of many throned pow'rs, MILTON. THOU! whatever title suit thee, Spairges about the brunstane cootie, Hear me, auld Hangie, for a wee, I'm sure sma' pleasure it can gie, Ev'n to a deil, To skelp an' scaud poor dogs like me, Great is thy pow'r, an' great thy fame; An', faith! thou's neither lag nor lame, Whyles, ranging like a roarin lion, Whyles in the human bosom pryin, Unseen thou lurks. I've heard my reverend Graunie say, Nod to the moon, Ye fright the nightly wand'rer's way, When twilight did my Graunie summon, Or, rustlin, thro' the boortries comin, Ae dreary, windy, winter night, Ayont the lough; Ye, like a rash-bush, stood in sight, The cudgel in my nieve did shake, Let warlocks grim, an' wither'd hags, |