And in kirk-yards renew their leagues,

Owre howkit dead.

When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord,
An'float the jinglin' icy-boord,
Then water-kelpies haunt the foord,

By your direction,
An' nighted trav’llers are allur’d

To their destruction.

An' aft your moss-traversing spunkies Decoy the wight that late an' drunk is : The bleezin, curst, mischievous monkies

Delude his eyes,

Till in some miry slough he sunk is,

Ne'er mair to rise.

When masons' mystic word an' grip,
In storms an' tempests raise you up,
Some cock or cat your rage maun stop,

Or, strange to tell !
The
youngest Brother

ye
Aff straught to hell.

wad whip

Lang syne, in Eden's bonnie yard, When youthfu’ lovers first were pair’d, An' all the soul of love they shar’d,

The raptur'd hour, Sweet on the fragrant, flow'ry swaird,

In shady bow'r :

Then you, ye auld, snec-drawing dog!
Ye came to Paradise incog,
An' play'd on man a cursed brogue,

(Black be you fa !) Au' gied the infant warld a shog,

'Maist ruin'd a'.

But a’ your doings to rehearse,
Your wily snares an' fechtin fierce,
Sin' that day Michael did you pierce,

Down to this time,
Wad ding a' Lallan tongue, or Erse,

In prose or rhyme.

But, fare you weel, auld Nickie-ben!
O wad ye tak a thought an’ men’!
Ye aiblins might - I dinna ken

Still hae a stake

I'm wae to think upo' yon den,
Ev'n for

your

sake!

ADDRESS TO THE UNCO GUID, OR

THE RIGIDLY RIGHTEOUS.

My son, these maxims make a rule,

And lump them aye thegither;
The Rigid RIGHTEOUS is a fool,

The Rigid WISE anither :
The cleanest corn that e'er was dight

May hae some pyles o' caff in;
So ne'er a fellow-creature slight
For random fits o' daffin.

SOLOMON, Eccles. vii. 16.

YE wha are sae guid yoursel,

Sae pious and sae holy,

Ye’ve nought to do but mark and tell Your neebour's fauts and folly ! Whase life is like a weel-gaun mill,

Supply'd wi' store o' water, The heapet happer's ebbing still,

And still the clap plays clatter.

Hear me, ye venerable Core,

As counsel for poor mortals,

That frequent pass douce Wisdom's door,

For glaikit Folly's portals;
I, for their thouglitless, careless sakes,

Would here propone defences,
Their donsie tricks, their black mistakes,

Their failings and mischances.

Ye see your state wi’ theirs compar'd

And shudder at the niffer,
But cast a moment’s fair regard,

What maks the mighty differ ?
Discount what scant occasion gave

That purity ye pride in,
And (what's aft mair than a' the lave)

Your better art o' hidin'.

Think, when your castigated pulse

Gies now and then a wallop,
What raging must his veins convulse,

That still eternal gallop :
Wi’ wind and tide fair i' your tail,

Right on ye scud your sea-way :
But in the teeth o' baith to sail,

It maks an unco leeway.

See Social life and Glee sit down,

All joyous and unthinking, Till, quite transmugrified, they're grown

Debauchery and Drinking :
O would they stay to calculate

Th' eternal consequences ;
Or your more dreaded bell to state,

Dainnation of expenses !

Ye ligh, exalted, virtuous Dames,

Ty'd up in godly laces,
Before ye gie poor Frailty names,

Suppose a change o' cases;
A dear lov'd lad, convenience snug,

A treacherous inclination –
But let me whisper i' your lug,

Ye’re aiblins nae temptation.

Then gently scan your brother Man,

Still gentler sister Woman ; Tho' they may gang a

kennie

wrang, To step aside is human : One point must still be greatly dark,

The moving Why they do it;