VERSES ADDRESSED TO 7. RANKINE,

ON HIS WRITING TO THE POET, THAT A GIRL IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY WAS WITH CHILD TO HIM.

I AM a keeper of the law

In some sma' points, altho' not a';
Some people tell me gin I fa',

Ae way or ither,

The breaking of ae point, tho' sma',
Breaks a' thegither.

I hae been in for't ance or twice,
And winna say owre far for thrice,
Yet never met with that surprise

That broke my rest,

But now a rumour's like to rise,

A whaup's i' the nest.

ON SEEING THE BEAUTIFUL SEAT OF
LORD 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.

ON THE SAME.

BRIGHT ran thy line, O Galloway,
Thro' many a far-fam'd 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.

VERSES TO J. RANKINE.
AE day, as Death, that grusome carl,
Was driving to the tither warl'
A mixtie-maxtie motley squad,
And monie a guilt-bespotted lad;
Black gowns of each denomination,
And thieves of every rank and station,
From him that wears the star and garter,
To him that wintles in a halter;
Asham'd himsel to see the wretches,
He mutters, glowrin at the bitches,
'By God I'll not be seen behint them,
Nor 'mang the sp'ritual core present them,
Without at least, ae honest man,
To grace this damn'd infernal clan.'

By Adamhill a glance he threw,
'Lord God!' quoth he, 'I have it now,
There's just the man I want, i' faith,'
And quickly stoppit Rankine's breath.

EXTEMPORANEOUS EFFUSION,

ON BEING APPOINTED TO THE EXCISE.
SEARCHING auld wives' barrels,
Och, hon! the day!

That clarty barm should stain my laurels ;
But-what'll ye say?

These movin' things, ca'd wives and weans,
Wad move the very hearts o' stanes!

ON HEARING

THAT THERE WAS

FALSEHOOD IN THE REV. DR. B——'S

VERY 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.

POVERTY.

IN politics if thou wouldst mix,
And mean thy fortunes be;
Bear this in mind,—be deaf and blind,
Let great folks hear and see.

ON A SCHOOLMASTER IN CLEISH
PARISH, FIFESHIRE.

HERE lie Willie Michie's banes;
O Satan, when ye tak him,

Gie him the schoolin' of your weans,
For clever De'ils he'll mak them!

LINES

WRITTEN AND PRESENTED TO MRS. KEMBLE, ON SEEING HER IN THE CHARACTER OF YARICO.

Dumfries Theatre, 1794.

KEMBLE, thou cur'st my unbelief

Of Moses and his rod;

At Yarico's sweet notes of grief

The rock with tears had flow'd.

I MURDER hate by field or flood,
Tho' glory's name may screen us;
In wars at hame I'll spend my blood,
Life-giving war of Venus.

The deities that I adore

Are social Peace and Plenty,

I'm better pleased to make one more,
Than be the death of twenty.

LINES

WRITTEN ON A WINDOW, AT THE KING'S ARMS TAVERN, 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? taxing ledgers: What premiers, what? even Monarchs' mighty gaugers:

Nay, what are priests, those seeming godly wise men?

What are they, pray, but spiritual Excisemen?

LINES

WRITTEN ON THE 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.

EXTEMPORE IN THE COURT OF
SESSION.

TUNE-KILLIECRANKIE.'

LORD ADVOCATE.

HE clench'd his pamphlets in his fist,
He quoted and he hinted,