JESSIE'S ILLNESS

SAY, sages, what's the charm on earth

Can turn Death's dart aside?

It is not purity and worth,

Else Jessie had not died!

HER RECOVERY

BUT rarely seen since Nature's birth
The natives of the sky!

Yet still one seraph's left on earth,

For Jessie did not die.

ON MARRIAGE

THAT hackney'd judge of human life,

The Preacher and the King,

Observes:

The man that gets a wife

He gets a noble thing.'

But how capricious are mankind,

Now loathing, now desirous! We married men, how oft we find

The best of things will tire us!

GRACES

A POET'S GRACE

BEFORE MEAT

O THOU, who kindly dost provide
For ev'ry creature's want!
We bless the God of Nature wide
For all Thy goodness lent.

And if it please Thee, heavenly Guide,

May never worse be sent;

But, whether granted or denied,
Lord, bless us with content.

AFTER MEAT

O THOU, in whom we live and move,
Who made the sea and shore,
Thy goodness constantly we prove,

And, grateful, would adore;
And, if it please Thee, Power above!
Still grant us with such store
The friend we trust, the fair we love,
And we desire no more.

AT THE GLOBE TAVERN

BEFORE MEAT

O LORD, when hunger pinches sore,
Do Thou stand us in stead,

And send us from Thy bounteous store
A tup- or wether-head.

AFTER MEAT

1

LORD [Thee] we thank, and Thee alone,
For temporal gifts we little merit!

At present we will ask no more:
Let William Hislop bring the spirit.

sheep's-head

meat

EPITAPHS

ON JAMES GRIEVE, LAIRD OF
BOGHEAD, TARBOLTON

HERE lies Boghead amang the dead
In hopes to get salvation;
But if such as he in Heav'n may be,
Then welcome-hail! damnation.

ON WM. MUIR IN TARBOLTON MILL

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 warm'd,
Few heads with knowledge so inform'd :
If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

One; fellow

other world

ON JOHN RANKINE

Aɛ day, as Death, that gruesome carl,
Was driving to the tither warl'
A mixtie-maxtie, motley squad
And monie a guilt-bespotted lad :

preachers and lawyers

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 himself to see the wretches,
He mutters, glow'ring 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

Το

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.

swings

[Notes]

ON TAM THE CHAPMAN

As Tam the chapman on a day

Wi' Death forgather'd by the way,

Weel pleas'd he greets a wight so famous,
And Death was nae less pleas'd wi' Thomas,
Wha cheerfully lays down his pack,
And there blaws up a hearty crack:
His social, friendly, honest heart
Sae tickled Death, they could na part;
Sae, after viewing knives and garters,
Death taks him hame to gie him quarters.

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