TO A MOUSE I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee, I'm truly sorry man's dominion, Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth-born companion, An' fellow-mortal! I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve; 'S a sma' request; I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,d An' never miss't! Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin! An' bleak December's winds ensuin, Baith snell' an' keen! Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, An' weary winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell Till crash the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, To thole the winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch3 cauld! But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me On prospects drear! Epitaph on John Dove, Innkeeper.1 HERE lies Johnie Pigeon; What was his religion Whae'er desires to ken, To some other warl' Maun follow the carl, For here Johnie Pigeon had nane! Strong ale was ablution, Small beer persecution, A dram was memento mori; But a full-flowing bowl Was the saving his soul, And port was celestial glory. 8 go oft awry. 'He kept the Whitefoord Arms, in Mauchline, where a Bachelor's Club met. ADAM ARMOUR'S PRAYER Epitaph for James Smith.1 LAMENT him, Mauchline husbands a', For had ye staid hale weeks awa, Your wives they ne'er had miss'd ye. Ye Mauchline bairns, as on ye press Adam Armour's Prayer.2 GUDE pity me, because I'm little! Yet, scarce as lang's a gude kail-whittle, An' now Thou kens our waefu' case; For whilk we daurna show our face Within the clachan, ་ hid. An' now we're dern'da in dens and hollows, But Gude preserve us frae the gallows, Auld grim black-bearded Geordie's sel'- And if he offers to rebel, Then heave him in. 1 When Death comes in wi' glimmerin blink, Within his yett, с An' fill her up wi' brimstone drink, Red-reekin het. Though Jock an' hav'reld Jean 2 are merry- An' waft them in th' infernal wherry Straught through the lake, An' gie their hides a noble curry Wi' oil of aikR! As for the jurr-puir worthless body! But, may she wintle in a woody,' b posteriors. • oak (i.e., with a cudgel.) 1 Geordie's wife. a hoary. THE JOLLY BEGGARS The Jolly Beggars.-A Cantata.1 Recitativo. WHEN lyart leaves bestrow the yird, When hailstanes drive wi' bitter skyte," First, neist the fire, in auld red rags, While she held up her greedy gab, bearth. f as • reckless, vagrant. superfluous rags. k |