WRITTEN IN A LADY'S POCKET-BOOK.
GRANT me, indulgent Heav'n, that I may live
To see the miscreants feel the pain they give,
Deal Freedom's sacred treasures free as air,
Till slave and despot be but things that were.

THE CREED OF POVERTY.

IN politics if thou would'st mix,
And mean thy fortunes be,

Bear this in mind-be deaf and blind;
Let great folks hear and see.

VERSES

WRITTEN ON A WINDOW OF THE INN AT CARRON,

WE came na here to view your warks,

In hopes to be mair wise,

But only lest we gang to hell,

It may be nae surprise:

But whan we tirl'd at your door,

Your porter dought na hear us;

Sae may, should we to hell's yetts come,
Your billy Satan sair us!

ON BEING APPOINTED TO THE EXCISE.

SEARCHING old wives' barrels,

Och hone! the day!

That clarty barm shonld stain my laurels,

But what'll ye say?

These movin' things ca'd wives and weans
Wad move the very hearts o' stones.

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? teasing ledgers:
What premiers, what? even monarchs' mighty gaugers:
Nay what are priests, those seeming godly wise men?
What are they, pray, but spiritual Excisemen?

A GRACE BEFORE DINNER.

O THOU, who kindly dost provide
For every creature's want!

We bless thee, 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!

Amen.

EXTEMPORE.

WRITTEN IN ANSWER TO A CARD FROM AN INTIMATE OF BURNS, WISHING HIM TO SPEND AN HOUR AT A TAVERN.

THE King's most humble servant, I

Can scarcely spare a minute;
But I'll be wi' you by an' by,

Or else the devil's in it.

EXTEMPORE LINES.

DELIVERED AT A MEETING OF THE DUMFRIESSHIRE VOLUNTEERS, ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF ADMIRAL RODNEY'S VICTORY, APRIL 12, 1782, WHEN BURNS WAS CALLED ON FOR A SONG.

Instead of a song, boys, I'll give you a toast,

Here's the memory of those on the twelfth that we lost;
That we lost, did I say? nay, by heav'n, that we found,
For their fame it shall last while the world goes round
The next in succession, I'll give you the King-
Whoe'er would betray him, on high may he swing!
And here's the grand fabric, our free Constitution,
As built on the base of the great Revolution;
And longer with politics not to be bamm'd,
Be Anarchy cursed, and be Tyranny damn'd;
And who would to Liberty e'er prove disloyal,
May his son be a hangman, and he his first trial?

THE HEN-PECKED HUSBAND.
CURSED be the man, the poorest wretch in life,
The crouching vassal to the tyrant wife!
Who has no will but by her high permission;
Who has no sixpence but in her possession;

Who must to her his dear friend's secret tell;
Who dreads a curtain lecture worse than hell!
Were such the wife had fallen to my part,
I'd break her spirit, or I'd break her heart;
I'd charm her with the magic of a switch,
I'd kiss her maids, and kick the perverse b-ch.

SONGS AND BALLADS.

HANDSOME NELL*.

Tune-" I am a man unmarried."

O ONCE I loved a bonnie lass,

Ay, and I love her still,

And whilst that honour warms my breast
I'll love my handsome Nell.

As bonnie lasses I ha'e seen,
And mony full as braw,
But for a modest gracefu' mien
The like I never saw.

A bonnie lass, I will confess,
Is pleasant to the e'e,

But without some better qualities

She's no a lass for me.

But Nelly's looks are blythe and sweet;
And what is best of a',

Her reputation is complete,

And fair without a flaw.

She dresses aye sae clean and neat,
Both decent and genteel,

And then there's something in her gait

Gars ony dress look weel.

A gaudy dress and gentle air
May slightly touch the heart,
But it's innocence and modesty
That polishes the dart.

'Tis this in Nelly pleases me,
'Tis this enchants my soul;
For absolutely in my breast
She reigns without control.

BONNIE LESLEY.

Tune-"The Collier's bonnie daughter

O SAW ye bonnie Lesley

As she gaed o'er the Border? She's gane, like Alexander,

To spread her conquests farther.

To see her is to love her,

And love but her for ever;
For Nature made her what she is,
And ne'er made sic anither.

Thou art a queen, fair Lesley,
Thy subjects we, before thee:
Thou art divine, fair Lesley,

The hearts o' men adore thee.

The de'il he could na scaith thee,

Or aught that wad belang thee; He'd look into thy bonnie face,

And say, "I canna wrang thee."

The Powers aboon will tent thee;
Misfortune sha'na steer thee;
Thou'rt like themselves sae lovely,
That ill they'll ne'er let near thee.

Return again, fair Lesley,
Return to Caledonie !

That we may brag, we ha'e a lass

There's nane again sae bonnie.

FRAGMENT.

TUNE "I had a horse, and I had nae mair.'

WHEN first I came to Stewart Kyle,
My mind it was na steady,
Where'er I gade, where'er I rade
A mistress still I had aye :

But when I cam' roun' by Mauchline town,
Not dreadin' ony body,

My heart was caught before I thought,

And by a Mauchline lady.

TIBBIE, I HA'E SEEN THE DAY.

TUNE "Invercauld's Reel."

CHORUS.

O Tibbie, I ha'e seen the day,
Ye wad nae been sae shy;
For lack o' gear ye lightly me,
But, trowth, I care na by.

YESTREEN I met you on the moor,
Ye spak na, but gaed by like stoure;
Ye geck at me because I'm poor,
But fient a hair care I..

I doubt na, lass, but ye may think,
Because ye ha'e the name o' clink,
That ye can please me at a wink,
Whene'er ye like to try;

But sorrow tak' him that's sae mean,
Although his pouch o' coin were clean.
Wha follows ony saucy quean

That looks sae proud and high...

́Although a lad were e'er sae smart,
If that he want the yellow dirt,
Ye'll cast your head anither airt,
And answer him fu' dry.