TO A LOUSE: ON SEEING ONE ON A LADY'S BONNET, HA! whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie? Your impudence protects you sairly: I canna say but ye strunt rarely Owre gauze and lace; Though faith, I fear ye dine but sparely Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner, Gae somewhere else, and seek your dinner Swith, in some beggar's haffet squattle; There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle Wi' ither kindred, jumpin cattle, In shoals and nations ; Whare horn or bane ne'er dare unsettle Now haud ye there, ye 're out o' sight, Till ye 've got on it, The vera tapmost, towering height O' Miss's bonnet. My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out, As plump and gray as onie grozet ; O for some rank, mercurial rozet, Or fell, red smeddum, I'd gie you sic a hearty doze o 't, Wad dress your droddum! I wad na been surprised to spy You on an auld wife's flainen toy; Or aiblins some bit duddie boy, On 's wyliecoat; But Miss's fine Lunardi! fie, How dare ye do 't? O Jenny, dinna toss your head, An' set your beauties a' abread! Ye little ken what cursed speed The blastie's makin! Thae winks and finger ends, I dread, Are notice takin! O wad some power the giftie gie us And foolish notion: What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us, |