Ae dreary, windy, winter-night,

The stars shot down wi' sklentin' light, glancing

Wi' you, mysel', I gat a fright

Ayont the lough;

Ye, like a rash-bush, stood in sight,
Wi' waving sough.

The cudgel in my nieve did shake,
Each bristled hair stood like a stake,

When wi' an eldritch, stoor quaick — quaick
Amang the springs,

Awa' ye squattered, like a drake,

On whistling wings.

rush

fist

[frightful-hoarse

Let warlocks grim, and withered hags,
Tell how wi' you, on ragweed nags,
They skim the muirs and dizzy crags,
Wi' wicked speed;

And in kirk-yards renew their leagues
Owre howkit dead.

excavated

Thence countra wives, wi' toil and pain,
May plunge and plunge the kirn in vain; churn
For, oh! the yellow treasure's ta'en

By witching skill;

And dawtit, twal-pint Hawkie's gaen petted-cow's As yell's the bill.

milkless- bull

Thence mystic knots mak great abuse,

On young guidmer, fond, keen, and crouse,

When the best wark-lume i' the house,
By cantrip wit,

Is instant made no worth a louse,
Just at the bit.

When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord,
And float the jinglin' icy boord,
Then water-kelpies haunt the foord,
By your direction;

And 'nighted travellers are allured
To their destruction.

And aft your moss-traversing spunkies
Decoy the wight that late and drunk is:
The bleezin', curst, mischievous monkeys
Delude his eyes,

Till in some miry slough he sunk is,
Ne'er mair to rise.

When mason's mystic word and grip,
In storms and tempests raise you up,
Some cock or cat your rage maun stop,
Or, strange to tell!

The youngest brother ye wad whip
Aff straught to h-!

Lang syne, in Eden's bonny yard, When youthfu' lovers first were paired, And all the soul of love they shared, The raptured hour,

Sweet on the fragrant flowery swaird,
In shady bower,1-

Then you, ye auld sneck-drawing dog!

Ye came to Paradise incog.

And played on man a cursed brogue, (Black be your fa'!)

And gied the infant warld a shog, 'Maist ruined a'.

D'ye mind that day, when in a bizz,

2

trick

shake

bustle

Wi' reekit duds, and reestit smoked clothes -- withered

gizz,

Ye did present your smootie phiz

'Mang better folk,

And sklented on the man of Uzz

Your spitefu' joke?

hair

And how ye gat him i' your thrall,
And brak him out o' house and hall,
While scabs and blotches did him gall,
Wi' bitter claw,

1 This verse ran originally as follows:

Lang syne, in Eden's happy scene,
When strappin' Adam's days were green,
And Eve was like my bonnie Jean,
My dearest part,

A dancin', sweet, young handsome quean,
O' guileless heart.

glanced

2 "Sneck-drawing dog" expresses a stealthy, insidious person, who opens doors by drawing the sneck or latch un

heard.

And lows'd his ill-tongued, wicked scawl, scolding wife

Was warst ava?

But a' your doings to rehearse,
Your wily snares and fechtin' fierce,
Sin' that day Michael did you pierce,
Down to this time,

Wad ding a Lallan tongue, or Erse,
In prose or rhyme.

fighting

Lowland

And now, auld Cloots, I ken ye're thinkin',

A certain bardie's rantin', drinkin',

Some luckless hour will send him linkin' tumbling

To your black pit;

But, faith! he'll turn a corner jinkin',

And cheat you yet.

But fare you weel, auld Nickie-ben!
O wad ye tak a thought and men'!
Ye aiblins might I dinna ken—

I'm wae to think upo' yon den,

Even for your sake!

dodging

perhaps

ON JOHN Dove,

INNKEEPER, MAUCHLINE.

HERE lies Johnny Pigeon;
What was his religion?

Wha e'er desires to ken,

To some other warl'

Maun follow the carl,

For here Johnny Pigeon had nane!

Strong ale was ablution,

Small beer persecution,

A dram was memento mori;

But a full-flowing bowl

Was the joy of his soul,

And port was celestial glory.

THE JOLLY BEGGARS:

A CANTATA.

This poem is understood to have been founded on the poet's observation of an actual scene which one night met his eye, when, in company with his friends John Richmond and James Smith, he dropped accidentally at a late hour into the humble, hostelry of Mrs. Gibson, more familiarly named Poosie Nansie. After witnessing much jollity amongst a company