Page images
PDF
EPUB

EPISTLE TO J. LAPRAIK,

AN OLD SCOTTISH BARD, APRIL 1, 1785.
WHILE briers an' woodbines budding green,
An' paitricks scraichin loud at e'en,
An' morning poussie whiddin seen,
Inspire my Muse,

This freedom in an unknown frien
I pray excuse.

On fasteen-e'en we had a rockin,
To ca' the crack and weave our stockin,
And there was muckle fun an' jokin
Ye need na doubt:

At length we had a hearty yokin
At sang about.

There was ae sang, amang the rest,
Aboon them a' it pleas'd me best,
That some kind husband had addrest

To some sweet wife;

It thrill'd the heart-strings thro' the breast, A' to the life.

I've scarce heard aught describe sae weel,
What gen'rous, manly bosoms feel;
Thought I, "Can this be Pope, or Steele,
Or Beattie's wark?"

They told me 'twas an odd kind chiel
About Muirkirk.

It pat me fidgin-fain to hear't,

And sae about him there I spier't,
Then a' that kent him round declar'd
He had ingine,

That nane excell'd it, few cam near't,
It was sae fine.

That set him to a pint of ale,
An' either douce or merry tale,

Of rhymes an' sangs he'd made himsel,
Or witty catches,

"Tween Inverness and Teviotdale,

He had few matches.

Then up I gat, an' swore an aith,
Tho' I should pawn my pleugh and graith,
Or die a cadger-pownie's death,

At some dyke-back,

A pint an' gill I'd gie them baith
To hear your crack.

But first an' foremost, I should tell,
Amaist as soon as I could spell,

I to the crambo-jingle fell,

Tho' rude an' rough,

Yet crooning to a body's sel,
Does weel enough.

I am nae poet, in a sense,

But just a rhymer, like, by chance,
An' hae to learning nae pretence;
Yet what the matter?

Whene'er my Muse does on me glance,
I jingle at her

Your critic-folk may cock their nose,
And say, "How can you e'er propose,
You wha ken hardly verse frae prose,
To mak a sang?"

But, by your leaves, my learned foes,
Ye're may be wrang.

What's a' your jargon o' your schools,
Your Latin names for horns an' stools,
If honest Nature made you fools?

What sairs your grammars?
Ye'd better taen up spades and shools,
Or knappin-hammers.

A set o' dull, conceited hashes

Confuse their brains in college classes! They gang in stirks, and come out asses, Plain truth to speak;

An' syne they think to climb Parnassus By dint o' Greek!

Gie me ae spark o' Nature's fire,
That's a' the learning I desire ;

Then, tho' I drudge thro' dub an' mire,
At pleugh or cart,

My Muse, tho' hamely in attire,
May touch the heart.

O for a spunk o' Allan's glee,
Or Fergusson's, the bauld and slee,
Or bright Lapraik's, my friend to be,
If I can hit it!

That would be lear enough for me.
If I could get it'

Now, sir, if ye hae friends enow,
Tho' real friends, I b'lieve, are few,
Yet, if your catalogue be fou,
I'se no insist;

But gif ye want a friend that's true,
I'm on your list.

I winna blaw about mysel;

As ill I like my fauts to tell;

But friends and folk that wish me well
They sometimes roose me

Tho' I maun own, as monie still

As far abuse me.

There's ae wee faut they whyles lay to me-
I like the lasses - Gude forgie me!
For monie a plack they wheedle frae me,
At dance or fair;

May be, some ither thing they gie me,
They weel can spare.

But Mauchline race, or Mauchline fair, I should be proud to meet you there; We'se gie ae night's discharge to care, If we forgather,

An' hae a swap o' rhymin-ware

Wi' ane anither.

The four-gill chap, we'se gar him clatter, An' kirsen him wi' reekin water;

Syne we'll sit down an' tak our whitter, To cheer our heart;

An' faith, we'se be acquainted better

Before we part.

Awa, ye selfish, warly race,

Wha think that havins, sense an' grace, Ev'n love and friendship should give place To catch-the-plack!

I dinna like to see your face,

Nor hear your crack.

But ye whom social pleasure charms,
Whose hearts the tide of kindness warms,
Who hold your being on the terms,
"Each aid the others!"

Come to my bowl, come to my arms,
My friends, my brothers!

But, to conclude my lang epistle,
As my auld pen's worn to the grissle;
Twa lines frae you wad gar me fissle,
Who am, most fervent,
While I can either sing or whissle,

Your friend and servant.

TO THE SAME.

APRIL 21, 1785.

WHILE new-ca'd kye rout at the stake,
An' pownies reek in pleugh or braik,
This hour on e'enin's edge I take,
To own I'm debtor

To honest-hearted, auld Lapraik,

For his kind letter.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »