O Lord, if this indeed be sae, Let daw that sair an’ happy day! Again’ the warl’, grawn auld an’ gray, Up wi’ your aixe! An’ let the puir enjoy their play—  I’ll thole my paiks.

p. 130XIV—MY CONSCIENCE!

p. 130

Of a’ the ills that flesh can fear, The loss o’ frien’s, the lack o’ gear, A yowlin’ tyke, a glandered mear, A lassie’s nonsense— There’s just ae thing I cannae bear, An’ that’s my conscience.

Of

Whan day (an’ a’ excüse) has gane, An’ wark is düne, and duty’s plain, An’ to my chalmer a’ my lane I creep apairt, My conscience! hoo the yammerin’ pain Stends to my heart!

p. 131A’ day wi’ various ends in view The hairsts o’ time I had to pu’, An’ made a hash wad staw a soo, Let be a man!— My conscience! whan my han’s were fu’, Whaur were ye than?

p. 131

An’ there were a’ the lures o’ life, There pleesure skirlin’ on the fife, There anger, wi’ the hotchin’ knife Ground shairp in Hell— My conscience!—you that’s like a wife!—  Whaur was yoursel’?

I ken it fine: just waitin’ here, To gar the evil waur appear, To clart the guid, confüse the clear, Mis-ca’ the great, My conscience! an’ to raise a steer Whan a’s ower late.

p. 132Sic-like, some tyke grawn auld and blind, Whan thieves brok’ through the gear to p’ind, Has lain his dozened length an’ grinned At the disaster; An’ the morn’s mornin’, wud’s the wind, Yokes on his master.

p. 132

p. 133XV—TO DOCTOR JOHN BROWN

p. 133

(Whan the dear doctor, dear to a’, Was still amang us here belaw, I set my pipes his praise to blaw Wi’ a’ my speerit; But noo, Dear Doctor! he’s awa’, An’ ne’er can hear it.)

By Lyne and Tyne, by Thames and Tees, By a’ the various river-Dee’s, In Mars and Manors ’yont the seas Or here at hame, Whaure’er there’s kindly folk to please, They ken your name.

By

p. 134They ken your name, they ken your tyke, They ken the honey from your byke; But mebbe after a’ your fyke,  (The trüth to tell) It’s 

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