Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/235
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THE POEMS OF BURNS.
179
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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? taxing ledgers:
What premiers, what? even Monarchs' mighty gaugers:
Nay, what are priests, those seeming godly wise men?
What are they, pray, but spiritual Excisemen?
'Gainst poor Excisemen? give the cause a hearing;
What are your landlords' rent-rolls? taxing ledgers:
What premiers, what? even Monarchs' mighty gaugers:
Nay, what are priests, those seeming godly wise men?
What are they, pray, but spiritual Excisemen?
ON A SCHOOLMASTER IN CLEISH PARISH, FIFESHIRE.
Here lie Willie Michie's banes;
O Satan, when ye tak him,
Gie him the schoolin' of your weans,
For clever De'ils he'll mak them!
O Satan, when ye tak him,
Gie him the schoolin' of your weans,
For clever De'ils he'll mak them!
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WRITTEN AND PRESENTED TO MRS. KEMBLE, ON SEEING HER IN THE CHARACTER OF YARICO.
Dumfries Theatre, 1794.
Kemble, thou cur'st my unbelief
Of Moses and his rod;
At Yarico's sweet notes of grief
The rock with tears had flow'd.
I murder hate by field or flood,
Tho' glory's name may screen us;
In wars at hame I'll spend my blood,
Life-giving war of Venus.
Kemble, thou cur'st my unbelief
Of Moses and his rod;
At Yarico's sweet notes of grief
The rock with tears had flow'd.
I murder hate by field or flood,
Tho' glory's name may screen us;
In wars at hame I'll spend my blood,
Life-giving war of Venus.
The deities that I adore
Are social Peace and Plenty,
I'm better pleased to make one more,
Than be the death of twenty.
Are social Peace and Plenty,
I'm better pleased to make one more,
Than be the death of twenty.
EPITAPH ON WILLIAM NICOL.
Ye maggots feast on Nicol's brain,
For few sic feasts ye've gotten;
And fix your claws in Nicol's heart,
For de'il a bit o'ts rotten.
For few sic feasts ye've gotten;
And fix your claws in Nicol's heart,
For de'il a bit o'ts rotten.