THE LASS O' BALLOCHMYLE

Her look was like the morning's eye,
Her air like nature's vernal smile :
Perfection whisper'd, passing by,
"Behold the lass o' Ballochmyle!"1

Fair is the morn in flowery May,
And sweet is night in autumn mild;
When roving thro' the garden gay,
Or wand'ring in the lonely wild:
But woman, nature's darling child!
There all her charms she does compile ;
Even there her other works are foil'd
By the bonie lass o' Ballochmyle.

O had she been a country maid,
And I the happy country swain,
Tho' shelter'd in the lowest shed

That ever rose on Scotland's plain!
Thro' weary winter's wind and rain,
With joy, with rapture, I would toil;
And nightly to my bosom strain
The bonie lass o' Ballochmyle.

Then pride might climb the slipp'ry steep,
Where fame and honours lofty shine;
And thirst of gold might tempt the deep,
Or downward seek the Indian mine:
Give me the cot below the pine,
To tend the flocks or till the soil;

And ev'ry day have joys divine
With the bonie lass o' Ballochmyle.

1 In the copy sent to Miss Alexander, these lines read:

"The lily's hue, and rose's dye,

Bespoke the lass of Ballochmyle." The improvement is one of Burns's happiest in some opinions.

LINES TO AN OLD SWEETHEART

Motto Prefixed to the Author's First
Publication.1

THE simple Bard, unbroke by rules of art,
He pours the wild effusions of the heart;
And if inspir'd, 'tis Nature's pow'rs inspire;

Her's all the melting thrill, and her's the kindling fire.

Lines to Mr John Kennedy.2

FAREWELL, dear friend! may guid luck hit you,
And 'mang her favourites admit you:
If e'er Detraction shore to smit you,
May nane believe him,

And ony deil that thinks to get you,
Good Lord, deceive him!

Lines to an Old Sweetheart.3

ONCE fondly lov'd, and still remember'd dear,
Sweet early object of my youthful vows,
Accept this mark of friendship, warm, sincere,
Friendship! 'tis all cold duty now allows.

And when you read the simple artless rhymes,
One friendly sigh for him-he asks no more,
Who, distant, burns in flaming torrid climes,
Or haply lies beneath th' Atlantic roar.

a threaten.

1 The motto on the Kilmarnock titlepage: published July 30, 1786.

Kennedy, as has been stated, was Lord Dumfries's factor.

3 Peggy Thomson. One of the many farowolls.

STANZAS ON NAETHING

Lines Written on a Banknote.1

WAE worth thy power, thou cursed leaf,
Fell source o' a' my woe and grief;
For lack o' thee I've lost my lass,
For lack o' thee I scrimp my glass:
I see the children of affliction
Unaided, through thy curst restriction :
I've seen the oppressor's cruel smile
Amid his hapless victim's spoil;
And for thy potence vainly wished,
To crush the villain in the dust:

For lack o' thee, I leave this much-lov'd shore,
Never, perhaps, to greet old Scotland more.

KYLE.

R. B.

Stanzas on Naething:

Extempore Epistle to Gavin Hamilton, Esq.2

To you, sir, this summons I've sent,
Pray, whip till the pownie is freathing";
But if you demand what I want,

I honestly answer you-naething.

Ne'er scorn a poor Poet like me,

For idly just living and breathing,
While people of every degree

Are busy employed about-naething.

Poor Centum-per-centum may fast,
And grumble his hurdies their claithing,
He'll find, when the balance is cast,
He's gane to the devil for-naething.

⚫ foaming.

1 Burns was now skulking in Kyle, as John Knox sometimes did, under fear of legal proceedings by the Armour

b haunches.

family. The note is of 1780 (Mother. well.)

2 The accustomed elegy on emigration and possible drowning.

STANZAS ON NAETHING

The courtier cringes and bows,
Ambition has likewise its plaything;
A coronet beams on his brows;
And what is a coronet-naething.

Some quarrel the Presbyter gown,
Some quarrel Episcopal graithing*;
But every good fellow will own
Their quarrel is a' about-naething.

The lover may sparkle and glow,
Approaching his bonie bit gay thing:
But marriage will soon let him know
He's gotten a buskit up naething.

The Poet may jingle and rhyme,

In hopes of a laureate wreathing,
And when he has wasted his time,
He's kindly rewarded wi'-naething.

The thundering bully may rage,

And swagger and swear like a heathen;

But collar him fast, I'll engage,

You'll find that his courage is-naething.

Last night wi' a feminine whig-
A poet she couldna put faith in ;
But soon we grew lovingly big,

I taught her, her terrors were naething.

Her whigship was wonderful pleased,
But charmingly tickled wi' ae thing,

Her fingers I lovingly squeezed,

And kissed her, and promised her-naething.

The priest anathèmas may threat-
Predicament, sir, that we're baith in ;
But when honour's reveillé is beat,

The holy artillery's naething.

a vestments.

b dressed up.

THE FAREWELL

And now I must mount on the wave-
My voyage perhaps there is death in ;
But what is a watery grave?

The drowning a Poet is naething.

And now, as grim death's in my thought,
To you, sir, I make this bequeathing;

My service as long as ye've ought,

And my friendship, by God, when ye've naething.

The Farewell.1

The valiant, in himself, what can he suffer?
Or what does he regard his single woes?
But when, alas! he multiplies himself,

To dearer selves, to the lov'd tender fair,

To those whose bliss, whose beings hang upon him,
To helpless children,-then, Oh then, he feels
The point of misery festering in his heart,

And weakly weeps his fortunes like a coward:
Such, such am I I-undone !

THOMSON'S Edward and Eleanora.

FAREWELL, Old Scotia's bleak domains,
Far dearer than the torrid plains,
Where rich ananas blow!
Farewell, a mother's blessing dear!
A brother's sigh! a sister's tear!
My Jean's heart-rending throe!
Farewell, my Bess! tho' thou'rt bereft
Of my paternal care,

A faithful brother I have left,
My part in him thou'lt share!
Adieu, too, to you too,

My Smith, my bosom frien';
When kindly you mind me,

O then befriend my Jean!

1 "He traversed the cart,

And oft said good bye, but seemed
loth to depart."

Mrs Burns (Miss Armour) bore twins on Sept. 3, 1786. The father of the

lady was reconciled to Burns when he became successful. Highland Mary seems to be out of sight and out of mind.