"Believe ye that?" the Owl reply'd:
"Preach as ye will, death is an ill:
"When young I ilka pleasure try'd,
"But now I die against my will.
"For you, a species by yourfell,
"Near eeldins with the fun your god,
"Nae ferly 'tis to hear you tell
"Ye 're tir'd, and inclin'd to nod.
"It fhou'd be fae; for had I been
"As lang upon the warld as ye,
"Nae tears fhou'd e'er drap frae my een,
"For tinfel of my hollow tree."
"And what," return'd th' Arabian fage,
"Have t' obferve
ye
"Ae day's the picture of an age,
" 'Tis ay the fame thing o'er again.
"Come, let us baith together die :
"Bow to the fun that gave thee life, "Repent thou frae his beams did flee, "And end thy poortith pain, and ftrife.
"Thou wha in darkness took delight,
"Frae pangs of guilt could'st ne'er be free: "What won thou by thy fhunning light?"But time flies on, I haste to die."
"Ye'r fervant, Sir," reply'd the Owl,
"I likena in the dark to lowp:
"The byword ca's that chiel a fool,
"That flips a certainty for hope."
Then straight the zealous feather'd king
To 's aromatic neft retir'd
Collected fun-beams with his wing,
And in a spicy flame expir'd.
Meantime there blew a westlin gale,
Which to the Howlet bore a coal;
The faint departed on his pile,
But the blafphemer in his hole:
He died for ever.-Fair and bright
The Phoenix frae his afhes fprang.
Thus wicked men fink down to night,
While juft men join the glorious thrang.
DEEF in a narrow craiged Pig
Lay mony a dainty nut and fig.
A greedy Callan, half a sot,
Shot his wee nive into the pot,
And thought to bring as mony out
As a' his fangs cou'd gang about;
But the ftrait neck o't wadna fuffer
The hand of this young
Sae ftruted, to return again,
the gowkie nae sma' pain.
He gowls to be fae disappointed,
And drugs till he has 'maist disjointed
His fhekelbane.-Anither lad
Stood by, wha fome mair judgment had;
Said, "Billy, dinna grip at a',
with ease a part may draw."
This fame advice to men I'd lend;
Ne'er for o'er much at anes contend,
But take the cannyest gate to ease,
And pike out joys by twas and threes.
THE MAN WITH THE TWA WIVES.
In ancient tales, there is a story,
Of ane had twa Wives, whig and tory.
The Carlie's head was now attir'd
With hair, in equal mixture lyart.
His Wives (faith ane might well fuffic'd)
Alternately was ay ill pleas'd:
They being reverfe to ane another
In age and faith, made a curs'd pother
Whilk of the twa fhou'd bear the bell,
And make their man maist like themfell.
Auld Meg the tory took great care
To weed out ilka fable hair,
Plucking out all that look'd like youth,
Frae crown of head to weeks of mouth;
Saying, that baith in head and face,
Antiquity was mark of grace.
But Befs the whig, a raving rump,
Took figmaliries, and wald jump,
With fword and pistol by her fide,
And cock a-ftride a rowing ride
On the hag-ridden fumph, and grapple
Him hard and fast about the thrapple ;
And with her furious fingers whirle
Frae youthfu' black ilk filver curle.
Thus was he ferv'd between the twa,
Till no ae hair he had ava.
THE moral of this fable 's eafy, But I fall fpeak it out to please ye. 'Tis an auld faying and a trow,
"Between twa ftools the arfe fa's throw."
Thus Britain's morals are much plucked,
While by two oppofites inftructed;
Who still contending, have the trick
The strongest truths to contradict;
Tho' orthodox, they 'll error make it,
If party oppofite has spake it.
Thus are we keytch'd between the twa,
Like to turn deifts ane and a'.
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