Poor Pousies now the daffin saw,
Of gawn for nignyes to the law;
And bill'd the judge, that he wad please
To give them the remaining cheese.
To which his worship grave reply'd;
"The dues of court man first be paid.
Now, justice pleas'd, what's to the fore
Will but right scrimply clear your score;
That's our decreet: gae hame and sleep,
And thank us ye're win aff sae cheap!"
Twa travellers, as they were wa'king, 'Bout the Cameleon fell a ta'king; Sic think it shaws them mettled men, say I've seen, and ought to ken. Says ane, "It's a strange beast indeed! Four-footed, with a fish's head; A little bowk, with a lang tail, And moves far slawer than a snail; Of colour like a blawart blue—” Reply'd his nibour, "That's no true; For well I wat his colour's green, If ane may true his ain twa een ; For I in sun-shine saw him fair, When he was dining on the air.""Excuse me," says the ither blade, "I saw him better in the shade,
And he is blue."-
'—"He's green, I'm sure."—
"Ye lied!" -" And ye're the son of a whore !"
Frae words there had been cuff and kick,
Had not a third come in the nick,
Wha tenting them in this rough mood,
Cry'd,
“Gentlemen, what, are ye wood?
What's ye'r quarrel, an 't may be speer
“Truth,” says the tane; “Sir, ye
The Cameleon, I say he's blue;
He threaps, he's green: now what say you?”— "Ne'er fash ye'rsells about the matter,"
Says the sagacious arbitrator,
"He's black; sae nane of you are right;
I view'd him well with candle-light;
And have it in my pocket here,
Row'd in my napkin hale and feer."-
"Fy!" said ae cangler, "what d' ye mean?
I'll lay my lugs on 't that he's green."
Said th' ither, "Were I gawn to death,
"I'd swear he's blue, with my last breath."-
"He's black," the judge maintain❜d ay stout;
And to convince them, whop'd him out:
But to surprise to ane and a’,
The animal was white as snaw.
And thus reprov'd them: "Shallow boys!
Away, away, make nae mair noise!
Ye're a' three wrang, and a' three right;
But learn to own your nibours' sight
As good as yours; your judgment speak,
But never be sae daftly weak,
T'imagine ithers will by force
Submit their sentiments to yours;
As things in various lights ye see,
They'll ilka ane resemble me.
BENEATH a tree, ae shining day,
On a burn bank twa Lizards lay,
Beeking themsells now in the beams,
Then drinking of the cauller streams.
"Waes me!" says ane of them to th' ither,
"How mean and silly live we, brither!
Beneath the moon is ought sae poor,
Regarded less, or mair obscure?
We breathe indeed, and that's just a';
But, forc'd by destiny's hard law,
On earth like worms to creep and sprawl,—
Curst fate to ane that has a saul!
Forby, gin we may trow report,
In Nilus giant-lizards sport,
Ca'd crocodiles: ah! had I been
Of sic a size, upon the green,
Then might I had my skair of fame,
Honour, respect, and a great name;
And men with gaping jaws have shor'd,
Syne like a pagod been ador'd."
Ah, friend!" replies the ither Lizard, "What makes this grumbling in thy gizzard?
What cause have ye to be uneasy?
Cannot the sweets of freedom please ye?
We, free frae trouble, toil, or care,
Enjoy the sun, the earth, and air,
The crystal spring, and greenwood shaw,
And beildy holes when tempests blaw.
Why should we fret, look blae or wan,
Tho' we're contemn'd by paughty man?
If sae, let's in return be wise,
And that proud animal despise."
"O fy!" returns th' ambitious beast,
"How weak a fire now warms thy breast!
It breaks my heart to live sae mean;
I'd like t' attract the gazer's een,
And be admir'd. What stately horns
The deer's majestic brow adorns!
He claims our wonder and our dread,
Where'er he heaves his haughty head.
What envy a' my spirit fires,
When he in clearest pools admires
His various beauties with delyte;
I'm like to drown myself with spite."
Thus he held forth; when straight a pack
Of hounds, and hunters at their back,
Ran down a deer before their face,
Breathless and wearied with the chace:
The dogs upon the victim seize,
And beugles sound his obsequies.
But neither men nor dogs took tent
Of our wee Lizards on the bent;
While hungry Bawty, Buff, and Tray,
Devour'd the paunches of the prey.
Soon as the bloody deed was past, The Lizard wise the proud addrest : "Dear cousin, now pray let me hear How wad ye like to be a deer?" "Ohon!" quoth he, convinc'd and wae, "Wha wad have thought it anes a-day? Well, be a private life my fate, I'll never envy mair the great!
That we are little fowk, that's true;
But sae's our cares and dangers too.'
MERCURY IN QUEST OF PEACE.
THE gods coost out, as story gaes,
Some being friends, some being faes,
To men in a besieged city:
Thus some frae spite, and some frae pity,
Stood to their point with canker'd strictness,
And leftna ither in dog's likeness.
Juno ca'd Venus whore and bawd,
Venus ca'd Juno scaulding Jad;
E'en cripple Vulcan blew the low;
Apollo ran to bend his bow;
Dis shook his fork, Pallas her shield;
Neptune his grape began to wield.
"What plague!" cries Jupiter, "hey hoy!
Man this town prove anither Troy?
What, will you ever be at odds,
Till mankind think us foolish gods?
Hey! mistress Peace, make haste, appear!" But madam was nae there to hear.
66 Come, Hermes, wing thy heels and head, And find her out with a' thy speed!
Trowth, this is bonny wark indeed!"
Hermes obeys, and staptna short, But flies directly to the court;
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