Robert Burns

To Gavin Hamilton, Esq., Mauchline, Recommending A Boy

I HOLD it, Sir, my bounden duty,
To warn you how that Master Tootie,
    Alias Laird M’Gaun,
Was here to lure the lad away
‘Bout whom ye spak the tither day,
    An’ wad hae done’t aff han’:
But lest he learn the callan tricks,
  As faith I muckle doubt him,
Like scrapin’ out auld Crummie’s nicks,
  An’ tellin’ lies about them;
  As lieve then I’d have then
    Your clerkship he should sair,
  If sae be ye may be
    Not fitted otherwhere.

Altho’ I say’t, he’s gleg enough,
An’ ‘bout a house that’s rude an’ rough,
    The boy might learn to swear;
But then wi’ you, he’ll be sae taught,
An’ get sic fair example straught,
    I hae na ony fear.
Ye’ll catechize him every quirk,
  An’ shore him weel wi’ hell;
An’ gar him follow to the kirk-
  Aye when ye gang yoursel.
  If ye then, maun be then
    Frae hame this comin’ Friday,
  Then please, sir, to lea’s, sir,
    The orders wi’ your lady.

My word of honour I ha’e gi’en,
In Paisley John’s, that night at e’en,
    To meet the Warld’s worm:
To try to get the twa to gree,
An’ name the airles an’ the fee,
    In legal mode an’ form:
I ken he weel a snick can draw,
  When simple bodies let him;
An’ if a Devil be at a’,
  In faith he’s sure to get him.
  To phrase you an’ praise you
    Ye ken your Laureat scorns:
  The pray’r still, you share still,
    Of grateful Minstrel Burns.