Grand history on curious subjects, both entertaining and pleasant/A Letter to a Young Man

A Letter to a Young Man.

ACquaintance here I do write,
The following lines to you I dite
In verses also as you shall hear,
As afterwards it shall appear;
I know you are a roving blade,
You walk at night with kent and plade
To see the lasses then you go,
It is your full intention so,
But still and on see you do right,
When to the barn you go at night,
And see you do yourself behave.
In case you chance to play the knave,
You love the lasses very dear,
Of kissing you’re not very swier,
But whether they be black or fair,
Kiss them well, but do no mair;
When to the lasses then you go,
See that you take day light also,
For when you walk then in the night
There ghosts and bogles may you fright
Or folk that does not know you well,
May think that you are come to steal
You may the folk give muckle grief,
When round their town thus goes a thief
There they may shoot you with a gun
And then your days they will be done
Indeed you are come there to steal,
But not the people’s oats or meal,
It is the women then you want,
Altho' at home they are not scant;
Then in the dark some ill set loun,
With a oak stick will break your crown,
Or some may put you in a ditch,
The midden hole, byre grupe, or such,
Like places will you sore besmeer,
And fright you then from coming here,
Such evils then attend the night,
I you advise to take day light.
And now my verses here I’ll end,
And just shall stop and wipe my pen;
Now fare you well I must away,
Again I’ll see you on the fair day.
This is all from your well wisher, J B.


This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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