Page:Beauties of Burn's poems.pdf/118

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Scotland, my auld respected Mither, Tho' whyles ye moistify your leather, Till where yet sit on scraps o' heather, Ye tine your dam, Freedom and Whisky gang thegither, Tak aff your dram.

 

Divider from 'The Beauties of Burn's Poems' a chapbook printed in Falkirk in 1819

 

THE INVENTORY,

In answer to a Mandate by a Suryor of the Tazes.

SIR, as your Mandate did request, I send you here a faithfu' list, My horses, servants, carts, and graith, To which I'm free to tak my aith.

Imprimis, then, for carriage-cattle, I hae four brutes a' gallant mettle, As ever drew before a pettle. My hand-afore *, a gude auld has been, And wight and wilfu' a' his days seen: My hand-a-hin . a gude brown fillie, Wha aft has borne me hame frae Killie , And your auld borough, monie a time, In days when riding was nae crime: My fur-a-hin , a gude grey beast, As e'er in tug or tow was trac'd.

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1. The fore-horse on the left-hand in the plough.
2. The hindmost on the left-hand in the plough.
3. Kilmarnock.
4. The hindmost horse on the right-hand in the plough.