5
The sneeshin’ mill—the cap gaed round,
The joke, the crack an’ a’, man,
’Bout markets, trade, and politics,
To wear the time awa, man.
Ye never saw a blither set
O’ queer auld-fashion’d bodies met.
For fient a grain o’ pride ner pet,
Nor eating care got foeting there;
But friendship rare, aye found sincere,
And hearts without a flaw, man.
To cringing courtiers kings may blaw
How rich they are and great, man.
But we outstrip their kingships far
Wi’ a’ their regal state, man.
For Lucky’s swats sae brisk and fell,
An’ T——’s snuff sae sharp and snell,
Garr’d ilk ane quite forget himsel’;
Made young the auld, inflam’d the cauld.
And fir’d the saul with projects bauld,
That dar’d the power o’ fate, man.
But what are a’ sic mighty schemes
When ance the spell is broke, man,
A set o’ maut inspired whims
That end in perfect smoke, man.
An’ what like some disaster keen
Can chase the glamour frae our een,
And bring us to eursel’s again;
As was the fate o’ this auld pate,
When that night late I took the gate
As crouse as ony cock, man.
