Prayer For Adam Armour.

    Lord, pity me, for I am little,
    An elf of mischief and of mettle,
    That can like ony wabster's shuttle,
        Jink there or here,
    Though scarce as lang's a gude kale-whittle,
        I'm unco queer.

    Lord pity now our waefu' case,
    For Geordie's Jurr we're in disgrace,
    Because we stang'd her through the place,
        'Mang hundreds laughin',
    For which we daurna show our face
        Within the clachan.

    And now we're dern'd in glens and hallows,
    And hunted as was William Wallace,
    By constables, those blackguard fellows,
        And bailies baith,
    O Lord, preserve us frae the gallows!
        That cursed death.

    Auld, grim, black-bearded Geordie's sel',
    O shake him ewre the mouth o' hell,
    And let him hing and roar and yell,
        Wi' hideous din,
    And if he offers to rebel
        Just heave him in.

    When Death comes in wi' glimmering blink,
    And tips auld drunken Nanse the wink'
    Gaur Satan gie her a--e a clink
        Behint his yett,
    And fill her up wi' brimstone drink,
        Red reeking het!

    There's Jockie and the hav'rel Jenny,
    Some devil seize them in a hurry,
    And waft them in th' infernal wherry,
        Straught through the lake,
    And gie their hides a noble curry,
        Wi' oil of aik.

    As for the lass, lascivious body,
    She's had mischief enough already,
    Weel stang'd by market, mill, and smiddie,
        She's suffer'd sair;
    But may she wintle in a widdie,
        If she wh--re mair.