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life's reverses.
That they tak' o' the treasures o' which they hae tent,
An' furnish the lave wi' supplies as they went;
Fuw an' free they micht use it themsel's day by day,
But their fellows they maanna let faint by the way.
Noo, supposin' these stewards, when on a bit gane,
Began to claim a' in their charge as their ain,
Let the lave bear the burden an' heat o' the day,
Ne'er fashin' their head wi' their weal or their wae;
Allowin' them oft times wi' hunger to dee,
Whilst they pampered ilk lust o' their ain heart an' ee;
E'en tryin' their mission a' ways to disclaim,
Till the summons that ca'd them to reckonin' came.
They maun gang—an' oh! fearfw', that hoarded up gear,
Whilst the king's subjects perish—but striken' wi' fear
They snatch up the buke (done themselves wi' the gowd),
On its last page a wheen o' donations they croud;
I doubt if an earth king tae sic would exclaim,
'Weel done guid an' faithfu', you've served without blame.'
Our office, my bairns, we maun truly fulfil,
We rejoice in the means an' are blest wi' the will;
An' hae felt what the gentry ne'er ken'd a' their days,
Nor half can imagine o' poverty's waes."
Sae they made it a rule aye to gang to their bed
W7' the thocht that joy rays through some heart they had shed;
Into puir bodies houses they didna intrude,
Speerin' after affairs wi' a sympathy rude.
An' furnish the lave wi' supplies as they went;
Fuw an' free they micht use it themsel's day by day,
But their fellows they maanna let faint by the way.
Noo, supposin' these stewards, when on a bit gane,
Began to claim a' in their charge as their ain,
Let the lave bear the burden an' heat o' the day,
Ne'er fashin' their head wi' their weal or their wae;
Allowin' them oft times wi' hunger to dee,
Whilst they pampered ilk lust o' their ain heart an' ee;
E'en tryin' their mission a' ways to disclaim,
Till the summons that ca'd them to reckonin' came.
They maun gang—an' oh! fearfw', that hoarded up gear,
Whilst the king's subjects perish—but striken' wi' fear
They snatch up the buke (done themselves wi' the gowd),
On its last page a wheen o' donations they croud;
I doubt if an earth king tae sic would exclaim,
'Weel done guid an' faithfu', you've served without blame.'
Our office, my bairns, we maun truly fulfil,
We rejoice in the means an' are blest wi' the will;
An' hae felt what the gentry ne'er ken'd a' their days,
Nor half can imagine o' poverty's waes."
Sae they made it a rule aye to gang to their bed
W7' the thocht that joy rays through some heart they had shed;
Into puir bodies houses they didna intrude,
Speerin' after affairs wi' a sympathy rude.
