carton, and it was of course most desirable for two such champions in such circumstances to remain united. It so happened, however, that a dryness arose between them. The country story is, that as they were riding home one evening from Ayr, Moodie, in a sportive frame of mind, amused himself by tickling the rear of his neighbor's horse. The animal performed certain antics along the road, much to the amusement of the passing wayfarers, but greatly to the discomfiture of its rider, who, afterwards learning the trick, could not forgive Moodie for it. Afterwards, a question of parochial boundaries arose between them-it came before the presbytery for determination. "There in the open court," says Mr. Lockhart, "to which the announcement of the discussion had drawn a multitude of the country-people, and Burns among the rest, the reverend divines, hitherto sworn friends and associates, lost all command of temper, and abused each other coram populo, with a fiery virulence of personal invective such as has long been banished from all popular assemblies, wherein the laws of courtesy are enforced by those of a certain unwritten code." This was too much temptation for the profane wit of Burns. He lost no time in putting the affair into the following allegorical shape.

Он a' уe pious godly flocks,
Weel fed on pastures orthodox,

Wha now will keep ye frae the fox,

Or worrying tykes,

Or wha will tent the waifs and

crocks,

About the dikes?

dogs

stragglers

old ewes

enclosure walls

The twa best herds in a' the wast,
That e'er gae Gospel-horn a blast,
These five-and-twenty simmers past,
Oh dool to tell,

Hae had a bitter black outcast

Atween themsel'.

quarrel

Oh, Moodie, man, and wordy Russell,
How could you raise so vile a bustle!
Ye'll see how New-Light herds will whistle,
And think it fine:

The L's cause ne'er got sic a twistle
Sin' I hae min'.

Oh, sirs! whae'er wad hae expeckit,
Your duty ye wad sae negleckit,
Ye wha were ne'er by lairds respeckit,
To wear the plaid,

But by the brutes themselves eleckit,
To be their guide.

What flock wi' Moodie's flock could rank,

Sae hale and hearty every shank !
Nae poisoned sour Arminian stank

He let them taste,

standing poo

Frae Calvin's well, aye clear, they drank

Oh sic a feast!

The thummart, wil'-cat, brock, and pole-cat- badger

tod,

Weel kenn'd his voice through a' the wood.

fox

He smelt their ilka hole and road,

Baith out and in,

And weel he liked to shed their bluid,
And sell their skin.

What herd like Russell telled his tale,
His voice was heard through muir and dale,'
He kenn'd the L-'s sheep, ilka tail,

And saw

O'er a' the height,

gin they were sick or hale,
At the first sight.

He fine a mangy sheep could scrub,
Or nobly fling the Gospel club,

And New-Light herds could nicely drub,
Or pay their skin;

Could shake them o'er the burning dub,
Or heave them in.

Sic twa-oh, do I live to see't,
Sic famous twa should disagreet,

And

names like villain, hypocrite,
Ilk ither gi'en,

While New-Light herds, wi' laughin' spite,
Say neither's liein'!

pool

1 There was a literal truth in this line, for a person who sometimes attended Russell's prelections affirmed, that in a favorable state of the atmosphere, his voice, when he was holding forth in the open air at sacraments, might be hear] at the distance of upwards of a mile.

A' ye wha tent the Gospel fauld,

There's Duncan,1 deep, and Peebles, shaul,
But chiefly thou, apostle Auld,

We trust in thee,

That thou wilt work them, het and cauld,
Till they agree.

Consider, sirs, how we're beset;

There's scarce a new herd that we get,
But comes frae 'mang that cursed set
I winna name;

I hope frae heaven to see them yet
In fiery flame.

4

Dalrymple has been lang our fae,
M'Gill has wrought us meikle wae,
And that cursed rascal ca'd M'Quhae,"
And baith the Shaws,7

1 Dr. Robert Duncan, minister of Dundonald.

[shallow

2 Rev. William Peebles, of Newton-upon-Ayr. See notes to Holy Fair and Kirk's Alarm.

3 Rev. William Auld, minister of Mauchline.

4 Rev. Dr. Dalrymple, one of the ministers of Ayr. He died in 1814, having filled his charge for the uncommon period of sixty-eight years. He had baptized Burns.

5 Rev. William M'Gill, one of the ministers of Ayr, col league of Dr. Dalrymple. See note to Kirk's Alarm.

6 Minister of St. Quivox, an enlightened man, and elegant preacher.

7 Dr. Andrew Shaw of Craigie, and Dr. David Shaw of Coylton. Dr. Andrew was a man of excellent abilities, but xtremely diffident -a fine speaker, and an accomplished

That aft hae made us black and blae,
Wi' vengefu' paws.

1

Auld Wodrow lang has hatched mischief,
We thought aye death wad bring relief,
But he has gotten, to our grief,

Ane to succeed him,

A chield wha'll soundly buff our beef;
I meikle dread him.

And monie a ane that I could tell,
Wha fain would openly rebel,

Forby turn-coats amang oursel';

There's Smith for ane,2

I doubt he's but a gray-nick quill,
And that ye'll fin'.

besider

scholar. Dr. David, in personal respects, was a prodigy. He was ninety-one years of age before he required an assistant. At that period of life he read without the use of glasses, wrote a neat small hand, and had not a furrow in his cheek or a wrinkle in his brow. He was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1775. This amiable man died April 26, 1810, in the ninety-second year of his age, and sixty-first of his ministry.

1 There were three brothers of this name, descended from the church historian, and all ministers-one at Eastwood, their ancestor's charge; the second at Stevenston; and the third, Dr. Peter Wodrow, at Torbolton. Dr. Peter is the person named in the poem. The assistant and successor mentioned in the verse was M'Math, elsewhere alluded to.

2 Rev. Mr. Smith, minister of Galston. He is one of the 'ent-preachers in the Holy Fair