adam armour's prayer

gude pity me, because i'm little!

for though i am an elf o' mettle,

an' can, like ony wabster's shuttle,

jink there or here,

yet, scarce asng's a gude kail-whittle,

i'm unco queer.

an' now thou kens our waefu' case;

for geordie's jurr we're in disgrace,

because we stang'd her through the ce,

an' hurt her spleuchan;

for whilk we daurna show our face

within the chan.

an' now we're dern'd in dens and hollows,

and hunted, as was william wace,

wi' constables-thae ckguard fallows,

an' sodgers baith;

but gude preserve us frae the gallows,

that shamefu' death!

auld grim ck-bearded geordie's sel'—

o shake him owre the mouth o' hell!

there let him hing, an' roar, an' yell