The devil ruled the woman.
The poet's father, William Burness, lies buried in a graveyard at Alloway. The following lines were written by his son to his memory:
LINES TO HIS FATHER.
O ye whose cheek the tear of pity stains,
Draw near with pious reverence and attend.
Here lie the loving husband's dear remains,
The tender father and the generous friend.
The pitying heart that felt for human woe;
The dauntless heart that feared no human pride;
The friend of man, to vice alone a foe;