His opinions, religious and civil, I hate—

Sir, he’d make us all slaves to the church and the state!’—

‘Gude Sir,’ cries a Scot, springing up from behind,

And presenting his snuff-box, ‘you’re quite o’ my mind;

’Tho’ the Doctor would fain give our poets the law,

O’ the spirit of verse he knows nothing at a’;

In spite of his critique, I canna’ perceive

What there is in your poem of Adam and Eve:

An Ossian you read, Milton canna’ ga doun

’Tis lik after a virgin a mess o’ the toun: