Lord, we thank and thee adore,
For temp’ral gifts we little merit;
At present we will ask no more,
Let William Hyslop give the spirit.
XLI.
INSCRIPTION ON A GOBLET.
[Written on a dinner-goblet by the hand of Burns. Syme, exasperated at having his set of crystal defaced, threw the goblet under the grate: it was taken up by his clerk, and it is still preserved as a curiosity.]
There’s death in the cup—sae beware!
Nay, more—there is danger in touching;
But wha can avoid the fell snare?
The man and his wine’s sae bewitching!
XLII.
THE INVITATION.
[Burns had a happy knack in acknowledging civilities. These lines were written with a pencil on the paper in which Mrs. Hyslop, of Lochrutton, enclosed an invitation to dinner.]