You shouldna paint at angels mair,
But try and paint the devil.
To paint an angel’s kittle wark,
Wi’ Auld Nick there’s less danger;
You’ll easy draw a weel-kent face,
But no sae weel a stranger.”
Never perhaps was there a neater compliment paid to feminine loveliness than that paid by Burns to Miss Ainslie in an impromptu rhyme. During the poet’s Border tour he went to church on Sunday, accompanied by the sister of his travelling companion, Mr. Robert Ainslie, of Berrywell, Dunse. The text for the day happened to contain a severe denunciation of obstinate sinners, and the poet, observing the young lady intently turning over the leaves of her Bible in search of the passage, took out a small piece of paper, and wrote the following lines, which he immediately passed to her:—
“Fair maid, you need not take the hint,
Nor idle texts pursue;