AUCHENCKUIVE 



me when I would describe what I felt. Suffice it to say that, 

 when a good fire at New Cumnock had so far recovered my 

 frozen sinews, I sat down and wrote the enclosed ode." 



Dr. Moore had done well for his friend if he 

 had suppressed the said ode, for slander grosser 

 and more gratuitous was never penned than this 

 lampoon upon a lady, who, during her life, had 

 never given the writer cause of offence. Neverthe- 

 less, his case was a hard one ; he did but express 

 in stinging verse the irritation which one of us 

 lesser mortals would have vented in bad language. 



The other composition was of a very different 

 character, and, in its later form, celebrated the 

 charms of the wife of the first lady's grandson, 

 M.P. for Ayrshire. Her name was Louisa, which, 

 for the sake of metre, was altered to Lucy in the 

 poem. The husband is supposed to be singing 

 the praises of his wife. 



"0, wat ye wha's in yon town, 

 Ye see the e'enin' sun upon ? 

 The fairest dame's in yon town 

 That e'enin' sun is shining on." 



Such is the refrain of eight fervent stanzas ; but 

 woe's me for Robin's constancy ! The verses were 

 originally addressed to Jean Armour the "bonnie 

 Jean" of many an ode. To adapt them to another 

 fair one's acceptance, " maid " had to be altered to 

 "dame," and "Jeannie" to "Lucy!" Conscientious 

 editors have duly chronicled in footnotes the variant 

 readings. 



o 113 



