THE TWA DOGS. 15 



unfortunately killed by some one ; Caesar, a Newfoundland, was merely a creature of 

 Burns's imagination. The poem opens with a description of each, as they sit down to 

 a discussion on their respective masters, and their masters' homes : — 



" Twas in that place o' Scotland's isle 

 That bears the name o' auld King Coll, 

 Upon a bonnie day in June, 

 When wearing thro' the afternoon, 

 Twa dogs that were na thrang at hame, 

 Forgathered once upon a time. 



" The first I name, they ca'd him Csesa'r, 

 Was keepit for his honour's pleasure ; 

 His air, his size, his mouth, his lugs,^ 

 Show'd he was nane o' Scotland's dogs. 

 But whalpit ^ some place far abroad. 

 Where sailors gang to fish for cod. 



" His locked, letter' d, braw brass collar 

 Show'd him the gentleman and scholar ; 

 But tho' he was o' high degree, 

 The feint a pride — nae pride had he ; 

 But wad hae spent an hour caressin'. 

 E'en wi' a tinkler — gipsey's messin'.' 

 At kirk or market, mill or smiddie,* 

 Nae tawked tyke,^ though ere so duddie," 

 But he wad stan't, as glad to see him. 



" The tither was a ploughman's collie, 

 A rhyming, ranting, raving bilHe,'' 

 Wha for his friend an' comrade had him, 

 And in his freaks had Luath ca'd him, 

 After some dog in Highland lang,* 

 Was made lang syne. « * * 



" He was a gash ^ an' faithful tyke. 

 As ever lap a sleugh i" or dyke ; 

 His honest, sonsie,ii baws'nt '^ face, 

 Ay gat him friend in ilka place. 



» Ears. 



' Fellow. Burns evidently alludes here to himself. 



^ Wlielped, or born. ' Cuchullin's dog in Ossian's Fingal. 



3 A little dog. » Wise, sagacious. 



' A smith's forge. '" Ditch. 



» Tawked tyke. A dog with matted hair. " Jolly. 



J ^ J '" Having a white stripe down the face. 



