ToGavinHamilton,Esq.,Mauchline,

togavinhamilton,esq.,mauchline,

recommendingaboy.

mossgaville,may3,1786.

iholdit,sir,myboundenduty

towarnyouhowthatmastertootie,

alias,lairdm'gaun,

washeretohireyonladaway

'boutwhomyespakthetitherday,

an'wadhaedon'taffhan';

butlesthelearnthecallantricks—

an'faithimuckledoubthim—

likescrapinoutauldcrummie'snicks,

an'tellinliesaboutthem;

aslievethen,i'dhavethen

yourclerkshipheshouldsair,

ifsaebeyemaybe

notfittedotherwhere.

altho'isay't,he'sglegenough,

an''boutahousethat'srudean'rough,

theboymightlearntoswear;

butthen,wi'you,he'llbesaetaught,

an'getsicfairexamplestraught,

ihaenaonyfear.

ye'llcatechisehim,everyquirk,

an'shorehimweelwi'hell;

an'garhimfollowtothekirk—

ayewhenyegangyoursel.

ifyethenmaunbethen

fraehamethiscomin'friday,

thenplease,sir,tolea'e,sir,

theorderswi'yourlady.

mywordofhonourihaegi'en,

inpaisleyjohn's,thatnightate'en,

tomeetthewarld'sworm;

totrytogetthetwatogree,

an'nametheairlesan'thefee,

inlegalmodean'form:

ikenheweelasnickcandraw,

whensimplebodieslethim:

an'ifadevilbeata',

infaithhe'ssuretogethim.

tophraseyouandpraiseyou,

yekenyourlaureatscorns:

thepray'rstillyousharestill

ofgratefulminstrelburns.