replytoatrimmingepistlereceivedfromatailor whatailsyenow,yelousiebitch tothreshmybackatsicapitch? losh,man!haemercywi'yournatch, yourbodkin'sbauld ididnasufferhalfsaemuch fraedaddieauld. whattho'attimes,whenigrowcrouse, igietheirwamesarandompouse, isthatenoughforyoutosouse yourservantsae? gaemindyourseam,yeprick-the-louse, an'jag-the-flea! kingdavid,o'poeticbrief, wrocht'mangthelassessicmischief asfilledhisafter-lifewi'grief, an'bluidyrants, an'yethe'srank'damangthechief o'lang-synesaunts. andmaybe,tam,fora'mycants, mywickedrhymes,an'druckenrants, i'llgieauldcloven'sclootie'shaunts anuncoslipyet, an'snuglysitamangthesaunts, atdavie'shipyet! but,fegs!thesessionsaysimaun gaefa'upo'anitherplan thangarrinlassescoupthecran, cleanheelsowerbody, an'sairlytholetheirmother'sban aforethehowdy. thisleadsmeontotellforsport, howididwi'thesessionsort auldclinkum,attheinnerport, criedthreetimes,“robin! comehitherlad,andanswerfor't, ye'reblam'dforjobbin!” wi'pinchiputasunday'sfaceon, an'snoov'dawabeforethesession: imadeanopen,fairconfession— iscorn'ttolee, an'synemessjohn,beyondexpression, fellfoulo'me. afornicator-lounhecall'dme, an'saidmyfautfraeblissexpell'dme iown'dthetalewastruehetell'dme, “but,whatthematter? (quo'i)ifearunlessyegeldme, i'llne'erbebetter!” “geldyou!(quo'he)an'whatforno? ifthatyourrighthand,legortoe shouldeverproveyoursp'ritualfoe, youshouldremember tocutitaff—an'whatforno yourdearestmember?” “na,na,(quo'i,)i'mnoforthat, gelding'snaebetterthan'tisca't i'drathersufferformyfaut aheartyflewit, assairowrehipasyecandraw't, tho'ishouldrueit. “or,ginyeliketoendthebother, topleaseusa'—i'vejustaeither— whennextwi'yonlassiforgather, whate'erbetideit, i'llfranklygieher'ta'thegither, an'letherguideit.” but,sir,thispleas'dthemwarstofa', an'therefore,tam,whenthatisaw, isaid“gudenight,”an'cam'awa', an'leftthesession isawtheywereresolveda' onmyoppression.