Holy Willie's Prayer. ----
And send the Godly in a pet to pray --
Pope
O Thou that in the heav'ns does dwell!
Wha, as it pleases best Thysel,
Sends ane to heaven & ten to h-ll,
A' for Thy glory;
And no for onie quid or ill
They've done before Thee!
I bless and praise Thy matchless might,
When thousands Thou has left in night,
That I am here before Thy fight,
For gifts & grace,
A burning and a shining light
To a' this place. ----
What was I, or my generation,
That I should get such exaltation?
I wha deserv'd most just damnation,
For broken laws.
Sax thousand year ere my creation
Through Adam's cause.
And send the Godly in a pet to pray --
Pope
O Thou that in the heav'ns does dwell!
Wha, as it pleases best Thysel,
Sends ane to heaven & ten to h-ll,
A' for Thy glory;
And no for onie quid or ill
They've done before Thee!
I bless and praise Thy matchless might,
When thousands Thou has left in night,
That I am here before Thy fight,
For gifts & grace,
A burning and a shining light
To a' this place. ----
What was I, or my generation,
That I should get such exaltation?
I wha deserv'd most just damnation,
For broken laws.
Sax thousand year ere my creation
Through Adam's cause.
When from my Mother's womb I fell
Thou might hae plung'd me deep in hell,
To gnash my gooms and weep & wail
In burning lakes,
Where damned devils roar & yell
Chain'd to their stakes.
Yet I am here, a chosen sample,
To show Thy grace is grace & ample;
I'm here, a pillar o' Thy temple,
Strong as a rock;
A guide, a ruler & example
To a' Thy flock. ----
But yet, O L--d, confess I must,
At times I'm fash'd wi' fleshly lust;
And sometimes too, in warldly trust,
Vile Self gets in;
But Thou remembers we are dust
Defil'd wi' sin. ----
O L--d- yestreen -- Thou kens -- wi' Meg ----
Thy pardon I sincerely beg!
O may't ne'er be a living plague,
To my dishonor
Thou might hae plung'd me deep in hell,
To gnash my gooms and weep & wail
In burning lakes,
Where damned devils roar & yell
Chain'd to their stakes.
Yet I am here, a chosen sample,
To show Thy grace is grace & ample;
I'm here, a pillar o' Thy temple,
Strong as a rock;
A guide, a ruler & example
To a' Thy flock. ----
But yet, O L--d, confess I must,
At times I'm fash'd wi' fleshly lust;
And sometimes too, in warldly trust,
Vile Self gets in;
But Thou remembers we are dust
Defil'd wi' sin. ----
O L--d- yestreen -- Thou kens -- wi' Meg ----
Thy pardon I sincerely beg!
O may't ne'er be a living plague,
To my dishonor
And I'll ne'er lift a lawless leg
Again upon her!
Besides, I farther maun avow,
Wi' Leezie's lass - three times - I trow;
But L--d, that friday I was fow
When I cam near her;
Or else Thou kens Thy servant true
Wad never steer her. ----
Maybe Thou lets this fleshly thorn
Buffet Thy servant e'en and morn,
Lest he owre proud & high should turn
That he's sae gifted:
If sae, Thy hand maun e'en be borne
Until Thou lift it. ----
L--d bless Thy Chosen in this place,
For here Thou has a chosen race;
But G-d confound their stubborn face,
And blast their name,
Wha bring their rulers to disgrace
And public shame. ----
L--d mind Gaun Hamilton's deserts!
He drinks, & swears & plays at cartes;
Yet has sea mony taking arts
Wi' Great & Sma',
Again upon her!
Besides, I farther maun avow,
Wi' Leezie's lass - three times - I trow;
But L--d, that friday I was fow
When I cam near her;
Or else Thou kens Thy servant true
Wad never steer her. ----
Maybe Thou lets this fleshly thorn
Buffet Thy servant e'en and morn,
Lest he owre proud & high should turn
That he's sae gifted:
If sae, Thy hand maun e'en be borne
Until Thou lift it. ----
L--d bless Thy Chosen in this place,
For here Thou has a chosen race;
But G-d confound their stubborn face,
And blast their name,
Wha bring their rulers to disgrace
And public shame. ----
L--d mind Gaun Hamilton's deserts!
He drinks, & swears & plays at cartes;
Yet has sea mony taking arts
Wi' Great & Sma',
Frae G-d's ain priest the people's hearts
He steals awa. ----
And when we chasten'd him therefore,
Thou kens how he bred sic a splore,
And set the warld in a roar
O' laughin at us;
Curse Thou his basket & his store,
Kail & potatoes!
L--d hear my earnest cry & pray'r,
Against that Presbytry of Ayr!
Thy strong right hand L--d mak it bare
Upon their heads!
L--d visit them & dinna spare,
For their misdeeds!
O L--d, my G-d, that glib-tongu'd Aiken!
My vera heard & flesh are quakin,
To think how I sat, sweatin, shakin,
While Auld wi' hingan lip gaed sneakin,
And his his head. ----
L--d, in Thy day o' vengeance, try him!
L--d visit him wha did employ him!
And pass not in Thy mercy by them,
But for Thy people's sake destroy them,
And dinna spare!
But L--d remember me & mine,
Wi' mercies temporal & divine:
That I for grace & gear may shine,
Excell'd by nane:
And a' the glory shall be Thine ----
Amen! Amen!!!
He steals awa. ----
And when we chasten'd him therefore,
Thou kens how he bred sic a splore,
And set the warld in a roar
O' laughin at us;
Curse Thou his basket & his store,
Kail & potatoes!
L--d hear my earnest cry & pray'r,
Against that Presbytry of Ayr!
Thy strong right hand L--d mak it bare
Upon their heads!
L--d visit them & dinna spare,
For their misdeeds!
O L--d, my G-d, that glib-tongu'd Aiken!
My vera heard & flesh are quakin,
To think how I sat, sweatin, shakin,
While Auld wi' hingan lip gaed sneakin,
And his his head. ----
L--d, in Thy day o' vengeance, try him!
L--d visit him wha did employ him!
And pass not in Thy mercy by them,
But for Thy people's sake destroy them,
And dinna spare!
But L--d remember me & mine,
Wi' mercies temporal & divine:
That I for grace & gear may shine,
Excell'd by nane:
And a' the glory shall be Thine ----
Amen! Amen!!!
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/47
- Alt. number
- 3.6187
- Date
- 1788
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/47
- Alt. number
- 3.6187
- Date
- 1788
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Holy Willie's Prayer. 2 leaves, 16 six-line verses 4 pages, quarto.
In this poem, Robert uses the words of Kirk elder (church officer) William Fisher to expose the Kirk’s double standards. The work takes the form of a dramatic monologue by Willie to his God, as it is Willie's belief that he is chosen by God for 'gifts & grace'. This belief means that Willie can get away with anything, while others less fortunate should be punished for all their sins, however minor, including disagreeing with Willie.
This first page starts with a quotation from Alexander Pope, 'And send the Godly in a pet to pray', which sets the scene for the poem. The first three verses, seen here, introduce Willie's position - he is one of the few who are chosen to go to heaven. He says he is unworthy, but accepts his place of grace as his due.
Willie continues on the theme that he has been chosen for heaven and the horrors that he might have had to bear had this not been so. He is hard on others' weaknesses, but expects to be forgiven for his own, which he describes.
Willie swears that he will never stray again, but then describes further events, using his drunkenness as an excuse. He suggests that this 'fleshly thorn' is a test, so that he does not get too arrogant in his state of grace. From his own blessed state, Willie moves on to the punishment of those who are against him. He concentrates on Gavin Hamilton's faults and the amount of influence that he has.
Willie then calls down God's punishment on Hamilton for making him look a fool and invokes Old Testament-like curses. The Presbytery of Ayr, who decided against Willie, and Robert Aiken, Hamilton's lawyer and also a friend of Burns, should not be spared. The prayer finishes with Willie reminding God to make sure that he is showered with grace, in return for which God shall have all the glory.
Burns describes Willie Fisher as an 'Elder in the parish of Mauchline, and much and justly famed for that polemical chattering which ends in tippling Orthodoxy, and for that Spiritualised Bawdry which refines to Liquorish Devotion - In a Sessional process with a gentleman in Mauchline, a Mr Gavin Hamilton, Holy Willie, and his priest, father Auld, after full hearing of the Presbytery of Ayr, came off but second best'.
Willie continues on the theme that he has been chosen for heaven and the horrors that he might have had to bear had this not been so. He is hard on others' weaknesses, but expects to be forgiven for his own, which he describes.
Willie swears that he will never stray again, but then describes further events, using his drunkenness as an excuse. He suggests that this 'fleshly thorn' is a test, so that he does not get too arrogant in his state of grace. From his own blessed state, Willie moves on to the punishment of those who are against him. He concentrates on Gavin Hamilton's faults and the amount of influence that he has.
Willie then calls down God's punishment on Hamilton for making him look a fool and invokes Old Testament-like curses. The Presbytery of Ayr, who decided against Willie, and Robert Aiken, Hamilton's lawyer and also a friend of Burns, should not be spared. The prayer finishes with Willie reminding God to make sure that he is showered with grace, in return for which God shall have all the glory.
Burns describes Willie Fisher as an 'Elder in the parish of Mauchline, and much and justly famed for that polemical chattering which ends in tippling Orthodoxy, and for that Spiritualised Bawdry which refines to Liquorish Devotion - In a Sessional process with a gentleman in Mauchline, a Mr Gavin Hamilton, Holy Willie, and his priest, father Auld, after full hearing of the Presbytery of Ayr, came off but second best'.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Holy Willie's Prayer
Caring for collections
A gift of £5 a month can help us ensure collections like the Robert Burns Collection receive ongoing care and are shared with as many people as possible.