Holy Willie's Prayer

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'.