My worthy conty, gude Jock Warren,
        Thou’s still jocose and ay auld farren,
        Gentle and kind, blythe, frank and free,
        And always unco’ gude to me. 
        And now thou’s sold thy country ware
        And towards hame mean to repair.[19]
        Accept these lines although but weak
        And read them for thy Comrade’s sake. 
        May plenty still around thee smile
        And God’s great help thy foes beguile,
        In Wisdom’s path be sure to tread
        And her fair daughter Virtue wed. 
        My compliments and love sincere
        To all our friends both here and there,
        But in particular to him
        That’s tall in body, long in limb,
        Auld faithful Loyal, Johny Nairne,
        Lang may he count you his ain bairne;
        By his example still be sway’d;
        Be his good precepts still obeyed;
        Revere this good and worthy man
        And always do the best you can. 
        This is my wish and expectation,
        God granting you and me salvation. 
        We ance were young but now we’re auld,
        Oour blood from heat commences cauld,
        A drop of whiskey warms the whole,
        Renews the body, cheers the soul;
        Observing still due moderation,
        In order to prevent vexation,
        Proceeding on with cautious care
        Till Death with his grim face appear;
        Then with a conscience, just and true
        See Heaven’s Glory, in your View.

My neighbour, Mr. Fraser, tells me that by my looks and speaking he cannot think me so ill as imagined.  You will think the same by my writing the above.  My distemper is owing to Gravelly Ulcers and it is a great chance at my time of life to recover, so [we] should be prepared for the worst.

It is a satisfaction to me to have been able to write this letter, such as it is.  My thoughts are every day and every night with my sisters and [I] figure myself frequently at your fireside.  Remember I am not to write any more unless I get a great deal better. [I] shall refer you to Christine to correspond and to tell you all you would wish to know from this country.  And now I have nothing but Compts. and love to send to all my friends—­to Robie Hepburn as my oldest and nearest my heart—­my blessings to his family, as to the Kers and Congaltons.  And once more to Anny you and Mary and Mrs. Ker and my Polly and Tom.  God bless you all.  I am truly my dear Madie with much affection,

     Yours for aye,

     JOHN NAIRNE.

Nairne was not mistaken in his view that the end was near.  He writes about this time to his physician at Quebec (there was no practitioner at Murray Bay) describing his symptoms and ends:  “Now, dear Doctor, I dare say you think some apologies necessary for my troubling you so particularly with the complaints of an old man of 71, as his inward machinery is probably wore out and irreparable.”  In a last vain hope they took him to Quebec for medical care.  But the machinery was, indeed, “wore out,” and at Quebec, on July 14th, 1802, he closed his eyes on a world which, though it brought him labour and sorrow, he thought to be very good.