The lyon here, wi' open paw, May cleek in mony hunder, Wha geck at Scotland and her law, For ken, tho' Jamie's laws are auld, Sae prime this day. To town-guard drum of clangor clear, And peel'd thir days. Siclike in Robinhood1 debates, Till up loups he, wi' diction fu', There's lang and dreech contesting; For now they're near the point in view; The races o'er, they hale the dools, Wi' drink o' a' kin-kind; 1 See note 3, p. 49. 2 A collegian [student], a member of the University.-Communicated by Mr. Robert Burns, Secundus. Spoken usually of any one in contempt. Great feck gae hirpling hame like fools, The cripple lead the blind. May ne'er the canker o' the drink Wi' straiks thir days! HALLOWFAIR. TUNE-" Fy let us a' to the Bridal." [This humorous ballad-song, like the 'Lea-rig,' had long been fugitively ascribed to Fergusson, when Mr. Stenhouse, in his Notes to Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, 451, p. 472 sq. Note, p. 399 sq. Vol. V., assigned it positively to him, on the authority (it is understood) of Mr. David Herd, who only died in 1810. It was originally written for Mr. Herd, and was published posthumously in the well-known Collection of 'Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, Heroic Ballads, etc.' 2 Vols. 12mo, 1776. Vol. II. p. 169–171. Hallowfair is adapted in the Museum to an old tune called 'Wally Honey,' taken from Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion. Book VII. p. 6. The reader may compare the 'Song' with the 'Poem' of Hallowfair (ante, p. 33 sq.)] THERE'S fouth of braw Jockies and Jennies Comes weel-busked into the fair, With ribbons on their cockernonies, And fouth o' fine flour on their hair.1 Maggie she was sae well busked, 1 Which was then in fashion. But Maggie was wondrous jealous And hard at the liquor did caw. And hugg'd it, and said, trouth they're saucy There was Wattie the muirland laddie, 1 To drive in the sheep and the knout. It scarcely came down to mid thigh, But bruckie play'd boo to bausie, 3 Poor Wattie he fell in the causie, And birs'd a' the bains in his skin. His pistols fell out of the houlsters, The folks they came round him in clusters, 1 One who gains a livelihood by running errands.-See Jamieson in loc. 2 The horse-furniture at the crupper and the nose and head. 3 Id est-The brucket or cow with brown spots bellowed to bausie, which is applied to a fat sleek animal-the noise they made, frightened the cout or horse. But cout wad let nae body steer him, Now it was late in the ev❜ning, And boughting-time was drawing near; The lasses had stench'd their greening With fouth of braw apples and beer. There was Lillie, and Tibbie, and Sibbie, And Ceicy on the spinnell could spin, Stood glowring at signs and glass winnocks, But deil a ane bade them come in. Sing farrel, &c. God guide's! saw you ever the like o' it? They're a' but a rickle of sticks; See there is Bill, Jock, and auld Hackie, And yonder's Mess John and auld Nick. Sing farrel, &c. Quoth Maggie, come buy us our fairing; But wha wau'd e'er thought it o' him, ODE TO THE GOWDSPINK.2 FRAE fields whare Spring her sweets has blawn The gowdspink comes in new attire, And fool the tints that Nature chose To busk and paint the crimson rose. 1 The same the one used in Scotland, the other in England: but it appears that Fergusson applies' scalie' to the person, as ill-formed, and 'squint' to the eyes. 2 The Goldfinch, the most beautiful in its plumage of all Scottish songsters. It is variously known by the name goldie, goudie, goud spink, gowdspink. 3 Var. sprout. 4 Var. on yonder lofty snout. |