Lord, to account who dares thee call,Or e’er dispute thy pleasure?Else why, within so thick a wall,Enclose so poor a treasure?

O Lord, when hunger pinches sore,Do thou stand us in stead,And send us, from thy bounteous store,A tup or wether head! Amen. O Lord, since we have feasted thus,Which we so little merit,Let Meg now take away the flesh,And Jock bring in the spirit! Amen.

Lord, we thank, and thee adore,For temporal gifts we little merit;At present we will ask no more–Let William Hislop give the spirit.

The King’s most humble servant, ICan scarcely spare a minute;But I’ll be wi’ you by an’ by;Or else the Deil’s be in it.

Ye men of wit and wealth, why all this sneering‘Gainst poor Excisemen? Give the cause a hearing:What are your Landlord’s rent-rolls? Taxing ledgers!What Premiers? What ev’n Monarchs? Mighty Gaugers!Nay, what are Priests? (those seeming godly wise-men,)What are they, pray, but Spiritual Excisemen!

Tune–“The Quaker’s Wife.” Blythe hae I been on yon hill,As the lambs before me;Careless ilka thought and free,As the breeze flew o’er me;Now nae langer sport and play,Mirth or sang can please me;Lesley is sae fair and coy,Care and anguish seize me. Heavy, heavy is the task,Hopeless love declaring;Trembling, I dow nocht but glow’r,Sighing, dumb […]

Tune–“Logan Water.” O Logan, sweetly didst thou glide,That day I was my Willie’s bride,And years sin syne hae o’er us run,Like Logan to the simmer sun:But now thy flowery banks appearLike drumlie Winter, dark and drear,While my dear lad maun face his faes,Far, far frae me and Logan braes. Again the merry month of MayHas […]

The last time I came o’er the moor,And left Maria’s dwelling,What throes, what tortures passing cure,Were in my bosom swelling:Condemn’d to see my rival’s reign,While I in secret languish;To feel a fire in every vein,Yet dare not speak my anguish. Love’s veriest wretch, despairing, IFain, fain, my crime would cover;Th’ unweeting groan, the bursting sigh,Betray […]

You’re welcome to Despots, Dumourier;You’re welcome to Despots, Dumourier:How does Dampiere do?Ay, and Bournonville too?Why did they not come along with you, Dumourier? I will fight France with you, Dumourier;I will fight France with you, Dumourier;I will fight France with you,I will take my chance with you;By my soul, I’ll dance with you, Dumourier. Then […]

Air–“Hughie Graham.” O were my love yon Lilac fair,Wi’ purple blossoms to the Spring,And I, a bird to shelter there,When wearied on my little wing!How I wad mourn when it was tornBy Autumn wild, and Winter rude!But I wad sing on wanton wing,When youthfu’ May its bloom renew’d. O gin my love were yon red […]

What dost thou in that mansion fair?Flit, Galloway, and findSome narrow, dirty, dungeon cave,The picture of thy mind. No Stewart art thou, Galloway,The Stewarts ‘ll were brave;Besides, the Stewarts were but fools,Not one of them a knave. Bright ran thy line, O Galloway,Thro’ many a far-fam’d sire!So ran the far-famed Roman way,And ended in a […]

Named Echo In wood and wild, ye warbling throng,Your heavy loss deplore;Now, half extinct your powers of song,Sweet Echo is no more. Ye jarring, screeching things around,Scream your discordant joys;Now, half your din of tuneless soundWith Echo silent lies.

Blest be M’Murdo to his latest day!No envious cloud o’ercast his evening ray;No wrinkle, furrow’d by the hand of care,Nor ever sorrow add one silver hair!O may no son the father’s honour stain,Nor ever daughter give the mother pain!

To its ain tune. There was a lass, and she was fair,At kirk or market to be seen;When a’ our fairest maids were met,The fairest maid was bonie Jean. And aye she wrought her mammie’s wark,And aye she sang sae merrilie;The blythest bird upon the bushHad ne’er a lighter heart than she. But hawks will […]

By Allan stream I chanc’d to rove,While Phoebus sank beyond Benledi;The winds are whispering thro’ the grove,The yellow corn was waving ready:I listen’d to a lover’s sang,An’ thought on youthfu’ pleasures mony;And aye the wild-wood echoes rang–“O, dearly do I love thee, Annie! “O, happy be the woodbine bower,Nae nightly bogle make it eerie;Nor ever […]

Tune–“Robin Adair.” Had I a cave on some wild distant shore,Where the winds howl to the wave’s dashing roar:There would I weep my woes,There seek my lost repose,Till grief my eyes should close,Ne’er to wake more! Falsest of womankind, can’st thou declareAll thy fond, plighted vows fleeting as air!To thy new lover hie,Laugh o’er thy […]

Tune–“Robin Adair.” While larks, with little wing,Fann’d the pure air,Tasting the breathing Spring,Forth I did fare:Gay the sun’s golden eyePeep’d o’er the mountains high;Such thy morn! did I cry,Phillis the fair. In each bird’s careless song,Glad I did share;While yon wild-flowers among,Chance led me there!Sweet to the op’ning day,Rosebuds bent the dewy spray;Such thy bloom! […]

When Morine, deceas’d, to the Devil went down,‘Twas nothing would serve him but Satan’s own crown;“Thy fool’s head,” quoth Satan, “that crown shall wear never,I grant thou’rt as wicked, but not quite so clever.”

Through and through th’ inspir’d leaves,Ye maggots, make your windings;But O respect his lordship’s taste,And spare his golden bindings.

Come, let me take thee to my breast,And pledge we ne’er shall sunder;And I shall spurn as vilest dustThe world’s wealth and grandeur:And do I hear my Jeanie ownThat equal transports move her?I ask for dearest life alone,That I may live to love her. Thus, in my arms, wi’ a’ her charms,I clasp my countless […]