THE BAIRNS GAT OUT.

Tune-" The deuks dang o'er my Daddie."

I.

THE bairns gat out wi' an unco shout,
The deuks dang o'er my daddie, O!
The fien'-ma-care, quo' the feirrie auld wife,
He was but a paidlin body, O!
He paidles out, an' he paidles in,

An' he paidles late an' early, O!

This seven lang years I hae lien by his side, An' he is but a fusionless carlie, O!

II.

O, haud your tongue, my feirrie auld wife, O, haud your tongue, now Nansie, O! I've seen the day, and sae hae ye,

Ye wadna been sae donsie, O!

I've seen the day ye butter'd my brose,
And cuddled me late and early, O!
But downa do's come o'er me now,

And, oh! I feel it sairly, O!

An old song of the same name supplied Burns with the idea of this song, and a line or two-the rest is all his own. It speaks with the free, homely tongue of the eldern muse of Scotland. Some of the ruder verses linger still on the memory :

"The bairns cam in wi' an unco rair,

The deuks dang owre my daddie, O!
O deil ma' care, let him lie there,
For he's but a daidlin' bodie, O."

It need not be told to those acquainted with the earlier lyrics of Scotland, that they abound in expressions which would set a thousand fans in a flutter now. Ramsay has been accused of rashly and presumptuously suppressing some beautiful old lyrics, and with maiming others; and no doubt his sympathy was not great for the old minstrel compositions. The horror of some antiquaries at his atrocities would be lessened, were they to hear the strains sung for the loss of which they make all their wailing. "The bonniest lass in a' the warl'" is one of the fair and lovely antiques of which the bad taste of Ramsay is said to have deprived the world. Here is the first verse :

"The bonniest lass in a' the warl'

Cam to me unsent for;

She brak her shins on my bed stock,

But she gat the thing she cam for."

The succeeding verses, could they be printed, would place the character of this lily of the olden time beyond all doubt. The tune of "The deuks dang o'er my Daddie" is very old: Playford published it in 1657, and called it "The Buff Coat."

SHE'S FAIR AND FAUSE.

Tune-" She's fair and fause."

I.

SHE'S fair and fause that causes my smart,
I lo'ed her meikle and lang;

She's broken her vow, she's broken my heart,
And I may e'en gae hang.

A coof cam in wi' routh o' gear,
And I hae tint my dearest dear;
But woman is but warld's gear,
Sae let the bonnie lass gang.

II.

Whae'er ye be that woman love,

To this be never blind,

Nae ferlie 'tis tho' fickle she prove,
A woman has❜t by kind.

O woman, lovely woman fair!

An angel form's fa'n to thy share,

'Twad been o'er meikle to gien thee mairI mean an angel mind.

Critics have pronounced this one of the happiest of the songs of Burns-it is one of the most sarcastic; the last verse is particularly bitter. No one has contended for the honour of being its heroine. The melody is almost as charming as the words.

THE EXCISEMAN.

Tune-" The Deil cam' fiddling through the town.”

I.

THE deil cam' fiddling through the town,
And danced awa wi' the Exciseman,
And ilka wife cries—“ Auld Mahoun,
I wish you luck o' the prize, man!"
The deil's awa, the deil's awa,

The deil's awa wi' the Exciseman;
He's danc'd awa, he's danc'd awa,

He's danc'd awa wi' the Exciseman!

II.

We'll mak our maut, we'll brew our drink,
We'll dance, and sing, and rejoice, man;
And mony braw thanks to the meikle black deil
That danc'd awa wi' the Exciseman.

III.

There's threesome reels, there's foursome reels,
There's hornpipes and strathspeys, man;

But the ae best dance e'er cam to the land
Was the deil's awa wi' the Exciseman.
The deil's awa, the deil's awa,

The deil's awa wi' the Exciseman :

He's danc'd awa, he's danc'd awa,

He's danc'd awa wi' the Exciseman.

It is related in that credible and curious book "Satan's Invisible World Discovered," that his infernal majesty, during one of his excursions among the witches of Caledonia, thought proper to appear-not in the likeness of a" long black man," but in that of a large black dog; and, with a lighted candle at his tail, led them such a race over Magus moor,

"Till ilka carlin swat an' reekit."

It is, moreover, said that, assuming his own shape, he sung his friends a new song to a strange air, in both of which there was so much of gramery, that all the young lads and lasses in the Lowlands were speedily lilting and singing it, though it was none of the doucest. Perhaps some tale of this kind influenced Burns in the composition of this singular song. Gaugers were, for a long period, cordially disliked in Scotland; to cheat them was almost considered a duty. Tradition relates, that at Annan once a large quantity of smuggled tea and brandy had just been carried into an inn there, when, to the consternation of all concerned, the gauger was seen approaching. Concealment was out of the question, for the importation was large and lying on the floor. All this was observed by a shrewd idiot, well known by the name of Daft Davie Graham; he snatched up a long whip, and walking leisurely to a " midden-dub," threw in the lash of the whip, watched it, and played it with all the anxiety of an angler." What are ye fishing for there, Davie ?" said the officer of the revenue.—“ Fishing for deevils," was the answer. "Devils !" said the other, "and what do you bait with ?”—“ Gaugers,” replied David. The laugh of the bystanders at the sharp joke made the gauger turn his horse's head another road, and miss a prey.