My Crummie is a usefu' cow, The sun shines frae the lift sae hie; Sloth never made a gracious end,Gae, tak' your auld cloak about ye. My cloak was ance a gude grey cloak, When it was fitting for my wear ; But now it's scantly worth a groat, For I hae worn't this thretty year : Let's spend the gear that we hae won, We little ken the day we'll dee; Then I'll be proud, since I hae sworn To hae a new cloak about me. In days when our king Robert rang, His trews they cost but half-a-croun, Ilk kind o' corn has its ain hool; Gudeman, I wat it's thretty year Of lads and bonnie lasses ten; Now they are women grown and men, If Bell my wife she lo'es nae strife, But she would guide me if she can ; I aft maun yield, though I'm gudeman. And tak' my auld cloak about me. This is one of the most ancient Scottish songs extant. That it was known to Shakspeare in its English garb is evident from his having quoted the antepenultimate stanza in the second act of "Othello." The English version appears in Percy's "Reliques." It differs from the Scottish in some respects, but not materially; and Percy evidently inclines to admit that the Scottish is the original version. The Scottish version appears to have been first published in a complete form by Allan Ramsay, in the "Tea-Table Miscellany." WIDOW, ARE YE WAUKIN? ALLAN RAMSAY. From the "Tea-Table Miscellany." "Он, wha's that at my chamber-door?" Your love lies a' in talking. Sweet like an April meadow; "O widow, wilt thou let me in? Or gentle-born ye be, bot youth, In love you're but a gawky." "Then, widow, let these guineas speak, "These court indeed, I maun confess; This song, somewhat similar in character to the one preceding, has been recovered from tradition, and preserved in the manuscript copy of the ancient songs of the north of Scotland collected by Peter Buchan. JOCKEY FOU, JENNY FAIN. From the "Tea-Table Miscellany," 1724. Air-" Jockey fou." JOCKEY fou, Jenny fain, Jenny was na ill to gain; She was couthie, he was kind, And thus the wooer tell'd his mind : Jenny, I'll nae mair be nice, Others seek they kenna what, Let love sparkle in her ee, Colours mingled unco fine, Until my fancy first approve. Allan Ramsay inserted this song in his "Miscellany" with the signature Q, to signify that it was old, with additions by himself. The air is also very ancient. MY WIFE HAS TA'EN THE GEE. ANONYMOUS. From Herd's Collection, 1776. A FRIEND O' mine cam' here yestreen, To drink a bottle o' ale wi' him In the neist burrows toun. But oh, indeed, it was, sir, Sae far the waur for me; We sat sae late and drank sae stout, That lang or e'er the midnight cam', My wife sits at the fireside, And the tear blinds aye her ee; In the mornin' sune, when I cam' doun, But mony a sad and sour look, I'll never do the like again, If you'll ne'er take the gee.” When that she heard, she ran, she flang And, poor wee thing, she grat! THE MILLER. SIR JOHN CLERK, of Pennycuick, Bart.; born about the year 1680, died 1755. From the "Charmer," Edinburgh, 1751. MERRY may the maid be That marries the miller, For foul day and fair day He's aye bringing till her; For dinner and for supper; When Jamie first did woo me, I spier'd what was his calling: And that his house was warm and couth, |