LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER. BURNS. Air-" The Lothian lassie." LAST May a braw wooer came down the lang glen, I said there was naething I hated like men : The deuce gae wi'm to believe me, believe me ; He spak o' the darts in my bonnie black een, I said he might die when he liked for Jean: A weel-stockit mailin, himsel' for the laird, I never loot on that I kend it or cared; But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers; But what wad ye think? in a fortnight or less- He up the lang loan to my black cousin Bess: Guess ye how, the jaud! I could bear her, could bear her; Guess ye how, the jaud! I could bear her! But a' the neist week, as I fretted wi' care, But owre my left shouther I ga'e him a blink, I speir'd for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet, And how my auld shoon fitted her shachlet feet; He begg'd, for gudesake, I wad be his wife, So, e'en to preserve the poor body in life, I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow; I think I maun wed him to-morrow. GREEN GROW THE RASHES O! BURNS. GREEN grow the rashes O, Green grow the rashes 0; The sweetest hours that e'er I spent There's nought but care on ev'ry han', What signifies the life o' man, Green grow, &c. The warly race may riches chase, Green grow, &c. Gi'e me a canny hour at e'en, Green grow, &c. For you sae douse, ye sneer at this, Green grow, &c. Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears Her 'prentice han' she tried on man, And then she made the lasses O. Green grow, &c. Founded on an old and licentious song with the same chorus. THE OLD MAN'S SONG. REV. JOHN SKINNER. Air-" Dumbarton's drums." Он, why should old age so much wound us O? With my old wife sitting by, And our bairns and our oes all around us O! We began in the world wi' naething O, And we've jogg'd on and toil'd for the ae thing 0; We made use of what we had, And our thankful hearts were glad When we got the bit meat and the claething O. We have lived all our lifetime contented O, And we are so to this hour, Yet we never pined nor lamented O. We ne'er thought of schemes to be wealthy 0, And what further could we wiss ? To be pleased with ourselves and be healthy O. What though we canna boast of our guineas 0, More desirable by far Than a pock full of yellow steenies O. We've seen many a wonder and ferly O, Both in country and in town, Who now live but scrimply and barely 0. Then why should people brag of prosperity O? And our living been but scant, Yet we never were reduced to need charity O. In this house we first came thegither O, Where we've long been a father and mither O And though not of stone and lime, It will last us a' our time, And I hope we shall never need anither O. JENNY'S BAWBEE. SIR ALEX. BOSWELL, Bart. I MET four chaps yon birks amang, Quo' he, Ilk cream-faced pawky chiel The first, a captain to his trade, Wi' skull ill-lined, but back weel-clad, March'd round the barn and by the shed, Quo' he, "My goddess, nymph, and queen, A lawyer neist, wi' blatherin' gab, Accounts he own'd through a' the town, And tradesmen's tongues nae mair could drown, A Norland laird neist trotted up, Cried, "There's my beast, lad, haud the grup, Or tie't till a tree: What's gowd to me? I've walth o' lan'; Bestow on ane o' worth your han’.” Drest up just like the knave o' clubs, He danced up squinting through a glass, She bade the laird gae kame his wig, The lawyer no to be a prig; The fool he cried, “Tehee! I kenn'd that I could never fail !" But she prenn'd the dishclout to his tail, And soused him in the water-pail, And kept her bawbee. This song was contributed by its unfortunate author to Thomson's "Select Melodies of Scotland." Sir Alexander was the son of James Boswell, whose inimitable |