WRITTEN IN A WRAPPER.
If thou hadst heard her talking,
And thy attentions plighted,
That ilka body talking,

But her by thee is slighted,
And thou art all delighted;
O, that's, &c.

If thou hast met this fair one;
When frae her thou hast parted,
If every other fair one,

But her, thou hast deserted,
And thou art broken-hearted ;-
O, that's, &c.

185

WRITTEN IN A WRAPPER,

ENCLOSING A LETTER TO CAPT. GROSE, TO BE LEFT WITH MR. CARDONNEL, ANTIQUARIAN.

TUNE-Sir John Malcolm.

KEN ye ought o' Captain Grose?
Igo, & ago,

If he's amang his friends or foes?
Iram, coram, dago.

Is he South, or is he North?
Igo, & ago,

Or drowned in the river Forth?
Iram, coram, dago.

Is he slain by Highland bodies?
Igo, & ago,

And eaten like a weather-haggis?
Iram, coram, dago.

Is he to Abram's bosom gane?

Igo, & ago,

Or haudin Sarah by the wame?
Iram, coram, dago.

Where'er he be, the Lord be near him!
Igo, & ago.

As for the deil, he daurna steer him.
Iram, coram, dago.

But please transmit th' enclosed letter,
Igo, & ago,

Which will oblige your humble debtor.
Iram, coram, dago.

So may ye hae auld stanes in store,
Igo, & ago,

The very stanes that Adam bore.
Iram, coram, dago.

So may ye get in glad possession,
Igo, & ago,

The coins o' Satan's coronation!

Iram, coram, dago.

THE DEAN OF FACULTY.

A new Ballad.

TUNE-The Dragon of Wantley.

DIRE was the hate at old Harlaw
That Scot to Scot did carry;
And dire the discord Langside saw,
For beauteous, hapless Mary:

THE DEAN OF FACULTY.

But Scot with Scot ne'er met so hot,

Or were more in fury seen, Sir,

187

Than 'twixt Hal and Bob for the famous job-
Who should be Faculty's Dean, Sir.—

This Hal for genius, wit, and lore,
Among the first was number'd;
But pious Bob, 'mid learning's store,
Commandment tenth remember'd.-

Yet simple Bob the victory got,
And wan his heart's desire;

Which shows that heaven can boil the pot,
Though the devil p-s in the fire.-

Squire Hal besides had, in this case,
Pretensions rather brassy,

For talents to deserve a place
Are qualifications saucy;
So their worships of the Faculty,
Quite sick of merit's rudeness,

Chose one who should owe it all, d'ye see,
To their gratis grace and goodness.-

As once on Pisgah purg'd was the sight
Of a son of Circumcision,

So maybe, on this Pisgah height,
Bob's purblind, mental vision,

Nay, Bobby's mouth may be open'd yet,
Till for eloquence you hail him,
And swear he has the Angel met
That met the Ass of Balaam.

*

O, ONCE I LOV'D A BONNIE LASS1.

TUNE-I am a man unmarried.

O, ONCE I lov'd a bonnie lass,

Ay, and I love her still,

And whilst that virtue warms my breast

I'll love my handsome Nell.

Fal lal de ral, &c.

As bonnie lassies I hae seen,
And mony full as braw,
But for a modest gracefu' mien
The like I never saw.

A bonnie lass, I will confess,
Is pleasant to the ee,

But without some better qualities

She's no a lass for me.

But Nelly's looks are blithe and sweet,

And what is best of a',

Her reputation is complete,

And fair without a flaw.

She dresses aye sae clean and neat,
Both decent and genteel:

And then there's something in her gait
Gars ony dress look weel.

A gaudy dress and gentle air
May slightly touch the heart,
But it's innocence and modesty
That polishes the dart.

This was our Poet's first attempt.

I'LL aye ca' in by yon town,

I'll

And by yon garden green again;

aye ca' in by yon town,

And see my bonnie Jean again.

There's nane sall ken, there's nane sall guess,

What brings me back the gate again,

But she, my fairest faithfu' lass,

And stownlins we sall meet again.

She'll wander by the aiken tree,
When trystin-time draws near again;
And when her lovely form I see,
O, haith, she's doubly dear again!

WHISTLE O'ER THE LAVE O'T.

FIRST when Maggy was my care,
Heaven, I thought, was in her air;
Now we're married-spier nae mair-
Whistle o'er the lavé o't.

Meg was meek, and Meg was mild,
Bonnie Meg was nature's child—
Wiser men than me's beguil'd;-
Whistle o'er the lave o't.

VOL. II.

R