In his hand,
And a Pen
Big as ten
In the other,

And away

In a Pother

He ran

To the mountains,

And fountains

And ghostes,

And Postes,

And witches,

And ditches,

And wrote

In his coat,

When the weather

Was cool,

Fear of gout,

And without

When the weather

Was warm

Och the charm

When we choose

To follow one's nose

To the north,

To the north,

To follow one's nose

To the north.

There was a naughty boy

And a naughty boy was he,

He kept little fishes

In washing tubs three

In spite

Of the might

Of the Maid,

Nor afraid

Of his Granny-good

He often would,

Hurly burly,

Get up early,
And go

By hook or crook

To the brook,
And bring home
Miller's thumb,
Tittlebat

Not over fat,
Minnows small

As the stall
Of a glove,

Not above

The size

Of a nice

Little Baby's
Little fingers
O, he made,

"T was his trade,

Of Fish a pretty Kettle

A Kettle

A Kettle

There was a naughty Boy,

And a naughty Boy was he,

He ran away to Scotland

The people for to see

Then he found

That the ground

Was as hard,

That a yard

Was as long,

That a song

Was as merry,

That a cherry

Was as red

That lead

Was as weighty,
That fourscore
Was as eighty,

That a door

Was as wooden

As in England —
So he stood in his shoes
And he wonder'd,
He wonder❜d,

He stood in his shoes

And he wonder'd.

1

TO THOMAS KEATS

BELANTREE (for Ballantree) July 10 [1818.]

AH! ken ye what I met the day
Out oure the Mountains

A coming down by craggies gray

An mossie fountains

Ah goud-hair'd Marie yeve I pray
Ane minute's guessing -

For that I met upon the way

Is past expressing.

As I stood where a rocky brig

A torrent crosses

I spied upon a misty rig
A troup o' Horses

And as they trotted down the glen

I sped to meet them

To see if I might know the Men

To stop and greet them.

First Willie on his sleek mare came

At canting gallop,

His long hair rustled like a flame

On board a shallop,

Then came his brother Rab and then

Young Peggy's Mither

And Peggy too—adown the glen
They went togither -

I saw her wrappit in her hood

Frae wind and raining —

Her cheek was flush wi' timid blood

Twixt growth and waning

She turn'd her.dazed eyes full oft
For there her Brithers

Came riding with her Bridegroom soft

And mony ithers.

Young Tam came up and eyed me quick

With reddened cheek

Braw Tom was daffed like a chick

He couldna speak

Ah, Marie, they are all gane hame
Through blustering weather
An' every heart is full on flame
An' light as feather.

Ah! Marie, they are all gone hame
Frae happy wadding,

Whilst I-Ah is it not a shame ?

Sad tears am shedding.

THE GADFLY

ALL gentle folks who owe a grudge

To any living thing

Open your ears and stay your t(r)udge
Whilst I in dudgeon sing.

The Gadfly he hath stung me sore
O may he ne'er sting you!
But we have many a horrid bore,

He may sting black and blue.

Has any here an old gray Mare
With three legs all her store,

O put it to her Buttocks bare
And straight she'll run on four.

Has any here a Lawyer suit
Of 1743,

Take Lawyer's nose and put it to 't
And you the end will see.

Is there a Man in Parliament
Dum(b)founder'd in his speech,
O let his neighbour make a rent
And put one in his breech.

O Lowther how much better thou
Hadst figur'd t' other day

When to the folks thou mad'st a bow
And hadst no more to say.

If lucky Gadfly had but ta'en
His seat.

And put thee to a little pain

To save thee from a worse.

Better than Southey it had been,

Better than Mr. D

Better than Wordsworth, too, I ween,

Better than Mr. V

Forgive me, pray, good people all,

For deviating so

-

In spirit sure I had a call

And now I on will go.

Has any here a daughter fair
Too fond of reading novels,
Too apt to fall in love with care
And charming Mister Lovels,