Whyles' owre a linn2 the burnie plays,
As thro' the glen it wimpl't;"
Whyles round a rocky scaur it strays;
Whyles in a wiel' it dimpl't;
Whyles glitter'd to the nightly rays,
Wi' bickering, dancing dazzle;
Whyles cookit underneath the braes,
Below the spreading hazel,

Unseen that night.

Amang the brachens,' on the brae
Between her an' the moon,

The Deil, or else an outler quey,

Gat up an' gae a croon :

8

Poor Leezie's heart maist lap the hool;10
Near lav'rock" height she jumpit,
But mist a fit," an' in the pool
Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,13

Wi' a plunge that night.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three are ranged,
And every time great care is ta'en
To see them duly changed:
Auld uncle John, wha wedlock's joys
Sin' Mar's-years did desire,
Because he got the toomdish" thrice,
He heaved them on the fire

In wrath that night.

Go to bed in sight of a fire, and hang your wet sleeve before it to dry. Lie awake; and some time near midnight, an apparition, having the exact figure of the grand object in question, will come and turn the sleeve, as if to dry the other side of it.

1 Sometimes.-2 A waterfall.-8 Waved. Whirlpool.-5 Appeared and disappeared by fits.- Declivity or precipice.-7 Fern.-8 A young cow running at large, not housed. To roar, or bellow.-10 Leaped out of her skin. -11 Lark.-12 Missed a foot.-13 Over head and ears.

14 Take three dishes: put clean water in one, foul water in another, leave the third empty: blindfold a person, and lead him to the hearth where the dishes are ranged: he (or she) dips the left hand: if by chance in the clean water, the future husband or wife will come to the bar of matrimony a maid: if in the foul, a widow: if in the empty dish, it foretells with equal certainty no marriage at all. It is repeated three times; and every time the arrangement of the dishes is altered.

15 The year 1715.-16 Empty dish.

Wi' merry sangs, an' friendly cracks,'
I wat they did na weary;
An' unco' tales, an' funny jokes,

Their sports were cheap an' cheery,
'Till butter'd so'ns wi' fragrant lunt,*
Set a' their gabs" a-steerin';"
Syne' wi' a social glass o' strunt,
They parted aff careerin'

8

Fu' blythe that night.

SCOTCH DRINK.

Gie him strong drink until he wink,
That's sinking in despair;

An' liquor guid to fire his bluid,

That's prest wi' grief an' care;
There let him bouse an' deep carouse,
Wi' bumpers flowing o'er,

Till he forgets his loves or debts,

An' minds his griefs no more.

Solomon's Proverbs, xxxi. 6, 7.

LET other poets raise a fracas

'Bout vines, an' wines, an' drunken Bacchus,
An' crabbit names an' stories wrack us,
An' grate our lug,

I sing the juice Scots bear can mak us,
In glass or jug.

O thou, my Muse! guid auld Scotch drink,
Whether thro' wimplin' worms thou jink,
Or, richly brown, ream o'er the brink,

In glorious faem,

Inspire me, till I lisp and wink,

To sing thy name!

Let husky Wheat the haughs adorn;
An' Aits set up their awnie horn,
An' Peas an' Beans, at e'en or morn,
Perfume the plain,

Leeze me on thee, John Barleycorn,
Thou king o' grain!

To converse.-2 Strange, marvellous.

Sowens-oatmeal made into a kind of pudding. This is always the Halloween supper.

4 Smoke of tobacco-5 Mouths.- Stirring.-7 Then.-8 Spirituous liquor.

On thee aft Scotland chows her cood,
In souple scones,' the wale' o' food!
Or tumblin' in the boiling flood,

Wi' kail an' beef;

But when thou pours thy strong heart's blood,
There thou shines chief.

Food fills the wame,' an' keeps us livin';
Tho' life's a gift no worth receivin',
When heavy dragg'd wi' pine an' grievin';'
But, oil'd by thee,

The wheels o' life gae down hill, scrievin',"
Wi' rattlin' glee.

Thou clears the head o' doited" Lear;"
Thou cheers the heart o' drooping Care;
Thou strings the nerves o' Labor sair,
At's weary toil;

Thou even brightens dark Despair
Wi' gloomy smile.

Aft clad in massy siller weed,
Wi' gentles thou erects thy head;
Yet humbly kind in time o' need,

The poor man's wine,'

His wee drap parritch, or his bread,
Thou kitchens10 fine.

Thou art the life o' public haunts;
But" thee, what were our fairs and rants?
Even godly meetings o' the saunts,
By thee inspired,

When gaping they besiege the tents,
Are doubly fired.

That merry night we get the corn in,
O sweetly then thou reams" the horn in!

1 Flexible bread; i. e. Bannocks made of barley meal, &c., which when baked are so flexible as to admit of being easily rolled together.

2 The choice.-3 The belly.-4 Grieving.- Swiftly.- Stupefied, fatigued with study.-7 Learning, knowledge.

8 Silver dress; alluding to the silver cups and tankards used at the tables of the gentry.

Ale is here intended, a small portion of which is frequently mixed with the porridge of the poorer sort of people.

10 Gives a relish to.-11 Without.-12 Foams.

Or reeking on a New-year mornin'

In cog or bicker,1

An' just a wee drap sp'ritual burn in,'
An' gusty' sucker!"

When Vulcan gies his bellows breath,
An' ploughmen gather wi' their graith,"
O rare! to see thee fizz an' freath"
I' th' lugget caup!

Then Burnewin' comes on like death
At every chaup.10

Nae mercy then for airn" or steel;
The brawnie, bainie," ploughman chiel,
Brings hard owrehip, wi' sturdy wheel,
The strong fore-hammer,"
Till block an' studie" ring an' reel
Wi' dinsome clamor.

When skirlin' weanies1 see the light,
Thou maks the gossips clatter bright,
How fumblin' cuifs" their dearies slight;
Wae worth the name;

Nae howdie1 gets a social night,
Or plack frae them.

When neebors anger at a plea,
An' just as wud" as wud can be,
How easy can the barley bree

Cement the quarrel!

It's aye the cheapest lawyer's fee,
To taste the barrel.

Alake! that e'er my Muse has reason
To wyte" her countrymen wi' treason!
But monie daily weet their weason"
Wi' liquors nice,

An' hardly, in a winter's season

E'er spier her price.

1 A wooden cup or dish.-2 A small quantity of spirits burnt in a spoon, and put into the ale.-3 Tasteful.-4 Sugar.-5 Tackle, geer.—6 To make a hissing noise.-7 Froth.-8 A cup with a handle. - Burn-the-wind; the blacksmith.-10 Stroke.-11 Iron.-12 Bony.-13 The smith's large hammer. -14 Anvil.-15 Crying children. -16 Tell idle stories.-17 Ninnies.-18 A midwife.-19 Mad.-20 Juice.—21 To blame.—22 Weasand.-23 To ask, to inquire.

Wae worth that brandy, burning trash!
Fell source o' monie a pain an' brash!'
Twins monie a poor, doylt, drunken hash,ʻ
O' half his days;

An' sends, beside, auld Scotland's cash
To her warst faes.

Ye Scots wha wish auld Scotland well,
Ye chief, to you my tale I tell,
Poor plackless devils like mysel!
It sets you ill,

Wi' bitter dearthfu' wines to mell,"
Or foreign gill.

May gravels round his blether wrench,
An' gouts torment him inch by inch,
Wha twists his gruntle' wi' a glunch®
O' sour disdain,

Out-owre a glass o' whisky punch
Wi' honest men.

O Whisky! soul o' plays an' pranks!
Accept a Bardie's humble thanks!
When wanting thee, what tuneless cranks
Are my poor verses!

Thou comes!-they rattle i' their ranks
At ither's a-s!

Thee, Ferintosh! O sadly lost!
Scotland, lament frae coast to coast!
Now colic grips, an' barkin' hoast,1o
May kill us a';

For loyal Forbes's charter'd boast"
Is ta'en awa!

Thae curst horse-leeches o' th' excise,
Wha mak the whisky stells their prize!

1 Sudden illness.-2 Parts, deprives.-3 Stupid.-4 A fellow who knows neither how to act or dress with propriety.-5 Pennyless.—6 To meddle.— 7 The phiz.—8 A frown; sour look. A very superior kind of whisky made in a district of the Highlands called by that name.-10 Coughing.

11 Lord Forbes, of Ferintosh, in the county of Cromarty, formerly held by charter a right for all his tenantry to distil whisky without paying any duty to the king.