THE PLOUGHMAN'S LIFE As I was a-wand'ring ae morning in spring, The lav rock in the morning she'll rise frae her nest, THE RONALDS OF THE BENNALS Is Tarbolton, ye ken, there are proper young men, But ken ye the Ronalds that live in the Bennals, Their father's a laird, and weel he can spare't, There's ane they ca' Jean, I'll warrant ye've seen But for sense and guid taste she'll vie wi' the best, The charms o' the min', the langer they shine, If ye be for Miss Jean, tak this frae a frien', The Laird o' Blackbyre wad gang through the fire, If that wad entice her awa, man. The Laird o' Braehead has been on his speed, For mair than a towmond or twa, man; Then Anna comes in, the pride o' her kin, If I should detail the pick and the wale I lo'e her inysel, but darena weel tell, Yet I wadna choose to let her refuse, Nor hae't in her power to say na, man: For though I be poor, unnoticed, obscure, My stomach's as proud as them a', man. Though I canna ride in weel-booted pride, My coat and my vest, they are Scotch o' the best, My sarks they are few, but five o' them new, I'll count my health my greatest wealth, I'll fear nae scant, I'll bode nae want, But far off fowls hae feathers fair, And, aye until ye try them, Tho' they seem fair, still have a care; They may prove as bad a I am. But at twal' at night, when the moon shines bright, For the man that loves his mistress weel, Nae travel makes him weary. THE LASS OF CESSNOCK BANKS1 A Song of Similes Tune-" If he be a Butcher neat and trim." ON Cessnock banks a lassie dwells; Could I describe her shape and mein; An' she has twa sparkling roguish een. She's sweeter than the morning dawn, She's stately like yon youthful ash, That grows the cowslip braes between, An' she has twa sparkling roguish een. 1 The lass is identified as Ellison Begbie, a servant wench, daughter of a faimer.-Lang. |