Lord help me thro' this warld o' care!
I'm weary sick o't late and air!

Not but I hae a richer share

Than mony ithers;

But why should ae man better fare,

And a' men brithers?

Come, Firm Resolve, take thou the van,
Thou stalk o' carl-hemp in man!

And let us mind, faint heart ne'er wan
A lady fair:

Wha does the utmost that he can,

Will whiles do mair.

But to conclude my silly rhyme
(I'm scant o' verse and scant o' time),

To make a happy fireside clime

To weans and wife,

That's the true pathos and sublime
Of human life.

My compliments to sister Beckie,
And eke the same to honest Lucky;
I wat she is a daintie chuckie,

As e'er tread clay;

And gratefully, my gude auld cockie,

I'm yours for aye.

ROBERT BURNS.

HC VI

THE FIVE CARLINS

An Election Ballad.

Tune-" Chevy Chase."

THERE was five Carlins in the South,

They fell upon a scheme,

To send a lad to London town,

To bring them tidings hame.

Y

Nor only bring them tidings hame,
But do their errands there,
And aiblins gowd and honor baith
Might be that laddie's share.

There was Maggy by the banks o' Nith,
A dame wi' pride eneugh;

And Marjory o' the mony Lochs,
A Carlin auld and teugh.

And blinkin Bess of Annandale,
That dwelt near Solway-side;
And whisky Jean, that took her gill,
In Galloway sae wide.

And black Joan, frae Crichton Peel,'
O' gipsy kith an' kin;

Five wighter Carlins were na found
The South countrie within.

To send a lad to London town,
They met upon a day;

And mony a knight, and mony a laird,
This errand fain wad gae.

O mony a knight, and mony a laird,
This errand fain wad gae;

But nae ane could their fancy please,
O ne'er a ane but twae.

The first ane was a belted Knight,
Bred of a Border band;2

And he wad gae to London town,
Might nae man him withstand.

And he wad do their errands weel,
And meikle he wad say;
And ilka ane about the court
Wad bid to him gude-day.

1 Sanquhar.

Sir James Johnston of Westerhall.

The neist cam in a Soger youth,
Who spak wi' modest grace,
And he wad gae to London town,
If sae their pleasure was.

He wad na hecht them courtly gifts,
Nor meikle speech pretend;
But he wad hecht an honest heart,
Wad ne'er desert his friend.

Then, wham to chuse, and wham refuse,
At strife thir Carlins fell;

For some had Gentlefolks to please,
And some wad please themsel'.

Then out spak mim-mou'd Meg o' Nith,
And she spak up wi' pride,

And she wad send the Soger youth,
Whatever might betide.

For the auld Gudeman o' London court'

She didna care a pin;

But she wad send the Soger youth,

To greet his eldest son."

Then up sprang Bess o' Annandale,
And a deadly aith she's ta'en,
That she wad vote the Border Knight,
Though she should vote her lane.

"For far-off fowls hae feathers fair,
And fools o' change are fain;
But I hae tried the Border Knight,
And I'll try him yet again."

Says black Joan frae Crichton Peel,

A Carlin stoor and grim,

The auld Gudeman, and the young Gudeman,
For me may sink or swim;

Captain Patrick Millar of Dalswinton.

The Prince of Wales.

The King.

For fools will prate o' right or wrang,
While knaves laugh them to scorn;
But the Soger's friends hae blawn the best,
So he shall bear the horn."

Then whisky Jean spak owre her drink,

"Ye weel ken, kimmers a',

The auld gudeman o' London court,

66

His back's been at the wa';

And mony a friend that kiss'd his caup
Is now a fremit wight;

But it's ne'er be said o' whisky Jean-
We'll send the Border Knight."

Then slow raise Marjory o' the Lochs,
And wrinkled was her brow,

Her ancient weed was russet gray,
Her auld Scots bluid was true;

"There's some great folk set light by me,
I set as light by them;
But I will send to London town
Wham I like best at hame."

Sae how this mighty plea may end,
Nae mortal wight can tell;
God grant the King and ilka man
May look weel to himsel.

ELECTION BALLAD FOR WESTERHA'

Tune-" Up and waur them a', Willie."

THE Laddies by the banks o' Nith

Wad trust his Grace' wi a', Jamie;

But he'll sair them, as he sair'd the King-
Turn tail and rin awa', Jamie.

1 The fourth Duke of Queensberry, who supported the proposal that, during George III's illness, the Prince of Wales should assume the Government with full prerogative.

Chorus.-Up and waur them a', Jamie,
Up and waur them a';

The Johnstones hae the guidin o't,
Ye turncoat Whigs awa'!

The day he stude his country's friend,
Or gied her faes a claw, Jamie,
Or frae puir man a blessin wan,
That day the Duke ne'er saw, Jamie.
Up and waur them, &c.

But wha is he, his country's boast?
Like him there is na twa, Jamie;
There's no a callent tents the kye,
But kens o' Westerha', Jamie.
Up and waur them, &c.

To end the wark, here's Whistlebirk,
Lang may his whistle blaw, Jamie;
And Maxwell true, o' sterling blue;
And we'll be Johnstones a', Jamie.
Up and waur them, &c.

PROLOGUE SPOKEN AT THE THEATRE OF DUMFRIES

On New Year's Day Evening, 1790.

No song nor dance I bring from yon great city,
That queens it o'er our taste-the more's the pity:
Tho' by the bye, abroad why will you roam?
Good sense and taste are natives here at home:
But not for panegyric I appear,

I come to wish you all a good New Year!
Old Father Time deputes me here before ye,
Not for to preach, but tell his simple story:
The sage, grave Ancient cough'd, and bade me say,
"You're one year older this important day,"