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THE FIVE CARLINS

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

As e'er tread clay;

And gratefully, my gude auld cockie,

I'm yours for aye.

ROBERT BURNS.

a mother-hen.

The Five Carlins,

An Election Ballad.1

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.

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,2
A dame wi' pride eneugh;

And Marjory of the mony Lochs,3
A Carlin auld and teugh.

And blinkin Bess of Annandale,1
That dwelt near Solway-side;

And whisky Jean, that took her gill,
In Galloway sae wide.5

bold wives (The Five Dumfries Boroughs).

1 Westerha represents the line of a very active persecutor, under Charles II. and James II. Burns, on this occasion, was cautious in his politics.

2 Dumfries.
• Lochmaben.

4 Annan.
5 Kirkcudbright.

c perhaps.

1 Sanquhar.

And black Joan, frae Crichton Peel,1
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.

The neist cam in a Soger youth,8
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.

a stouter.

2 Sir James Johnston of Westerhall.

b promise.

8 Captain Patrick Millar of Dalswinton.

1 The King.

THE FIVE CARLINS

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 1
She didna care a pin ;

But she wad send the Soger youth,

To greet his eldest son.2

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 stoorb and grim,

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

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."

⚫ prim-mouthed.

2 The Prince of Wales.

8 A manuscript variation is :

"And swore a deadly aith,

b stern.

Says 'I will send the Border Knight
Spite o' you Carlins baith.

4 The same proverb occurs on p. 12.

Then whisky Jean spak owre her drink,
"Ye weel ken, kimmers a',

The auld gudeman o' London court,
His back's been at the wa';

"And mony a friend that kiss'd his caupa

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." 1

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'.2

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.

⚫ drinking-bowl.

1 "The London court set light by me,
I set as light by them;
And I will send the Soger lad,
To show that court the same.

b stranger.

⚫ serve.

2 Few Dukes have been banned, and deservedly banned, by two such poets as Burns and Wordsworth. Burns now sides with the descendant of the persecutor, though a Tory.

THEATRE PROLOGUE

Chorus.-Up and waura 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 faesb 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 callant tents the kye,a
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, 1790.1

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:

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