O wert Thou in the Cauld Blast.1

O WERT thou in the cauld blast,
On yonder lea, on yonder lea,
My plaidie to the angry airt,"

I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee;
Or did Misfortune's bitter storms
Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,
Thy bield should be my bosom,

To share it a', to share it a'.

Or were I in the wildest waste,

Sae black and bare, sae black and bare,
The desert were a Paradise,

If thou wert there, if thou wert there;
Or were I Monarch o' the globe,

Wi' thee to reign, wi' thee to reign,

The brightest jewel in my Crown

Wad be my Queen, wad be my Queen.

Inscription to Miss Jessy Lewars.

On a copy of the Scots Musical Museum, in four
volumes, presented to her by Burns.2

THINE be the volumes, Jessy fair,
And with them take the Poet's prayer,
That Fate may, in her fairest page,
With ev'ry kindliest, best presage
Of future bliss, enrol thy name :
With native worth and spotless fame,
And wakeful caution, still aware
Of ill-but chief, Man's felon snare;

& quarter.

1 Written for music played by Miss Lewars.

* On June 17, 1796, Burns requested

b shelter.

Johnson to send the copy of the Museum in which these verses were written.

RS

FAIREST MAID ON DEVON BANKS

ast!

All blameless joys on earth we find,
And all the treasures of the mind-
These be thy guardian and reward;
So prays thy faithful friend, the Bard.

DUMFRIES, June 26, 1796.

Fairest Maid on Devon Banks.1

Tune-"Rothiemurchie."

Chorus-FAIREST maid on Devon banks,
Crystal Devon, winding Devon,
Wilt thou lay that frown aside,

And smile as thou wert wont to do?

Full well thou know'st I love thee dear,
Couldst thou to malice lend an ear!
O did not Love exclaim: 'Forbear,
Nor use a faithful lover so.'

Fairest maid, &c.

Then come, thou fairest of the fair,
Those wonted smiles, O let me share;
And by thy beauteous self I swear,
No love but thine my heart shall know.
Fairest maid, &c.

1 Dated Brow, on the Solway Firth, July 12, 1796. Burns had gone thither

on July 4; he returned to Dumfries on July 18, he died on July 21.

A REFERENCE GLOSSARY OF

THE RARER WORDS

Aback, behind 96, 12.

Abeigh, aloof; stand abeigh 157,
23; 507, 24.

Abread, abreed, abroad; set abread

205, 20; spread abreed 158, 15.
Aff-loof, off-hand 82, 6.

Agley, awry 124, 4.

Aiblins, perhaps 6, 12, etc.

Aidle, foul-water 394, 18.

496, 2.

Airles, id. 216, 37.

Bairn, child; mammy's ae bairn 329,
14, etc.
Bairn-time, offspring 159, 1; thae
bonie bairn-time 228, 1.

Bake, biscuit; bakes an' gills 100,
30.

Bang, blow; an unco bang 255, 20.
Bannock, oatmeal cake 375, 28.
Barm, yeast 397, 30.

Airle-penny, earnest money 468, 27; Barmie, yeasty; noddle 179, 14.

Airn, iron 176, 13.

Airt (8.), direction; anither airt 3,
18; a' the airts 342, 6.

Airt (v.), to direct; airted till her
375, 31.

Aith, oath; swoor an aith 77, 18.
Aiver, cart-horse; a noble aiver 228,
16.

Aizle, a live ember 117, 21.

Ajee, ajar 531, 27.

Ase, ashes 116, 22.

Bauckie-bird, the bat 127, 4.

Baudrons, a cat 177, 9; 492, 5; 622,
14.

Bauk, beam 117, 3.

Bauk-en', beam-end 117, 11.
Bawk, a field path, untilled ridge;
a corn enclosed bawk 319, 18.
Baws'nt, white-striped; sonsy baws'nt
face 161, 1.

Bawtie, a dog's name 361, 11.
Bear, barley; Scotch bear, 151, 27;
bearded b. 285, 16; corn an' b.
443, 3.

Asklent, obliquely 48, 7; askance 507, Beas' (=beasts), vermin, 224, 29.

Beck, curtsey 7, 11.

Beet, to add fuel 63, 21; - the lover's

fire 498, 12;

233, 6.

-

Beld, bald 599, 20.

his hymencal flame