I strip of land.

2 breathed

heavily.

Ae summer nicht I was sae fou,
Amang the rigs I gaed to spue,
Syne down on a green bawk', I trow,
I took a nap,

And soucht a' night balillilow,

As sound's a tap.

3 began.

4 raised rustling.

5 scare-crow.

And when the dawn begoud3 to glow,
I hirsled up my dizzy pow,

Frae 'mang the corn, like wirricow 5,
Wi' banes sae sair,

And kenn'd nae mair than if a ewe
How I cam' there.

6 mashing-vat.

7 fume.

8 chopin-measure did empty.

Some said it was the pith o' broom
That she stow'd in her masking-loom",
Which in our heads raised sic a foum7;
Or some wild seed,

Which aft the chappin-stoup did toom3,
But filled our head.

But now since it's sae that we must
Not in the best ale put our trust,
But whan we're auld return to dust,
Without remead,

Why should we tak' it in disgust

That Maggie's dead?

O' warldly comforts she was rife,
And lived a lang and hearty life,
Right free o' care, or toil, or strife,
Till she was stale,

And kenn'd to be a canny' wife
At brewing ale.

Then fareweel, Maggie, douce and fell2,
O' brewers a' thou boor the bell:

Let a' thy gossips yelp and yell,
And, without feid,

Guess whether ye're in heaven or hell.
They're sure ye're dead.

I cautious,
skilful.

2 sober and keen.

PATIE'S SONG.

(THE GENTLE SHEPHERD, SCENE 1.)

My Peggy is a young thing

Just entered in her teens,

Fair as the day, and sweet as May— Fair as the day, and always gay.

My Peggy is a young thing,

And I'm na very auld;

Yet weel I like to meet her at
The wauking o' the fauld.

My Peggy speaks sae sweetly
Whene'er we meet alane,

I wish nae mair to lay my care—
I wish nae mair o' a' that's rare.
My Peggy speaks sae sweetly,
To a' the lave I'm cauld;
But she gars o' my spirits glow
At wauking o' the fauld.

My Peggy smiles sae kindly
Whene'er I whisper love,

That I look doun on a' the toun

That I look doun upon a croun.

My Peggy smiles sae kindly

It mak's me blythe and bauld;
And naething gie's me sic delight
As wauking o' the fauld.

My Peggy sings sae saftly
When on my pipe I play,

By a' the rest it is confessed-
By a' the rest--that she sings best.

My Peggy sings sae saftly,

And in her sangs are tald

Wi' innocence the wale o' sense,
At wauking o' the fauld.*

* The watching of the fold was a necessity for several nights annually at weaning time. To this duty it was usual to set apart a couple who were understood to be kindly inclined to each other; and the opportunity was in especial favour among pastoral lovers.

I choicest.

I sky.

2 Hollow.

PEGGY AND JENNY.

(THE GENTLE SHEPHERD, SCENE 11.)

A flowerie howm, between twa verdant braes,
Where lasses use to wash and spread their claes,
A trotting burnie wimpling through the ground,
Its channel pebbles shining smooth and round :
Here view twa barefoot beauties, clean and clear;
First please your eye, next gratify your ear:
While Jenny what she wishes discommends,
And Meg, wi' better sense, true love defends.

Jenny.

COME, Meg, let's fa' to wark upon this green,
This shining day will bleach our linen clean;
The water's clear, the lift, unclouded blue,
Will mak' them like a lily wet wi' dew.

Peggy.

Gae farer up the burn to Habbie's Howe2,
Where a' the sweets o' spring and simmer grow:

Between twa birks, out o'er a little linn,

The water fa's and mak's a singin' din:
A pool breast-deep, beneath as clear as glass,
Kisses, wi' easy whirls, the bordering grass.
We'll end our washing while the morning's cool;
And when the day grows het we'll to the pool,