"Twad be my dead, that will be seen, But Jeanie, say thou wilt be mine, FRAE THE FRIENDS AND LAND I LOVE. I ADDED the four last lines by way of giving a turn to the theme of the роет, such as it is. Frae the friends and land I love, Driv'n by fortune's felly spite; Frae my best belov'd I rove, Never mair to taste delight. Brightest climes shall mirk appear, Cross the seas and win his ain. ANDRO WI' HIS CUTTIE GUN. THIS blythsome song, so full of Scottish humour and convivial merriment, is an intimate favourite at Bridal Trystes, and House-heatings. It contains a spirited picture of a country ale-house touched off with all the lightsome gaiety so peculiar to the rural muse of Caledonia, when at a fair. These cakes are kneaded out with the knuckles, and toasted over the red embers of wood on a gridiron. They are remarkably fine, and have a delicate relish when eaten warm with ale. On winter market nights the landlady heats them, and drops them into the quaigh to warm the ale: "Weel does the cannie Kimmer ken Το gar the swats gae glibber down." Blyth, blyth, blyth was she, We loo'd the liquor well enough; But waes my heart my cash was done When we had three times toom'd our stoup, The carling brought her kebbuck ben, They gar the swats gae glibber down. And Till dawning we ne'er jee'd our bun, ay He did like ony mavis sing, And as I in his oxter sat, * In a country ale-house of the time of this song, were seen mud walls lackered with lime; a chimney-piece hung with quaighs and chappin stoups. In the corner a huge barrel of homebrewed ale, and a corner-cupboard, where the "cunning Car line" HUGHIE GRAHAM. * THERE are several editions of this ballad.This, here inserted, is from oral tradition in Ayrshire, where, when I was a boy, it was a popular song.-It originally, had a simple old tune, which I have forgotten. line" held her "Girdle Cakes weel toasted brown." A little window, with oaken boards, hung on leather hinges, and two panes of coarse glass; the window-cheeks pasted over with ballads, and favourite songs. Before the window was placed the oaken table, encircled by a motley company :-old men, with broad blue bonnets, wide boot-hose, and long staffs, which they held by the middle when they walked. Mixing with these, were the young lads with their sweethearts sitting on their knees, with the old narrative landlord repeating his jests three times turned. The pushing about of stoups;-the old men telling tales of parish quarrels and private squabbles ;- the lasses singing songs ;—and the lads wooing at intervals, form altogether a whimsical and original groupe, which is not easily so well and so happily sketched as in "Andrew wi' his cuttie gun." * Burns did not chuse to be quite correct in stating that this copy of the ballad of Hughie Graham is printed from oral tradition in Ayrshire. The truth is, that four of the stanzas are either altered or super-added by himself. Of this number the third and eighth are original; the ninth and tenth have received his corrections. Perhaps pathos was never |