To keep the temper-pin in tiff
Employs richt aft my hand, sir.
Mak' the best o't that ye can,
Janet, Janet;
But like it never wale a man,
My jo Janet.*
ROY'S WIFE OF ALDIVALLOCH.
TUNE-The Ruffian's Rant.
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Roy's wife of Aldivalloch,
Wat ye how she cheated me,
As I came o'er the braes of Balloch?
She vow'd, she swore, she wad be mine;
She said she lo'ed me best of onie ;
But, ah! the fickle, faithless quean,
She's ta'en the carle, and left her Johnie.
Oh, she was a canty quean,
And weel could dance the Hieland walloch!
How happy I, had she been mine,
Or I been Roy of Aldivalloch!
Her hair sae fair, her een sae clear,
Her wee bit mou' sae sweet and bonnie!
To me she ever will be dear,
Though she's for ever left her Johnie.
* From the Tea-Table Miscellany (1724), where it is printed without any mark.
THE WOOING OF JENNY AND JOCK.
TUNE-Hey, Jenny, come down to Jock.
ROB's Jock cam to woo our Jenny,
On ae feast-day when he was fou;
She buskit her, and made her bonnie,
When she heard Jock was come to wo0:
She burnish'd her, baith breist and brow,
Made her as clear as ony clock.
Then spake our dame, and said, I trow
Ye're come to woo our Jenny, Jock!
Ay, dame, says he, for that I yearn
To lout my head, and sit down by you.
Then spak' our dame, and said, My bairn
Has tocher of her awn to gie you.
Te-hee! quo Jenny; Keek, I see you;
Minnie, this man makes but a mock.
Why say ye sae? now leeze me o' you!
I come to woo your Jenny, quo Jock.
My bairn has tocher o' her awn,
Although her friends do nane her lend:
A stirk, a staig, an acre sawn,
A goose, a gryce, a clocking-hen;
Twa kits, a cogue, a kirn there-ben,
A kaim, but and a kaiming-stock;
Of dishes and ladles nine or ten:
Come ye to woo our Jenny, Jock?
A troch, a trencher, and a tap,
A taings, a tullie, and a tub,
A sey-dish, and a milking caup,
A graip into a gruip to grub,
A shod-shool of a hollan club,
A froth-stick, can, a creel, a knock,
A brake for hemp, that she may rub,
ye will marry our Jenny, Jock.
A furm, a furlot, and a peck,
A rock, a reel, a gay elwand,
A sheet, a happer, and a sack,
A girdle, and a gude wheel-band.
Syne Jock took Jenny by the hand,
And cried a banquet, and slew a cock; They held the bridal upon land
That was between our Jenny and Jock.
The bride, upon her wedding, went
Barefoot upon a hemlock hill;
The bride's garter was o' bent,
And she was born at Kelly mill.
The first propine he hecht her till,
He hecht to hit her head a knock,
She beckit, and she held her still;
And this gate gat our Jenny Jock.
When she was weddit in his name,
And unto him she was made spouse,
They hastit them sune hame again,
To dinner at the bridal-house.
Jenny sat jouking like a mouse,
But Jock was kneef as ony cock;
Says he to her, Haud up your brows,
And fa' to your meat, my Jenny, quo Jock.
What meat shall we set them beforn?
To Jock service loud can they cry;
Serve them wi' sowce and sodden corn,
Till a' their wames do stand awry.
Of swine's flesh there was great plenty,
Whilk was a very pleasant meat;
And garlick was a sauce right dainty
To ony man that pleased to eat.
They had sax laverocks, fat and laden,
Wi' lang kail, mutton, beef, and brose,
A wame of painches, teuch like plaiden,
With gude May butter, milk, and cheese.
Jenny sat up even at the meace,
And a' her friends sat her beside;
They were a' served with shrewd service,
And sae was seen upon the bride.
Now, dame, says Jock, your daughter I've married, Although you hold it never so teuch,
Your friends shall see she's nae miscarried,
For I wat I have gear eneuch :
An auld gawed glyde fell over the heuch,
A cat, a crummie, and a cock;
I wanted eight owsen, though I had the pleuchMay not this serve your Jenny? quo Jock.
I have guid fire for winter weather,
A cod o' caff wad fill a cradle,
A halter and a guid hay-tether,
A deuk about the doors to paidle;
The pummel o' a guid auld saddle,
And Rob, my eme, hecht me a sock;
Twa lovely lips to lick a ladle;
Gif Jenny and I agree, quo Jock.
A treen spit, a ram-horn spoon,
A pair o' boots o' barkit leather,
A graith that's meet to cobble shoon,
A thraw-crook for to twine a tether;
A sword, a swivel, a swine's blether,
A trump o' steel, a feather'dilock,
An auld skull-hat for winter weather,
And muckle mair, my Jenny, quo Jock.
I have a cat to catch a mouse,
A gerse green cloak, (but it will stenyie,) A pitch-fork to defend the house,
A pair o' branks, a bridle reinye;
Of a' our store we need not plenyie,
Ten thousand flechs into a pock;
And is not this a waukrife menyie,
Το gae to bed with Jenny and Jock? *
TUNE-The Collier's bonnie Lassie.
O, SAW ye bonnie Lesley,
As she gaed o'er the Border?
She's gane, like Alexander,
To spread her conquests farther.
To see her is to love her,
And love but her for ever;
For nature made her what she is,
And never made anither!
Thou art a queen, fair Lesley,
Thy subjects we before thee:
Thou art divine, fair Lesley;
The hearts o' men adore thee.
The Deil he couldna scaith thee,
Or aught that wad belang thee;
He'd look into thy bonnie face,
And say, I canna wrang thee!
The Powers aboon will tent thee,
Misfortune shanna steer thee;
* From Watson's Collection of Scots Poems, Part III., 1711.
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