LII.

Quo' Meg and Kate, "We'll keep the town,

"We're laying up to buy a gown."

"Howt fy! (quo' Jock, that blythesome lown) "O binna thrawin,

"For Rob and I shall dossy down

"Your dinner-lawin.

LIII.

"As bairns blythe wha get the play, "I trow we'll hae a merry day,

"And I'm to be the Alikay

"At Kirk-town ha':

"Mind, Sirs, put on your

best array,

"And let's be braw.

LIV.

"Olasses! ye's get favours fair,

"And sweethearts may be ye'll get there,

"We'll hae a day o' dancing rare,

"Just in a trice;

"But mind, ye're soals ye mannae spare,

"Nor yet be nice.

LV.

"Gin ye wad thole to hear a friend,

"Tak tent, and no wi' strunts offend,

"I've seen queans dink and neatly prin'd,

"Frae tap to middle,

"Looking just like the far aff end

"Of an auld fiddle.”

LVI.

Wow but they a' tak wond'rous tent,
Till Johnie's budget is quite spent,
And syne baith ane and a' are bent,

To tell their minds;

Then comes the various comment,

Frae honest hinds.

LVII.

Nature, unhurt by thrawart man,
And nae margullied by chicane,

! I trow, fu' doughtily she can

Shaw reason's power;

Sure fause philosophy began

In hapless hour.

LVIII.

Now the gudeman comes ben the house,

Whilk o' their gabbin mak's a truce,

The lads and lasses a'

grow douse,

And spare their din;

For true's the tale, " Weel kens the mouse

"When pussie's in !"

LIX.

And

syne he does his orders gie,

And says, "Ye'll busy need to be, "The fallowin yon field, I see,

"Tak's unco force:

"But gae awa' e'now (quo' he)

« And meat the horse.”

LX.

While I descrive this happy spot,
The supper mannae be forgot,
Now lasses round the ingle trot,

To mak' the brose,

And swankies they link aff the pot,

To hain their joes.

LXI.

The dishes set on unspread table,

To answer nature's wants are able,

'Round caps and plates, the cutties sable

Are flung ding dang:

The lads and lasses to enable

Their wames to pang.

LXII.

They a' thrang round the lang board now,

Whare there is meat for ilka mou',

Hiremen their hats and bonnets pu'

Upo' their face,

But gentle folks think shame to bow,

Or say a grace.

LXIII.

O here are joys uninterrup❜

Far hence is pleasure's gangrene cup;
Clear-blooded health tends ilka sup

O simple diet;

But flees awa' frae keeping't up,

And midnight riot.

LXIV.

Whan supper's o'er, and thanks are gï'en,
Mirth dances round wi' canty mien,

In daffin', and in gabbin keen,

An hour they pass;

And ilka lad, wi' pauky een,

Looks at his lass.

LXV.

But Morpheus begins to chap,

And bids them a' gae tak' a nap;

And whan they've sleepit like a' tap,

They rise to wark,

Like Phoebus out o' Thetis' lap,

As blyth's a lark.

An elegant translation of this entertaining description of the manners of Scotish peasants, into the language of Virgil's Georgics, would afford an excellent subject for the exertions of genius, by some young classical scholar.