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HALLOW FAIR.

Here country John, in bannet blue,
And eke his sunday's claes on,

Rins after Meg wi' rokelay new,
And sappy kisses lay on:

She'll tauntin' say, "Ye silly coof!

"Be o' your gab mair sparin';"

He'll tak the hint, and criesh her loof.
Wi' what will buy her fairin',.

To chow that day.

Here chapmen billies tak their stand,
And shaw their bonny wallies;
Wow! but they lie fu' gleg aff hand

To trick the silly fallows :

Heh, sirs! what cairds and tinklers come, An' ne'er-do-weel horse-coupers,

An' spac-wives, fenzying to be dumb,..

Wi' a' siclike landloupers,

To thrive that day!

HALLOW FAIR.

Here Sawney cries, frae Aberdeen,

"Come ye to me fa need;

"The brawest shanks that e'er were seen

"I'll sell ye cheap an' gude:

"I wyt they are as protty hose

"As come frae weyr or leem:

« Here, tak a rug, and shaw's your pose; Forseeth, my ain's but teem

And light this day."

Ye wives, as ye gang through the fair,
O mak your bargains hooly!

O' a' thir wylie louns beware,

Or, fegs! they will ye spulzie. For, fairnyear, Meg Thamson got, Frae thir mischievous villains,

A scaw'd bit o' a penny note,

That lost a score o' shillins

To her that day..

HALLOW FAIR.

The dinlin drums alarm our cars;

The serjeant screechs fu' loud, "A' gentlemen and volunteers

"That wish your country gude, "Come here to me, and I sall gie "Twa guineas and a crown;

"A bowl o' punch, that, like the sea,

"Will soom a lang dragoon

"Wi' ease this day."

Without, the cuissars prance an' nicker,

An' owre the lea-rig scud;

In tents, the carles bend the bicker,
And rant and roar like wud.

Then there's sic yellowchin an' din,
Wi' wives an' wee-anes gabblin,

That ane might trow they were a-kin

To a' the tongues at Babylon,

Confus'd that day.

HALLOW FAIR.

Whan Phoebus ligs in Thetis' lap,...
Auld Reikie gies them shelter,
Whare cadgily they kiss the cap,

An' ca't round helter-skelter.

Jock Bell gaed furth to play his freaks;.Great cause he had to rue it ;

For frae a stark Lochaber ax

He gat a clamihewit

Fu' sair that night.

"Ohon! (quo' he), I'd rather be.
By sword or bagnet stickit,
"Than hae my crown or body wi
"Sic deadly weapons nickit.".

Wi' that he gat anither straik
Mair weighty than before,

That gart his feckless body aik,

An' spew the reekin gore

Fu' red that night.

HALLOW FAIR.

He pechin on the cawsey lay,
O' kicks and cuffs weel sair'd;
A Highland aith the sergeant gae,
"She maun pe see our guard."
Out spak the weirlike corporal,

"Bring in ta drucken sot:"

They trail'd him ben, and by my saul,

He paid his drucken groat

For that neist day.

Gude fouk, as ye come frae the fair,

Bide yont frae this black squad;

There's nae sic savages elsewhere

Allow'd to wear cockade.

Than the strong lion's hungry maw,

Or tusk o' Russian bear,

Frae their wanruly fellin paw

Mair cause ye hae to fear

Your death that day.