EPITAPH FOR A SHERIFF'S MESSENGER WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED AT THE PARTICULAR DESIRE OF THE PERSON FOR WHOM IT IS INTENDED. ALAS, how empty all our worldly schemes; The scourge of debtors then, but now-no more. fled. While thus destruction mark'd my headlong Swift as the lightning's instantaneous flame, Reader! though every ill beset thee round, Mont. Abd. Ford TO MR. ALEXANDER ROSS, AT LOCHLEE, AUTHOR OF THE FORTUNATE SHEPHERDESS, AND OTHER POEMS IN THE BROAD SCOTCH DIALECT. O Ross, thou wale of hearty cocks, To ape our guid plain countra' folks Sure never carle was haff sae gabby O mayst thou ne'er gang clung or shabby, Nor miss thy snaker Or I'll ca' fortune nasty drabby, And say-pox take her! 0 may the roupe ne'er roust thy weason, May thirst thy thrapple never gizzen! But bottled ale in mony a dizzen, Aye lade thy gantry, And fouth o'vivres a' in season, Plenish thy pantry! Lang may thy stevin fill wi' glee Ilk lass, and teach wi' melody The rocks to yamour. Ye shak your head, but, o' my fegs, Her fiddle wanted strings and pegs, Waes me! poor hizzie! Since Allan's death naebody car'd 1 The name Ross gives to his muse. Nor plack nor thristled turner war'd For frae the cottar to the laird We a' rin South. The Southland chiels indeed hae mettle, The devil pay them wi' a pettle That slight the North. Our countra leed is far frae barren, For sense and smergh; In kittle times when faes are yarring, O bonny are our greensward hows, Where through the birks the birny rows, And the bee bums, and the ox lows, And saft winds rusle, And shepherd lads, on sunny knows, It's true, we Norlans manna fa' As they that come from far awa; Yet sma's our skaith; We've peace (and that's well worth it a" And meat and claith. Our fine newfangle sparks, I grant ye, They guide her like a canker'd aunty Sae comes of ignorance I trow ; It's this that crooks their ill fa'r'd mou' For Scotland wants na sons enew To do her honour. I here might gie a skreed o' names, The foremost place Gawin Douglas claims, And wha can match the fifth King James Montgomery grave, and Ramsay gay, I maun break aff; "Twould take a live lang simmer day To name the haff. 1 Author of the Vision. [It was written by Ramsay, under the name of Scot. A. D.] |