O happy, happy may he be, That's dearest to thy bosom! My purse is light, I've far to gang, I've served my king and country lang- Sac wistfully she gazed on me, She gazed she reddened like a roseSyne pale like ony lily; She sank within my arms, and cried, "Art thou my ain dear Willie?" "By Him who made yon sun and sky, By whom true love's regarded, I am the man; and thus may still True lovers be rewarded. "The wars are o'er, and I'm come hame, farm A mailen plenished fairly; And come, my faithfu' sodger lad, For gold the merchant ploughs the main, MEG O' THE MILL. AIR-O Bonny Lass, will you lie in a Barrack! O KEN ye what Meg o' the Mill has gotten? And ken ye what Meg o' the Mill has gotten. She has gotten a coof wi' a claut o' fool- lump siller, And broken the heart o' the barley Miller. The Miller was strappin', the Miller was ruddy, A heart like a lord, and a hue like a lady; The Laird was a widdiefu', bleerit knurl; 1 The Miller he hecht her a heart leal and offered loving; The Laird did address her wi' matter more moving, A fine pacing horse wi' a clear chainèd bridle, A whip by her side, and a bonny side-saddle. O wae on the siller, it is sae prevailing! mailen! estate A tocher's nae word in a true lover's parle, But gie me my love, and a fig for the warl! " YESTREEN I GOT A PINT OF WINE. "Shepherds, I have lost my Love! is to me a heav enly air what would you think of a set of Scottish verses to it? I have made one to it, a good while ago, 1 A poor little creature. 2 The poet had retouched an old song of this name for Johnson's Museum in 1788. It appeared in the sixth volume, as written for this work by Robert Burns," but is so rude and wretched a production, that we cannot believe many words of it to have been supplied by so masterly a pen. which I think * * but in its original state it is not quite a lady's song. I enclose an altered, not amended, copy for you, if you choose to set the tune to it, and let the Irish verses follow."- Burns to Mr. Thom son, 7th April, 1793. Mr. Thomson, it appears, did not approve of this song, even in its altered state. It does not appear in the correspondence; but it is probably one which stands in his manuscripts as follows: YESTREEN I got a pint of wine, Was naething to my hinny bliss Ye monarchs, tak the east and west, While dying raptures in her arms Awa', thou flaunting god o' day! Ilk star gae hide thy twinkling ray, honey Come, in thy raven plumage, Night! YOU'RE WELCOME TO DESPOTS, DUMOURIER. Burns was not quite a silent and complying observer of the war carried on against the patriotic party in France. When General Dumourier, after unparalleled victories, deserted the army of the Republic, April 5, 1793, only prevented by narrow accidents from betraying his troops into the hands of the enemy, some one expressing joy in the event where Burns was present, he chanted almost extempore the following verses to the tune of Robin Adair. YOU'RE welcome to Despots, Dumourier; Ay, and Beurnonville too?1 Why did they not come along with you, Dumourier? 1 Dampierre was one of Dumourier's generals, whom he expected to desert along with him. Beurnonville was an |