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SAGES their folemn een may fteek,

An' raife a philofophic reek,

An' phyfically causes feek,

In clime an' feafon,

But tell me Whisky's name in Greek,

Ill tell the reafon.

Scotland, my auld, refpected Mither! Tho' whyles ye moiftify your leather, Till whare ye fit, on craps o' heather,

Ye tine your dam;

Freedom and Whisky gang thegither,

Tak aff your dram!

THE

THE

HOLY FAIR*.

A robe of seeming truth and trust

Hid crafty observation;

And secret bung, with poison'd crust,

The dirk of defamation:

A mask that like the gorget show'd,

Dye-varying on the pigeon;

And for a mantle large and broad,

He wrapt him in Religion.

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When Nature's face is fair,

Holy Fair is a common phrase in the West of Scotland for

a sacramental occasion.

E 2

I walked

I walked forth to view the corn,

An' fnuff the caller air.

The rifing fun owre Galston muirs,
Wi' glorious light was glintin;

The hares were hirplin down the furs,
The lav'rocks they were chantin

Fu' fweet that day.

II.

As lightfomely I glowr'd abroad,

To fee a fcene fae gay,

Three Hizzies, early at the road,

Came fkelpin up the way.

Twa had manteeles o' dolefu' black,

But ane wi' lyart lining;

The third, that gaed a wee a-back,

Was in the fashion fhining

Fu' gay that day.

III.

THE twa appear'd like fifters twin,

In feature, form, an' claes;

Their visage wither'd, lang an' thin,

An four as ony flaes:

The third cam up, hap-ftep-an'-lowp,

As light as ony lambie,

An' wi' a curchie low did ftoop,

As foon as e'er fhe faw me,

Fu' kind that day.

IV.

Wi' bonnet aff, quoth I, 'Sweet lafs,

I think ye feem to ken me;

I'm fure I've feen that bonie face,

But yet I canna name ye.'

E 3

Quo1

Quo' fhe an' laughin as she spak,

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An' taks me by the hauns,

Ye, for my fake, hae gi'en the feck

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To spend an hour in daffin:

Gin ye'll go there, yon runkl'd pair,

We will get famous laughin

'At them this day."

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