I love thee, Nith, thy banks and braes,
Though mem'ry there my bosom tear;
For there he rov'd that brake my heart,
Yet to that heart, ah, still how dear!

BONNIE PEG.

SI came in by our gate end,
As day was waxin' weary,

O wha came tripping down the street,
But bonnie Peg, my dearie!

Her air sae sweet, and shape complete,
Wi' nae proportion wanting,
The Queen of Love did never move
Wi' motion mair enchanting.

Wi' linked hands, we took the sands
A-down yon winding river;

And, oh! that hour and broomy bower,
Can I forget it ever?

O LAY THY LOOF IN MINE, LASS.

CHORUS.

LAY thy loof in mine, lass,

In mine, lass, in mine, lass,

And swear on thy white hand, lass,
That thou wilt be my ain.

A SLAVE to Love's unbounded sway,
He aft has wrought me meikle wae;
But now he is my deadly fae,
Unless thou be my ain.
O lay thy loof, &c.

There's monie a lass has broke my rest,
That for a blink I hae lo'ed best;
But thou art Queen within my breast,
For ever to remain.

O lay thy loof, &c.

O GUID ALE COMES.

CHORUS.

GUID ale comes, and guid ale goes,
Guid ale gars me sell my hose,
Sell my hose, and pawn my shoon,
Guid ale keeps my heart aboon.

I HAD sax owsen in a pleugh,
They drew a' weel eneugh,
I sell'd them a' just ane by ane;
Guid ale keeps my heart aboon.

Guid ale hauds me bare and busy,
Gars me moop wi' the servant hizzie,
Stand i' the stool when I hae done,
Guid ale keeps my heart aboon.
O guid ale comes, &c.

WHY the deuce should I repine,
And be an ill foreboder?

I'm twenty-three, and five feet nine-
I'll go and be a sodger.

I gat some gear wi' meikle care,

I held it weel thegither;

But now it's gane and something mair,
I'll go and be a sodger.

POLLY STEWART.

TUNE-" YE'RE WELCOME, CHARLIE STEWART."

CHORUS.

LOVELY Polly Stewart,

O charming Polly Stewart,

There's ne'er a flower that blooms in May,
That's half so fair as thou art.

THE flower it blaws, it fades, it fa's,
And art can ne'er renew it;
But worth and truth eternal youth
Will gie to Polly Stewart.

May he, whase arms shall fauld thy charms,

Possess a leal and true heart;

To him be given to ken the heaven
He grasps in Polly Stewart!
O lovely, &c.

ROBIN SHURE IN HAIRST.

CHORUS.

OBIN shure in hairst,
I shure wi' him,
Fient a heuk had I,
Yet I stack by him.

I GAED up to Dunse,

To warp a wab o' plaiden,

At his daddie's yett,

Wha met me but Robin?

Was na Robin bauld,

Though I was a cotter,

Play'd me sic a trick

And me the eller's dochter?

Robin shure, &c.

Robin promis'd me

A' my winter vittle;

Fient haet he had but three

Goose feathers and a whittle.

Robin shure, &c.

THE FIVE CARLINS.

AN ELECTION BALLAD.*

TUNE "CHEVY CHACE."

HERE were five carlins in the south,
They fell upon a scheme,

To send a lad to Lon'on town
To bring us tidings hame.

Not only bring us tidings hame,
But do our errands there,
And aiblins gowd and honour baith
Might be that laddie's share.

There was Maggie + by the banks o' Nith,
A dame wi' pride enough;
And Marjorie o' the monie Lochs,
A Carlin auld an' teugh.

And blinkin Bess § o' Annandale,

That dwells near Solway side,

And whisky Jean || that took her gill

In Galloway so wide.

And auld black Joan ¶ frae Creighton peel,

O' gipsy kith an' kin,

Five weightier Carlins were na found

The south kintra within.

The" five Carlins" were the five boroughs of Dumfriesshire and Kircudbright, which sent one member to Parlia

ment.

† Dumfries.

Kircudbright.

I Lochmaben.
Sanquhar.

§ Annan.