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It were mair meet that those fine feet

Were weel laced up in silken shoon, And 'twere more fit that she should sit Within yon chariot gilt aboon.

Her yellow hair, beyond compare,

Comes trinkling down her swan-white neck, And her two eyes, like stars in skies,

Would keep a sinking ship frae wreck.

O Mally's meek, Mally's sweet,

Mally's modest and discreet, Mally's rare, Mally's fair, Mally's every way complete.

SAE FAR AWA.‡

TUNE DALKEITH MAIDEN BRIDGE.'

O, SAD and heavy should I part,
But for her sake sae far awa;
Unknowing what my way may thwart
My native land sae far awa.
Thou that of a' things Maker art,
That form'd this fair sae far awa,

Gie body strength, then I'll ne'er start
At this my way sae far awa.

Of this Song all which can be said is, that it occurs in

the Musical Museum, p. 461, with Burns' name.

How true is love to pure desert,
So love to her, sae far awa:

And nocht can heal my bosom's smart,
While, oh! she is sae far awa.
Nane other love, nane other dart,

I feel but her's, sae far awa;
But fairer never touch'd a heart
Than her's, the fair sae far awa.

O STEER HER UP.t

TUNE O STEER HER UP, AND HAUD HER GAUN.'

O STEER her and haud her gaun

up

Her mother's at the mill, jo;

And gin she winna take a man,

E'en let her take her will, jo:
First shore her wi' a kindly kiss,
And ca' another gill, jo,
And gin she take the thing amiss,
E'en let her flyte her fill, jo.

O steer her up, and be na blate,
An' gin she take it ill, jo,
Then lea'e the lassie till her fate,
And time nae longer spill, jo:

The first four lines of this Song, which occurs in the Musical Museum, p. 520, with Burns' name, are old.

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Ne'er break your heart for ae rebute,
But think upon it still, jo;
Then gin the lassie winna do't,
Ye'll fin' anither will, jo.

O, WHAR DID YE GET.†

TUNE BONNIE DUNDEE.'

O, WHAR did ye get that hauver meal bannock?
O silly blind body, O dinna ye see?
I gat it frae a brisk young sodger laddie,
Between Saint Johnston and bonnie Dundee.

O gin I saw the laddie that gae me't!

Aft has he doudled me up on his knee; May Heaven protect my bonnie Scots laddie, And send him safe hame to his babie and me!

This Song occurs in the Musical Museum, p. 100, but not with Burns' name. Mr. Allan Cunningham says, part of it is old, and that all that is natural or tender in it was added by Burns. The following characteristic letter from the Poet, sending a copy to his friend Mr. Cleghorn, shews how much of it should be attributed to Burns:

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Dear Cleghorn,-You will see by the above that I have added a stanza to Bonnie Dundee. If you think it will do, you may set it agoing

'Upon a ten string instrument
And on the Psaltery.-'

"R. B.

'Mr. Cleghorn, farmer-God bless the trade."

My blessin's upon thy sweet wee lippie,
My blessin's upon thy bonnie e'e brie!
Thy smiles are sae like my blythe sodger laddie,
Thou's ay the dearer and dearer to me!
But I'll big a bower on yon bonnie banks,
Where Tay rins wimplin' by sae clear;
And I'll cleed thee in the tartan sae fine,
And mak thee a man like thy daddie dear.

THE FETE CHAMPETRE.‡

TUNE KILLIECRANKIE.'

O WHA will to Saint Stephen's house,
To do our errands there, man?
O wha will to Saint Stephen's house,
O' th' merry lads of Ayr, man?
Or will we send a man-o'-law?
Or will we send a sodger?
Or him wha led o'er Scotland a'
The meikle Ursa-Major?

The occasion of this ballad, which Burns sent to Mr. Thomson in December, 1794, is thus stated by Mr. Allan Cunningham, on the authority of Gilbert Burns: "When Mr. Cunninghame, of Enterkin, came to his estate, two mansion-houses, Enterkin and Anbank, were both in a ruinous state. Wishing to introduce himself with some eclat to the county, he got temporary erections made on the banks of Ayr, tastefully decorated with shrubs and flowers, for a supper and ball, to which most of the respectable families in the county were invited. It was a novelty in the county, and attracted much notice. A dissolution of parliament was soon expected, and this festivity was thought to be an introduction to a canvass for representing the county.

Come, will

ye court a noble lord,

Or buy a score o' lairds, man?

For worth and honour pawn their word,
Their vote shall be Glencaird's, man?
Ane gies them coin, ane gies them wine,
Anither gies them clatter;

Anbank, wha guess'd the ladies' taste,
He gies a Fête Champetre.

When Love and Beauty heard the news,
The gay green-woods amang, man ;
Where gathering flowers and busking bowers,
They heard the blackbird's sang, man;
A vow, they seal'd it with a kiss

Sir Politics to fetter,

As their's alone, the patent-bliss,
To hold a Fête Champetre.

Then mounted Mirth, on gleesome wing,
O'er hill and dale she flew, man;
Ilk wimpling burn, ilk crystal spring,
Ilk glen and shaw she knew, man :
She summon'd every social sprite,
That sports by wood or water,
On th' bonny banks of Ayr to meet,
And keep this Fête Champetre.

Several other candidates were spoken of, particularly Sir John Whitefoord, then residing at Cloncaird, commonly pronounced Glencaird, and Mr. Boswell, the well-known biographer of Dr. Johnson. The political views of this festive assemblage, which are alluded to in the ballad, if they ever existed, were, however, laid aside, as Mr. C. did not canvass the county."

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