PEBLIS TO THE PLAY.

a

I.

Ar beltane, quhen ilk bodie bownis

To Peblis to the Play,

To heir the singin and the soundis;

The solace, suth to say,

Be firth and forrest furth they found;

Thay graythit tham full gay;

b

God wait that wald they do that stound,

For it was thair feist day,

Of Peblis to the Play.

Thay said,

a The time of the Peebles festival was at Beltein, which, in the Gaelic language, signifies the fire of Bell or Baal, because on the first day of May, our heathen ancestors, by kindling fires and offering sacrifices on eminences or tops of mountains, held their great anniversary festival in honour of the sun, whose benign influences on all nature began to be strongly felt at this time, and men wished more and more to feel as the summer advanced. The name Beltein day, continued and gave designation to the Beltein fair of Peebles, long after the religion of the country, and the festivals of the season, were changed."-" Horse races continued to be held at Beltein, till the middle of the present century." Statistical Account, vol. xii. p. p. 14, 15.

Our ancestors were so much addicted to profane swearing, both in their writings and conversation, that "to swear like a Scot," was once a proverbial expression.

II.

All the wenchis of the west
War up or the cok crew;

For reiling thair micht na man rest,
For garray, and for glew: d

Ane said my curches ar nocht prest;
Than answerit Meg full blew,

To get an hude, I hald it best;
Be Goddis saull that is true,

Of Peblis to the Play.

III.

Quod scho,

She tuik the tippet be the end,
To lat it hing scho leite not;
Quod he, thy bak sall beir ane bend;
In faith, quod she, we meit not.
Scho was so guckit, and so gend,
That day ane byt scho eit nocht;
Than spak hir fallowis that hir kend,

Be still, my joy, and greit & not

I dar nocht cum yon mercat to
I am so evvil sone-brint;

Amang yon merchands my dudds do?

Marie I sall anis mynt

k

Stand of far, and keik' thaim to;

As I at hame was wont,

Of Peblis to the Play.

Quod scho.

V.

Hop, Calyé, and Cardronow

Gaderit out thik-fald,

With Hey and How rohumbelow;

The young folk were full bald.

The bagpype blew, and thai out threw

Out of the townis untald.

Lord sic ane schout was thame amang,

Quhen thai were ower the wald m

Said, Mirrie Madinis, think not lang,
The wedder is fair and smolt;
He cleikit up ane hie ruf sang,

Thair fure ane man to the holt P

Of Peblis to the Play.

Quod he.

VII.

Thay had nocht gane half of the gait
Quhen the madinis come upon thame,
Ilk ane man gaif his consait,

How at thai wald dispone thame;
Ane said, The fairest fallis me;
Tak ye the laif and fone thame."
Ane uther said Wys me lat be.
On, Twedell syd, and on thame

Of Peblis to the Play.

n Als cant.] Merry.

p Thair fure ane man to the holt.]

Swyth,

Ane bolt.] An arrow.

There went a man to the

wood; probably the first line of a song now lost. 9 Fone thame.] Caress them.