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Ye auld blind dotard bodie,
And blinder may ye be,
'Tis but a bonnie milk-cow

My mither sent to me.

A milk cow! quo' he,—aye, a milk cow, quo' she.

Far hae I ridden,

And meikle hae I seen,

But a saddle on a milk-cow
Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he,

And he spied a pair of jack-boots
Where nae boots should be:
What's this now, gudewife,

What's this I see?

How came thae boots here

Without the leave o' me?
Boots! quo' she,-aye, boots! quo' he.

Ye auld blind dotard carle,

And waur may ye see,

It's but a pair o' water stoups

My minnie sent to me.

Milking-pails? quo' he,—aye, milking-pails! quo'

she.

Far hae I ridden,

And muckle hae I seen,

But siller spurs on milking-pails

Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he,

And there he saw a siller sword

Where nae sword should be:

What's this now, gudewife,
What's this I see?

O how came this sword here

Without the leave o' me?

A sword! quo' she,-aye, a sword! quo' he.
Ye auld blind dotard carle,

And blinder may ye see,
It's but a porridge spurtle

My mither sent to me.

A spurtle! quo' he,-aye, a spurtle! quo' she. Far hae I ridden, love,

And meikle hae I seen,

But silver hilted spurtles

Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he,

And there he spied a powdered wig

Where nae wig should be: What's this now, gudewife, What's this I see?

How came this wig here

Without the leave o' me?

A wig! quo' she,-aye, a wig! quo' he.
Shame fa' yere cuckold face,

And waur may ye see,

'Tis naething but a clocking-hen

My mither sent to me.

A clocking-hen! quo' he,-aye, a clocking-hen!

quo' she.

Far hae I ridden,

And meikle hae I seen,

But powder on a clocking-hen

Saw I never nane.

Our gudeman came hame at e'en,
And hame came he,

And there he saw a meikle coat

Where nae coat should be:
And how came this coat here,
How can this be?

O how came this coat here
Without the leave o' me?

A coat! quo' she,―aye, a coat! quo' he.
Ye auld blind dotard bodie,
And blinder may ye be ;
It's but a pair o'blankets

My mither sent to me.

Blankets! quo' he,-aye, blankets! quo' she.

Far hae I ridden,

And meikle hae I seen;

But buttons upon blankets

Saw I never nane.

Ben gaed our gudeman,
And ben gaed he:

And there he spied a sturdy man

Where nae man should be.

How came this man here?

How can this be?

How came this man here

Without the leave o' me?

A man! quo' she,-aye, a man! quo' he.
Ye silly blind bodie,

And blinder may ye be;

It's but a new milkin maid

My mither sent to me.

A maid! quo' he,-aye, a maid! quo' she

Far hae I ridden, love,
And meikle hae I seen;
But long-bearded maidens
Saw I never nane.

[From Herd's Collection, 1776.]

HOW CAN I BE BLITHE.

How can I be blithe and glad,
Or in my mind contented be,
When the bonnie lad whom I love best
Is banish'd frae my companie?
Though he be banished for my sake,
His true-love shall I still remain ;
O that I was, and I wish I was,
With thee, my own true-love again!

I dare but wish for thee, my love,
My thoughts I may not, dare not speak;
My maidens wonder why I sigh,
And why the bloom dies on my cheek.
If thoughts of thee be sin in me,
O, deep am I in shame and sin;

O that I was, and I wish I was,
In the chamber where my love's in!

DUMBARTON'S DRUMS.

Dumbarton's drums beat bonnie-o,
For they mind me of my dear Johnie-o.
How happy am I,

When my soldier is by,

While he kisses and blesses his Annie-o!

"Tis a soldier alone can delight me-o, For his graceful looks do invite me-o: While guarded in his arms,

I'll fear no war's alarms,

Neither danger nor death shall e'er fright me-o.

My love is a handsome laddie-o,
Genteel, but ne'er foppish nor gaudie-o:

Though commissions are dear,

Yet I'll buy him one this year;

For he shall serve no longer a cadie-o.

A soldier has honour and bravery-o, Unacquainted with rogues and their knavery-o; He minds no other thing

But the ladies or his king;

For every other care is but slavery-o.

Then I'll be the captain's lady-o;
Farewell all my friends and my daddy-o;
I'll wait no more at home,

But I'll follow with the drum.
And whene'er that beats, I'll be ready-o.

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