Get up, goodman, it is fou time, My cloak was anes a good grey cloak, But now it's scantly worth a groat, In days when our king Robert rang, And thou the man of laigh degree, 'Tis pride puts a' the country down, Sae tak thy auld cloak about thee. Every land has its ain laugh, Ilk kind of corn it has its hool, Do ye not see Rob, Jock, and Hab, I'll have a new cloak about me. Goodman, I wate 'tis thirty years, Bell my wife, she loves na strife; But she wad guide me, if she can, And to maintain an easy life, I aft maun yield, tho' I'm goodman: Nought's to be won at woman's hand, Unless ye give her a' the plea; Then I'll leave aff where I began, And tak my auld cloak about me. RATTLIN, ROARIN WILLIE. THE last stanza of this song is mine; it was composed out of compliment to one of the worthiest fellows in the world, William Dunbar, Esq. Writer to the signet, Edinburgh, and Colonel of the Crochallan corps, a club of wits who took that title at the time of raising the fencible regiments. O rattlin, roarin Willie, O he held to the fair, And buy some ither ware; The saut tear blint his ee; And rattlin roarin Willie, Ye're welcome hame to me. O Willie, come sell your fiddle, If I should sell my fiddle, The warl' wou'd think I was mad, For many a rantin day My fiddle and I hae had! As I cam by Crochallan, I cannilie keekit ben, Was sitting at yon boord-en'; And amang guid companie; Rattlin, roarin Willie, Ye're welcome hame to me! WHERE BRAVING ANGRY WINTER'S STORMS. THIS song I composed on one of the most accomplished of women, Miss Peggy Chalmers that was, now Mrs. Lewis Hay, of Forbes and Co's bank, Edinburgh. Tune-NIEL Gow's LAMENTATION FOR ABERCAIRNEY. Where braving angry winter's storms, The lofty Ochels rise, Far in their shade my Peggy's charms * The different publications which have appeared under the name of Neil Gow, and which contain not only his sets of the older tunes, but various occasional airs of his own composition, for As one who by some savage stream, Astonish'd, doubly marks its beam, Blest be the wild, sequester'd shade, The tyrant death with grim controul, for instance, his "Lamentation for Abercairney," and "LochErroch-side," are striking specimens of his genius, feeling, and power of embellishment. These were set and prepared for publication, by his son Nathaniel; whose respectable character, and propriety of conduct, have long secured him the esteem and favour of the public; and whose knowledge of composition, and variety of talent in the art, joined with the greatest refinement of taste, elegance of expression, and power of execution, render him (beyond all dispute) the most accomplished and successful performer of Scottish music in general, ever produced by this country." Scots Mag. Jan. 1809. |