JOHN BARLEYCORN.*

A BALLAD.

THERE vent three kings into the east,
Three kings both great and high,
An' they hae sworn a solemn oath,
John Barleycorn should die.

They took a plough and plough'd him down,

Put clods upon his head,

And they hae sworn a solemn oath

John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerful spring came kindly on,

And showers began to fall;

John Barleycorn got up again,
And sore surprised them all.

The sultry suns of summer came,
And he grew thick and strong,
His head weel arm'd wi' pointed spears
That no one should him wrong.

The sober autumn enter'd mild,

When he grew wan and pale,

His bending joints and drooping head
Show'd he began to fail.

This is partly composed on the plan of an old song knowu ly the

same name.

His color sicken'd more and more,

He faded into age;

And then his enemies began
To show their deadly rage.

They've ta'en a weapon long and sharp,
And cut him by the knee:
Then tied him fast upon a cart,
Like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,
And cudgelled him full sore;
They hung him up before the storin
And turn'd him o'er and o'er.

They filled up a darksome pit
With water to the brim;
They heaved in John Barleycorn.
There let him sink or swim.

They laid him out upon the floor
To work him farther wo;
And still as signs of life appeared,
They toss'd him to and fro.

They wasted o'er a scorching flame
The marrow of his bones;

But a miller used him worst of all,

For he crush'd him between two stones.

And they hae taen his very heart's blood,
And drank it round and round;
And still the more and more they drank,
Their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
Of noble enterprise;

For, if you do but taste his blood,
"Twill make your courage rise.

"Twill make a man forget his wo; "Twill heighten all his joy;

"Twill make the widow's heart to sing, Tho' the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand;
And may his great posterity
Ne'er fail in auld Scotland!

GLOSSARY.

THE ch and gh have always the guttural sound. The Bound of the English diphthong oo, is commonly spelled ou. The French u, a sound which often occurs in the Scottish language, is marked oo, or ui. The a in genuine Scottish words, except when forming a diphthong, or followed by an e mute, after a single consonant, sounds generally like the broad English a in wall. The Scottish diphthongs, æ, always, and ea, very often, sound like the French e masculine. The Scottish diphthong ey sounds like the Latin ei.

A.

Aften, often, frequently, many times.

A', all, every one, the whole. Agley, off the right line, obAback, away, aloof.

Abeigh, at a shy distance.

lique, wrong.

Aiblins, perhaps.

Aboon, above, up, in the re

Aik, the oak.

gions of heaven.

Air, early, soon.

Abread, abroad, in sight, at Airl-penny, earnest-money a

Aff-hand, extempore, imme- Airn, iron.