Though wit and worth in either sex,

St Mary's Isle can shaw that;
Wi' dukes and lords let Selkirk mix,
And weel does Selkirk fa' that.
For a' that, and a' that,
Here's Heron yet for a' that!
The independent commoner
Shall be the man for a' that.

But why should we to nobles jouk?
And is 't against the law that?
For why, a lord may be a gouk,
Wi' ribbon, star, and a' that.
For a' that, and a' that,
Here's Heron yet for a' that!
A lord may be a lousy loun,
Wi' ribbon, star, and a' that.'

A beardless boy comes o'er the hills,
Wi' uncle's purse and a' that,
But we'll hae ane frae 'mang oursel's,
A man we ken, and a' that.

For a' that, and a' that,

Here's Heron yet for a' that!
For we're not to be bought and sold,
Like naigs, and nowt, and a' that.

Then let us drink the Stewartry,
Kerroughtree's laird, and a' that,

Our representative to be,

For weel he's worthy a' that.
For a' that, and a' that,

Here's Heron yet for a' that!
A House of Commons such as he,
They would be blest that saw that.

bend

fool

cattle

BALLAD SECOND.

Fy, let us a' to Kirkcudbright,

For there will be bickering there;
For Murray's light horse are to muster,

And oh, how the heroes will swear!"

1 The vituperation in this stanza refers, not to the Selkirk family, for which Burns had a

respect, as shewn in the preceding verse, but to the Earl of Galloway.

* This ballad is composed in imitation of a rough but amusing specimen of the old ballad literature of Scotland, descriptive of the company attending a country-wedding

'Fy, let us a' to the wedding,

For there 'll be lilting there,' &c.

First, there will be trusty Kerroughtree,1
Whase honour was ever his law;
If the Virtues were packed in a parcel,
His worth might be sample for a'.
And strong and respectfu's his backing,
The maist o' the lairds wi' him stand;
Nae gipsy-like nominal barons,

Whase property's paper, but lands.'
For there frae the Niddisdale borders,
The Maxwells will gather in droves,
Teugh Jockie, stanch Geordie, and Wellwood,
That griens for the fishes and loaves.
And there will be Heron the Major,
Wha'll ne'er be forgot in the Greys;
Our flattery we 'll keep for some other,
Him only 'tis justice to praise.

And there will be Maiden Kilkerran,
And also Barskimming's guid knight;"
And there will be roaring Birtwhistle,"
Wha luckily roars i' the right.

Next there will be wealthy young Richard 1o—
Dame Fortune should hing by the neck
For prodigal thriftless bestowing—
His merit had won him respect.

11

And there will be rich brother nabobs,
Though nabobs, yet men of the first;
And there will be Collieston's whiskers,12

And Quintin, o' lads not the warst.13

1 Mr Heron, of Kerroughtree, the Whig candidate.

2

longs

Many of the county electors were, previous to the Reform Act of 1832, possessors of fictitious votes only-often called paper voters.

3

3 Mr Maxwell, of Terraughty, the venerable gentleman on whose birthday Burns wrote some See Vol. III., p. 197.

verses.

8 Sir William Miller, of Barskimming; afterwards a judge under the designation of Lord Glenlee.

" Mr Birtwhistle, of Kirkcudbright.

10 Richard Oswald, of Auchincruive.

11 Messrs Hannay.

12 Mr Copland, of Collieston.

13 Quintin M'Adam, of Craigengillan.

5 Mr Murray, of Broughton. This gentleman had left his wife, and eloped with a lady of rank. Large fortune had allowed him to do this with comparative impunity, and even without forfeiting the alliance of his wife's relations, one of whom he was supporting in this election.

6 Mr Gordon, of Balmaghie, the government candidate.

7 Mr John Bushby.

He had been involved in the ruinous

8 William Bushby, of Kempleton, brother of John. affair of Douglas, Heron, & Co.'s Bank, and had subsequently gone to India, where he realised a fortune.

Var. For now what he wan in the Indies,

Has scoured up the laddie fu' clean.

10 Mr Bushby Maitland, son of John, and newly appointed sheriff of Wigtonshire. The same idea occurs in The Epistle of Esopus to Maria.

2 The Messrs Douglas, brothers, of Carlinwark (new-christened by them Castle-Douglas) and Orchardton.

6

Rev. Mr Muirhead, minister of Urr.

Rev. George Maxwell, minister of Buittle.

5 Mr Gordon, of Kenmure.

Captain M'Dowall, of Logan, the hero of Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonny Doon.

'Mr Blair, of Dunskey.

Walter Sloan Lawrie, of Redcastle.

And hey for the sanctified Murray,

Our land who wi' chapels has stored;
He foundered his horse among harlots,

But gied the auld naig to the Lord."

Though Burns had, we may well believe, anything but a view to his own interest in writing these diatribes, it appears that there resulted from them some little glimpse of a hope of promotion. Mr Heron, hearing of them, and having perused one, wrote to Mr Syme, with some references to the poet, as if it were not impossible that he might be able to advance his interests.

TO MR HERON, OF HERON.

SIR-I enclose you some copies of a couple of political ballads, one of which, I believe, you have never seen. Would to Heaven I could make you master of as many votes in the Stewartry!-but

Who does the utmost that he can,

Does well, acts nobly-angels could no more.

In order to bring my humble efforts to bear with more effect on the foe, I have privately printed a good many copies of both ballads, and have sent them among friends all about the country.

To pillory on Parnassus the rank reprobation of character, the utter dereliction of all principle, in a profligate junto, which has not only outraged virtue, but violated common decency, spurning even hypocrisy as paltry iniquity below their daring-to unmask their flagitiousness to the broadest day-to deliver such over to their merited fate-is surely not merely innocent, but laudable; is not only propriety, but virtue. You have already, as your auxiliary, the sober detestation of mankind on the heads of your opponents; and I swear by the lyre of Thalia, to muster on your side all the votaries of honest Laughter, and fair, candid Ridicule.

I am extremely obliged to you for your kind mention of my interests in a letter which Mr Syme shewed me. At present, my situation in life must be in a great measure stationary, at least for two or three years. The statement is this-I am on the supervisors' list, and as we come on there by precedency, in two or three years I shall be at the head of that list, and be appointed of course. Then, a FRIEND might be of service to me in getting me into a place of the kingdom which I would like. A supervisor's income varies from about a hundred and twenty to two hundred a year; but the business is an incessant drudgery, and would be nearly a complete bar to every species of literary pursuit. The moment I am appointed supervisor, in the common routine, I may be nominated on the collector's list; and this is always a business purely of political patronage. A collectorship varies much, from better than two