SONG-GREEN GROW THE RASHES.

Chor.-Green grow the rashes, O;

Green grow the rashes, O;

The sweetest hours that e'er I spend,
Are spent among the lasses, O.

THERE'S nought but care on ev'ry han',
In every hour that passes, O:
What signifies the life o' man,
An' 'twere na for the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

The war'ly race may riches chase,
An' riches still may fly them, O;

An' tho' at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O.
Green grow,

But gie me a cannie* hour at e'en,
My arms about my dearie, O;
An' war❜ly cares, an' war'ly men,
May a' gae tapsalteerie,+ O!

&c.

Green grow, &c.

For you sae douce,‡ ye sneer at this;
Ye're nought but senseless asses, O:
The wisest man the warl' e'er saw,

He dearly lov'd the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears
Her noblest work she classes, O:
Her prentice han' she try'd on man,
An' then she made the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

* snug.

† topsy-turvy.

+grave.

SONG "INDEED WILL I," QUO' FINDLAY.

Tune-"Lass, an I come near thee.

"WHA is that at my bower-door ?"

'O wha is it but Findlay !'

"Then gae your gate, ye 'se nae be here :'
'Indeed maun I,' quo' Findlay,
“What make ye, sae like a thief?”
'O come and see,' quo' Findlay ;
"Before the morn ye'll work mischief'
'Indeed will I,' quo' Findlay.

"Gif I rise and let you in' —
'Let me in,' quo' Findlay,

"Ye'll keep me waukin wi' your din"
'Indeed will I,' quo' Findlay,
should stay"-

"In my bower if ye

66

'Let me stay,' quo' Findlay;

I fear ye'll bide till break o' day"
'Indeed will I,' quo' Findlay.

"Here this night if ye remain"-
'I'll remain,' quo' Findlay;

"I dread ye'll learn the gaite again”—
'Indeed will I,' quo' Findlay.
"What may pass within this bower”—

'Let it pass,' quo' Findlay;

"Ye maun conceal till your last hour"—

'Indeed will I,' quo' Findlay.

[Gilbert Burns assured Cromek that his brother composed this song in emulation of a piece in Ramsay's Tea-table Miscellany, called "The auld man's best argument."

James Findlay, an Officer of Excise in Tarbolton, who afterwards married one of the "belles of Mauchline," was appointed, in March 1788, to train Burns for the duties of an exciseman.]

REMORSE-A FRAGMENT.

Of all the numerous ills that hurt our peace

That press the soul, or wring the mind with anguish, Beyond comparison the worst are those

By our own folly, or our guilt brought on :

In ev'ry other circumstance, the mind
Has this to say, 'it was no deed of mine :'
But, when to all the evil of misfortune
This sting is added, 'blame thy foolish self!'
Or worser far, the pangs of keen remorse,
The torturing, gnawing consciousness of guilt-
Of guilt, perhaps, where we've involvèd others,
The young, the innocent, who fondly lov'd us;
Nay more, that very love their cause of ruin!
O burning hell! in all thy store of torments
There's not a keener lash!

Lives there a man so firm, who, while his heart
Feels all the bitter horrors of his crime,

Can reason down its agonizing throbs ;
And, after proper purpose of amendment,

Can firmly force his jarring thoughts to peace?
O happy, happy, enviable man !

O glorious magnanimity of soul !

EPITAPH ON WM. HOOD, SENR., IN
TARBOLTON.

HERE Souter Hood in death does sleep;

To hell if he's gane thither,

Satan, gie him thy gear to keep;

He'll haud it weel thegether.

[The poet printed this with the title "ON A CELEBRATED Ruling ELDER." It appears that one of the Tarbolton elders had provoked the poet's hostility by his extreme penuriousness.]

EPITAPH ON MY OWN FRIEND

AND MY

FATHER'S FRIEND, WM. MUIR IN TAR

BOLTON MILL.

AN honest man here lies at rest,

As e'er God with his image blest;
The friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his-with virtue warm'd,
Few heads with knowledge so informed:
If there's another world, he lives in bliss ;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

[This has always been regarded as one of the finest of the poet's numerous compliments, paid in a posthumous form, to hale and hearty friends. The subject of it was the tenant of "Willie's Mill" of Death and Dr Hornbook, and a life-long friend of Burns and his relations. He died in 1793.]

EPITAPH ON MY EVER HONOURED FATHER.

O YE whose cheek the tear of pity stains,
Draw near with pious rev'rence, and attend!
Here lie the loving husband's dear remains,
The tender father, and the gen❜rous friend;

The pitying heart that felt for human woe,

The dauntless heart that fear'd no human pride;

The friend of man-to vice alone a foe;

For

ev'n his failings lean'd to virtue's side."

[The death of William Burnes happened at Lochlie, on 13th February 1784. These lines of the son are engraved on the father's headstone in Alloway kirkyard; and the reader, in musing over it, is apt to revert to the memorable words of John Murdoch :-" O for a world of men of such dispositions! I have often wished, for the good of mankind, that it were as customary to honour and perpetuate the memory of those who excel in moral rectitude, as it is to extol what are called heroic actions. Then would the mausoleum of the friend of my youth overtop and surpass most of those we see in Westminster Abbey !"]

BALLAD ON THE AMERICAN WAR.

Tune-"Killiecrankie."

WHEN Guildford good our pilot stood.
An' did our hellim* thraw, man;
Ae night, at tea, began a plea,
Within America, man:

Then up they gat the maskin-pat, +
And in the sea did jaw, ‡ man ;
An' did nae less, in full congress,
Than quite refuse our law, man.

Then thro' the lakes Montgomery 1 takes.
I wat he was na slaw, man;
Down Lowrie's Burn 2 he took a turn,
And Carleton did ca', man :
But yet, whatreck, he, at Quebec,
Montgomery-like 3 did fa', man,
Wi' sword in hand, before his band,
Amang his en'mies a', man.

3

Poor Tammy Gage within a cage
Was kept at Boston-ha',1 man ;

* helm.

† infusing pot.

toss.

1 General Richard Montgomery invaded Canada, autumn 1775, and took Montreal,-the British commander, Sir Guy Carleton, retiring before him. In an attack on Quebec he was less fortunate, being killed by a storm of grape-shot in leading on his men at Cape Diamond.

2 Lowrie's Burn, a pseudonym for the St Lawrence.

A passing compliment to the Montgomeries of Coilsfield, the patrons of the poet.

• General Gage, governor of Massachusetts, was cooped up in Boston by General Washington during the latter part of 1775 and early part of 1776. In consequence of his inefficiency, he was replaced in October of that year by General Howe.