3
The case she thus before him laid;
"Sir, I hae just ae only daughter,
An' money a decent fallow's sought her,
But ane she lo'ed aboon the lave,
A lad she thought wad ne'er deceive,
Ran oon an' late about her fleechin',
His love sincere for ever preachin',
An' solemn swore my Bess wad mak him
A happy man, gin she wad tak him.
She yielded—an' agreed for life
To be his lawfu' married wife;
But, Sir, as sure as I did bear her,
Sinsyne he never looket near her,
But rins to fairs an' markets ranting
Wi' Meg, a neibour lass, galanting
While Bess, still faithfu' to the chap,
Wi' finent a lad has kiss'd a cup —
Waes me! wi the begunk she has gotten,
She's lanely, heartless, an' begrutten;
An' troth, I think, tis past contestin'
Her grief will throw her in a wastin',
Unless some means be us'd to get him —
Or she hard-hearted turn, an' hate him —
Now, Sir, ye were bred at the college,
An' hae in kittle cases knowledge;
For I am tald ye're up to a' things;
But saul or body, grit or ama' things;
An' that ye hae amang your mugs
Some wonder-working Glamour Drougs,
Can set love's whirligig in motion,
An' gar a lover change his notion,
For them I cam' ance erran here,
An' I shall hae them or I steer,
O Sir! exert your canstrip skill;
Mak up the Drugs, cost what they will.
—Gar Davie's love to Bessie fether,
An' mak' him maist gang daft to get her.
Or he will live a man-sworn knave
