Tax'd dogs' garland/The Tax'd Dogs' Garland

THE

TAX'D DOGS' GARLAND.

UPON the road the other day,
⁠⁠I chanc'd to overtake Sir,
Two country-men upon the road,
⁠who great complaint did make Sir.

One of the two right mournful ſaid,
⁠oh! have you heard the news, Sir,
A heavy tax is laid on dogs,
⁠which are of ſo great uſe, Sir.

Six ſhillings now we all muſt pay,
⁠if that a dog we keep, Sir,
Poor people cannot this afford,
⁠tho' they ſhoud loſe their ſheep, Sir.

I'm ſeventy years or thereabout,
⁠my neighbour's ſixty ſax, Sir,
But never ſaw the like of this,
⁠to lay on dogs a tax, Sir.

Wow man, I think, there's mony ways,
⁠to clear the nation's load, Sir,

Than to oppreſs a poor man ſo,
⁠and tax his very dog, sir.

This morning, or I came frae hame,
⁠I ſaw three collies die, Sir
Their owner's could not pay the tax,
⁠tho't had been but ſhillings three, Sir.

O if they had but come to me,
⁠or yet to Madge, my wife, Sir,
This year's taxation we would pay'd,
⁠to ſav'd their collies life,

My heart was wae to ſee the brutes
⁠ſhare ſic untimely fate, Sir,
The country ſure muſt be right poor,
⁠when they uphold the ſtate, Sir.

There's mony dogs, I frankly own,
⁠that‘s uſeleſs for to keep, Sir;
But country collies uſeful are,
⁠for herding of our sheep, Sir.

My collie is an unco beaſt,
⁠and meikle ſenſe he has, Sir,
And when the ſheep ſtrays o'er far aff,
⁠he gi'es them mony a chaſe, Sir.

I canna want my collie dog,
⁠mair than meat to my wime, Sir;

For turning either horſe or nout,
⁠he is a hunter fine, Sir.

He never hunts them by the head,
⁠but ay grips at their heels, Sir;
And gathers ſafely a‘ the flock,
⁠when running thro‘ the fields, Sir.

He's careful o‘ the houſe at night,
⁠and when that any ill, Sir,
Is likely for to come on me,
⁠he barks baith loud and ſhrill, Sir.

Were't not for him the robbers ſure
⁠would take from me my gear, Sir;
But collie gies a lively bark,
⁠when danger it is near, Sir.

At kirk or fair there's ne'er a dog,
⁠wi‘ collie can compare, Sir,
The other day, upon the road,
⁠he catch‘d a running hare, Sir,

It's very right that uſeleſs dogs,
⁠ſhould pay a handſome tax, Sir;
Each one ſhould twenty ſhillings pay,
⁠If collies muſt pay ſax, Sir.

The happy time will yet arrive,
⁠I hope the time to ſee. Sir,

When uſeleſs dogs will all be hang‘d,
⁠and collie dogs gae free, Sir.