Is there, that bears
the name o’ Scot,
But feels his heart’s
bluid rising hot,
To see his poor auld
mither’s pot
Thus dung in staves,
An’ plunder’d
o’ her hindmost groat
By gallows knaves?
Alas! I’m
but a nameless wight,
Trode i’ the mire
out o’ sight?
But could I like Montgomeries
fight,
Or gab like Boswell,^2
There’s some sark-necks
I wad draw tight,
An’ tie some hose
well.
God bless your Honours!
can ye see’t—
The kind, auld cantie
carlin greet,
An’ no get warmly
to your feet,
An’ gar them hear
it,
An’ tell them
wi’a patriot-heat
Ye winna bear it?
Some o’ you nicely
ken the laws,
To round the period
an’ pause,
An’ with rhetoric
clause on clause
To mak harangues;
Then echo thro’
Saint Stephen’s wa’s
Auld Scotland’s
wrangs.
Dempster,^3 a true blue
Scot I’se warran’;
Thee, aith-detesting,
chaste Kilkerran;^4
An’ that glib-gabbit
Highland baron,
The Laird o’ Graham;^5
An’ ane, a chap
that’s damn’d aulfarran’,
Dundas his name:^6
Erskine, a spunkie Norland
billie;^7
True Campbells, Frederick
and Ilay;^8
[Footnote 2: James Boswell of Auchinleck, the biographer of Johnson.]
[Footnote 3: George Dempster of Dunnichen.]
[Footnote 4: Sir Adam Ferguson of Kilkerran, Bart.]
[Footnote 5: The
Marquis of Graham, eldest son of the Duke of
Montrose.]
[Footnote 6: Right Hon. Henry Dundas, M. P.]
[Footnote 7: Probably Thomas, afterward Lord Erskine.]
[Footnote 8: Lord
Frederick Campbell, second brother of the Duke
of Argyll, and Ilay
Campbell, Lord Advocate for Scotland,
afterward President
of the Court of Session.]
An’ Livistone,
the bauld Sir Willie;^9
An’ mony ithers,
Whom auld Demosthenes
or Tully
Might own for brithers.
See sodger Hugh,^10
my watchman stented,
If poets e’er
are represented;
I ken if that your sword
were wanted,
Ye’d lend a hand;
But when there’s
ought to say anent it,
Ye’re at a stand.
Arouse, my boys! exert
your mettle,
To get auld Scotland
back her kettle;
Or faith! I’ll
wad my new pleugh-pettle,
Ye’ll see’t
or lang,
She’ll teach you,
wi’ a reekin whittle,
Anither sang.
This while she’s
been in crankous mood,
Her lost Militia fir’d
her bluid;
(Deil na they never
mair do guid,
Play’d her that
pliskie!)
An’ now she’s
like to rin red-wud
About her whisky.
An’ Lord! if ance
they pit her till’t,
Her tartan petticoat
she’ll kilt,
An’durk an’
pistol at her belt,
She’ll tak the
streets,
An’ rin her whittle
to the hilt,
I’ the first she
meets!