INGENIOUS LIST OF POPULAR SCOTCH SONGS,

ARRANGED AS A TALE.

T

'HE following may interest a number of our readers. It was suggested by and based on a most ingenious letter that was published in the Scots Magazine for No name was appended to the clever compilation, in which no less than 105 titles of Scottish songs were introduced, so as to make a continuous epistle to "Sandy O'er the Lee "

1806.

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In the morning very early, in gloomy December, when the Scotch revellie and the hollow drum and fife from 'Roslin Castle' were heard, I was making ready to follow 'Jocky to the Fair,' and stopped and had some 'Caul' Kail in Aberdeen' with 'Auld Sir Simon the Laird,' 'Sir James the Rose,' 'Logie o' Buchan' and their companions, Sir Duncan Brodie,'The Yellow-haired Laddie,' 'Tam Glen,' 'The Miller o' Drone,' 'Muirland Willie,' 'The Whistling Ploughman," and ‘James Gray,' a 'Caledonian Laddie.' The refreshment, according to custom, was but their morning's piece, and I was hospitably prevailed upon to accompany them 'O'er the Water to Charlie,' to breakfast on 'Caller Herring,' at the 'House Below the Mill,' with the sign of the Blue Bells of Scotland,' where a few of the 'Merry Lads of Ayr' had met to make a 'Merry Meeting,' for they had been Up in the Morning Early,' following the Brave Kenmure'A' the way frae Lochaber,' that's 'O'er the Hills an' far awa';' but we'll now come to the bottom of the punch bowl; the landlord was 'Johnny M'Gill,' half-brother to 'John Roy Stewart'; ye ken, Johnny was a piper's son, and married 'Bonnie Christie.'

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'The Sutor's Dochter.' She gaed us a hearty welcome; for Blythe was she But and Ben ;' and ' When she came ben she bobbit,' and introduced us to 'My Joe Janet,' 'Fair Helen,' 'Bonny Barbara Allen,' The lovely Lass o' Inverness,' 'Tibby Fowler,' The Maid o' the Mill," Lovely young Jessy, Mary Gray,' 'The Flowers o' the Forest,' Annie Laurie,' a lass I wad dee for, and my 'Highland Mary,' 'My bonnie wee Thing,' wi' 'The Maid of Isla.' They were all waiting the arrival of 'Lucy Campbell ' from 'Within a mile o' Edinburgh Toon,' for it's weel kent she's to be married to 'Young Lochinvar,' the 'Rattling roaring Hieland Man.' The Auld Gudeman wi' his wee bit Wifiekie,' made us sit down to ‘Cakes and Ale,' and ‘Daft Robin' and 'Berwick Johnny' did Push about the Jorum ;' while Link-him Doddie' and 'Gilderoy' were crying 'Gie the lassies mair o't,' up flew the door and in sprang a Soger Laddie' In the garb o' auld Gaul.' 'I thocht it was Johnny Coming;' but Na faith 'tis na that,' says Peggy Baun,' for that's 'John Anderson my Joe' frae 'Bonny Dundee,'' For he would be a Soger.' Most of us knowing the Bonny Lad wi' the White Cockade,' we invited him to take a seat by his old comrade, 'Donald o' Dundee,' which he no sooner did than Jingling Johnny' took out his pipes and began to play 'We're a' gane to the barn, lassie'-wilt thou gae ? but was stopped by 'Duncan,' who begged he would favour the company with 'God save the King.' Hang the king! cried Brave Lochiel,' Should auld Acquaintance be forgot?'

'Let's rise and

follow Charlie,' for 'Charlie is my darling.' That's right, quo' Charlie Stewart,' ' Up and war them a';' 'Let's hae the Stewarts back again.' However, notwithstanding its being Bonnie Chairlie's' ain call, he was instantly knocked down by Jock the brisk young Drummer,' who sang wi' much glee, Merry may the Maid be' that's Woo'd an' Married an' a'.'

We were now getting afraid lest 'Lewie Gordon ' should interfere, for The Gordons had the Guiding o't.'

He,

Since the Peep o' Day,' came frae the "Haughs o' Cromdale,' and in a rear, with Johnnie Cope,' was whistling in a wicked e'e, 'The Sow's Tail to Geordie ;' but ''Twas when the seas were roaring,' a sailor chanced to come in, singing 'Hearts of Oak,' with 'Black-eyed Susan' in one hand and

an oak stick in the other. So poor Lewis, not liking 'A' that an' a' that,' said to his auld cronie, Johnnie Cope," 'Cock up your Beaver,' and reminded them of 'Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled;' but sure The Cat had Kittled in Geordie's Wig;' and last night he dreamt The De il cam' Fiddlin' through the Toon,' and danced awa' wi' 'The wee, wee German Lairdie.' Then in came The brisk young Druminer' and 'Jacky Tar,' who were singing 'The East Neuk o' Fife.' We had then such a scuffle as you never saw, for 'We ran, an' they ran, we till't and they till't;' at last 'Duncan Davidson' made his appearance as master of the ceremonies, and began to Kick the rogues out," when 'Roy's Wife of Aldivalloch' gave notice that the young couple had arrived from the 'Walking of the Fauld,' which changed the bustle to 'Busk ye, busk ye,' 'Fy, let's a' to the Bridal;" for by this time, you must understand, that Johnny made a Weddin' o't.'

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On coming to the Banks of the Dee,' a little past 'Loudon's bonny woods and braes,' down by 'Killiecrankie," 'Through the lang Muir,' a little above the Birks of Aberfeldie,' 'Mill, Mill, Ó,' where the 'Blythesome Bridal' was held, we met the Lads of Dunse, gallanting the 'Lasses o' Melrose' frae 'Cowden Fair;' with a 'Gaberlunzie Man' wi' a tartan plaid wi' the 'Auld Wife of Auchtermuchtie,' who told me that the 'Auld Man's Mare was Dead' A mile abune Dundee,' and with them was 'Meg o' the Mill,' who sang Hush thee, my Babe,' and aye the end of the song was 'The Ranting Dog, the Daddy o't.' The best man was 'Ratling, roaring Willie,' and I assure you Willie was a Wanton Wag.' The best maid was Catherine Ogie,' the bonniest lass in the world except 'My ain kind-hearted Nancy.' The conviviality of the company was for a while interrupted by Mary Scott of Tweedale,' who entered crying 'Oh, Dear Mother, what shall I do? Lost is my Quiet for Ever.' 'A'body's like to be Married but me,' for alas! they tell me my 'Willie's Drowned in Yarrow,' and e, dear youth, was heard to say, as he struggled in the waves, 'Mary Weep no More for Me.' Out spake the bonny bride and said, 'A Weary Lot is Thine, Fair Maid,' 'And wae's my heart for You and Your Sweet Willie ;' but' How can I be sad on my wedding day,' for 'Sweet's the Love that meets Return.' However,

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from the consolatory attention of Jim of Aberdeen,' and a bird that whispered My Life's Devoted to Thee, Dear Mary, she soon changed her Tear to a Smile,' and said, "I Lost my Love but Care na,' for 'Kind Robin Lo'es Me,' and Robin is my only Joe.' The musicians, 'Rob the Ranter' and 'Neil Gow,' struck up a medley composed of the reel of Tullochgorum,' Macpherson's Rant,' 'O'er the Muir Among the Heather,' 'The Smith's a Gallant Fireman,' Locherroch Side,' The Marquis of Huntly,' 'The Braes of Tullimet,' Lord M'Donald's Reel,' and 'Lord Morris's Welcome to Scotland,' which was ended by Lady Mary Ramsay,' 'Mrs Gordon of Troup,' and 'Mrs M'Leod of Rothesay."

Dinner was now announced by a pibroch, and we all joined in a chorus of be 'Contented wi' little and canty wi' mair,' for We've aye been provided for and sae will we yet. The dinner consisted of the Haggis of Dunbar, Scotch Kail, Brose and Butter,' 'Lumps of Pudding,' tarts of the Sour Plums of Gallashiels,' and 'Bannocks of Barley Meal.' After dinner we had a 'Sup of Good Whisky,' Dribbles of Brandy,' and the whole cry was 'Fill the Pint Stoup,' and by no means drink Hooly and Fairly.' 'The Bonnie Lass o' Gowrie' sat smiling in a corner at Andrew wi' his Cutty Gun,' singing 'We're nae very Fou but we re Gaily.' Then Come gie's a Sang, the Lady cried;' and the Maid that Tends the Goats' gave us The Sun has Gane Down o'er the Lofty Ben Lomond and Pattie Coming frae the Glen,' singing The Ewie wi' the Crooked Horn,' was followed by John of Badenyon, the Highland Rover,' who sang 'Oh, Tibby, I hae Seen the Day' and Whistled o'er the Lave o't.' Willie Wastle,' who is not known from the description his wife bears, began and told the 'Sutor of Selkirk' and the Lasses of Stewarton,' of the Wife and the Wee Pickle Tow,' how she said if ye had been where I hae been' ye would hae seen The De'il among the Tailors' fall through the bed, 'Thimbles an' a'. But the best fun was 'Auld Rob Morris' and Rob Roy' laughing as if to crack their sides at the 'Auld Wife ayont the Fire,' 'Clouting Johnnie's Grey Breeks,' and singing 'What can a Young Lassie do wi' an Auld Man?' for it's 'Oh how I was Kissed Yestreen.' The ane was singing 'Sae merry as we hae been,' for 'Some

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were beginning to Trip upon Trunchers,' when our renowned bride began dancing to the tune of 'Braw Lads of Gala Water' and 'Haud awa frae me, Donald.' 'Her Marriage Knot,' 'Her Silken Snood,' 'The Gowd in her Garter,' it giart my heart gae 'Pitty Patty.' I danced my favourite strathspey wi' my 'Bonnie Mary,' 'The Fairest of the Fair,' to the favourite air of 'Lass gin ve Lo'e me tell me now,' 'For wae's my heart that we should Sunder.' 'Dainty Davie ' was all this time sweetly kissing Maggie Lauder,' who all the while cried Kiss me Fast, my Mither's Coming,' for My Mither's aye Glouring ow'r me.' Then up started Jenny Dang the Weaver,' and she scoffed and she scorned at him. I'll sing my Kin a Rattling Sang.' 'Oh, gin ye were dead, Gudeman.' At last the fiddlers played Gude Night, and Joy be wi Ye a'.' We were all going when Jenny hinted to us it was a Penny Wedding, and the fiddlers must be paid, on which we gart the 'Gudewife count the Lawin',' as each o' us had 'Saxpence under our thumb,' and wi''Jenny's Bawbee' made up the reckoning

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I was just on foot when Hill o' Fife's' Bonnie Annie' says to me, Come under my plaidie,' Tak' your auld cloak about ye,' for 'Keen blaws the wind o'er the Braes o' Gleniffer ;' and, For the sake o' somebody,' dinna risk by Logan's Streams,' but cross where The Boatie rows. Na, na, says I, Dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave ye;' for There's my hand, I'll ne'er beguile ye.' However, I came toddling hame. The best was, I wasna drunk nor yet sober, but brither to baith, and expected to find the gudewife ‘In a bonnie wee hoose,' near a Canty wee fire,' singing There's nae luck about the house when our gudeman's awa: but na! a' was fast and quiet. Open the door. I cried: 'Oh. lassie, are ye sleepin' yet?' but ne'er a word spake 'Sleepy Maggie;' at last She rose to let me in,' for oh, I was a sleepy body, and after telling The lass that made the bed to me to Get up and bar the door,' I gaed to bed By the light of the bonny gray-eyed morn.' So gude e'en to your honour for 'My galloping's a' at an end.'

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