Next day each hero tells his news Or time mair precious abuse Their crimes to tell. She'll rather to the fields resort, Whare peerless Fancy hauds her court, CALLER OYSTERS. Happy the man, who, free from care and strife, A splendid shilling. He nor hears with pain PHILLIPS. O'A' the waters that can hobble, Or south or north, There's nane sae spacious and sae noble, As Firth o' Forth. In her the skate and codlin sail; And whytens dainty : Their spindleshanks the labsters trail, Wi' partans plenty. Auld Reikie's sons blythe faces wear; The halesomest and nicest gear O! then we needna gie a plack An' spread sic notions, As gar their feckless patients tak Their stinking potions. Come, prie, frail man! for gin thou art sick, The oyster is a rare cathartic, As ever doctor patient gart lick, Whether you To cure his ails; hae the head or heart-ake, Ye tipplers, open a' your poses: Ye, wha are fash'd wi' plouky noses, You'll thole a hunder, To fleg awa your simmer roses, And naething under. Whan big as burns the gutters rin, hae catcht a droukit skin, Gin ye To luckie Middlemist's loup in, And sit fu' snug Owre oysters and a dram o' gin, Or haddock lug. Whan auld Saunt Giles, at eight o'clock, Gars merchant lowns their shopies lock, There we adjourn wi' hearty fouk To birle our bodles, And get wharewi' to crack our joke, And clear our noddles. Whan Phoebus did his winnocks steek, How aften at that ingle cheek Did I my frosty fingers beek, And prie good fare? I trow there was nae hame to seek, Whan steghin there. While glaikit fools, owre rife o' cash, Pamper their wames wi' fousom trash, I think a chiel may gayly pass, He's nae ill bodden, That gusts his gab wi' oyster sauce, An' hen weel sodden. At Musselbrough, and eke Newhaven, And tak o' fat pandores a prievin', Then, sometimes, ere they flit their doup, For liquor clear, frae cutty stoup, To weet their wizzen, And swallow owre a dainty soup, For fear they gizzen. A' ye wha canna stand sae sicker, And I'm your debtor, If greedy priest or drowthy vicar Will thole it better. |