In the foregoing attempt, we have taken the liberty of remodelling and pruning the intermediate stanzas of an old free traditional Ballad, bearing the same choral terminations of "Billy boy;" while the first and concluding verses are necessarily original, by way of completing the chant. The air, tradition has attached to it, is peculiarly lively and spirit-stirring; and approaches pretty near that of our own Song, " Kelvin Grove," or, as an amateur would say, to an ear-set of "Robie dun a gorach."

POOR AULD MAIDENS.

THREE score and ten of us,

Poor auld maidens!

Three score and ten of us,

Poor auld maidens!

Three score and ten of us,

Lame, and blind, and comfortless,

Without a penny in our purse,
Poor auld maidens!

Yet we bear a willing mind,
Poor auld maidens!

Yet we bear a willing mind,

Poor auld maidens!

Yet we bear a willing mind,

If we a young man could but find,

For to kiss the lame and blind,
Nor die auld maidens.

Oh but young men are unco nice,

Poor auld maidens!

THE AULD WIFE O' LAUDerdale.

Oh but young men are unco nice,

Poor auld maidens!

Oh but young men are unco nice,
And auld men's offers we despise;
Oh! we'll get leave to shut our eyes,
An' die auld maidens.

But oh! gin we were young again,
Poor auld maidens!

But oh! gin we were young again,
Poor auld maidens!

But oh! gin we were young again,
We nae mair would lie our lane,
For we despise the scornfu' name
O' poor auld maidens!

147

Noted down from the singing of a Lady, we never having met with the original in print. The modern song of "Nice Young Maidens" has doubtlessly been metaphrased from the above. The air is a tolerable one of its class, lively, and peculiar to the Ballad.

THE AULD WIFE O' LAUDERDALE.

IN Lauderdale there lived a wife,

As canty a carline's ever was seen;
Her gudeman began to drap wi' age,
While she was rosy, fresh, an' green:
The auld wife in Lauderdale,

The queer auld wife in Lauderdale;
At forty she had tooth and nail,
The canty auld wife o' Lauderdale.

She growl'd on Tammie day an' night,
An' wonder'd aye that he should fail;
An' ca'd him syne a silly wight,

Else he might cast anither spale:
The auld wife in Lauderdale,

The queer auld wife in Lauderdale;

She thought that Tammie never should fail!
The rosy auld wife in Lauderdale.

Youth, health, and strength are dauntless chiels,

When they in a' their vigour shine;

But hirplin' hostin' age comes on,

An' fun and frolics maun decline: This ken'd the man in Lauderdale, The douse auld man o' Lauderdale; He fan' his strength beginning to fail, An' parts to cool in Lauderdale.

A wonder-working doctor cam'

To Dunse, wha' cured the blin' an' lame;
She ran to Dunse withouten fail,

To ease her pains in Lauderdale:
I've come this day frae Lauderdale,
I'm sure ye've heard o' Lauderdale,
O' ilka place it is the wale,
The sweet an' pleasant Lauderdale.

O doctor, doctor, tent my moan,
I maun tell you a mournfu' tale:
My Tammie's auld an' cauldrife grown,
While I am blooming fresh and hale;

THE AULD WIFE O' LAUderdale.

O wad ye come to Lauderdale,

Ye maun come east to Lauderdale;
An' pass your skill on Tammie's ail,
The sleepy auld man o' Lauderdale.

I wauk a' night, an' sleep get nane,
While he is snoring soun' an' leal;
I might as weel lie by a stane,
Or ony rotten auld fir dail:
I've weary nights in Lauderdale,
I sigh an' sab in Lauderdale;
Now ye'll hae medicine, I'se be bail,
To ease our waes in Lauderdale.

O ay, the doctor smiling said,

I think that I cou'd cure your ail;
But
ye maun change auld Tammie's food,
To birsled pease, an' butter'd ale:
Birsled pease in Lauderdale,

Butter'd ale in Lauderdale;

Gie Tammie that at ilka meal,

"Twill cheer his auld heart in Lauderdale.

The auld wife now gaed cantie hame,
Sae gleg an' donsie o'er the dale;
And pray'd and wis'd that Tammie's teeth
Would maup the pease in Lauderdale:
Birsled pease in Lauderdale,

Quo' the snod auld wife o' Lauderdale;
I wis' and houp our Tammie's teeth
May crack the pease in Lauderdale.

149

Now a' ye wives baith far and near,
Whenever your men begin to fail;
Ye needna' youk, an' growl, an' ban,

Do like the carline in Lauderdale:
Butter'd ale in Lauderdale,

Birsled pease in Lauderdale;

A peck o' pease will cure your

ail,

It cured the auld man's in Lauderdale.

The foregoing spirited and graphic Ballad is noted down from recitation, we never having met with the original in print. The penultimate stanza, for the sake of connection, is original, as the one which stood in its place had escaped the memory of our fair minstrel.

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UP WI' THE WIDOW.

WELCOME, my Johnny, beardless an' bonny,
Ye're my conceit, though I'm courted by mony;
Come to
the spence, my ain merry ploughman,
Make it your hame, ye'll be baith het an' fu', man:
Baith het an' fu', man, baith het an' fu', man,
Make it your hame, ye'll be baith het an' fu', man.

Gin ye be tentie, ye shall hae plenty,
Year after year, I hae dotted a renty,
Byres fu' o' horse an' kye, barns fu' o'
Bukes fu' o' notes, an' a farm o'

grain, man,

your

ain man;