THE

BORROWSTOUN MOUS,

AND THE

LANDWART MOUS.

EASOP relates a Tale weil worth Renown,
Of twa wie Myce, and they war Sisters deir,
Of quhom the Elder dwelt in Borrowstoun,
The Zunger scho wond upon Land weil neir,
Richt solitair beneth the Buss and Breir,
Quhyle on the Corns and Wraith of labouring
Men,

As Outlaws do, scho maid an easy Fen.

II.

THE Rural Mous, unto the Winter tyde,
Thold Cauld and hunger aft, and grit Distress:
The uther Mous that in the Burgh can byde,
Was Gilt-bruther, and made a frie Burges,
Tol frie, and without Custom mair or less,
And Friedom had had to gae quhair eir scho lost,
Amang the Cheis and Meil in Ark or Kist.

III.

ANE Tyme when scho was full, and on Fute fair,
Scho tuke in Mynd her Sister up on-Land,

And langt to ken her Weilfair and her Cheir,
And se quhat Lyf scho led under the Wand:
Bare-fute alane, with Pykstaff in her Hand,
As Pilgrim pure scho past out of the Toun
'To seik her Sister, baith in Dale and Doun.

IV.

THROW mony wilsum Ways then couth scho walk Throw Mure and Moss throwout Bank, Busk and

Breir,

Frae Fur to Fur, cryand frae Balk to Balk,
Cum furth to me, my awin sweit Sister deir,
Cry, peip anes,-with that the Mous couth heir,
And knew her Voce, as kindly Kinsmen will,
Scho hard with Joy, and furth scho came her till.

V.

THAIR hearty Cheir was plesand to be sene,

Quhen thir twa Sisters kind with Blythness met, Quhilk aften Syss was shawin them twa betwein; For quhyls they leuch, and quhyls for Joy they

grat,

Quhyls sweitly kist, and quhyls in Arms they

plet:

H

And thus they fure, till sobirt was thair Meid, Syne Fute for Fute they to thair Chalmer zeid.

VI.

As I hard say, it was a semple Wane

Of Fog and Fern, full fecklesly was maid, A silly Sheil, under a Eard-fast Stane,

Of quhilk the Entrie was not hie nor braid; Into the same they went bot mair abaid, Withouten Fyre or Candle birnand bricht, For commonly sic Pykers luves not Licht.

VII.

QUHEN thus wer lugit thir twa silly Myce,
The zungest Sister to her Butrie hyed,
And brocht furth Nuts and Peis insteid of Spyce,
And sic plain Cheir as scho had her besyde;
The Burges Mous sae dynk and full of Pryde,
Sayd, Sister myne, Is this zour daylie Fude;
Quhy not, Quod scho, think ze this Mess not
gude;

VIII.

NA, be my Saul, methink it but a Scorn;
Madame, quod scho, ye be the mair to blame:
My Moder said, aftir that we wer born,
That ze and I lay baith within her Wame;
I keip the richt auld Custom of my Dame

And of my Syre,-livand in Povertie,

For Lands and Rents nane is our Propertie.

IX.

My Sister fair, quod scho, haif me excust,
This Dyet rude and I can neir accord;
With tender Meit my Stomock still is ust,
For quhy, I fair as weil as ony Lord :

Thir withert Nuts and Peis, or they be bord, Will brek my Chafts, and mak my Teith full

sklender,

Quhilk has bein ust before to Meit mair ten

der.

X.

WEIL Sister, weil then, quoth the rural Mous, Gif that ze pleis sic Things as ze se heir, Baith Meit and Drink, and Herbouray and Hous,

Sall be zour awin, will ze remain all Zeir, Ze sall it haif with blyth and hairtly Cheir And that sould mak the Messes that ar rude, Still amang Friends richt tender, sweit and gude.

XI.

QUHAT Plesans is in Feists mair dilicate,
The quhilk ar given with a gloumand Brow;
A gentle Heart is better recreate

With Usage blyth, than seith to him a Cow;
Ane Modicum is better, zeill allow,

Sae that Gude-will be Carver at the Dess,
Than a thrawn Vult, and mony a spycie Mess.

XII.

FOR all this moral Doctrine, ticht and soun,
The Burges Mous had little Will to sing,
But hevely scho kest her Visage doun,

For all the Daintys scho couth till her bring;
Zit at the last scho said, half in hie thing.
Sister this Vittell and zour Royal Feist
May weil suffice for sic a rural Beist.

XIII.

LET be this Hole, and cum unto my Place,
I sall zou schaw, by gude Experience,
That my Gude-Frydays better than zour Pase,
And a Dish licking worth zour hale Expence ;
Houses I haif enow of grit Defence,

Of Cat, nor Fall, nor Trap, I haif nae Dreid :

This said,—that was convinced,and furth they

zeid.