Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets, Volume 3 by Gilfillan, George, 1813-1878

WOO'D, AND MARRIED, AND A'.

1 The bride cam' out o' the byre, And, O, as she dighted her cheeks! 'Sirs, I'm to be married the night, And have neither blankets nor sheets; Have neither blankets nor sheets, Nor scarce a coverlet too; The bride that has a' thing to borrow, Has e'en right muckle ado.' Woo'd, and married, and a', Married, and woo'd, and a'! And was she nae very weel off, That was woo'd, and married, and a'?

2 Out spake the bride's father, As he cam' in frae the pleugh: 'O, haud your tongue my dochter, And ye'se get gear eneugh; The stirk stands i' the tether, And our braw bawsint yade, Will carry ye hame your corn-- What wad ye be at, ye jade?'

3 Out spake the bride's mither: 'What deil needs a' this pride? I had nae a plack in my pouch That night I was a bride; My gown was linsey-woolsey, And ne'er a sark ava; And ye hae ribbons and buskins, Mae than ane or twa.' * * * * *

4 Out spake the bride's brither, As he cam' in wi' the kye: 'Poor Willie wad ne'er hae ta'en ye, Had he kent ye as weel as I; For ye're baith proud and saucy, And no for a poor man's wife; Gin I canna get a better, I'se ne'er tak ane i' my life.' * * * * *

THE ROCK AN' THE WEE PICKLE TOW.

1 There was an auld wife had a wee pickle tow, And she wad gae try the spinnin' o't; But lootin' her doun, her rock took a-lowe, And that was an ill beginnin' o't. She spat on 't, she flat on 't, and tramped on its pate, But a' she could do it wad ha'e its ain gate; At last she sat down on't and bitterly grat, For e'er ha'in' tried the spinnin' o't.

2 Foul fa' them that ever advised me to spin, It minds me o' the beginnin' o't; I weel might ha'e ended as I had begun, And never ha'e tried the spinnin' o't. But she's a wise wife wha kens her ain weird, I thought ance a day it wad never be spier'd, How let ye the lowe tak' the rock by the beard, When ye gaed to try the spinnin' o't?

3 The spinnin', the spinnin', it gars my heart sab To think on the ill beginnin' o't; I took't in my head to mak' me a wab, And that was the first beginnin' o't. But had I nine daughters, as I ha'e but three, The safest and soundest advice I wad gi'e, That they wad frae spinnin' aye keep their heads free, For fear o' an ill beginnin' o't.