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By this time he was cross the ford, 90 Where in the snaw the chapman smoor'd; And past the birks and meikle stane, Where drunken Charlie brak's neck-bane; And thro' the whins, and by the cairn, Where hunters fand the murder'd bairn; 95 And near the thorn, aboon the well,

Where Mungo's mither hang'd hersel'. Before him Doon pours all his floods; The doubling storm roars thro' the woods, The lightnings flash from pole to pole, 100 Near and more near the thunders roll, When, glimmering thro' the groaning trees; Kirk-Alloway seem'd in a bleeze,

105

Thro' ilka bore the beams were glancing,
And loud resounded mirth and dancing.

Inspiring bold John Barleycorn!
What dangers thou canst make us scorn!
Wi' tippenny, we fear nae evil;

Wi' usquebae, we'll face the devil!
The swats sae ream'd in Tammie's noddle,
110 Fair play, he car'd na deils a boddle,

115

But Maggie stood, right sair astonish'd,
Till, by the heel and hand admonish'd,
She ventur'd forward on the light;
And, wow! Tam saw an unco sight!

Warlocks and witches in a dance:
Nae cotillion, brent new frae France,
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle in their heels.

A winnock-bunker in the east,

120 There sat auld Nick, in shape o' beast;
A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large,
To gie them music was his charge;
He screw'd the pipes and gart them skirl,

Till roof and rafters a' did dirl.
125 Coffins stood round, like open presses,
That shaw'd the Dead in their last dresses;
And (by some devilish cantraip sleight)
Each in its cauld hand held a light.
By which heroic Tam was able

130 To note upon the haly table,

A murderer's banes, in gibbet-airns;
Twa span-lang, wee, unchristened bairns;
A thief, new-cutted frae a rape,

Wi' his last gasp his gab did gape;
135 Five tomahawks, wi' blude red-rusted;
Five scimitars, wi' murder crusted;
A garter which a babe had strangled:
A knife, a father's throat had mangled,
Whom his ain son of life bereft,
140 The gray-hairs yet stack to the heft;
Wi' mair of horrible and awfu',

Which even to name wad be unlawfu'.

As Tammie glowr'd amaz'd, and curious, The mirth and fun grew fast and furious; 145 The Piper loud and louder blew,

The dancers quick and quicker flew;

They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they cleekit,
Till ilka carlin swat and reekit,

And coost her duddies to the wark,

150 And linket at it in her sark!

Now Tam, O Tam! had thae been queans, A' plump and strapping in their teens! Their sarks, instead o' creeshie flainen, Been snaw-white seventeen-hunder linen!155 Thir breeks o' mine, my only pair, That ance were plush, o' guid blue hair, I wad hae gi'en them off my hurdies, For ae blink o' the bonie burdies!

But wither'd beldams, auld and droll, 160 Rigwoodie hags wad spean a foal, Louping an' flinging on a crummock, I wonder didna turn thy stomach.

But Tam kennt what was what fu' brawlie; There was ae winsome wench and waulie, 165 That night enlisted in the core,

Lang after ken'd on Carrick shore;
(For mony a beast to dead she shot,
And perish'd mony a bonie boat,
And shook baith meikle corn and bear,
170 And kept the country-side in fear);
Her cutty sark, o' Paisley harn,
That while a lassie she had worn,
In longitude tho' sorely scanty,

It was her best, and she was vauntie.
175 Ah! little ken'd thy reverend grannie,
That sark she coft for her wee Nannie,
Wi' twa pund Scots ('twas a' her riches),
Wad ever grac'd a dance o' witches!

But here my Muse her wing maun cour,
180 Sic flights are far beyond her power;
To sing how Nannie lap and flang,

(A souple jade she was and strang),
And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd,
And thought his very een enrich'd:

185 Even Satan glowr'd and fidg'd fu' fain,
And hotch'd and blew wi' might and main:
Till first ae caper, syne anither,
Tam tint his reason a' thegither,
And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"

190 And in an instant all was dark:

And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied.

As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,
When plundering herds assail their byke;

195 As open pussie's mortal foes,

When, pop! she starts before their nose;
As eager runs the market-crowd,

When "Catch the thief!" resounds aloud;
So Maggie runs, the witches follow,
200 Wi' mony an eldritch skreich and hollow.

Ah, Tam! ah, Tam! thou 'll get thy fairin! In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin! In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin! Kate soon will be a woefu' woman! 205 Now, do thy speedy-utmost, Meg, And win the key-stane o' the brig; There, at them thou thy tail may toss, A running stream they darena cross! But ere the key-stane she could make, 210 The fient a tail she had to shake! For Nannie, far before the rest, Hard upon noble Maggie prest, And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle; But little wist she Maggie's mettle! 215 Ae spring brought off her master hale, But left behind her ain gray tail: The carlin claught her by the rump, And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

Now, wha this tale o' truth shall read,
220 Ilk man, and mother's son, take heed:
Whene'er to Drink you are inclin❜d,
Or Cutty-sarks rin in your mind,
Think ye may buy the joys o'er dear;
Remember Tam o' Shanter's mare.

BRUCE'S ADDRESS TO HIS ARMY AT

BANNOCKBURN

(1793)

Scots, wha hae wi' WALLACE bled,
Scots, wham BRUCE has often led;
Welcome to your gory bed,

Or to Victorie!

5 Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour;

See approach proud EDWARD's power-
Chains and Slaverie!

Wha will be a traitor knave? 10 Wha can fill a coward's grave? Wha sae base as be a slave?

Let him turn and flee!

Wha, for Scotland's King and Law, Freedom's sword will strongly draw, 15 FREEMAN stand, or FREEMAN fa', Let him on wi' me!

20

By Oppression's woes and pains!
By your Sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!

Lay the proud Usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!

LIBERTY'S in every blow!

Let us Do or Die!

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