Page:Auld goodman, or, The goodwife victorious.pdf/2

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in an ev'ning forth I went,

a little before the ſun gaed down,

And there I chanc'd by accident,

to light on a battle new begun:

A man and his wife were fa'n in ſtrife,

I canna well tell you how it began;

But ay ſhe wail'd her wretched life,

and cry'd, ever, alake my auld goodman.

Thy auld goodman that thou talks of,

the country kens where he was born,

Was but a ſilly poor vagabond,

and ilka ane leugh him to ſcorn;

For he did ſpend and mak an end,

of that his forefathers wan,

He gart the poor ſtand frae the door,

ſay tell me nae mair of thy auld good man.

My heart, alake! is liking to break,

when I think on my winſome John,

His blinken eye, and his gait ſae free,

was naething like thee, thou dozen'd drone.

His roſy face, and flaxen hair,

and a ſkin as white as ony ſwan,

Was large and tall, and comely withal,

and thou'll ne'er be like any auld goodman.