Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/144

126 Then may not I, as well as he,

To cheat your Argus blinker,

And win your love like mighty Jove,

Thus hide me in a tinker?

Sir, ye appear a cunning man;

But this fine plot you'll fail in;

For there is neither pot nor pan,

Of mine, you'll drive a nail in.

Then bind your budget on your back,

And nails up in your apron;

For I've a tinker under tack,

That's used to clout my ca'dron.

[ in Chambers's Journal, No. 175, where it is said to have been written by an old unmarried lady, as a kind of burlesque of her own habits and history. It is sung to an air resembling that of "The Laird of Cockpen."]

[ Chambers's Journal, No. 196, where it appears with the initials "A. L."]

", gin ye wad lo'e me,

Lass, gin ye wad lo'e me,

Ye'se be ladye o' my ha',

Lass, gin ye wad lo'e me.

A cantie but, a cozie ben,

Weel plenish'd, ye may trow me,

A brisk, a blythe, a kind gudeman—

Lass, gin ye wad lo'e me!"

"Walth there's little doubt ye ha'e,

An' bidin' bein an' easy;

But brisk an' blythe ye canna be,

An' you sae auld an' crazy.