A Song, on the Grand Illumination in Glasgow/The Patriot Fair

by Anonymous

For other versions of this work, see The Patriot Fair.

THE PATRIOT FAIR.

When young and artless as the lamb,
Which plays about its fondling dam,
Brisk, buxom pert, and suly;
I slighted all the manly swains,
And put my virgin heart in chains,
For smiling smooth fac’d Willie.

But when experience came with years,
Which rais'd my hopes and quell'd my fears,
My heart was blyth and bonny;
I turn off every beardless youth,
So gave my word, and fix’d my truth,
O honest sturdy Johnny

Next at the wake I saw the ’Squire,
For love I felt a new desire,
Fond to outshine my mammy:
⟨I⟩ sigh’d for fringes fops and beaux,
For pig-tail’d wigs, and powder’d clothes,
And silken maker Sammy.

For riches next I set a flame,
Old Gripus to my cottage came,
And held an amorous parley,
For music next I chanc'd to burn,
And fondly listen’d in my turn,
To warbling quivering Charley.

So now alike the fools and wit,
Fops, fidlers, foreigners and cits,
All struck me by rotation.
Come learn of me ye patriot fair,
Nor make a single man you care,
But sigh for all the nation.

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