In Borrowstounness,
He rides with disgrace,
Till his neck stand in need of a draw, man;
And then in a tether,
He'll swing from a ladder,
And go off the stage with a pa', man.[1]
Rob Roy[2] stood watch
On a hill, for to catch
The booty, for ought that I saw, man,
For he ne'er advanced
From the place he was stanced,
Till no more to do there at a', man.
So we all took the flight,
And Mowbray the wright,
But Lethem, the smith, was a braw man,
For he took the gout,
Which truly was wit,
By judging it time to withdraw, man.
And trumpet M'Lean,
Whose breeks were not clean,
Through misfortune he happen'd to fa', man;
By saving his neck,
His trumpet did break,
Came aff without music at a', man.
So there such a race was,
As ne'er in that place was,
And as little chase was at a', man;
From other they ran,
Without touk of drum,
They did not make use of a pa', man.
Whether we ran, or they ran,
Or we wan, or they wan,
Or if there was winning at a', man,
There's no man can tell,
Save our brave general,
Wha first began running awa', man.
Wi' the Earl o' Seaforth,
And the Cock o' the North;[3]
But Florence ran fastest ava, man,
Save the laird o' Phineven,[4]
Who swore to be even
Wi' any general or peer o' them a', man.
And we ran, and they ran; and they ran, and we ran;
And we ran, and they ran awa', man.
Up and waur them a'.
[This seems to be the second song in point of seniority on the subject of the battle of Sheriff-muir. Nothing is known of the author. We find great difference of reading in different copies, but here follow the version given in Hogg's Jacobite Relics. The chorus belongs to an old doggrel song, and the tune is very popular.]
When we went to the field o' war,
And to the weaponshaw, Willie,
Wi' true design to serve our king,
And chase our faes awa', Willie;
Lairds and lords came there bedeen,
And wow gin they were sma', Willie,
While pipers play'd frae right to left,
Fy, furich Whigs awa', Willie.
Up and waur them a', Willie,
Up and waur them a', Willie,
Up and sell your sour milk,
And dance, and ding them a', Willie.
And when our army was drawn up,
The bravest e'er I saw, Willie,
We did not doubt to rax the rout,
And win the day and a', Willie.
Out-owre the brae it was nae play
To get sae hard a fa', Willie,
While pipers play frae right to left,
Fy, furich Whigs awa', Willie.
Up and waur, &c.
- ↑ These four stanzas seem to refer to a circumstance reported at the time; namely, that a person had left the Duke of Argyle's army, and joined the Earl of Mar's, before the battle, intending to act as a spy; and that, being employed by Mar to inform the left wing that the right was victorious, he gave a contrary statement, and, after seeing them retire accordingly, went back again to the royal army.—Note by R. Chambers.
- ↑ The celebrated Rob Roy. This redoubted hero was prevented, by mixed motives, from joining either party: he could not fight against the Earl of Mar, consistent with his conscience, nor could he oppose the Duke of Argyle, without forfeiting the protection of a powerful friend.—Ib.
- ↑ An honorary popular title of the Duke of Gordon.
- ↑ Carnegy of Finhaven,
