The Book of Scottish Song/O, as I was kist

O, as I was kist.

[This fragment is given in Herd's collection, but is of older date. In Johnson's Museum, it is said to have been composed on an amour of John Duke of Argyle. This John was Jeanie Deans's duke; and as he is said to have been the author of the song beginning "Argyle is my name," probably he wrote this ditty also. From the line in the last verse,

"Up the Gallowgate, down the Green,"

one might suppose the scene of the song to belong to Glasgow, but their are other localities (Aberdeen for example,) which can boast of "Gallowgates" and "Greens." The tune, "O, as I was kist yestreen," was originally called "Lumps o' Pudding," which name was transferred to another old air, adopted by Gay for the finale in his "Beggar's Opera," "Thus I stand like a Turk," &c. It is well known that one object Gay had in "The Beggar's Opera" was to supplant the Italian opera, by the introduction of good old English and Scottish tunes. An Italian speaking of this, said, with great indignation and scorn, "Saire, this dam Signor Gay try to pelt my countrymen out of England with 'Lumps of Pudding.'"]

O, as I was kist yestreen!
O, as I was kist yestreen!
I'll never forget till the day that I dee,
Sae mony braw kisses his grace ga'e me!

My father was sleeping, my mother was out,
And I was my lane, and in cam' the duke:
I'll never forget till the day that I dee,
Sae mony braw kisses his grace ga'e me.

Kist yestreen, kist yestreen,
Up the Gallowgate, down the Green:
I'll never forget till the day that I dee,
Sae mony braw kisses his grace ga'e me.

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