Jennie's Bawbee (Sir Alexander Boswell) I met four chaps yon birks amang, Wi' hinging lugs and faces lang; I speered at neebour Bauldy Strang. "Wha's they I see?" Quo' he: "Ilk cream-faced pawky chiel, Thocht he was cunning as the deil, And here he cam' awa' to steal Jennie's Bawbee!" The first a captain to his trade, Wi' skull ill-lined, but back weel clad, March'd round the barn, and by the shed, And pappit on his knee: Quo' he: "My goddess, nymph and queen, Your beauty's dazzled baith my een!" But deil a beauty he had seen But Jennie's Bawbee. A lawyer neist wi' blatherin' gab, Wha speeches wove like ony wab; In ilk ane's corn aye took a dab, And a' for a fee. A Norland laird neist trotted up, Wi' bawsand naig and siller whup; He thought to build his fortunes up Wi' Jennie's Bawbee. Drest up just like a knave o' clubs A thing cam' neist (but life has rubs), Foul were the roads, and fu' the dubs, And jaupit a' was he. He danced up squintin' thro* a glass, And grinned: "I' faith, a bonnie lass!" He thought to win wi' front o' brass, Jennie's Bawbee. She bade the Laird gae kame his wig, The Sodger no to strut sae big, The Lawyer no to be a prig, The fool, he cried: "Te-hee! I kenn'd that I could never fail!" But she preen'd the dish-clout to his tail, And soused him wi' the water pail, And kept her bawbee. Sir Alexander Boswell (1775-1822) JD
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!