Offended with my question, in full choir, I answered: The all-potent, sole, imAnswered, "To find thy God thou must look higher." I asked the world's great universal mass If that God was; mense, Unspeakable, inscrutable, eternal, The only terrible, strong, just, and true, Who hath no end, and no beginning knew. Which with a mighty and strong voice And now, my God, by thine illumining replied, As stupefied, "I am not he, O man! for know that I (So far forth as it may discovered be) And though invisible and infinite, Thou, in thy mercy, justice, truth, appearest, I sought the court; but smooth-tongued In which, to our weak sense, thou comest flattery there Deceived each ear; nearest. When lazy queans have naught to do, But study how to cog and lie; To make debate and mischief too, "Twixt one another secretly: I mark their gloze, And it disclose UNKNOWN. [Before 1649-] EDOM O' GORDON. IT fell about the Martinmas, "We maun draw to a hauld. "And whatna hauld sall we draw to, My merry men and me? We will gae to the house of the Rodes, To see that fair ladye." The lady stood on her castle wa', Beheld baith dale and down; To them whom they have wrongéd so: There she was aware of a host of men When I have done I get me gone, And leave them scolding, ho, ho, Came riding towards the town. UNKNOWN. TAKE THY AULD CLOAK ABOUT THEE. IN winter, when the rain rained cauld, And frost and snow were on the hill, And Boreas with his blasts sae bâuld Was threat'ning all our kye to kill; Then Bell, my wife, wha loves not strife, She said to me right hastilie, "Get up, gudeman, save Crummie's life, And take thy auld cloak about thee! "Cow Crummie is a useful cow, And she is come of a good kin'; Aft has she wet the bairnies' mou', And I am laith that she should pine: Get up, gudeman, it is fu' time! The sun shines frae the lift sae hie; Sloth never made a gracious end, Gae, take thy auld cloak about thee!" "In days when our King Robert reigned, His breeches cost but half a crown; He said they were a groat too dear, And ca'd the tailor thief and loun. He was the king that wore the crown, And thou the man of low degree: It's pride puts a' the country down, Sae take thy auld cloak about thee!" "O Bell, my wife, why dost thou flout? If thou wilt prove a good husband, Bell, my wife, she loves not strife, I'm forced to yield, though I'm gude man. It's not for a man with a woman to threape Unless he first give o'er the plea : As we began so will we leave, And I'll take my auld cloak about me. UNKNOWN. THE BARRING O' THE DOOR. IT fell about the Martinmas time, And she boiled them in the pan. The wind sae cauld blew east and north, "My hand is in my huswif's kap, Gudeman, as ye may see; An' it should nae be barred this hundred year, It's no be barred for me." They made a paction 'tween them twa, Then by there came twa gentlemen Nor coal nor candle light. And first they ate the white puddings, Yet ne'er a word she spak'. Then said the one unto the other, "Here, man, tak' ye my knife! |