He'll stamp an' threaten, curse an' swear,
He'll apprehend them, poind their gear;
While they maun stan', wi' aspect humble,
An' hear it a', an' fear and tremble!
I see how folk live that hae riches;
But surely poor folk maun be wretches."
_Lu._ "They're no sae wretched's are wad think;
Tho' constantly on poortith's brink,
They're sae accustom'd wi' the sight,
The view o't gies them little fright....
The dearest comfort o' their lives,
Their grushie weans an' faithfu' wives:
The prattling things are just their pride,
That sweetens a' their fire-side....
That merry day the year begins,
They bar the door on frosty win's;
The nappy reeks wi' mantling ream,
An' sheds a heart-inspiring steam;
The luntin' pipe an' sneeshin-mill
Are handed round wi' right good will;
The cantie auld folks crackin' crouse,
The young anes ranting thro' the house--
My heart has been sae fain to see them
That I, for joy, hae barkit wi' them!"...
By this, the sun was out o' sight,
An' darker gloamin' brought the night:
The bum-clock humm'd wi' lazy drone,
The kye stood rowtin' i' the loan;
When up they gat, an' shook their lugs,
Rejoic'd they were na _men_ but _dogs_;
An' each took aff his several way,
Resolv'd to meet some ither day.

Notes.--_wae_, sorrowful; _maun thole_, must endure, must
put up with; _factor's snash_, agent's abuse; _poind_,
seize upon, sequester; _gear_, property; _hae_, have;
_no sae_, not so; _wad_, would; _poortith_, poverty;
_grushie_, of thriving growth, well-grown; _weans_,
children; _win's_, winds; _nappy_, foaming ale; _reeks_,
smokes; _ream_, cream; _luntin'_, smoking, emitting smoke;
_sneeshin-mill_, snuff box; _cantie_, merry; _crackin'_,
conversing; _crouse_, with good spirits; _ranting_,
running noisily; _fain_, glad; _gloamin'_, twilight;
_bum-clock_, beetle (that booms); _kye_, cows; _rowtin'_,
lowing; _loan_, milking-place; _lugs_, ears.

SCOTTISH (Group 8): EDINBURGH.

The following stanzas are from _The Farmer's Ingle_, a poem by
Robert Fergusson (1750-1774), a native of Edinburgh.

Whan gloming grey out o'er the welkin keeks,
Whan Batie ca's his owsen to the byre,
Whan Thrasher John, sair dung, his barn-door ste