“For far-off fowls hae feathers fair,
     And fools o’ change are fain;
     But I hae tried the Border Knight,
     And I’ll try him yet again.”

     Says black Joan frae Crichton Peel,
     A Carlin stoor and grim. 
     “The auld Gudeman or young Gudeman,
     For me may sink or swim;

     [Footnote 3:  Captain Patrick Millar of Dalswinton.]

     [Footnote 4:  The King.]

     [Footnote 5:  The Prince of Wales.]

     For fools will prate o’ right or wrang,
     While knaves laugh them to scorn;
     But the Soger’s friends hae blawn the best,
     So he shall bear the horn.”

     Then whisky Jean spak owre her drink,
     “Ye weel ken, kimmers a’,
     The auld gudeman o’ London court,
     His back’s been at the wa’;

     “And mony a friend that kiss’d his caup
     Is now a fremit wight;
     But it’s ne’er be said o’ whisky Jean—­
     We’ll send the Border Knight.”

     Then slow raise Marjory o’ the Lochs,
     And wrinkled was her brow,
     Her ancient weed was russet gray,
     Her auld Scots bluid was true;

     “There’s some great folk set light by me,
     I set as light by them;
     But I will send to London town
     Wham I like best at hame.”

     Sae how this mighty plea may end,
     Nae mortal wight can tell;
     God grant the King and ilka man
     May look weel to himsel.

Election Ballad For Westerha’

     Tune—­“Up and waur them a’, Willie.”

     The Laddies by the banks o’ Nith
     Wad trust his Grace^1 wi a’, Jamie;
     But he’ll sair them, as he sair’d the King—­
     Turn tail and rin awa’, Jamie.

     [Footnote 1:  The fourth Duke of Queensberry, who supported the
     proposal that, during George III’s illness, the Prince of Wales
     should assume the Government with full prerogative.]

     Chorus.—­Up and waur them a’, Jamie,
     Up and waur them a’;
     The Johnstones hae the guidin o’t,
     Ye turncoat Whigs, awa’!

     The day he stude his country’s friend,
     Or gied her faes a claw, Jamie,
     Or frae puir man a blessin wan,
     That day the Duke ne’er saw, Jamie. 
     Up and waur them, &c.

     But wha is he, his country’s boast? 
     Like him there is na twa, Jamie;
     There’s no a callent tents the kye,
     But kens o’ Westerha’, Jamie. 
     Up and waur them, &c.

     To end the wark, here’s Whistlebirk,
     Lang may his whistle blaw, Jamie;
     And Maxwell true, o’ sterling blue;
     And we’ll be Johnstones a’, Jamie. 
     Up and waur them, &c.

Prologue Spoken At The Theatre Of Dumfries

     On New Year’s Day Evening, 1790.