IV. the Jollie Beggar

There was a jollie beggar, and a begging he was boun, And he tuik up his quarters into a landart toun. And we'll gang nae mair a roving Sae late into the nicht; And we'll gang nae mair a roving, boys, Let the moon shine naer sae bricht.

He wad neither ly in barn, nor yet wad he in byre; But in ahint the ha door, or els afore the fyre, And we'll gang, &c.

The beggars bed was made at een wi gude clean straw and hay, And in ahint the ha dore, and there the beggar lay. And we'll gang, &c.

Upraise the gude man's dochter and for to bar the door, And there she saw the beggar standing i' the floor, And we'll gang, &c.

He tuke the lassie in his arms, and to the bed he ran; O hooly, hooly wi me Sir! Ye'll waken our gude man. And we'll gang, &c.

The beggar was a cunnin loon, and ne'er a word he spak Till he gat his turn doon, syne he began to crack. And we'll gang, &c.

Is there ony dogs into this toun? Maiden tell me trew. And what wad ye do wi them, my hinny and my dow? And we'll gang, &c.

They'll rive a my meal pocks, and do me mickle wrang, —O dool for the doing o't! Are ye the poor man? And we'll gang, &c.

Then she tuik up the meal pocks, and flang them at the wa. The deil gae wi the meal pocks, my maidenhead and a. And we'll gang, &c.

I tuik ye for some gentleman, at least the laird o Brodie. O dool for the doing o't! Are ye the poor bodie? And we'll gang, &c.

He tuik the lassie in his arms, and gae her kisses three, And four and twenty hunder mark to pay the nurice fee. And we'll gang, &c.

He tuik a horn frae his side, and blew baith loud and shrill, And four-and-twenty belted knights came skipping our the hill. And we'll gang, &c.

And he tuik out his little knife, loot a his duddies fa, And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a. And we'll gang, &c.

The beggar was a cliver loon, and he lap shoulder-hicht, O ay for sicken quarters as I gat yesternicht. And we'll gang, &c.