"Wading through glens wi' chorking feet,
Where neither plaid nor kilt could fend[56] the weet;
Yet blithely would he bang out o'er the brae,
And stend o'er burns as light as ony rae,
Hoping the morn[57] might prove a better day."
He went to Edinburgh, a poor country boy, and gradually made his way to competence, and respectability. Whether he was particularly successful as a wigmaker we are not informed; but he found the trade of bookseller infinitely more congenial. Ensconced behind his counter, he could study, write poetry, chat with his customers, and publish his own lucubrations. His first principal poem was "Christ's Kirk on the Green," a continuation of King James's poem of the same name, a rough but graphic and humorous picture of rustic revelry. Its indelicacy is rather gross, but it has all the vigor and humor of Hogarth's pictures. His other poems, containing songs, fables, pastorals, complimentary verses (of which he has a very large number,) stories and epistles are quite numerous. They contain a large amount of trash, with here and there some beautiful gems. He is mainly successful in Scottish verse. His imitations of the English poets are rather poor. "The Vision" is one of his ablest productions. The Genius of Scotland is painted "with a touch of the old heroic Muse:"
"Great daring darted frae his ee,
A braid sword shaggled[58] at his knee,
On his left arm a targe;
A shining spear filled his right hand,
Of stalwart make in bane and brawnd,
Of just proportions large;
A various rainbow colored plaid
Owre his left spaul[59] he threw,
Down his braid back, frae his white head
The silver wimplers[60] grew.
Amazed, I gazed
To see, led at command,
A stampant and rampant
Fierce lion in his hand."
But his most popular production is the "Gentle Shepherd" which appeared in 1725—and was received with enthusiasm, not only in Scotland, but in England and Ireland. It was much admired by Pope and Gay, the latter of whom, when on a visit to Scotland, with the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry, used to lounge in Allan Ramsay's shop, and obtain from him explanations of the Scottish expressions that he might communicate them to Pope.
Allan uniformly had an eye to the "main chance." He sedulously courted the great, and managed to accumulate a good many pennies. "In the mingled spirit of prudence and poetry," he contrived
"To theek[61] the out and line the inside
Of many a douce and witty pash,[62]
And baith ways gathered in the cash."
He was foolish enough however to lay out his gains in the erection of a theatre which was prohibited by the magistrates, as an injury to good morals. So that Allan lost his cash and his pains together, and not only so, but his good temper. This exposed him to much obloquy, in part perhaps deserved. He was somewhat Jacobinical in his views, and hated the Presbyterian clergy, who were afraid of him, as "a half papist," and a some what licentious writer. Hence he lampooned them with great severity, in consequence of which he was pretty well lampooned in his turn.
After all Allan was a true poet, and by no means a bad man. He was honest, kind-hearted and cheerful. Some of his poetical strains indicate much elevation and tenderness of spirit.
In personal appearance he was somewhat peculiar. The following amusing description he has given of himself:
"Imprimis, then, for tallness, I
Am five foot and four inches high,
A black a viced[63] snod dapper fellow,
Nor lean, nor overlaid wi' tallow;
With phiz of a morocco cut,
Resembling a late man of wit,
Auld gabbet Spec[64] who was sae cunning,
To be a dummie ten years running.
Then for the fabric of my mind,
'Tis mair to mirth than grief inclined:
I rather choose to laugh at folly
Than show dislike by melancholy;
Well judging a sour heavy face
Is not the truest mark of grace.
I hate a drunkard or a glutton,
Yet I'm nae fae[65] to wine and mutton:
Great tables ne'er engaged my wishes
When crowded with o'er many dishes;
A healthfu' stomach, sharply set,
Prefers a back-say,[66] piping het,
I never could imagine 't vicious
Of a fair fame to be ambitious;
Proud to be thought a comic poet,
And let a judge of numbers know it,
I court occasion thus to show it."