A DIALOGUE
BETWEEN WILL LICK-LADLE AND TOM CLEAN-COGUE, TWA SHEPHERDS, WHA WERE FEEDING THEIR FLOCKS ON THE OCHIL-HILLS ON THE DAY THE BATTLE OF SHERIFF-MOOR WAS FOUGHT.
(See [p. 156]. From Ritson's Scottish Songs, ii. 67.)
W. Pray came you here the fight to shun,
Or keep the sheep with me, man?
Or was you at the Sheriff-moor,
And did the battle see, man?
Pray tell whilk of the parties won?5
For well I wat I saw them run,
Both south and north, when they begun,
To pell and mell, and kill and fell,
With muskets snell, and pistols knell,
And some to hell10
Did flee, man.
T. But, my dear Will, I kenna still,
Whilk o' the twa did lose, man;
For well I wat they had good skill
To set upo' their foes, man:15
The red-coats they are train'd, you see,
The clans always disdain to flee,
Wha then should gain the victory?
But the Highland race, all in a brace,
With a swift pace, to the Whigs disgrace,20
Did put to chace
Their foes, man.
W. Now how diel, Tam, can this be true?
I saw the chace gae north, man.
T. But well I wat they did pursue25
Them even unto Forth, man.
Frae Dumblain they ran in my own sight,
And got o'er the bridge with all their might,
And those at Stirling took their flight;
Gif only ye had been wi' me,30
You had seen them flee, of each degree,
For fear to die
Wi' sloth, man.
W. My sister Kate came o'er the hill,
Wi' crowdie unto me, man;35
She swore she saw them running still
Frae Perth unto Dundee, man.
The left wing gen'ral had na skill,
The Angus lads had no good will
That day their neighbours blood to spill;40
For fear by foes that they should lose
Their cogues of brose, all crying woes—
Yonder them goes,
D'ye see, man?