Whase cheerfu’ face our feasts did grace—
A sweet and merry lad.”
The Border pipers were supposed by their countrymen to excel in musical skill and graceful execution those of the Highlands, and they commanded a higher degree of respect than wandering musicians. They traversed the country at particular seasons, chiefly in spring, for the purpose of collecting seed corn—John Hastie apparently was too dignified for this, as witness the reference to playing “for bear, for pease, or ates”—and they were the last remains of the minstrelsy of the Borders. “Like a’ the girning piper race” shows that the pipe then commonly used in Jedburgh was the Lowland, as that inflated with the mouth prevented “girning.” Either John played the latter, or he had such command of his features that he did not allow his music to deprive him of his pleasant looks.
The village of Kilbarchan, too, had its piper. He was a notable person in his day, and also proved himself worthy of the attention of the poet. It was the habit in Kilbarchan for the piper to play a march called “The Maiden Trace” before a bride as previous to her marriage she walked with her maidens three times round the church. “Trixie,” in the following epitaph, which was first printed in 1706, refers to a then popular song:—
“The Epitaph of Habbie Simson
Who on his drone bore bony flags
He made his cheeks as red as Crimson
And babbed when, he blew the Bags.
“Kilbarchan now may say, alas!
For she hath lost her Game and Grace