The Merry Muses of Caledonia/Dainty Davie

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The Merry Muses of Caledonia by Robert Burns Dainty Davie

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DAINTY DAVY.

This appears in Herd's collection (1776). It refers to an incident of the Covenanting times. Mr. David Williamson, a minister of the Covenant, being pursued by the dragoons, took refuge in Lady Cherrytree's house, who, the better to conceal him, put him to bed beside her daughter, whom he got with child, to the great scandal of the Puritans of that period. In a letter to Thomson, Burns refers to its "wit and humour entitling it to a place in any collection."

O leeze me on his curly pow,  Bonie Davie, dainty Davie;  Leeze me on his curly pow,  He was my dainty Davie.   Being pursued by the dragoons, Within my bed he was laid down, And weel I wat he was worth his room,  My ain dear dainty Davie. Leeze me, &c. My minnie laid him at my back, I trow he lay na lang at that, But turn'd, and in a verra crack  Produc'd a dainty Davie. Leeze me, &c. Then in the field among the pease, Behin' the house o' Cherrytrees, Again he wan atweesh my thies,  And creesh'd them weel wi' gravy. Leeze me, &c. But had I goud, or had I land, I should be a' at his command; I'll ne'er forget what he pat i' my hand,  It was sic a dainty Davie. Leeze me, &c.