Blae berries, or, The highland laird's courtship to a farmer's daughter/The Humble Beggar

THE HUMBLE BEGGAR.

IN Scotland there liv’d a humble beggar,
He had neither house, nor hauld, nor hame,
But he was well liked by every body,
And they gae him sunkets to rax his wame.

A nivefow o’ meal, and a handfow of groats,
And a dad o’ (illegible text)
Cauld parage, or the licking o’ plates,
Wad made him as blythe as a beggar could be.

This beggar was a humble beggar,
The feint a bit o’ pride had he,
He wad a ta’en his a’ms in a bicker,
Frae gentleman or poor bodie.

His wallâts a-hint and a-fore did hang,
In as good order as wallets cou’d be ,
A lang kail-gully hang down by his side,
And a meikle nout-horn to roar on had he.

It happened ill, it happened warse,
It happened sae that he did die,
And wha do ye think was at his late wake,
But lads and lasses o’ high degree.

Some were blythe, and some were sad,
And some they play’d at blind Harie;
But suddenly up started the auld Carle,
I red you good fo’ks tak care o’ me.

Up gat Kate that sat i’ the nook,
Vow kimmer, and how do ye?
Up he gat, and ca’d her a limmer,
And ruggit and tuggit her cockernonie.

They houkit his grave is Doukit’s kirk-yard,
E’en far frae the companie;
But when they were gawn to lay him i’the ⟨yird⟩
The feint a dead nor dead was he.

And when they brought him to Doukit’s ⟨kirk yard⟩,
He dunted on the kist, the boards did flee,
And when they were gawn to lay him i’the ⟨yird⟩
In fell the kist, and out lap he.

He cried, I’m cauld, I’m unca cauld,
Fu’ fast ran the fo’k, and fu’ fast ran he,
But he was first hame at his ain ingle-side,
And helpit to drink his ain dirgie.

FINIS.