Tax'd dogs' garland/The Tax'd Dogs' Garland
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THE
TAX'D DOGS' GARLAND.
UPON the road the other day,
I chanc'd to overtake Sir,
Two country-men upon the road,
who great complaint did make Sir.
One of the two right mournful ſaid,
oh! have you heard the news, Sir,
A heavy tax is laid on dogs,
which are of ſo great uſe, Sir.
Six ſhillings now we all muſt pay,
if that a dog we keep, Sir,
Poor people cannot this afford,
tho' they ſhoud loſe their ſheep, Sir.
I'm ſeventy years or thereabout,
my neighbour's ſixty ſax, Sir,
But never ſaw the like of this,
to lay on dogs a tax, Sir.
Wow man, I think, there's mony ways,
to clear the nation's load, Sir,
Than to oppreſs a poor man ſo,
and tax his very dog, sir.
This morning, or I came frae hame,
I ſaw three collies die, Sir
Their owner's could not pay the tax,
tho't had been but ſhillings three, Sir.
O if they had but come to me,
or yet to Madge, my wife, Sir,
This year's taxation we would pay'd,
to ſav'd their collies life,
My heart was wae to ſee the brutes
ſhare ſic untimely fate, Sir,
The country ſure muſt be right poor,
when they uphold the ſtate, Sir.
There's mony dogs, I frankly own,
that‘s uſeleſs for to keep, Sir;
But country collies uſeful are,
for herding of our sheep, Sir.
My collie is an unco beaſt,
and meikle ſenſe he has, Sir,
And when the ſheep ſtrays o'er far aff,
he gi'es them mony a chaſe, Sir.
I canna want my collie dog,
mair than meat to my wime, Sir;
For turning either horſe or nout,
he is a hunter fine, Sir.
He never hunts them by the head,
but ay grips at their heels, Sir;
And gathers ſafely a‘ the flock,
when running thro‘ the fields, Sir.
He's careful o‘ the houſe at night,
and when that any ill, Sir,
Is likely for to come on me,
he barks baith loud and ſhrill, Sir.
Were't not for him the robbers ſure
would take from me my gear, Sir;
But collie gies a lively bark,
when danger it is near, Sir.
At kirk or fair there's ne'er a dog,
wi‘ collie can compare, Sir,
The other day, upon the road,
he catch‘d a running hare, Sir,
It's very right that uſeleſs dogs,
ſhould pay a handſome tax, Sir;
Each one ſhould twenty ſhillings pay,
If collies muſt pay ſax, Sir.
The happy time will yet arrive,
I hope the time to ſee. Sir,
When uſeleſs dogs will all be hang‘d,
and collie dogs gae free, Sir.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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