Her Empire is the farmer's ingle side.
And bold is she who may resist her claim,
To cool the boiling pot, or beat the flame,
To scold the children, with unmeaning ire,
And dance her madrigals around the fire.

The canny country laird, whose parlour bein,
Supplies from corner press a tass of gin,
He is her Surgeon, and he knows to heal,
What else were past the reach of human skill:
He is her Lawyer, and he can pursue,
To horn, and caption put the Devils blue.
He is her ghostly father-can console
The deepest, inmost sorrows, of her soul.

And there she goes, all bounding on the leap;
"Hop-step-and-jump"-her feet a cadence keep,
To thumbs, like castanets, all hard and dry,
That snap their music in each passing eye.

Her story is a trite one, nothing new.
Her lover proved like other lovers, true-
True to the one thing needful-all's a dream:
But yet at times, amidst a phrenzied scream,

She meets him in her path way-names his name-
And rates him with her infamy and shame.

That well-known squeaking voice, these frequent gingles,
Bespeak the Ass and follower, "Robin Pringle's.'
No tinker he, with brown Egyptian cheek—
Of pot, or caldron, kettle clout, to speak.
No gipsey Ass is she, of thieving race,

Cadging unchristen'd Brats from place to place,
But o'er the country wide, the brute may pass,
For no one will molest poor Robin's ass.
And Robin sells his ready tin made ware,
At country stedding, and at " village fair."
"You want a + pingle, lassie, weel and guid
""Tis thretty pennies "+-pit it whar it stood!
"Let it abee. I never saw sic fike

"About a pingle-tak' it gin ye like

"Or gin ye dinna like it, ye can let it ly:

"Ye seem inclined to steal 'em, rather than to buy!'

"Run, Robby Dawson, run with all thy might. "Saw ever mortal eyes so strange a sight!

"A creature, as I live, upon a pole,

"With long and hairy arms, and visage droll.
"It nods, it grins, it spreads its little hands,
"Alike on four, or only two it stands.
"A monkey this! I vow-and I declare,
"There's nothing so diverting in the fair!"

*Robin Pringle's." His name was "Wightman ;" but as is customary in the country, he was saddled with a professional appellative. We say 66 Νεφεδηνερςτα χευδ and why not "Robin Pringle's.'

+ A small tin-made goblet, used in Scotland for preparing children's food. Two-pence halfpenny British.

Now, Robby Dawson, with his cousin Jean,
Of magic art the wonted feats have seen.
The shilling, mark'd, at Conjuror's command,
Become a guinea, in the open'd hand.
Again, the guinea,-what amazing skill!-
Commute its form, and there's a shilling still:
Each ready card, by artful hand arranged,
To any card amongst the number changed.
Has seen the pancakes smoking in his hat-
He surely could not be deceived in that ;
And full fledg'd fowls from broken eggs arise,
To flap their wings before the gazer's eyes;
Till Jean, amaz'd, in terror whispers Bob,
The Diel must have a finger in the job.

Heard you these accents, joyous, loud, and clearThese frequent jests bespeak the "Auctioneer." Upon a cart he takes his wonted stand,

The magic yard-wand waving in his hand,

66

A-going, still," his arm is raised on high,
He hangs the signal in the bidder's eye-

Once, twice, he calls-the cheapen'd piece he shews,
Now thrice he thunders, and away it goes.
Along his thumb-ball, Will his pen-knife tries,
And breathes, to see how fast the metal dries,
Whilst Betty thrusts her fingers through a flaw,
And finds, too late, the piece not worth a straw.

Squeak, squall, and grunt-the devil sure is near-
They have him there-and now they have him here.
The" hue and cry" is rais'd amidst the throng,
As through their deepen'd ranks he drives along:
One grasps his tail, and by the pendant lugs,
Hangs a whole bevy of the village dogs.
Back, back, he speeds, and in his headlong plight,.
O'er plates and pottingers maintains his flight.
Smash go the stands the cups in pieces fly-
Whilst Hucksters curse, and ruin'd Pig-wives cry.
The madden'd crowd, like cavern'd wave is toss'd,
All central power of gravitation lost!

This way and that, in fitful swing they heel,
And over booths, in broken fragments reel-
While sacks of apples strew the trodden street,
And scatter'd sweet-meats crumble under feet.
How long had lasted this unseemly fray,
Upon the Muse's troth, I cannot say—

Had not the Sutor's hand, which might not fail,
Stuck like a burdock to the "devil's" tail.

Drive at the "pins," the spinning weapon swings,
Full on the Tailor's shins the cudgel rings,
Who, ill prepared this rude assault to meet,
Effects, in caper droll, his swift retreat.

Upon that wide extended canvass sheet,
What natures shew, what various climates meet.
Millenium state, in ancient song foretold,

When "mild" communion with the "fierce" should hold,
And creatures of all aspects should agree,
To spend their days in peace and jollity,
The lion and the jackall should consort,
The bear and monkey join in harmless sport,
The eagle with the jackdaw build his nest,
And kites, with chattering magpyes sink to rest.
Here Robby Dawson is again arrested,
And long with cousin Jean th'affair's contested :-
"There might be danger, and there must be money;
"A groat's a groat-these Tygers are uncanny;
"And that half-human face, with eyes so glaring,
"Of man or woman's flesh would not be sparing.'
This prologue past-ascends the ladder stair,
This unassured, and all but trembling pair.
The double groat a ready entrance shews;
So down the inner-side the couple goes;
But fear is fear, whate'er the "Stoic" mean;
And Rob had scarcely time to rally Jean,
When in the keeper stalks, with lengthen'd pole,
And eyes with whisky burning like a coal;
"This tyger from Bengal, (he is a male)
"Can shew you sixteen feet from snout to tail;
"When stirr'd up with the pole, and turn'd about,
"He measures eighteen full from tail to snout!
"There is no danger, madam, do not fly—
"He cannot eat you, can he? with his eye.
"This is the lion, madam-hear him roar-
66 Nay, do not start, he cannot burst the door;

66

Though fierce in aspect, and though strong in paws,
"You soon shall see my head within his jaws.
"The elephant, within that cage abides-
"That brute, on which the eastern Indian rides-
66 He knows his master-stoops to let him on-
"Laments his death, with many a piteous moan-
"That there long snout, the Emperor of noses,
"That rope of twisted skin, we term probosies;
"With this he can perform all human work-
"Cut with a knife, or figure with a fork,
"Can lift a sixpence, if you please to try him,

66

(You need not fear, a child may venture nigh him),
"Down on your knees, good Delchi,' learn to pray,
"Whate'er the wise may write or fools may say.”
Thus, round the ark, our "Noah" press'd along,
His various "beasts and beastesses among"-
Shew'd the opossum, with her kennell❜d young,
All from her under parts, in wallets hung:-
The naked ostrich, stalking in her cage,―
The stern hyæna, ever in a rage,-

It was long a received opinion, that the elephant and the elk had no knee joints, and therefore slept in a standing position leaning against a tree, which, being previously cut almost through, often occasioned, by its sudden fall, their capture.

The monkey tribe, all mimic mirth and chatter-
The Greenland bear, delighting, still in water-
With more of lesser craft, than fits to say,
In this our free and easy off-hand way.

The Pig-wives outspread ware, of every hue-
Pots, plates, and tea-cups, yellow, white, and blue-
Some bottom'd in each other, tower on high,
And some in separate exhibition ly—

Those gilt around the edge, in view remain; And these are cased in straw" but these are plain.” Around this gay temptation, wives are prigging; And even maidens 66 sometimes go a pigging." "This bowl for half the price must needs be given"A dish which will not ring, of course, is riven. "From these the edging is rubb'd off, you see. "The rest were sold at four, they're yours at three.” Thus prig and lie, alternate wife and dame, Without or sense of honesty or shame.

But stoups are needed, tubs, and pails, and knaps, For all the old are "gisand' into staps; So to supply this wooden waste, at hand, The Cooper piles the treasures of his stand. "Yet who would purchase wood so very new, "This bottom here is fairly knotted through"This wants an iron hoop around the lip, "The fast'ning here will manifestly slip. "'Tis strange the good old fashion should have fled, "When double-girded' possing tubs' were made."

And children must be shoed, the old gudeman
Deems shoes in summer an unhealthy plan,
But still, as winter comes, with prudent care,
He makes his purchase at the “Rudesmas” fair.
Arrested brats, around their Grandsire kneel,
Who takes their measurement, from toe to heel
The "met-stick" pair'd away to suit the size,
He bids, at length, th' impatient captives rise,
And wait his coming, from to-morrow's fair,
When each barefooted imp shall have “ a pair.”
Along the market sped, he lingers long,
The lesser and the larger " pairs" among-
Inserts his measurement in many a shoe,

Which will perchance-perchance which will not do-
Bends back the soles, in testy tradesman's sight,
And sees if all the inner seams be tight-
Then, at the lowest farthing stands and stares-
The present prices, with the past, compares,
His money clinks before the Seller's eyes,
And asks, at each advance," will that suffice?"
Then bundles up his purchase in a bag,
And lays it o'er the shoulders of his Nag.

And now the farmer fees his harvest band,
With ready arles crossing many a hand;
The sweet-meats circulate with better will,
And Huckster Maggy coffs her dinner gill.
The boyish mouth with London candy reeks,
And gingerbread sits painted on his cheeks;
And dogs run masterless amidst the crowd,
And speak, with many a howl, their loss aloud.

But evening comes, at last, array'd in blue ; And of their home, reminds the sober few, Full on the husband's fancy paints the wife, In all the kindliness of wedded life

The mother recollects her infant band,

And stores her pocket from the neighbouring stand.

Along that hedgeway row, the sparrows hop,
And pannier'd Asses here the thistles crop ;
The road is narrow, and enclosed with care,
So to this well known pass the boys repair-
This market eve, the rogues escaped from task,
Here take their stand, the " market fair" to ask.

And first a douce old Grauny heaves in sight-
The sail long doubtful, in the dubious light,
But ever as she nears, with motion slow,
Her" pocket-magazine" begins to show.
A " prize a-head," each knowing urchin cries-
"And to the water loaded," each replies.
And now-nor entreaty, nor threats succeed-
'Tis theirs to rifle, whilst 'tis hers to plead.

A brace of lovers next advancing, seem
One broad two-headed monster in the gleam.
But safer far, the prudent Pirates know,
To let this love-cemented couple go.

Now shooting on, now cutting short his pace-
Maintaining still, from side to side, a race-

Now pulling up into a hiccup' sudden

Then dashing forward, all his length the mud in,
Cursing, in broken syllables, his hap

Then 'gainst the sloethorn hedgeway falling slap,
Advances one in all the pride of folly-
Who is, himself allows, a little jolly-
But murmurs still, at each succeeding fall,
"I can't be drunk-I had no drink at all."

The laugh is loud, amidst the giggling throng,

As through their ranks he swings and tides along,
With ready staff, lets drive at urchin near,
Receiving still the payment on his rear.

And "Crombie" next all rope direction scorns,
But tosses up her way with bridled horns.
No Fifish runt--she scorns with " Jock" to plead
But shews at every pull "the Ayrshire breed;"
Contests the onward line, at each advance,
And leads her leader many an idle dance.
No season this to plead for market fair-
So 'tis resolv'd the struggling brute to scare..

"The Auld Guidman!" resounds from side to side.
The Auld Guidman can scarce his "Maggy" ride-
But nods, and veers, and rights anew, and then
Applies the spurless heel with might and main-
Grasps at the bag, well strutted out with shoes,
Discussing to himself "the market news.'
Then rhyming o'er some catch, or Scottish glee-
"For Auld Lang Syne," or "Sandy o'er the Lea."