TEA-TABLE MISCELLANY: OR, A COLLECTION OF CHOICE SONGS, SCOTS and ENGLISH, In FOUR VOLUME S. Behold and liften, while the fair E. WALLER. The ELEVENTH EDITION, By ALLAN RAMSAY. VOL. I. LONDON: Printed for and Sold by A. MILLAR, at Buchanan's DEDICATION. To ilka lovely BRITISH Lafs, DEAR LASSES, Y OUR moft humble flave, Wha ne'er to ferve youshall decline, Kneeling, wad your acceptance crave, When he presents this fma' propine. Then take it kindly to your care, Revive it with your tunefu' notes: Its beauties will look fweet and fair, Arifing faftly through your throats. A 3 The The wanton wee thing will rejoice, While kettles dringe on ingles dour, E'en while the tea's fill'd reeking round, May happiness had up your hearts, And warm you lang with loving fires: May pow'rs propitious play their parts, In matching you to your defires. EDINBURGH, January 1, 1724. A. RAMSAY. PREFACE. A LTHO' it be acknowledged, that our Scots tunes have not lengthened variety of mufick, yet they have an agreeable gaiety and natural fweetness, that make them acceptable wherever they are known, not only among ourselves, but in other countries. They are for the most part fo chearful, that on bearing them well play'd or fung, we find a diffi culty to keep ourselves from dancing. What further adds to the esteem we have for them, is, their antiquity, and their being univerfally known. Mankind's love for novelty would appear to contradict this reafon; but will not, when we confider, that for one that can tolerably entertain with vocal or inftrumental mufick, there are fifty that content themselves with the pleasure of bearing, and finging without the trouble of being taught: Now, fuch are not judges of the fine flourishes of new mufick imported from Italy and elsewhere, yet will A. 4 liften |