Then let us pray that come it may (As come it will for a' that), That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, Shall bear the gree, an' a' that: For a' that, an' a' that, It's comin yet for a' that, That man to man, the world o'er, Shall brithers be for a' that. LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER Last May a braw wooer cam down the lang glen, And sair wi' his love he did deave me: I said there was naething I hated like men; The deuce gae wi'm to believe me, believe me, The deuce gae wi'm to believe me! He spak o' the darts in my bonie black een, And vowed for my love he was dyin: I said he might die when he liket for Jean; The Lord forgie me for lyin, for lyin, The Lord forgie me for lyin! A weel-stoeket mailen, himsel for the laird, And marriage aff-hand, were his proffers: I never loot on that I kenned it or cared; But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers, But thought I might hae waur offers. But what wad ye think? in a fortnight or less-- The Deil tak his taste to gae near her!-- He up the Gate Slack to my black cousin Bess: Guess ye how, the jad, I could bear her, could bear her! Guess ye how, the jad, I could bear her! But a' the niest week as I petted wi' care, I gaed to the tryste o' Dalgarnock, And wha but my fine fickle lover was there? I glowered as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock, I glowered as I'd seen a warlock. But owre my left shouther I gae him a blink, Lest neebours might say I was saucy: My wooer he capered as he'd been in drink, And vowed I was his dear lassie, dear lassie, And vowed I was his dear lassie! I spiered for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet, Gin she had recovered her hearin, And how her new shoon fit her auld shachled feet-- But, heavens, how he fell a swearin, a swearin! But, heavens, how he fell a swearin! He begged, for Gudesake, I wad be his wife, Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow; So, e'en to preserve the poor body in life, I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow, I think I maun wed him to-morrow! O, WERT THOU IN THE CAULD BLAST O, wert thou in the cauld blast, On yonder lea, on yonder lea, My plaidie to the angry airt, I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee; Or did misfortune's bitter storms Around thee blaw, around thee blaw, Thy bield should be my bosom, To share it a', to share it a'. Or were I in the wildest waste, Sae black and bare, sae black and bare, The desert were a paradise If thou wert there, if thou wert there; Or were I monarch of the globe, Wi' thee to reign, wi' thee to reign, The brightest jewel in my crown Wad be my queen, wad be my queen. ERASMUS DARWIN FROM THE BOTANIC GARDEN [PROCUL ESTE, PROFANI]