It was a toper one Saturday night, (The fire shines bright on yon Ale-house wall,) And he would spend a shilling so bright, For strong liquor will still be lord of all. Blithely he posted with jolly red face, To where the fire shines on yon Ale-house wall, But that night was scarce o’er when in piteous case, He found that strong liquor was lord of all. He pawned his shirt and his breeches both, Where the fire shines bright on yon Ale-house wall; He then did swear a terrible oath, For ire that liquor was lord of all. In a hurry home he naked ran From where the fire shines on yon ale-house wall; The night was too cold for a naked man, Tho’ strong liquor was still the lord of all. His limbs were cold, though his face was red As the fire that shines on yon ale-house wall; He craved for admission, his wife was in bed, For strong liquor was there the lord of all. She looked through the window and bade him go Where the fire shines bright on yon ale-house wall; Or she on his hot skull would throw The liquor that is not lord of all! He shivering ran with might and main, To where the fire shines on yon ale-house wall; But the door was locked he bawled in vain, For strong liquor was there the lord of all. When morning came, quite dead he lay, Close by the door in yon ale-house wall; The frost his blood had chilled they say, And strong liquor is still the lord of all. Now all ye topers when ye view The fire shining bright on an ale-house wall; Pray for his soul who once did rue That strong liquor was e’er the lord of all. This ballad is from _The Lay of the Poor Fiddler_, by an admirer of Walter Scott. B. and R. Crosby & Co., London, 1814. This scarce little volume of 167 pages, is a tolerably close Parody of “_The Lay of the Last Minstrel_.” It is, like the original, in six Cantos, and is accompanied by numerous notes, in which the legendary lore, and archæological learning of Scott, are humourously and ingeniously burlesqued. The opening lines of each Canto are modelled upon those of Scott’s poem, a few extracts may be given:―― INTRODUCTION.