He went to Edinburgh, a poor country boy, and gradually made his way to competence, and respectability. Whether he was particularly successful as a wigmaker we are not informed; but he found the trade of bookseller infinitely more congenial. Ensconced behind his counter, he could study, write poetry, chat with his customers, and publish his own lucubrations. His first principal poem was "Christ's Kirk on the Green," a continuation of King James's poem of the same name, a rough but graphic and humorous picture of rustic revelry. Its indelicacy is rather gross, but it has all the vigor and humor of Hogarth's pictures. His other poems, containing songs, fables, pastorals, complimentary verses (of which he has a very large number,) stories and epistles are quite numerous. They contain a large amount of trash, with here and there some beautiful gems. He is mainly successful in Scottish verse. His imitations of the English poets are rather poor. "_The Vision_" is one of his ablest productions. The Genius of Scotland is painted "with a touch of the old heroic Muse:" "Great daring darted frae his ee, A braid sword shaggled[58] at his knee, On his left arm a targe; A shining spear filled his right hand, Of stalwart make in bane and brawnd, Of just proportions large; A various rainbow colored plaid Owre his left spaul[59] he threw, Down his braid back, frae his white head The silver wimplers[60] grew. Amazed, I gazed To see, led at command, A stampant and rampant Fierce lion in his hand." [Footnote 58: Dangled.] [Footnote 59: Shoulder.] [Footnote 60: Tassels or dangles.] But his most popular production is the "Gentle Shepherd" which appeared in 1725--and was received with enthusiasm, not only in Scotland, but in England and Ireland. It was much admired by Pope and Gay, the latter of whom, when on a visit to Scotland, with the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry, used to lounge in Allan Ramsay's shop, and obtain from him explanations of the Scottish expressions that he might communicate them to Pope. Allan uniformly had an eye to the "main chance." He sedulously courted the great, and managed to accumulate a good many pennies. "In the mingled spirit of prudence and poetry," he contrived "To theek[61] the out and line the inside Of many a douce and witty pash,[62] And baith ways gathered in the cash." [Footnote 61: Thatch.] [Footnote 62: Head.]