_Rog._ Kind Patie, now fair fa' your honest heart, Ye're ay sae cadgy, and have sic an art To hearten ane: For now as clean's a leek, Ye've cherish'd me since ye began to speak. Sae for your pains, I'll make ye a propine. My mother, (rest her saul!) she made it fine, A tartan plaid, spun of good hawslock woo, Scarlet and green the sets, the borders blew, With spraings like gowd and siller, cross'd with black; I never had it yet upon my back. Well are ye wordy o't, wha have sae kind Red up my revel'd doubts, and clear'd my mind. _Pat._ Well, hald ye there;--and since ye've frankly made A present to me of your braw new plaid, My flute's be your's, and she too that's sae nice Shall come a will, gif ye'll tak my advice. _Rog._ As ye advise, I'll promise to observ't; But ye maun keep the flute, ye best deserv't. Now tak it out, and gie's a bonny spring; For I'm in tift to hear you play and sing. _Pat._ But first we'll tak a turn up to the height, And see gif all our flocks be feeding right. Be that time, bannocks, and a shave of cheese, Will make a breakfast that a laird might please; Might please the daintiest gabs, were they sae wise, To season meat with health instead of spice. When we have tane the grace-drink at this well, I'll whistle fine, and sing t'ye like mysell. [_Exeunt._ _ACT I.--SCENE II._ A flowrie howm between twa verdant braes, Where lasses use to wash and spread their claiths, A trotting burnie wimpling thro' the ground, Its channel peebles, shining, smooth and round; Here view twa barefoot beauties clean and clear; First please your eye, next gratify your ear, While Jenny what she wishes discommends, And Meg with better sense true love defends. PEGGY _and_ JENNY. _Jenny._ Come, Meg, let's fa' to wark upon this green, The shining day will bleech our linen clean; The water's clear, the lift unclouded blew, Will make them like a lilly wet with dew. _Peg._ Go farer up the burn to Habby's How, Where a' the sweets of spring and summer grow; Between twa birks, out o'er a little lin The water fa's, and makes a sing and din; A pool breast-deep beneath, as clear as glass, Kisses with easy whirles the bordring grass: We'll end our washing while the morning's cool, And when the day grows het, we'll to the pool, There wash our sells--'tis healthfu' now in May, And sweetly cauler on sae warm a day. _Jen._ Daft lassie, when we're naked, what'll ye say, Gif our twa herds come brattling down the brae, And see us sae? that jeering fallow Pate Wad taunting say, Haith, lasses, ye're no blate.