 | The Works of Thomas Love Peacock |  |
139
CHORUS OF NORTHUMBRIANS ON THE PROHIBITION OF SCOTCH ONE-POUND NOTES IN ENGLAND.
March, March, Make-rags of Borrowdale,
Whether ye promise to bearer or order;
March, march, Take-rag and Bawbee-tail,
All the Scotch flimsies must over the border:
Vainly you snarl anent
New Act of Parliament,
Bidding you vanish from dairy and “laurder;”
Dogs, you have had your day,
Down tail and slink away;
You'll pick no more bones on this side of the border.
Whether ye promise to bearer or order;
March, march, Take-rag and Bawbee-tail,
All the Scotch flimsies must over the border:
Vainly you snarl anent
New Act of Parliament,
Bidding you vanish from dairy and “laurder;”
Dogs, you have had your day,
Down tail and slink away;
You'll pick no more bones on this side of the border.
Hence to the hills where your fathers stole cattle;
Hence to the glens where they skulked from the law;
Hence to the moors where they vanished from battle,
Crying, “De'il tak the hindmost,” and “Charlie's awa'.”
Metal is clanking here;
Off with your banking gear;
Off, ere you're paid “to Old Harry or order:”
England shall many a day
Wish you'd been far away,
Long ere your kite's-wings flew over the border.
Hence to the glens where they skulked from the law;
Hence to the moors where they vanished from battle,
Crying, “De'il tak the hindmost,” and “Charlie's awa'.”
140
Off with your banking gear;
Off, ere you're paid “to Old Harry or order:”
England shall many a day
Wish you'd been far away,
Long ere your kite's-wings flew over the border.
March, march, Ettrick and Teviotdale,
Pay-the word, lads, and gold is the law,
March, march, Eskdale and Liddesdale;
Tagdale, and Ragdale, and Bobdale, and a':
Person or purse, they say;
Purse you have none to pay;
Your persons who'll deal with, except the Recorder?
Yet, to retrieve your freaks,
You can just leave your breeks;
You'll want them no more when you're over the border.
Pay-the word, lads, and gold is the law,
March, march, Eskdale and Liddesdale;
Tagdale, and Ragdale, and Bobdale, and a':
Person or purse, they say;
Purse you have none to pay;
Your persons who'll deal with, except the Recorder?
Yet, to retrieve your freaks,
You can just leave your breeks;
You'll want them no more when you're over the border.
High on a pole in the vernal sun's baskings,
When April has summoned your ragships away,
We'll hoist up a pair of your best galligaskins,
Entwined with young thistles to usher in May;
Types of Scotch “copital,”
They shall o'ertop-it-all,
Stripped off from bearer and brushed into order;
Then if you tarry, rogues,
Nettles you'll get for brogues,
And to the Rogue's March be drummed o'er the border.
When April has summoned your ragships away,
We'll hoist up a pair of your best galligaskins,
Entwined with young thistles to usher in May;
Types of Scotch “copital,”
They shall o'ertop-it-all,
Stripped off from bearer and brushed into order;
Then if you tarry, rogues,
Nettles you'll get for brogues,
And to the Rogue's March be drummed o'er the border.
Not the Cumberland Borrodaile, but the genuine ancient name of that district of Scotland, whatever it be called now, from which was issued the first promise-to-pay, that was made with the express purpose of being broken.
| The Works of Thomas Love Peacock | |