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Rhymes and Recollections of a Hand-Loom Weaver

By William Thom. Edited, with a Biographical Sketch, by W. Skinner
Thom, William (1798?-1848)

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RHYMES.

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GLAMOURIE; OR, MESMERISM AS WE HAVE IT AT INVERURY.

[_]

Air—“Aiken Drum.”

A carlie cam' to our toun,
An' bade our drumster rair an' soun',
Till a' the fouk ran rinnin' doun
T' see fat they could see.
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Fat think ye o' the carlie,
The glowrin' fykin' carlie,
The fell auld-fashion'd carlie,
Wi' a' his glamourie?
Some cam' wi' faith, some cam' wi' fear,
An' monie cam' frae far an' near,
Wi' nae a few that cam' to sneer,
An' oh, they lookit slee!
An' bureght roun' the carlie,
An' wonnert at the carlie,
An' cried “Fa are ye carlie?
An' fat a' can ye dee?”
He took my auntie by the thumb,
An' grippet aye my auntie's thumb,
An' aye he squeez'd my auntie's thumb,
An' glowr'd intill her e'e.
Out fie the fu'some carlie!
The ill contrivin' carlie!
He fumm'lt aye ahint her lug,
An' ca'ed her “Miss-Meree!”
He faun' ayont the tailor's tap,
An' cam', gweed life! on sic a knap!
His Meggy's heart it flew an' lap,
For weel I wot kent she.
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But aye the rubbin' carlie,
He blew an' blastit sairly,
Till legs an' armies fairly
Stood stark like ony tree!
Ye Debtors deft,—ye Cravers keen,
Ye Lovers, too, wha roam alane,
Ne'er look ower lang in ither's een,
In case o' what might be!
For gin ye meet a carlie,
A keekin' cunnin' carlie,
Ye yet may rue richt sairly
The glamour o' his e'e.
 

A story was current at Inverury that a creditor (craver) had been mesmerized, and left asleep by his “debtor deft.”

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