SEND THE COG ABOUT.
[_]
AIR,—“The bold Dragoon.”
Hugh Merry and John Cherry
Met upon a simmer morn,
To drink a pint of perry
At the sign of Plenty's horn.
There Bauldy Black and Watty White,
And Barny Blue, the dyester's brither,
Wi' Geordie Green and Gibbie Gray,
Were sittin' singin' a' thegither—
“Ca' roun' the bicker, boys,
Aye let's pree the reamin' cappie;
Care flees frae mornin' joys:
Send the cog about.”
The swats gaed roun' like drift,
And the crack grew loud and dreich,
But the birkies wadna lift,
Although the sun was wearin' heich.
Ilk fancy was sae weel inspired,
That every tongue grew glib and roarous,
And aye's they took the ither waucht,
They lilted up the merry chorus,
Ca' roun' the bicker, &c.
The dyester's wife cam' doun,
Shorin' baith to scart and strike,
For aye she swore by a' aboon
That she wad quickly skail the byke.
She claucht her dearie's purple pow,
Misca'in' a' for graceless sinners,
And she haul'd him owre the table straucht,
And a' the dishes brak to flinners—
Sayin'—“Ca' roun' your bicker, boys,
Pree now your reamin' cappie;
I'se gi'e ye mornin' joys:
Send the cog about!”
The host cam' ben fu' big,
To appease the spouse's ire;
But she claucht his braw new wig
And flung 't wi' vengeance on the fire.
The cronies slade out ane by ane,
The dyester's menseless wife misca'in',
While the landlord, in his wrath,
Baith forgat his graith and lawin'.
Spoken.—And this for ance put an end to the merry Chorus of—
“Ca' roun' the bicker, boys,
Aye let's pree the reamin' cappie;
Care flees frae mornin' joys:
Send the cog about.”
