Poems and Songs, Humorous and Satirical :: :: University of Virginia Library

Poems and Songs, Humorous and Satirical

By Alexander Rodger

Rodger, Alexander (1784-1846)

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A WORD OF ADVICE

A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE GREENOCK ADVERTISER,

HIGHLAND POLITICIANS.

SHAVING BANKS;

THE DEVIL'S VISIT TO THE ISLANDS OF JAPAN.

THE WAEFU' LAMENTATION

SANCT MUNGO.

“HOUT AWA', JOHNNIE, LAD!”

LINES

“THE BILL, THE WHOLE BILL, AND NOTHING BUT THE BILL.”

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SANCT MUNGO.

[_]

Set to Music, and arranged as a Glee for three voices, by John Turnbull, Esq., and published by J. Brown, Glasgow.

Sanct Mungo wals ane famous sanct,
And ane cantye carle wals hee,
Hee drank o' ye Molendinar Burne,
Quhan bettere hee culdna prie;

Zit quhan hee culd gette strongere cheere,
Hee neuer wals wattere drye,
Bot dranke o' ye streame o' ye wimpland worme,
And loot ye burne rynne bye.

Sanct Mungo wals ane merry sanct,
And merrylye hee sang;
Quhaneuer hee liltit uppe hys sprynge,
Ye very Firre Parke rang;

292

Bot thoch hee weele culd lilt and synge,
And mak' sweet melodye,
Hee chauntit aye ye bauldest straynes,
Quhan prymed wi' barlye-bree.

Sanct Mungo wals ane godlye sanct,
Farre-famed for godlye deedis,
And grete delyte hee daylye took
Inn countand owre hys beadis;

Zit I, Sanct Mungo's youngeste sonne,
Can count als welle als hee;
Bot ye beadis quilk I like best to count
Are ye beadis o' barlye-bree.

Sanct Mungo wals ane jollie sanct:—
Sa weele hee lykit gude zil,
Thatte quhyles hee staynede hys quhyte vesture,
Wi' dribblands o' ye still;

Bot I, hys maist unwordye sonne,
Haue gane als farre als hee,
For ance I tynd my garmente skirtis,
Throuch lufe o' barlye-bree.

The Patron Saint of the Glasgow Cathedral; and the Molendinar Burn, alluded to in the third line, is the Glasgow Lethe that separates the two great repositories of mortality—the church-yard of the Cathedral and the Necropolis.