Election Ballad（1 / 2）

election ballad

at the close of the contest for representing the dumfries burghs, 1790.

addressed to r. graham, esq. of fintry.

fintry, my stay in wordly strife,

friend o' my muse, friend o' my life,

are ye as idle's i am?

come then, wi' uncouth kintra fleg,

o'er pegasus i'll fling my leg,

and ye shall see me try him.

but where shall i go rin a ride,

that i may splatter nane beside?

i wad na be uncivil:

in manhood's various paths and ways

there's aye some doytin' body strays,

and i ride like the devil.

thus i break aff wi' a' my birr,

and down yon dark, deep alley spur,

where theologics daunder:

alas! curst wi' eternal fogs,

and damn'd in everlasting bogs,

as sure's the creed i'll blunder!

i'll stain a band, or jaup a gown,

or rin my reckless, guilty crown

against the haly door:

sair do i rue my luckless fate,

when, as the muse an' deil wad hae't,

i rade that road before.

suppose i take a spurt, and mix

amang the wilds o' politics—

electors and elected,

where dogs at court (sad sons of bitches!)

septennially a madness touches,

till all the land's infected.

all hail! drumlanrig's haughty grace,

discarded remnant of a race

once godlike—great in story;

thy forbears' virtues all contrasted,

the very name of douglas blasted,

thine that inverted glory!

hate, envy, oft the douglas bore,

but thou hast superadded more,

and sunk them in contempt;

follies and crimes have stain'd the name,

but, queensberry, thine the virgin claim,

from aught that's good exempt!

i'll sing the zeal drumlanrig bears,

who left the all-important cares

of princes, and their darlings:

and, bent on winning borough touns,

came shaking hands wi' wabster-loons,

and kissing barefit carlins.

combustion thro' our boroughs rode,

whistling his roaring pack abroad

of mad unmuzzled lions;

as queensberry blue and buff unfurl'd,

and westerha' and hopetoun hurled

to every whig defiance.

but cautious queensberry left the war,

th' unmanner'd dust might soil his star,

besides, he hated bleeding:

but left behind him heroes bright,

heroes in caesarean fight,

or ciceronian pleading.

o for a throat like huge mons-meg,

to muster o'er each ardent whig

beneath drumlanrig's banners;

heroes and heroines commix,

all in the field of politics,

to win immortal honours.

m'murdo and his lovely spouse,

(th' enamour'd laurels kiss her brows!)

led on the loves and graces:

she won each gaping burgess' heart,

while he, sub rosa, played his part

amang their wives and lasses.

craigdarroch led a light-arm'd core,

tropes, metaphors, and figures pour,

like hecla streaming thunder:

glenriddel, skill'd in rusty coins,

blew up each tory's dark designs,

and bared the treason under.

in either wing two champions fought;

redoubted staig, who set at nought