Ballads on Mr. Herons Election, 1795（1 / 2）

ballads on mr. heron's election, 1795

ballad first

whom will you send to london town,

to parliament and a' that?

or wha in a' the country round

the best deserves to fa' that?

for a' that, and a' that,

thro' galloway and a' that,

where is the laird or belted knight

the best deserves to fa' that?

wha sees kerroughtree's open yett,

(and wha is't never saw that?)

wha ever wi' kerroughtree met,

and has a doubt of a' that?

for a' that, and a' that,

here's heron yet for a' that!

the independent patriot,

the honest man, and a' that.

tho' wit and worth, in either sex,

saint mary's isle can shaw that,

wi' dukes and lords let selkirk mix,

and weel does selkirk fa' that.

for a' that, and a' that,

here's heron yet for a' that!

the independent commoner

shall be the man for a' that.

but why should we to nobles jouk,

and is't against the law, that?

for why, a lord may be a gowk,

wi' ribband, star and a' that,

for a' that, and a' that,

here's heron yet for a' that!

a lord may be a lousy loun,

wi' ribband, star and a' that.

a beardless boy comes o'er the hills,

wi' uncle's purse and a' that;

but we'll hae ane frae mang oursels,

a man we ken, and a' that.

for a' that, and a' that,

here's heron yet for a' that!

for we're not to be bought and sold,

like naigs, and nowt, and a' that.

then let us drink—the stewartry,

kerroughtree's laird, and a' that,

our representative to be,

for weel he's worthy a' that.

for a' that, and a' that,

here's heron yet for a' that!

a house of commons such as he,

they wad be blest that saw that.

ballad second—election day

tune—“fy, let us a' to the bridal.”

fy, let us a' to kirkcudbright,

for there will be bickerin' there;

for murray's light horse are to muster,

and o how the heroes will swear!

and there will be murray, commander,

and gordon, the battle to win;

like brothers they'll stand by each other,

sae knit in alliance and kin.

and there will be black-nebbit johnie,

the tongue o' the trump to them a';

an he get na hell for his haddin',

the deil gets na justice ava.

and there will be kempleton's birkie,

a boy no sae black at the bane;

but as to his fine nabob fortune,

we'll e'en let the subject alane.

and there will be wigton's new sheriff;

dame justice fu' brawly has sped,

she's gotten the heart of a bushby,

but, lord! what's become o' the head?

and there will be cardoness, esquire,

sae mighty in cardoness' eyes;

a wight that will weather damnation,

the devil the prey will despise.

and there will be douglasses doughty,

new christening towns far and near;

abjuring their democrat doings,

by kissin' the-o' a peer:

and there will be folk frae saint mary's

a house o' great merit and note;

the deil ane but honours them highly—

the deil ane will gie them his vote!

and there will be kenmure sae gen'rous,

whose honour is proof to the storm,

to save them from stark reprobation,

he lent them his name in the firm.

and there will be lads o' the gospel,

muirhead wha's as gude as he's true;

and there will be buittle's 'tle,

wha's mair o' the black than the blue.

and there will be logan m'dowall,

sculdudd'ry an' he will be there,

and also the wild scot o' galloway,

sogering, gunpowder blair.

but we winna mention redcastle,

the body, e'en let him escape!

he'd venture the gallows for siller,

an 'twere na the cost o' the rape.

but where is the doggerbank hero,

that made “hogan mogan” to skulk?

poor keith's gane to hell to be fuel,

the auld rotten wreck of a hulk.

and where is our king's lord lieutenant,

sae fam'd for his gratefu' return?

the birkie is gettin' his questions

to say in saint stephen's the morn.

but mark ye! there's trusty kerroughtree,

whose honor was ever his law;