The Scottish songs - National Library of Scotland

588
Like them whase daughters, now-a-days,
Like swine, are bought and sold, O :
Yet my fair body it shall keep
An honest heart within, O ;
And for twice fifty thousand crowns,
I value not a prin, O.
I use nae gums upon my hair,
Nor chains about my neck, O,
Nor shining rings upon my hands.
My fingers straight to deck, O.
But for that lad to me shall fa',
And I have grace to wed, O,
I'll keep a braw that's worth them a'
I mean my silken snood, O.*
If canny fortune give to me
The man I dearly love, O,
Though we want gear, I dinna care,
My hands I can improve, O ;
Expecting for a blessing still
Descending from above, O ;
Then we'll embrace, and sweetly kiss.
Repeating tales of love, O.f
BANNOCKS O' BARLEY.
Tune—Bannocks o' Barley.
Bannocks o' bear-meal, bannocks o' barley
Here's to the Highlandman's bannocks o' barley I
* The silken snood, which occurs so frequently in Scottish poetry, was
a narrow ribbon worn in former times by maidens of the himibler rank.
As it was always abandoned on the loss of maidenly reputation, and changed
for a curch, or cap, in case of matrimony, it has come to serve in poetry
as the emblem of maidenhood.
"t From the Tea-Table Miscellany, where it is marked as being an old
song even at the time of the publication of that work. <
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