Weel mounted on his grey mare, Meg, Tam fkelpit on thro' dub and mire, Whiles holding faft his gude blue bonnet; Whare ghaifts and houlets nightly cry. By this time he was crofs the ford, And near the thorn, aboon the well, Before Before him Doon pours all his floods; Near and more near the thunders roll: Thro' ilka bore the beams were glancing; Infpiring bold John Barleycorn! Wi' ufquabae we'll face the devil! The swats fae ream'd in Tammie's noddle, Warlocks Warlocks and witches in a dance; Nae cotillion brent new frae France, A winnock-bunker in the east, There fat auld Nick, in fhape o' beast ; Coffins flood round, like open preffes, Each in its cauld hand held a light. By which heroic Tam was able A murderer's banes in gibbet airns; Twa fpan-lang, wee, unchriften'd bairns A thief, new-cutted frae a rape, Wi' his laft gafp his gab did gape; ; Five tomahawks, wi' blude red-rusted; The grey hairs yet ftack to the heft; Which ev'n to name wad be unlawfu'. As Tammie glowr'd, amaz'd, and curious, The mirth and fun grew faft and furious: The piper loud and louder blew ; The dancers quick and quicker flew ; They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they cleekit, Till ilka carlin fwat and reekit, And cooft her duddies to the wark, And linket at it in her fark! Now Tam, O Tam! had thae been queans, A' plump and ftrapping in their teens, Their Their farks, instead o' creefhie flannen, Been fnaw-white feventeen hunder linnen! That ance were plush, o' gude blue hair, But wither'd beldams, auld and droll, But Tam kend what was what fu' brawlie, There was ae winfome wench and wawlie, That night enlisted in the core, (Lang after kend on Carrick fhore; For mony a beaft to dead fhe shot, And perifh'd mony a bonnie boat, And fhook baith meikle corn and bear, And kept the country-fide in fear), Her |