Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, EPILOGUE TO THE DRAMA FOUNDED ON 'SAINT RONAN'S WELL', by WALTER SCOTT


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

EPILOGUE TO THE DRAMA FOUNDED ON 'SAINT RONAN'S WELL', by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: That's right, friend - drive the gaitlings back
Last Line: She'll tell the bailie.
Subject(s): Plays & Playwrights


Enter MEG DODDS, encircled by a crowd of unruly boys, whom a town's-officer is driving off.

THAT'S right, friend -- drive the gait-lings back,
And lend yon muckle ane a whack;
Your Embro' bairns are grown a pack, Sae proud and saucy,
They scarce will let an auld wife walk
Upon your causey.

I've seen the day they would been scaur'd,
Wi' the Tolbooth, or wi' the Guard,
Or maybe wud hae some regard
For Jamie Laing --
The Water-hole was right weel wared
On sic a gang.

But whar's the gude Tolbooth gane now?
Whar's the auld Claught, wi' red and blue?
Whar's Jamie Laing? and whar's John Doo?
And whar's the Weigh house?
Deil hae't I see but what is new,
Except the Playhouse!

Yoursells are changed frae head to heel,
There's some that gar the causeway reel
With clashing hufe and rattling wheel,
And horses canterin',
Wha's fathers daunder'd hame as weel
Wi' lass and lantern.

Mysell being in the public line,
I look for howfs I kenn'd lang syne,
Whar gentles used to drink gude wine,
And eat cheap dinners;
But deil a soul gangs there to dine,
Of saints or sinners!

Fortune's and Hunter's gane, alace!
And Bayle's is lost in empty space;
And now if folk would splice a brace,
Or crack a bottle,
They gang to a new fangled place
They ca 'a Hottle.

The deevil hottle them for Meg!
They are sae greedy and sae gleg,
That if ye're served but wi' an egg,
(And that's puir pickin',)
In comes a chiel and makes a leg,
And charges chicken!

'And wha may ye be,' gin ye speer,
'That brings your auld-warld clavers here?'
Troth, if there's onybody near
That kens the roads,
I'll haud ye Burgundy to beer,
He kens Meg Dodds.

I came a piece frae west o' Currie;
And, since I see you're in a hurry,
Your patience I'll nae langer worry,
But be sae crouse
As speak a word for ane Will Murray,
That keeps this house.

Plays are auld-fashion'd things, in truth,
And ye've seen wonders mair uncouth;
Yet actors shouldna suffer drouth,
Or want of dramock,
Although they speak but wi' their mouth,
Not with their stamock.

But ye tak care of a' folk's pantry;
And surely to hae stooden sentry
Ower this big house (that's far frae rent-free),
For a lone sister,
Is claims as gude's to be a ventri --
How'st ca'd -- loquister.

Weel, sirs, gude'en, and have a care
The bairns mak fun o' Meg nae mair;
For gin they do, she tells you fair,
And without failzie,
As sure as ever ye sit there,
She'll tell the Bailie.





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