Jenny's Bawbee. 
By Boswell, Sir Alexander. 


I met four chaps yon birks amang,
Wi' hingin' lugs, and faces lang;
I speered at neebour Bauldy Strang,
Wha's thae I see?

Quo' he: "Ilk cream-faced, pawky chiel
Thought himsel cunnin as the deil,
And here they cam, awa' to steal
Jenny's bawbee.

The first, a captain till his trade,
Wi' skull ill lined, and back weel clad,
Marched round the barn, and by the shed,
And pappit on his knee.

Quo' he: `My goddess, nymph, and queen,
Your beauty's dazzled baith my een;'
But deil a beauty he had seen
But -Jenny's bawbee.

A lawyer neist, wi' bletherin' gab,
Wha speeches wove like ony wab,
In ilk ane's corn aye took a dab,
And a' for a fee:

Accounts he had through a' the town,
And tradesmen's tongues nae mair could drown;
Haith now he thought to clout his gown
Wi' Jenny's bawbee.

A norland laird neist trotted up,
Wi' bawsent naig and siller whup,
Cried: `There's my beast, lad, haud the grup,
Or tie 't till a tree.

`What's gowd to me? -I've walth o' lan';
Bestow on ane o' worth your han';'
He thought to pay what he was awn
Wi' Jennry's bawbee.

A' spruce frae ban'boxes and tubs,
A Thing cam neist -but life has rubs - 
Foul were the roads, and fou the dubs,
Ah! wae's me!

A' clatty, squintin' through a glass,
He grinned, `I'faith, a bonny lass!'
He thought to win, wi' front o' brass,
Jenny's bawbee.

She bade the laird gang comb his wig,
The sodger no to strut sae big,
The lawyer no to be a prig,
The fool cried: `Tee hee,

`I kent that I could never fail!'
She preened the dish-clout till his tail,
And cooled him wi' a water-pail,
And kept her bawbee."