256 Illustrations of Idiom Scotland. 



Ma bonne fee, au seuil du pauvre barde, 

 Oui, vous sonnez la retraite a propos. 

 Pour compagnon, bientot dans ma mansarde, 

 J'aurai 1'oubli, pere et fils du repos. 

 Mais a ma mort, temoins de notre lutte, 

 De vieux Fran^ais se diront, 1'ceil mouille : 

 Au ciel, un soir, cette etoile a brille" ; 

 Dieu 1'eteignit long-temps avant sa chute. 

 Adieu, chansons ! mon front chauve est ride, 

 L'oiseau se tait ; 1'aquilon a gronde. 



PASSY. 



Paris, adieu ; je sors de tes murailles. 

 J'ai dans Passy trouve gite et repos. 

 Ton fils t'enleve un droit de fune>ailles, 

 Et sa piquette echappe a tes impots. 

 Puisse-je ici vieillir exempt d'orage, 

 Et, de 1'oubli pres de subir le poids, 

 Comme 1'oiseau, dormir dans le feuillage, 

 Au bruit mourant des e"chos de ma voix ! 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF IDIOM SCOTLAND. 

 FROM "THE LAIRD OF LOGAN." 



As LICHT A GREEN. A saying current in the district of Menteith, 

 Perthshire ; meaning, " I have seen as unlikely a thing happen." 



Will Shore, a person of disordered intellect, who wandered in the strath of 

 Menteith, from Ben-Lomond to Kippen, and who only died in the beginning 

 of the present year, though of a robust form, was lazy, and when labour was 

 imposed on him always contrived to make his escape as soon as possible. 

 Will had quartered at a farm-house, in the winter, for the night ; and the 

 servant, resolved to have his assistance in thrashing out some oats, to make 

 the morning as long as possible, started him at a very early hour, when they 

 commenced handling the flail. Every now and then, Will went to the door 

 to see if daylight was making its appearance. The strokes from the flail 

 became more frequent as Will appeared to tire. At last, he went and looked 

 over the half-door ; still dark no streak of light to be seen. " Preserve us 

 a f !" quoth Will, " I hae seen as licht a green as it wad ne'er be day-licht." 



BROD, n. The plate set on a stool at the entrance to the church, in 

 which the gifts of charity to the poor are deposited, and on which 

 one of the office-bearers of the church attends. 



An elder, who had just been promoted to official honours, took his son with 

 him, to assist in superintending the gifts. The boy, who wanted to make 

 himself as useful as possible, noticed some passing into the church without 

 putting any thing into the treasury, and called to his father, " Father, thae 

 folks are gaun bye the brod without payin'." 



One of the heritors in the parish of Old Monkland was appointed, on the 

 occasion of a collection for repairs requiring to be made on the church, to 

 superintend the deposits. A wealthy heritor and his guidwife passing, threw 

 in a paltry sum. " Come back, laird," quoth the superintendent, " ye maun 

 do mair for the brod, I'll no tak that aff your hand." 



