HISTORY OF THE LINLITHGOW 



Then off in despair to old Houstoun we rode, 

 Of brawny-legged Tommy ^ (a), the tall white abode ; 

 Of a rattling good fox the ne'er failing resort, 

 Thro' the care of his boy, who's an eye to the sport. 

 Hark away ! &c. 



And true was his word ; for in five minutes' space, 

 Comes Straiton ^ along at a thundering pace ; 

 " Gone away ! gone away ! " shouts the yellow-haired Laird, 

 Determined that day to outride Davy Baird. 

 Hark away ! &c. 



Knee-deep in the mud, sometimes out, sometimes in. 

 See Norman tear past, what a fuss he is in ! 

 What can be the reason 1 Lord ! now I ha'e't, 

 The field has forgot for Lord Hopetoun to wait {h). 

 Hark away ! &c. 



But thanks to the freedom of famed British land, 

 Once Reynard has broken, who dares to command ? 

 The lord and the peasant are then all alike ; 

 Whoe'er saw precedence in jumping a dike ? 

 Hark away ! &c. 



Annoy'd at the fuss which bold Norman had made, 

 The gruff Lord-L — t — t, disdaining parade, 

 Put spurs to his gelding, nor tenders one nod ; 

 All he thinks of's the run, and a view of the tod. 

 Hark away ! &c. 



The gay laird of Wallhouse ^ see streaking along, 

 On Sunrise (c) awaking to join the gay throng ; 

 Whilst his friend Jemmy Stein, by his side you may see, 

 On his bay Irish cocktail, as brisk as a bee. 

 Hark away ! &c. 



(a) The last of the Lairds, even on his last legs, never was a " haa 

 been " as to brawn. 



(6) On this day the Lord-L — t — t was waited for by '•'■ 'particular desire." 

 ifi) Sunrise was the name of Wallhouse's favourite nag, hence the pun. 



^ Mr Thomas Shairp of Houstoun. 



2 Mr Johnston of Straiton. ' Mr Gillon of Wallhouse. 



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