26 THE BARONY OF 



of a quality rather capable of improvement 

 than the reverse, by being, as it were, a little 

 muffled in soot. Leum, being able to read, 

 got a sheaf of ballads to select from, but after 

 looking at the titles he gave two to the pur- 

 chaser of the broad-sheets, and then com- 

 menced to render them one after another, 

 exhibiting a perfect acquaintance with the text. 

 Here are a few excerpts from the singular com- 

 positions intoned by this harmonious black- 

 smith. The first was termed : 



THE PRAISES OF ROCKBARTON. 



Could I indite like Horace, Virgil, Homer, Ovid, 



Or had I the talents of Plato or Socrates, 



I'd strive to praise Rockbarton where resides tne Lord 



Chief Baron. 



There you'll see the linnet coequal with the spinnet, 

 The blackbird every minute chanting forth his lay, 

 The turtle and the pigeon, the cuckoo sweetly singing, 

 The woodcock and the widgeon sequestered in the 



shade, 



All singing like an organ in praise of Rockbarton, 

 And wishing his Lordship's offspring may there for 



ever reign ! 



The second was named " Sweet Colleen 

 Rhue.' ? The opening stanza runs thus : 



