dance of witches!
But here my muse her wing maun cour[101];
Sic flights are far beyond her power:
To sing how Nannie lap and flang
(A souple jade she was and strang),
And how Tam stood like ane bewitched,
And thought his very een enriched;
Even Satan glow'red and fidged fu' fain,
And hotched and blew wi' might and main:
Till first ae caper, syne anither,
Tam tints[102] his reason a'thegither,
And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"
And in an instant all was dark;
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied.

As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,[103]
When plundering hords assail their byke[104];
As open pussie's mortal foes
When, pop! she starts before their nose;
As eager runs the market-crowd,
When "Catch the thief!" resounds aloud;
So Maggie runs, the witches follow,
Wi' mony an eldritch[105] screech and hollow.

Ah, Tam! ah, Tam, thou'll get thy fairin'!
In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin'!
In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin'!
Kate soon will be a woefu' woman!
Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the keystane of the brig;
There at them thou thy tail may toss,--
A running stream they dare na cross.
But ere the keystane she could make,
The fient a tail she had to shake!

For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie prest,
And flew at Tam wi' furious ettle;
But little wist she Maggie's mettle--
Ae spring brought off her master hale,
But left behind her ain grey tail:
The carlin claught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump!

Now, wha this tale o' truth shall read,
Ilk man and mother's son, take heed:
Whene'er to drink you are inclined,
Or cutty sarks run in your mind,
Think, ye may buy the joys o'er dear--
Remember Tam o' Shanter's mare.

FOOTNOTES:

[48] Fellows.

[49] Thirsty.

[50] Road.

[51] Ale.

[52] Gates or openings through a hedge.

[53] Good-for-nothing fellow.

[54] Nonsensical.

[55] Chattering fellow.

[56] Grain sent to the mill to be ground; _i.e._, that every time he
carried the corn to the mill he sat to drink with the miller.

[57] Nag that required shoeing.

[58] Jean Kennedy, a public-house keeper at Kirkoswald.

[59] Makes me weep.

[60] Fire.

[61] Foaming ale.

[62] Shoemaker.

[63] Roar.

[64] Rode careless