JACOBITE MINSTRELSY.

THE THISTLE AND ROSE.

Ir was in old times, when trees compos'd rhymes,

And flowers did with elegy flow;
It was in a field, that various did yield,
A Rose and a Thistle did grow.

On a sun-shiny day, the Rose chanc'd to say,
"Friend Thistle, I'll be with you plain;
And if you would be but united to me,
You would ne'er be a Thistle again."

Says the Thistle, "My spears shield mortals from fears,

Whilst thou dost unguarded remain ; And I do suppose, though I were a Rose, I'd wish to turn Thistle again."

66

"O my friend," says the Rose, "you falsely

suppose,

Bear witness, ye flowers of the plain!

You would take so much pleasure in beauty's

vast treasure,

You would ne'er be a Thistle again."

A

The Thistle at length, preferring the Rose
To all the gay flowers of the plain,
Throws off all her points, herself she anoints,
And now are united the twain.

But one cold stormy day, while helpless she Nor longer could sorrow refrain,

[lay,

She fetch'd a deep groan, with many Ohon! "O were I a Thistle again!

CARLE AN' THE KING COME.

CARLE, an' the king come,
Carle, an' the king come,
Thou shalt dance, and I will sing,
Carle, an' the king come.
An' somebody were come again,
Then somebody maun cross the main,
And ev'ry man shall ha'e his ain,
Carle, an' the king come.

I trow we swapped for the worse,
We ga'e the boot and better horse,
And that we'll tell them at the cross,
Carle, an' the king come.

When yellow corn grows on the rigs,
And a gibbet's built to hang the Whigs,
O then we will dance Scottish jigs,
Carle an' the king come.

This is one of the very earliest in the series of what are usually called Jacobite songs, and as the words were happily applicable to almost every change of circumstances which occurred prior to the final expulsion of the Stuarts from the throne, it has been more uni. formly popular than any other. Perhaps the sweetness and originality of the air to which it is sung, may likewise have contributed to render it so permanently a favourite.

Nae mair wi' pinch and drouth we'll dine,
As we ha'e done-a dog's propine,
But quaff our waughts o' bouzy wine,
Carle, an' the king come.

Cogie, an' the king come,

Cogie, an' the king come,
I'se be fou, and thou'se be toom,
Cogie, an' the king come.

THE RESTORATION.*

To curb usurpation, by th' assistance of France, With love to his country, see Charlie advance! He's welcome to grace and distinguish this day, The sun brighter shines, and all nature looks

[praise!

gay. Your glasses charge high, 'tis in great Charles' In praise, in praise, 'tis in great Charles' praise; To's success your voices and instruments raise, To his success your voices and instruments raise.

Approach, glorious Charles, to this desolate land,
And drive out thy foes with thy mighty hand;
The nations shall rise, and join as one man,
To crown the brave Charles, the Chief of
the Clan.

Your glasses, &c.

* Though entitled only the Restoration, this was originally a birth. day song, as well as a party one, commemorative of a change in the government. The words being adapted to a very fine air, it was long a prodigious favourite with the exclusively loyal. Like many others to the same tune, it was written for the twenty-ninth of May, the anniversary both of the birth and the restoration of Charles II.

In his train see sweet Peace, fairest queen of the sky,

Ev'ry bliss in her look, ev'ry charm in her eye, Whilst oppression, corruption, vile slav'ry, and

fear,

[appear. At his wish'd-for return never more shall Your glasses, &c.

Whilst in pleasure's soft arms millions now court repose, [foes;

Our hero flies forth, though surrounded with To free us from tyrants ev'ry danger defies, And in liberty's cause, he conquers or dies! Your glasses, &c.

How hateful's the tyrant who lives by false fame, To satiate his pride sets our country in flame, How glorious the prince, whose great generous

mind,

[kind! Makes true valour consist in relieving manYour glasses, &c.

stow,

Ye brave clans, on whom we just honour be[flow! O think on the source whence our dire evils Commanded by Charles, advance to Whitehall, And fix them in chains who would Britons enthral.- -Your glasses, &c.

THE ROYAL OAK TREE.

YE true sons of Scotia, together unite,
And yield all your senses to joy and delight;

* The Ettrick Shepherd says he had this song from a curious collec tion of ancient MS. songs, in the possession of Mr. D. Bridges, Jun.,

Give mirth its full scope, that the nations may see
We honour our standard, the royal oak tree.
All shall yield to the royal oak tree;
Bend to thee, majestic tree!

Honour'd was he who sat on thee.

And thou, like him, thrice honour'd shalt be.

When our great sovereign, Charles, was driv'n from his throne,

[own,

And dared scarce call kingdom or subjects his Old Pendril the miller, at the risk of his blood, Hid the King of our isle in the king of the wood. All shall yield, &c.

In summer, in winter, in peace, and in war, 'Tis known to ourselves, and to nations afar, That the oak of our isle can best screen us from harm,

Best keep out the foe, and best ride out the storm. All shall yield, &c.

Let gard❜ners and florists of foreign plants boast, And cull the poor trifles of each distant coast; There's none of them all, from a shrub to a tree, Can ever compare, great royal oak, with thee. All shall yield, &c.

CAKES O' CROUDY. *

CHINNIE the deddy, and Rethy the monkey; Leven the hero, and little Pitcunkie;

of Edinburgh; but he disputes its Scottish origin, and seems to think it must be an old English composition. We have since seen it stated to be a modern production, and written by a member of the Royal Oak Society, instituted at Edinburgh, 17th February, 1772.

This song was written in 1668 by Lord Newbottle, eldest son to