Poetical Epistle tae Cullybackey Auld Nummer
By Thomas Given
Auld freen and helper up the hill,
By hamely words frae freedom鈥檚 quill,
O鈥� those wha doubly get their fill
O鈥� landlord laws,
True men shall thank you wae a will,
An鈥� help yer cause.
I watched you weel in years remote,
When bailiffs steered the tenants鈥� boat,
How fearlessly you cast your vote
On freedom鈥檚 side;
Amang the first you tossed your coat
鈥橤ainst cursed pride.
You ne鈥檈r cud sympathize wae those
Wha havin鈥� plucked at fortune鈥檚 rose,
Wad straightway pawn their poorhouse clothes,
And ape the Tory,
While ilka breath o鈥� wind that blows
Can sing their story.
Can ony independent man,
Wha guides the plough wae wacket han鈥�,
While ill laws curse his native lan鈥�
In ilka way,
Bow down and serve the landlord clan
For lickplate pay.
Still let us pride in takin鈥� pert
Wae those wha thole oppression鈥檚 dert,
Let鈥檚 gae the twa-faced their dessert,
And shut their mooth.
What though oor speech be sometimes tert,
We鈥檒l tell the truth.
The tenants鈥� war that round us rage,
Should a鈥� oor noble thochts engage,
Until we wipe from freedom鈥檚 page
The ills that cover,
The homesteads o鈥� the present age,
And toss them over.
