On this day 7th January in 1758 saw the death of poet Allan Ramsay snr. Ramsay’s “return to nature” style had a deep influence on both Robert Burns and Walter Scott. Author of the play, “The Gentle Shepherd”, Ramsay also founded Britain’s first travelling library. ScotClans
Gi’e me a lass with a lump of land By Allan Ramsay
Gi’e me a lass with a lump of land,
Portrait of Allan Ramsay (1686-1758), Scottish poet By William Aikman_(1682-1731)
And we for life shall gang thegither;
Tho’ daft or wise I’ll never demand,
Or black or fair it maks na whether.
I’m aff with wit, and beauty will fade,
And blood alane is no worth a shilling;
But she that’s rich her market’s made,
For ilka charm about her is killing.
Gi’e me a lass with a lump of land,
And in my bosom I’ll hug my treasure;
Gin I had anes her gear in my hand,
Should love turn dowf, it will find pleasure.
Laugh on wha likes, but there’s my hand,
I hate with poortith, tho’ bonny, to meddle;
Unless they bring cash or a lump of land,
They’se never get me to dance to their fiddle.
There’s meikle good love in bands and bags,
And siller and gowd’s a sweet complexion;
But beauty, and wit, and virtue in rags,
Have tint the art of gaining affection.
Love tips his arrows with woods and parks,
And castles, and riggs, and moors, and meadows;
And naithing can catch our modern sparks,
But well-tocher’d lasses or jointur’d widows.
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One of my Great-Grandpa’s, is reported as saying, when asked what did he look for in a wife……”Give me the ‘tody bread, and the white apron.” Meaning – If she can cook (soda bread), and is a clean sort of body, that’s all he looks for.
I’m not sure how well this would work, and family history doesn’t report how he got on in his search – but it makes as much sense as a lot of what folk look for in a life’s partner.
The same Great-Grandpa was banned from weddings in the whole Parish, because he got so raucous at them. His response to that was….”There’ll be no-one at Tady’s wedding, only Tady himself.”
Think about it.