Lady Ann's new Mill.
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AWake now Muse, and so Peruse
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Thyself now in this bit of time,
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Help me to use and not abuse
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Some sense now in this piece of Ryme;
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And so to Write, that no debate,
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May after Threaten, Hurt or Kill,
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But still may thrive, and so descrive,
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The birth of Ladie Anns New Mill,
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In our Muirland, this Mill doth stand
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Upon that River Aven side.
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From the West Bridge not half a Ridge
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Who Fortunes throw that pass to ride.
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From the Bridge head, look east the lead
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Where you may spy the Shilling Hill
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Upon the Lee to let you see
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A sight of Ladie Anns New Mill.
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From the Bridge West, then turn at last
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Look up the water where you'l see,
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Our new Dam-head well fortified.
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and strongly built with stone and tree
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Slamannan Lairds conveen'd in Guards,
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To try the out-most of their skill,
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To see if they could find a way,
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To stop our Ladie Anns new Mill,
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That Croud did swear, you must forbear:
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And not drown all our Pastor's crap;
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Poor, simple Men, do ye not ken,
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It grows the better it get sap;
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No Sacriledge, I dare oblige,
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By all our work is done you till;
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Therefore misken your fliting then
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Against our Ladie Anns New Mill,
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And live in peace, let sorrow cease,
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Let your Superiour alone,
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If ye will not I'll hold a Groat,
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You'l rew e're all the play be done:
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Then do not boast for law breeds coast;
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But mind ye are our Vassals still.
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Think ye not shame to own your Name
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Against our Ladie Anns New Mill.
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Your Parson sure cannot be poor,
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his Glib is large where grows his corn
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And our mill-dam fills up the same
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His rigs to water e'en and morn,
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And for our part we'll prove our art
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His Malt and corn to grind or shill
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Come when he please he'll find an Ease,
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At our brave Lady Anns New Mill
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You Muirland Men by Eight or Ten,
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Twenty, Thirty, less or mae
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Ye may come here, ye need not fear
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Indeed ye shall be guided sae
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You Lawrance Whigs come North your rigs
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What time ye have your Corn to shill
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After your Priest ye shall be niest
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To grind at Ladie Anns New Mill
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John Beg our Wright, an Artist tight,
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And Architect, with lime and stane,
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Did build her high, and caus'd her cry,
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And waken'd all the Nimphs ilk ane
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Both far and near, her Tune did steir,
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Her sound was heard at Rashihill,
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Out through the Jaw, they told me a,
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They heard the clinks of our New Mill
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At Castlehill, her clap rang shill,
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They marvel'd all what it might be,
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And at Dalwhairns she fleid the Bairns
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Old folk came to the door to see,
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The Laird was near at them did spear,
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What is the thing ye harken till,
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Poor foolish Men do ye not ken,
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It is our Lady Anns New Mill?
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I hear said ane, and swears Amen,
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Four Mills the clink how may this be
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We hear of one, but mae there's none
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Where frae came all the other Three?
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The Laird himsell again did tell,
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Poor fools have ye no better skill,
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The Nimphs doth sound there Echo's round
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And answer Ladie Anns New Mill?
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Each feather'd fowl began to youl,
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And cry alas, and dool ochen.
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Some Regiment sure, comes o'er the Muir,
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We're fair to loss our lives ilk ane,
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Hark here, such cracks comes o'er our backs
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So thick, so sharp, so loud and shill,
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Those beasts at last were in a gast
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For fear of Ladie Anns New Mill,
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Then in a Bog beside a Scrog
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They coured all right quietlie,
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While Robin spake Ill ken the knack.
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Ill send my wife the wran to see,
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She's little bouk and well can Jouk,
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No Musquet shot can do her ill,
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Then she took flight the way came Right,
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straight up to Lady Anns New Mill,
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Where she did spy as we came by
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some sparrows that had lost their gate
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Faln off their way did halt or stay
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Sat down upon the hill to Eat,
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You Mistres Wran where's your good man
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He comes not here to get a fill,
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For good Birds seed his guts to Feed,
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He'l get at Lady Anns New Mill?
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Then she came back where all that Pack
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Lay closly hid beneath the scrog,
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And told his tale made them all heal
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Get up and all flee west the bog,
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Where Robin Redbreast was their priest
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Sat down upon the shilling Hill,
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Invited all both great and small
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To feast at Lady Anns New Mill
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Then doves and daws, pyots and craws
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Come flocking hither hastilie.
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The Owle as blind no way can find
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In fair daylight he do's not see,
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Therefore a guide they must provide
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To lead him right this feast until;
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For in the Mirk he'l see to work
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And catch a mouse at our New Mill.
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Said one its good we do conclude
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The Goucks Titling it may be:
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And all the rest cry'd out its best,
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For so their votes did all agree:
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But while this Mirth did them begirth
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With Feasting on the Shilling hill,
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They Spy'd a Gled and then thy fled
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Away from Lady Anns New Mill.
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Next Rats and Mice ne're speering Price
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Came Creeping in right Secretlie,
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And into holes did hid their Pols
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In Case the Miller should them see,
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Cut Holes in Sacks, shot in their Necks
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Did steal and rieve and lick their fill.
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So many a Guest did get a feast
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At our brave Lady Anns New Mill.
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