On the late Captain Grose's Peregrinations thro' Scotland collecting the antiquities of that Kingdom
the antiquities of that kingdom --------
Hear, Land of Cakes & brither Scots,
Frae Maiden-kirk to Johnie Groats!
If there's a hole in a' your coats
I rede you tent it:
A chiel's amang you taking notes,
And faith he'll print it!
If in your bounds ye chance to light
Upon a fine, fat fodgel wight,
Of stature short, but genius bright,
That's he, mark weel:
And wow! he has an unco slight
O' cauk & keel. ----
By some auld, houlet-haunted biggin,
Or kirk deserted by its riggin,
It's ten to ane ye'll find him snug in
Some eldritch part,
Wi' deils, they say, L-rd safe's! colleaguin
At some black art. ----
Ilk ghaist that haunts auld ha' or chaumer;
Ye gipsy gang that deal in glaumor;
And you deep-read in h-ll's black grammar;
Warlocks & witches,
Ye'll quake at his conjuring hammer,
Ye midnight b-tches.
It's tauld he was a Sodger bred,
And ane wad rather faun than fled.
But now he's quat the spurtle blade
And dog-skin wallet,
And taen the----Antiquarian trade
I think they call it.----
He has a fouth of auld nick-nackets:
Rousty airn caps & jinglin jackets
Wad had the Lothians three in tackets
A towmont gude,
And parratch-pats, and auld saut-backets
Afore the Flood.
Auld Tubal-cain's fire-shool & fender;
That which distinguished the gender
Of Balaam's ass; A broom-stick o' the Witch of Endor,
Weel-shod wi' brass --
Besides, he'll cut you off fu' gleg
The shape of Adam's philibeg;
The knife that nicket Abel's craig,
He'll prove you fully
If 'twas a faulding jocteleg,
Or lang-kail gully.----
But wad ye see him in his glee,
For meikle glee & fun has he,
Then set him down, & twa or three
Gude fallows wi' him,
And Port, O Port! shine thou a wee,
And then ye'll see him!
Now, by the Pow'rs o' Verse & Prose,
Thou art a dainty chiel, O Grose!
Whae'er o' thee shall ill suppose,
They sair misca' thee: I'd tak the rascal by the nose,
Wad say, Shame fa' thee.----
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![](https://ciim-data.nts.org.uk/media/iiif/3/pf%2F2%2F1%2F40%2F300%2FNTSBRNp06132.ptif/full/!640,640/0/default.jpg)
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/09
- Alt. number
- 3.6105
- Date
- 1789
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/09
- Alt. number
- 3.6105
- Date
- 1789
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
On the late Captain Grose's Peregrinations thro' Scotland collecting the antiquities of that Kingdom. 10 six-line verses.
In this poem, Robert writes of his friend Captain Francis Grose and warns his fellow Scots to take note of their behaviour as he will soon be writing about them. Captain Grose had written books on the antiquities of England and Wales and was about to turn his attention to Scotland. Burns met him at Friars' Carse, near Ellisland Farm, in 1789. They became friends and it was for Grose that Burns wrote of Alloway's old haunted Kirk in the tale of Tam o' Shanter.
In the second page the poem continues to tell of Captain Grose's improbable collection of antiquities, making the reader aware of the author's detailed knowledge of the books of the Old Testament. The poem finishes with a flourish, bidding folks to sit down and enjoy a drink with his friend Grose when he comes to visit.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- On the late Captain Grose's Peregrinations thro' Scotland collecting the antiquities of that Kingdom