Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Songs of Scotland prior to Burns

60 SONGS OF SCOTLAND.
THE BATTLE OF SHERIFF-MUIR.
The meeting between the clans under the Earl of Marr, and
the royal forces under the Duke of Argyle, at Sheriff-muir, near
Dunblane, on the 13th of November 17 15, with its wavering
proceedings and uncertain issue, as also the particular behaviour
of many of the chief persons on both sides, are all cleverly and
clearly described in the following contemporary song, the writer
of which appears to have enjoyed the poor conduct of both
parties with great impartiality. The air to which he composed
his verses is one styled John Patterson's Mare rides foremost,
being that of a rough ballad descriptive of the confused horse-
race which used to take place at all country bridals long ago,
between the home of the bride's father and that of her husband ;
of which ballad a specimen follows :
The black and the brown
Cam nearest the town,
But Paterson's mare she came foremost ;
The dun and the gray-
Kept farthest away,
But Paterson's mare she came foremost.
Fy, whip her in, whip her out,
Six shillings in a clout,
O'er the kirk-style and away wi' her !
One can discern a deep comic sense in the poet's adoption of such
a strain for the description of a battle which was to decide the
fate of dynasties, but only shewed the miserable effects of inferior
discipline and generalship.
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