Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Jacobite relics of Scotland > [First series]

260 NOTES.
SONG XLVII.
Z\)Z l^roat> ^toorDS of ^cotXam,
Is a popular song, said to have been written by an English gen-
tleman who was sojourning bere after the time of the Union, and
witnessed the feelings of the country people on that occasion.
The nationality of the song has made it a favourite, although the
air be originally an English one.
SONG XLvm.
'^})zvt tuas a ^an came from t\)z ^oon,
Is as hard to be understood as any song I have ever met with.
Mr Scott, after considering it thoroughly, gave it up as a song
made about some burgh politics ; but as I got it among a number
of genuine old Jacobite manuscripts, I remained unalterably of
opinion that it related to some national occurrence offensive to the
Jacobites, and am now convinced, howsoever ill I can make it
out, that it alludes to the establishment of the Whig ministry by
George I. in 1714.
I conceive, then, that the man that " came from the moon "
may be considered as an allegory, a personification of a general
overruling providence in the affairs of government.
" And first he brought a dozen'd drone,
And rais'd him up on high, sir,
Who knew not what was right or wrong,
And neither buff nor sty, sir."
This " dozen'd drone" I take to be George I., who was not
over accurate in making his estimates of the British character.
" And then he took a maudlin wight,
A horse- cowper by name, sir."