"_Jenny's Bawbee_" (Vol. vii., p. 207.).--This is a very old song, a
fragment of which (all we have) appeared in David Herd's _Collection of
Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs_, 2 vols. 12mo., Edinb. 1776. As it is
very short, I quote it:
"An' a' that e'er my Jenny had,
My Jenny had, my Jenny had,
A' that e'er my Jenny had,
Was ae bawbee.
"There's your plack, and my plack,
An' your plack, an' my plack,
An' my plack, an' your plack,
An' Jenny's bawbee.
"We'll put it a' in the pint-stoup,
The pint-stoup, the pint-stoup,
We'll put it in the pint-stoup,
And birle't a' three."
There is a capital song founded upon this rude fragment, by the late Sir
Alexander Boswell. It was published anonymously in 1803, and commences
thus:
"I met four chaps yon birks amang,
Wi hinging lugs and faces lang;
I spier'd at neebour Bauldy Strang,
Wha's they I see?
"Quo' he, Ilk cream-fac'd pawky chiel
Thought he was cunning as the diel,
And here they cam' awa to steal
Jenny's bawbee."
Copies of this latter song may be seen in Johnson's _Scottish Musical
Museum_, edit. 1839, vol. v. p. 435.; and in Graham's _Songs of
Scotland_, 1848, vol. ii. p. 48.