A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might, [above]
Guid faith, he mauna fa' that! [must not claim]
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities, an' a' that,
The pith o' sense an' pride o' worth
Are higher rank than a' that.
But let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that;
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, an' a' that. [first place]
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That man to man the warld o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.
Another, equally famous, sprang from his patriotic enthusiasm for the
heroes of the Scottish war of independence, but was written with more
than a slight consciousness of what seemed to him the similarity of
the spirit then abroad in France.
SCOTS, WHA HAE
ROBERT BRUCE'S ADDRESS TO HIS ARMY, BEFORE THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN
Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led,
Welcome to your gory bed
Or to victorie.
Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour!
See approach proud Edward's power--
Chains and slaverie!
Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave?
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!
Wha for Scotland's King and law
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa'?
Let him follow me!
By Oppression's woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!
Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!
Let us do or die!
The other class of exceptions is the group of songs on Jacobite
themes.
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