Poem by John Skinner

John o’ Badenyon

		1.

When first I came to be a man 
	Of twenty years or so, 
I thought myself a handsome youth, 
	And fain the world would know; 
In best attire I stept abroad, 
	With spirits brisk and gay, 
And here and there and every where 
	Was like a morn in May; 
No care I had nor fear of want, 
	But rambled up and down, 
And for a beau I might have past 
	In country or in town; 
I still was pleas’d where’er I went, 
	And when I was alone, 
I tun’d my pipe and pleas’d myself 
	Wi’ John o’ Badenyon.

		2.

Now in the days of youthful prime 
	A mistress I must find, 
For love, I heard, gave one an air 
	And ev’n improved the mind: 
On Phillis fair above the rest 
	Kind fortune fixt my eyes, 
Her piercing beauty struck my heart, 
	And she became my choice; 
To Cupid now with hearty prayer 
	I offer’d many a vow; 
And danc’d and sung, and sigh’d, and swore, 
	As other lovers do; 
But, when at last I breath’d my flame, 
	I found her cold as stone; 
I left the girl, and tun’d my pipe 
	To John o’ Badenyon.

		3.

When love had thus my heart beguil’d 
	With foolish hopes and vain; 
To friendship’s port I steer’d my course, 
	And laugh’d at lovers’ pain; 
A friend I got by lucky chance, 
	’Twas something like divine, 
An honest friend’s a precious gift, 
	And such a gift was mine; 
And now whatever might betide 
	A happy man was I, 
In any strait I knew to whom 
	I freely might apply; 
A strait soon came: my friend I try’d; 
	He heard, and spurn’d my moan; 
I hy’d me home, and tun’d my pipe 
	To John o’ Badenyon.

		4.

Methought I should be wiser next 
	And would a patriot turn, 
Began to doat on Johnny Wilkes, 
	And cry up Parson Horne.
Their manly spirit I admir’d, 
	And prais’d their noble zeal, 
Who had with flaming tongue and pen 
	Maintain’d the public weel; 
But e’er a month or two had past, 
	I found myself betray’d, 
’Twas self and party after all, 
	For a’ the stir they made; 
At last I saw the factious knaves 
	Insult the very throne, 
I curs’d them a’, and tun’d my pipe 
	To John o’ Badenyon.

		5.

What next to do I mus’d a while, 
	Still hoping to succeed, 
I pitch’d on books for company 
	And gravely try’d to read: 
I bought and borrowed every where 
	And study’d night and day, 
Nor mist what dean or doctor wrote 
	That happen’d in my way; 
Philosophy I now esteem’d 
	The ornament of youth, 
And carefully through many a page 
	I hunted after truth. 
A thousand various schemes I try’d, 
	And yet was pleas’d with none, 
I threw them by, and tun’d my pipe 
	To John o’ Badenyon.

		6.

And now ye youngsters everywhere, 
	That wish to make a show, 
Take heed in time, nor fondly hope 
	For happiness below; 
What you may fancy pleasure here, 
	Is but an empty name, 
And girls, and friends, and books, and so, 
	You’ll find them all the same; 
Then be advised and warning take 
	From such a man as me; 
I’m neither Pope nor Cardinal, 
	Nor one of high degree; 
You’ll meet displeasure every where; 
	Then do as I have done, 
Ev’n tune your pipe and please yourselves 
	With John o’ Badenyon.

1. The Epistle to Robert Burns from the Author of «Tullochgorum»
2. On Burns’ Address to a Louse
3. Tullochgorum
4. The Auld Minister’s Song

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