A PARCEL OF ROGUES IN A NATION

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In 1707, Scottish nobles (facing great national debt, and great famine) took perhaps the easy way out and joined with England in the "Union of the Crowns". For this union England agreed to pay gold to Scotland in installments; in typical double-dealing, only the first installment was ever paid. 50 years later, after the failed '45, Burns found himself growing up in a time when the wearing of tartan was banned and Scots were second class citizens. In this damning song, he condemns the Scottish nobility for their sell-out. A classic!

A Parcel of Rogues in a Nation
By Robert Burns

Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame,
Fareweel to ancient glory.
Fareweel even tae the Scottish name,
Sae famed in martial story.
Now sark rins awer the Solway sands, 
And Tweed runs tae the ocean,
To mark where England's province stands-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation.

What force or guile could not subdue,
Throu' many warlike ages.
Is wrought now by a coward few
For hireling traitors wages.
The English steel we could disdain,
Secure in valour's station,
But English gold has been our bane-
such a parcel of rogues in a nation.

O, would or I had seen the day,
That treason thus could sell us.
My auld grey heid had lain in clay,
Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace.
But pith and power, till my last hour,
I'll make this declaration:-
"we were bought and sold for English Gold"-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation.

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Music; traditional. Content copyright © 2000 held by the author; Ian Hall.