POEMS

It waukens wit, an mak's as merry
As England's far-fam'd Canterbury ; [1]
Rich wines frae Lisbon or Canary,
Let gentles hail,
But we can be as brisk an airy,
Wi Allan's Ale.

It bears the gree, I'se gie my aith,
O Widow Dunn's an Ralston's baith, [2]
Wha may cast by their brewin graith,
Baith pat and pail,
Since Paisley wisely puts mair faith
In Allan's Ale.

Unlike the puir, sma penny wheep, [3]
Whilk worthless, petty changefouk keep,
O'er whilk mirth never deign'd to peep,
Sae sour an stale,
I've seen men joyous, frisk an leap,
Wi Allan's Ale.

Whether a frien'ly, social meetin,
Or politicians thrang debatin,
Or benders [4] blest your wizzens weetin,
Mark well my tale,
Ye'll fin nae drink hauf worth your gettin,
Like Allan's Ale.

When bleak December's blasts dae blaw,
An Nature's face is co'er'd wi snaw,
Puir bodies scarce dae work at a,
The cauld's sae snell,
But meet an drink their cares awa
Wi Allan's Ale.

Let auld Kilmarnock mak a fraise,
What she has dune in better days,
Her “thri-penny” ance her fame coud raise
O'er muir an dale ;
But Paisley* now may claim the praise
Wi Allan's Ale.

Let selfish wichts impose their notions,
And damn the man wont tak their lessons,
I scorn their threats, I scorn their cautions,
Say what they will,
Let frien'ship croun our best devotions
Wi Allan's Ale.

While sun, an moon, an stars endure,
An aid wi licht “a random splore,”
Still let each future social core
Its praises tell :
Ador'd ay and for evermore
Be Allan's Ale !

Note by the Author.—“All*n Br**n.”

Note in 1825 Edition.—“Allan Brown.”

William Semple, in his History of Renfrewshire and Paisley, published in 1782, page 927, mentioned that there are “two large breweries in this town; the first by Thomas Brown and Son. They also began the brewing of porter in 1781, wbich appears to do well. The second by Matthew Brown, both in Croft Street.” The Son was Allan Brown, the subject of this poem. He was a subscriber for Semple's history. Thomas, the father, died about 1791; and Allan Brown succeeded to the whole business. Allan also became a changekeeper or dealer in ales and porter, and allowed “cockmains” to take place in his premises. By making good brewsts, his ale became famous, and drew forth the praise of the Poet in 1799. Allan's daughters were excellent swimmers, and they occasionally, like the Naiades of old, disported themselves in the river of White Cart, at the back of their house, when the tide was full, The pellucid water of the Cart was then used for all domestic purposes, while the river was much frequented by trout and salmon. His changehouse was a rendezvous for recruiting parties; and Allan Brown, like a great number of others who deal in ales and spirits, had become one of his own best customers, and frequently headed these parties in their enlisting parades through the town, dressed with many coloured ribbons, feathers, and cockades, to attract the senseless youths into the martial ranks. In the end of the year 1801, Allan Brown's affairs had come to a crisis, and his heritable property was advertised for sale by public roup for 7th January, 1802. It was described in the advertisement as “All and Whole that Garden lying at the south¬east end of the Sneddon Bridge of Paisley, with the adjoining front houses, close, and an extensive range of backhouses, long occupied in the brewing and distilling business, either in whole or in separate lots, which may be divided as follows:—Lot I. The Garden; II. The House possessed by Mr. Brown; III. The House possessed by Mr. Peat; and IV. The House possessed by Mr. Muir.” The whole were purchased by Mr. Matthew Brown, distiller. Allan Brown then removed to the hostelry called “The White Swan,” on the opposite side of the New Smithhills Street. The whole range of that property formerly belonging to Allan Brown, now belongs to ex-Provost Robert Brown, author of The History of the Paisley Grammar School, from its foundation in 1576; of the Paisley Grammar School and Academy; and of the other Town's Schools; with some Notices of Subjects relating to the History of the Town of Paisley: 1875. Ex-Provost Brown is noways related to Allan Brown or Matthew Brown, and we are not related to William Semple.—Ed.

[1] The Canterbury Ale of England ; the Red or Port Wine of Portugal ; and the White or Sherry Wine of the Canary Islands.—Ed.

[2] Two famed alehouses in Paisley. Mrs. Dunn kept a very respectable inn at the Old Bridge, and she was the individual that furnished the dinner and drink at the “house-heating” of the author's father's cottage in Queen Street in 1776. John Ralston's was a much-frequented house at the foot of Saint Mirin's Wynd, on the west side of the street, where the Bank of Scotland is now situated. He was designed a changekeeper, and died in 1805. His widow, Luckie Ralston, carried on the business, and she is designed in the Paisley Directory for 1810 — “Mrs. Ralston, vintner, Saint Mirren's Street.”—Ed.

[3] Small ale.

[4] Benders—Hard-drinkers.

The Poet, true to his native town, claimed more praise for Paisley Ale—the cauldron yill, also called the tip-penny, than the famed thri-penny of his father's auld Killie.—Ed.

[Semple 51]