Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation

by Leper Watchman

At last I found the main historic event that inspired Burns' poem. This was a great review after having listened to both Joe Morecraft and George Grant on Scottish History, especially the covenanter period. Here's the quote from the "With Doug Philips In Scotland" book review:

"Nor does the series deal with the somewhat pathetic surrender of Scotland to England at the creation of Great Britain. After all the blood that was spilt in the cause of Scottish independence it is ironic that Scotland should give it all back with scarcely a whimper in the Act of Union of 1707. The sweetener offered by England was a sum of money equivalent to the vast loss Scotland had suffered in the aborted commercial venture on the Isthmus of Panama."

Song—Such a parcel of Rogues in a Nation : Robert Burns

FAREWEEL to a’ our Scottish fame,
Fareweel our ancient glory;
Fareweel ev’n to the Scottish name,
Sae fam’d in martial story.
Now Sark rins over Solway sands, 5
An’ Tweed rins to the ocean,
To mark where England’s province stands—
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!

What force or guile could not subdue,
Thro’ many warlike ages, 10
Is wrought now by a coward few,
For hireling traitor’s wages.
The English stell we could disdain,
Secure in valour’s station;
But English gold has been our bane— 15
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 head had lien in clay,
Wi’ Bruce and loyal Wallace! 20
But pith and power, till my last hour,
I’ll mak this declaration;
We’re bought and sold for English gold—
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!