P R O P O S A L S

FOR OPENING

A Scotch Eating Houfe, or North
Country Ordinary,
In the Neighbourhood of ST. JAMES'S, London.

Dear Country Folk,

WHAN I confidered and reetly weighed the swarms o'
ye that come to this toun, and how yer poor diftrefsed and
ftarved weams want fic gud and wholefome meat as ye were
ufed to, and beft agree wee your conſtitution—this, I ſay,
and the tender love I always had for ye, gar'd me to think
of fetting up a Scotch Eating Houſe, for the accomodation
of a' that loved themſels, and had ony regard for the pre-
fervation of their ane healths.

But before I wad undertake a thing of ſae great conſe-
quence, I thought it advifeable and beſt, firſt of a', to ad-
vife and confult wi' fic of yer ſels as war in toun about it.
According I did ſae, but ae vow ! gin ye feed the joy and
pleaſure that appeared in their countenances, ye wad have
thought they wad have louped out of their ſkins. They a'
proteſted and ſweared by the fauls of their bodies, gin I wad
but undertake fetting up fic a houſe, they wad warrant me
that I wad have mair buſineſs than a' the eating houſes of
the hale city of London, and put them a' the gither.

But in gude troth, I am as ald farran as ony o'thems a';
and right loth was I to truſt either thir aiths or words ; for
to ſay amang ourſels, my ain country folk are but a pack
of flippery wheels, and can play ye a plifcan, as weel as ony
Corniſh or Yorſhire man.

But now to prevent ony miſunderſtanding on ane fide or
tither, I defired that they wad come to fic terms as wad ſe-
cure me from being a lofer in this affair: they Solemnly
ſweered our and our again, that as lang as I kepted gude
ſtirabout, crowdie, ſowins, skimed-milk and butter-milk,
they wad ſtick as cloſe to me as the fark upo't my back ; &
therefore begged yence mair to publiſh to the warld my
propofals, and let them ken what they war to hae for their
fiſler.—Now I thinks to myſel, ye ken weel enough, they
are a poor fide-weam'd pack of fellows, ſae I confidered
it weel, and how it wad anſwer; for this I am ſure o', that
they care nae for the quality, ſae there be but enough o't.
And therefore I do propoſe as follows:

Propofals for the Scotch Ordinary.

1. Stirabot a'ways to be the ſtanin diſh.

2. There's an auld & gude faying, " That variety is the
pleaſure of this warld," and to pleafe the palats of ony ane
that is dainty-flomaked, ye ſhall hae lang kail, and hacked
kail, and rumbled kail, and fybos, and a piece of gud oaten
bannock, ilka ane paying four bawbies.

3. Now I'm perſuaded, that nane o' ye will want ony
fuppers; but gin ye do, there will be enough o' cald meat
left, and that ye's hae for naithing; and gin that wonnot

pleafe, ye ſhall a' get a wee whene ſowins, and o'-them-
upo'-them, till ye caſt again.

4. On the Sabbath, when ye come frae the preachin', ye
ſhall a' get a gude ſinged ſheep's head, wi' ilka ane a bicker
o' barley broſe, and a haggis of our ain gude wife's making.
And there isn't a better cook in the hale toun; and the
deel gee her thanks, for ſhe was born at Lochaber, in the
Heelands of Scotland, & her mither was born at Arintrow.
And as for the making of haggis, ſtirabout, ſouins, ban-
nocks, or been meel, and matſhlin puddens, ſhe'll turn her
back to nane that ever weer'd a heed between the ſhoulders
o' them.

N. B. Ye mun underſtand, that on this day ye are to
ha' nae ſtirabout, when there are fic dainties; and ilka body
mun add ane bawbee mair.

5. That I will ſettle a correſpondence wi' the Leith
marchants, to ſend me a hale bark, laden wi' oaten-meal
and ſouin ſeeds.

6. Gude meet a'ways deſarves gude drink; and I war-
rant ye it ſhall nae be wanting: for I'ſs agree wi' a brewer
for a' his Tifen, (they ca' it in this toun T'aplaſh) beſides
whigg whey, butter-milk, ſouin ſheyrins, ſcidrab, ſpurrah,
and jut, addin yae bawbee mair.

7. That hoofe furniture will be provided, for accommo-
datin' a' my gueſts: I'll hae a muckle pot, ſpurtles of a'
ſizes, bickers, trenchers, coges, kimlins, horn ſpoons, cut-
ties, fourms, haffacks, three-legged ftools, &c. for naithing
ſhall be wantin. As for a jack and ſpeets, we ſhall hae
nae occafion for.

8. By what is propoſed, let me ſee wha can live ſae
dainty, and at fic ſma' charges? that ilka ane may gang
hame to their beds every night fartin ſou, for nae mair than
fix bawbees a day.

9. For the farther encouragement of a' my freens, they
ſhall be ſhaved and powdered on the Saturday wee gude
oatmeal, and a bit o' North Country butter, and that will
anſwer in the place o' powder and oil.

10. I ſhall ſay nae mair upo' this heed for the preſent;
but gin I find it anſwers, wha kens but we may reach to a
bit o' roaſt meet at laſt. I had amaift forgotten to acquaint
ye, that ye's hae gude attendance; for Janet and myſel
will do that, for nae laſſies will I keep; and we will keep
a' clean, and live brawly.

The following honeſt bodies that war in toun, wi' joy
frae the very ſauls o'them, have ſubſcribed their names, as
follow:

Roby M'leith.

Jonney M'Glaſgow, &c. &c.