William Topaz McGonagall

Welcome, sweet Christmas, blest be the
That Christ our Saviour was born
Earth's Redeemer, to save us from all danger,
And, as the Holy Record tells, born in a manger

Ye lovers of the picturesque, away and
Beautiful Balmoral, near by the River Dee;
There ye will see the deer browsing on the heathery hills,
While adown their sides run clear sparkling rills

A sad tale of the sea I will relate, which will your hearts
Concerning the burning of the steamship "City of Montreal,"Which had on board two hundred and forty-nine souls in all,
But, alas
a fearful catastrophe did them be...

Ye sons of Great Britain,
I think no
To write in praise of brave General Graham
Whose name will be handed down to posterity without any stigma,

Mr
Smiggs was a gentleman,
And he lived in London town;
His wife she was a good kind soul,

Success to James Scrymgeour,
He's a very good man,
And to gainsay it,
There's few people can;

Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay
Alas
I am very sorry to
That ninety lives have been taken

Beautiful Ancient City of Perth,
One of the fairest on the earth,
With your stately mansions and scenery most fine,
Which seems very beautiful in the summer time;

Good people of high and low degree,
I pray ye all to list to me,
And I'll relate a harrowing tale of the
Concerning the burning of the ship "Kent" in the Bay of Biscay,

Immortal Robert Burns of Ayr,
There's but few poets can with you compare;
Some of your poems and songs are very fine:
To "Mary in Heaven" is most sublime;

'Twas in the year of 1866, and on a very beautiful day,
That eighty-two passengers, with spirits light and gay,
Left Gravesend harbour, and sailed gaily
On board the steamship "London,"Bound for the city of Melbourne,

AS in the month of December, and in the year l883,
That a monster whale came to Dundee,
Resolved for a few days to sport and play,
And devour the small fishes in the silvery Tay