LONG LENT, 1685.  

Or a Vindication of the Fea●s,  
Against those three great Horned Beasts,  
John Forbes, Master Duncan Lidel.  
With his Son George to tune their fiddle.   
To the Tune of Robin-hood and the Tanner.  

LEnt forty Work days ever was,  
With just six Sundays more;  
But three Horned Beasts at Aberdeen  
Intends to make three score.  
For now they want but only six,  
As clearly may appear;  
And if they continue with their old tricks,  
They shall want none nixt year.   

But for to know when Pasch should be,  
Their Errors to discover,  
It still should the first Sunday fall,  
After the Jews Pass'over.  
Which falls this year April the seventh,  
As Jews do reckon all  
The fourteen day of Nisan Month  
It every year must fall.   

The Month of Nisan doth begin  
As best imformed I am,  
The first change of the Moon each year  
That fall 〈◊〉 the Ram.  
On March the twenty fourth this year  
The change doth fall at night;  
Then after that count fourteen days,  
April the seventh comes right.   

Then Sunday nixt for Pasch y''ll find  
April the twelfth will be  
Good Friday's still near the full Moon  
All Authors doth agree;  
Which made Dionysius to say,  
The World's at an end:  
Or else the God of nature must  
Suffer; this is well kend.   

Because the darkness that was then  
Did fall near the full Moon,  
Then certainly the Moon he knew,  
Can not Eclipse the Sun:  
But all their Feasts are wrong this year,  
Save Argol, which is strange  
For all their Almanacs makes Pasch  
But four days from the Change.   

Edinburgh's true Almanac is right  
As all the World may see;  
But those set out at Aberdeen  
Still worse and worse they be,  
For since that Pasch doth Rule the rest,  
As Wing and others show,  
Then six weeks & five days count back  
For Fastens even to know.   

Then count just seven Weeks after Pasch  
For to find Whitsunday,  
And ye shall find it fall this year  
On the last day of May:  
But this they do not understand,  
It is for them too deep,  
Although the Ram do bear de Bell  
Amongst a flock of Sheep.  
They do pretend to much learning  
In Latin and in Greek,  
And yet they neither can well writ,  
Nor yet good Latin speak,  
For prima Cornu they do say,  
It is not Latin good,  
Whereas the sense do clearly show  
That stelas understood.   

If Master Duncan understood  
The Grammar Rules aright,  
The Rule Eclipse he would mind  
And that would set him right;  
And yet of Learning he will boast,  
And unlearned others call;  
But he that braggeth most thereof  
Hath of times lest of all.   

Now ye that doth intent this year  
To keep your Fa●s aright,  
That doth depend u●on these Feasts,  
Cause benish from your sight  
These Almanacs of Aberdeen  
With others of that kind,  
Or else your Fairs will err a Week,  
Which ye too true will find.   

For if these who at Fairs do use  
Come but a Week to late,  
And find these Fairs is passed and gone  
They will look wondrous blait.  
Since Rabin in Aberdeen deceased  
It is near forty years,  
And ever since their Almanacs  
Hath still been Jock the liars;   

Yet they'll rely on Aberdeen,  
Because it had the Name:  
But when they see it errs so much  
Thereof they will think shame,  
And say the City Edinburgh is  
The Metropolitan,  
Wherein all Arts is truly taught  
That's for the use of Man.   

If any Man will this deny  
Let him take this Debate,  
And Mr. Duncan now defend,  
Or else he'll come too late.  
For now he stands upon the Stage,  
The day is almos● lost,  
Although in London he did teach,  
Which causeth him to boast.   

But such a Master he hath been,  
As Lily to us show;  
Whom he did first in London meet,  
The like he near did know.  
They always carp at all the Works  
Which other men hath done,  
If they them want; like Aeshops' Dog,  
They'll bark even at the Moon.   
FINIS.