And thou, gentle Dame, who must bear, to thy grief, Be his pilot experienced, and trusty, and wise, NIGHT and morning were at meeting Cocks had sung their earliest greeting; For no paly beam yet shone Where the soldier lay, Chill and stiff, and drench'd with rain, Though death should come with day. "Tis at such a tide and hour, Wizard, witch, and fiend have power, And then the affrighted prophet's ear Among the sons of men ;- Where, through battle's rout and reel, 4 Originally published in 1815, in the Edinburgh Anna Register, vol. v. MS.-" Dawn and darkness." Storm of shot and hedge of steel, Led the grandson of Lochiel, Valiant Fassiefern. Through steel and shot he leads no more, And proud Bennevis hear with awe, III. 'Lone on the outskirts of the host, And heard, through darkness far alcof, Where held the cloak'd patrol their course, And spurr'd 'gainst storm the swerving horse, But there are sounds in Allan's ear, Patrol nor sentinel may hear, And sights before his eye aghast When down the destined plain, "Twixt Britain and the bands of France, Such forms were seen, such sounds were Our airy feet, So light and fleet, They do not bend the rye That sinks its head when whirlwinds rave, And swells again in eddying wave, As each wild gust blows by; But still the corn, At dawn of morn, Our fatal steps that bore, At eve lies waste, A trampled paste Of blackening mud and gore. V. "Wheel the wild dance While lightnings glance, And thunders rattle loud, And call the brave To bloody grave, To sleep without a shroud. Wheel the wild dance! Brave sons of France, For you our ring makes room; Make space full wide For martial pride, For banner, spear, and plume. Approach, draw near, Proud cuirassier! Room for the men of steel! Through crest and plate The broadsword's weight Both head and heart shall feel. VI. "Wheel the wild dance While lightnings glance, And thunders rattle loud, And call the brave To bloody grave, To sleep without a shroud. Sons of the spear! In many a ghastly dream; Our forms you spy, And hear our fatal scream. With clearer sight Ere falls the night, Just when to weal or woe Your disembodied souls take flight On trembling wing-each startled sprite Our choir of death shall know. See ante, Marmion, canto v. stanzas 24, 25, 26, and Ap pendix, Note 4 A, p. 173 "My arm it is my country's right, Even when the battle-roar was deep, My heart is in my lady's bower; For love to die, for fame to fight, Becomes the valiant Troubadour." Alas! upon the bloody field He fell beneath the foeman's glaive, But still reclining on his shield, Expiring sung the exulting stave:"My life it is my country's right, My heart is in my lady's bower; For love and fame to fall in fight Becomes the valiant Troubadour." From the French.' 1815. Ir chanced that Cupid on a season, And Folly for his hours of gayety. Though thus he dealt in petty treason, He loved them both in equal measure; Fidelity was born of Reason, And Folly brought to bed of Pleasure. Song, ON THE LIFTING OF THE BANNER OF THE HOUSE OF BUCCLEUCH, AT A GREAT FOOT-BALL MATCH ON CARTERHAUGH.2 1815. FROM the brown crest of Newark its summons extending, Our signal is waving in smoke and in flame; This trifle also is from the French Collection, found at Waterloo. See Paul's Letters. 2 This song appears with Music in Mr. G. Thomson's Colection-1826. The foot-ball match on which it was written And each forester blithe, from his mountain descending, Bounds light o'er the heather to join in the game. CHORUS. Then up with the Banner, let forest winds fan her, She has blazed over Ettrick eight ages and more, In sport we'll attend her, in battle defend her, With heart and with hand, like our fathers before When the Southern invader spread waste and disorder, At the glance of her crescents he paused and withdrew, For around them were marshall'd the pride of the Border, The Flowers of the Fore, the Bands of Buo CLEUCH. Then up with the Banner, &c. A Stripling's weak hand to our revel has borne her, No mail-glove has grasp'd her, no spearmen surround; But ere a bold foeman should scathe or should scorn her, A thousand true hearts would be cold on the ground. Then up with the Banner, &c. We forget each contention of civil dissensiou, And hail, like our brethren, HOME, DOUGLAS, and CAR: And ELLIOT and PRINGLE in pastime shall mingle As welcome in peace as their fathers in war. Then up with the Banner, &c. Then strip, lads, and to it, though sharp be the weather, And if, by mischance, you should happen to fall, There are worse things in life than a tumble m heather, And life is itself but a game at foot-ball. And when it is over, we'll dr.ak a blithe measure To each Laird and each Lady that witness'd our fun, And to every blithe heart that took part in our pleasure, To the lads that have lost and the lads that have won. Then up with the Banner, &c. took place on December 5, 1815, and was also celebrated by the Ettrick Shepherd. See Life of Scott, vol. v. pp. 112 116, 122. The bearer of the standard was the Author's eldest son |