'My brother Douglas may upbraid,

And strive with threat'ning words to move me: My lover's blood is on thy spear,

How canst thou ever bid me love thee?

'Yes, yes, prepare the bed, the bed of love! With bridal sheets my body cover!

Unbar, ye bridal maids, the door;

Let in the expected husband lover!

'But who the expected husband, husband is? His hands, methinks, are bathed in slaughter. Ah me! what ghastly spectre's yon,

Comes in his pale shroud bleeding after?

'Pale as he is, here lay him, lay him down;
O lay his cold head on my pillow:
Take aff, take aff these bridal weeds,

And crown my careful head with willow.

'Pale though thou art, yet best, yet best beloved!
Oh! could my warmth to life restore thee,
Ye'd lie all night between my breasts!
No youth lay ever there before thee.

'Pale, pale indeed! O lovely, lovely youth!
Forgive, forgive so foul a slaughter;
And lie all night between my breasts!
No youth shall ever lie there after.'

'Return, return, O mournful, mournful bride! Return, and dry thy useless sorrow!

Thy lover heeds nought of thy sighs

He lies a corpse on the braes of Yarrow."

342

HECTOR MACNEIL

[1746-1818]

I LO'ED NE'ER A LADDIE BUT ANE

I LO❜ED ne'er a laddie but ane,
He lo'es na a lassie but me;
He's willing to mak' me his ain,
And his ain I am willing to be.
He coft' me a rokelay' o' blue,

And a pair o' mittens o' green;
He vowed that he'd ever be true,
And I plighted my troth yestreen.

Let ithers brag weel o' their gear,'
Their land and their lordly degree;
I carena for aught but my dear,

For he's ilka thing lordly to me.
His words are sae sugared, sae sweet,
His sense drives ilk fear far awa';
I listen, puir fool, and I greet,

Yet how sweet are the tears as they fa'!

'Dear lassie,' he cries wi' a jeer,

'Ne'er heed what the auld anes will say:
Though we've little to brag o', ne'er fear,
What's gowd to a heart that is wae?
Our laird has baith honours and wealth,
Yet see how he's dwining wi' care;
Now we, though we've naething but health,
Are cantie and leal' evermair.

'O Menie, the heart that is true

Has something mair costly than gear;

Ilk e'en it has naething to rue,

Ilk morn it has naething to fear.

1 Bought.

A short cloak. Possessions.
Cheerful. · Loyal.

• Each.

• Pining.

343

Ye warldlings, gae hoard up your store,
And tremble for fear aught ye tyne;"
Guard your treasures wi' lock, bar, and door,
While here in my arms I lock mine!'

He ends wi' a kiss and a smile-
Wae's me, can I tak' it amiss?
My laddie's unpractised in guile,

He's free aye to daut' and to kiss.
Ye lasses wha' lo'e to torment

Your wooers wi' fause scorn and strife,
Play your pranks; I ha'e gi'en my consent,
And this night I am Jamie's for life.

COME UNDER MY PLAIDIE

'COME under my plaidie, the night's gaun to fa';
Come in frae the cauld blast, the drift, and the snaw:
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me,
There's room in't, dear lassie, believe me, for twa.
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me,
I'll hap' ye frae every cauld blast that can blaw:
Oh, come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me!
There's room in't, dear lassie, believe me, for twa.'

'Gae 'wa wi' your plaidie, auld Donald, gae 'wa!
I fearna the cauld blast, the drift, nor the snaw;
Gae 'wa wi' your plaidie; I'll no sit beside ye,
Ye may be a gutcher, auld Donald, gae 'wa.
I'm gaun to meet Johnnie-he's young and he's bonnie;
He's been at Meg's bridal, fu' trig' and fu' braw:*
Oh, nane dances sae lightly, sae gracefu', sae tightly;
His cheek's like the new rose, his brow's like the snaw.'

'Dear Marion, let that flee stick fast to the wa'; Your Jock's but a gowk, and has naething ava; The hale o' his pack he has now on his back:

He's thretty, and I am but threescore and twa.

Be frank now and kindly: I'll busk' ye aye finely,
To kirk or to market there'll few gang sae braw;
A bienR house to bide in, a chaise for to ride in,
And flunkies to 'tend ye as aft as ye ca'.'

'My father's aye tauld me, my mither an a',
Ye'd mak' a gude husband, and keep me aye braw:
It's true I lo'e Johnnie-he's gude and he's bonnie,
But, wae's me! ye ken he has naething ava.

I ha'e little tocher: you've made a good offer:
I'm now mair than twenty-my time is but sma';
Sae, gi'e me your plaidie, I'll creep in beside ye,
I thocht ye'd been aulder than threescore and twa.'

She crap in ayont him, aside the stane wa'.
Where Johnnie was list'nin, and heard her tell a';
The day was appointed: his proud heart it dunted,1o
And strack 'gainst his side as if bursting in twa.
He wandered hame weary: the night it was dreary;
And, thowless," he tint" his gate 'mang the deep snaw:
The owlet was screamin'; while Johnnie cried, 'Women
Wad marry Auld Nick if he'd keep them aye braw!'

344

SIR WILLIAM JONES

[1746-1794]

AN ODE

In Imitation of Alcaeus

WHAT Constitutes a State?

Not high-raised battlement or laboured mound,
Thick wall or moated gate,

Not cities proud with spires and turrets crowned;
Not bays and broad-armed ports,

Where, laughing at the storm, rich navies ride;
Not starred and spangled courts,

• Dowry. 10 Throbbed violently.

1 Dress.

• Comfortable.

11 Enfeebled.

12 Lost.

345

346

Where low-browed baseness wafts perfume to pride.
No:-men, high-minded men,

With powers as far above dull brutes endued

In forest, brake, or den,

As beasts excel cold rocks and brambles rude;
Men, who their duties know,

But know their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain,
Prevent the long-aimed blow,

And crush the tyrant while they rend the chain:
These constitute a State,

And sovereign Law, that State's collected will,
O'er thrones and globes elate,

Sits Empress, crowning good, repressing ill.
Smit by her sacred frown,

The fiend, Dissension, like a vapour sinks,
And e'en the all-dazzling crown

Hides her faint rays, and at her bidding shrinks.
Such was this heaven-loved isle,

Than Lesbos fairer and the Cretan shore!
No more shall Freedom smile?

Shall Britons languish, and be men no more?
Since all must life resign,

Those sweet rewards, which decorate the brave,
'Tis folly to decline,

And steal inglorious to the silent grave.

ON PARENT KNEES A NAKED NEW-BORN CHILD

ON parent knees, a naked new-born child,
Weeping thou sat'st while all around thee smiled:
So live, that sinking to thy life's last sleep,

Calm thou may'st smile, whilst all around thee weep.

SUSANNA BLAMIRE

[1747-1794]

AND YE SHALL WALK IN SILK ATTIRE

AND ye shall walk in silk attire,

And siller' hae to spare,

1 Money.

(H) HC XLI