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A truant-boy, I sought the nest,
Or listed, as I lay at rest,

While rose, on breezes thin,
The murmur of the city crowd,
And, from his steeple jangling loud,

Saint Giles's mingling din.
Now, from the summit to the plain,
Waves all the hill with yellow grain;

And o'er the landscape as I look,
Nought do I see unchanged remain,
Save the rude cliffs and chiming brook.
To me they make a heavy moan,
Of early friendships past and gone.

XXV.

But different far the change has been,1
Since Marmion, from the crown
Of Blackford, saw that martial scene
Upon the bent so brown:
Thousand pavilions, white as snow,
Spread all the Borough-moor below,2
Upland, and dale, and down:-
A thousand did I say? I ween,3

Thousands on thousands there were seen,
That chequer'd all the heath between
The streamlet and the town;

In crossing ranks extending far,
Forming a camp irregular ;*

Oft giving way, where still there stood

Some relics of the old oak wood,
That darkly huge did intervene,

And tamed the glaring white with green :

In these extended lines there lay

A martial kingdom's vast array.

XXVI.

For from Hebudes, dark with rain,
To eastern Lodon's fertile plain,
And from the southern Redswire edge,
To farthest Rosse's rocky ledge;
From west to east, from south to north,
Scotland sent all her warriors forth.
Marmion might hear the mingled hum
Of myriads up the mountain come;
The horses' tramp, and tingling clank,
Where chiefs review'd their vassal rank,
And charger's shrilling neigh;
And see the shifting lines advance,
While frequent flash'd, from shield and lance,
The sun's reflected ray.

1 MS." But, oh! far different change has been, Since Marmion, from the crown

Of Blackford-hill, upon the scene
Of Scotland's war look'd down."

2 See Appendix, Note 3 E.

3 MS." A thousand said the verse? I ween, Thousands on thousands there were seen, That whitened all the heath between."

4 Here ends the stanza in the MS.

Seven culverins so called, cast by one Borthwick.

XXVII.

Thin curling in the morning air,

The wreaths of failing smoke declare

To embers now the brands decay'd,
Where the night-watch their fires had made.
They saw, slow rolling on the plain,
Full many a baggage-cart and wain,
And dire artillery's clumsy car,

By sluggish oxen tugg'd to war;

And there were Borthwick's Sisters Seven,5
And culverins which France had given.
Ill-omen'd gift! the guns remain
The conqueror's spoil on Flodden plain.

XXVIII.

Nor mark'd they less, where in the air
A thousand streamers flaunted fair;
Various in shape, device, and hue,
Green, sanguine, purple, red, and blue,
Broad, narrow, swallow-tail'd, and square,
Scroll, pennon, pensil, bandrol, there
O'er the pavilions flew.7

Highest and midmost, was descried
The royal banner floating wide;

The staff, a pine-tree, strong and straight,
Pitch'd deeply in a massive stone,
Which still in memory is shown,

Yet bent beneath the standard's weight Whene'er the western wind unroll'd, With toil, the huge and cumbrous fold, And gave to view the dazzling field, Where, in proud Scotland's royal shield, The ruddy lion ramp'd in gold.

XXIX.

Lord Marmion view'd the landscape bright,-10
He view'd it with a chief's delight,-

Until within him burn'd his heart,
And lightning from his eye did part,
As on the battle-day;

Such glance did falcon never dart,
When stooping on his prey.
"Oh! well, Lord-Lion, hast thou said,
Thy King from warfare to dissuade
Were but a vain essay:

For, by St. George, were that host mine,
Not power infernal nor divine,
Should once to peace my soul incline,
Till I had dimm'd their armour's shine

In glorious battle-fray!"

6 Each of these feudal ensigns intimated the different rank

of those entitled to display them.

7 See Appendix, Note 3 F.

8 MS." The standard staff, a mountain pine,

Pitch'd in a huge memorial stone,

That still in monument is shown."

9 See Appendix, Note 3 G.

10 MS." Lord Marmion's large dark eye flash'd light,

It kindled with a chief's delight,

For glow'd with martial joy his heart,

As upon battle-day."

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