1 Written for Albyn's Anthology, vol. ii., 1818, and set to highly amused with a sly allusion to his two-fold character of music in Mr. Thomson's Collection, in 1822. 2 Caird signifies Tinker. 3 Mr. D. Thomson, of Galashiels, produced a parody on this song at an annual dinner of the manufacturers there, which Sir Walter Scott usually attended; and the Poet was Sheriff of Selkirkshire, and author-suspect of “Rob Roy," in the chorus, "Think ye, does the Shirra ken Rob M'Gregor's come again?" I glance like the wildfire through country and town; Here little, and hereafter bliss, Is best from age to age. "As Jeanie entered, she heard first the air, and then a part of the chorus and words of what had been, What did ye wi' the bridal ring-bridal ring-bridal perhaps, the song of a jolly harvest-home." ring? What did ye wi' your wedding ring, ye little cutty quean, O? I gied it till a sodger, a sodger, a sodger, I gied it till a sodger, an auld true love o' mine, O. Good even, good fair moon, good even to thee; The form and the features, the speech and degree, It is the bonny butcher lad, That wears the sleeves of blue, He sells the flesh on Saturday, On Friday that he slew. There's a bloodhound ranging Tinwald Wood, Up in the air, On my bonnie grey mare, And I see, and I see, and I see her yet. In the bonnie cells of Bedlam, My banes are buried in yon kirk-yard That's speaking now to thee. I'm Madge of the country, I'm Madge of the town, I am Queen of the Wake, and I'm Lady of May, The wild-fire that flashes so fair and so free He that is down need fear no fall, He that is humble ever shall Fulness to such a burthen is That go on pilgrimage; Our work is over-over now, The goodman wipes his weary brow, The last long wain wends slow away, And we are free to sport and play. The night comes on when sets the sun, "The attendant on the hospital arranged her in her bed as she desired, with her face to the wall, and her back to the light. So soon as she was quiet in this new position, she began again to sing in the same low and modulated strains, as if she was recovering the state of abstraction which the interruption of her visitants had disturbed. The strain, however, was dif ferent, and rather resembled the music of the methodist hymns, though the measure of the song was similar to that of the former:" When the fight of grace is fought,- When Faith has chased cold Doubt away,- "Her next seemed to be the fragment of some old ballad:" Cauld is my bed, Lord Archibald, And sad my sleep of sorrow: But thine sall be as sad and cauld, My fause true-love! to-morrow. And weep ye not, my maidens free, Though death your mistress borrow; For he for whom I die to-day, Shall die for me to-morrow "Again she changed the tune to one wilder, less monotonous, and less regular. But of the words only a fragment or two could be collected by those who listened to this singular scene:" Proud Maisie is in the wood, Walking so early; Sweet Robin sits on the bush, Singing so rarely. (4.)-CHAP. XXXV. I beseech you (2.)-NORMAN THE FORESTER'S SONG. "AND humming his rustic roundelay, the yeoman went on his road, the sound of his rough voice gradually dying away as the distance betwixt them increased." THE monk must arise when the matins ring, But the yeoman must start when the bugles sing, 'Tis time, my hearts, 'tis time. There's bucks and raes on Billhope braes, There's a herd on Shortwood Shaw; But a lily white doe in the garden goes, She 's fairly worth them a'. (3.) THE PROPHECY. Chap. iii. "WITH a quivering voice, and a cheek pale with These tears beseech you, and these chaste hands apprehension, Caleb faltered out the following lines:" Nor merry bowl nor welcome bed; Old Ballad, thirty inches in height, she accompanied it with her "Here 's sorry cheer," quoth the Heir of Linne. voice. The air was an ancient Gaelic melody, and the words, which were supposed to be very old, were in the same language; but we subjoin a translation of them, by Secundus M'Pherson, Esq. of Glenforgen; which, although submitted to the fetters of English rhythm, we trust will be found nearly as genuine as the version of Ossian by his celebrated namesake." (2.)-CHAP. XIV. As, to the Autumn breeze's bugle-sound, 1. BIRDS of omen dark and foul, 2. 3. The moon's wan crescent scarcely gleams, 4. Wild thoughts, that, sinful, dark, and deep, Chap. vi. |