"My happy sisters may be, may be proud; With cruel and ungentle scoffing May bid me seek, on Yarrow braes, My lover nailed in his coffin. "My brother Douglas may upbraid, And strive, with threatening 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? Comes in his pale shroud, bleeding after? "Pale as he is, here lay him, lay him down;` Oh lay his cold head on my pillow! Take off, take off 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! Yet lie all night within my arms— No youth lay ever there before thee! "Pale, pale indeed, O lovely, lovely youth! Forgive, forgive so foul a slaughter, And lie all night within my arms, 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." WILLIAM HAMILTON. The School-Mistress. АH me! full sorely is my heart forlorn, In every village mark'd with little spire, For unkempt hair, or task unconn'd, are sorely shent. And all in sight doth rise a birchen tree Which Learning near her little dome did stowe So have I seen (who has not, may conceive) So doth it wanton birds of peace bereave, Of sport, of song, of pleasure, of repast; They start, they stare, they wheel, they look aghast; May nc bold Briton's riper age e'er taste! Near to this dome is found a patch so green, The noises intermix'd, which thence resound, Do Learning's little tenement betray; Where sits the dame, disguis'd in look profound, And eyes her fairy throng, and turns her wheel around. Her cap, far whiter than the driven snow, And fury uncontroll'd, and chastisement unkind. Few but have kenn'd, in semblance ineet portray'd, The childish faces of old Eol's train; Libs, Notus, Auster: these in frowns array'd, How then would fare or Earth, or Sky, or Main, Were the stern god to give his slaves the rein? And were not she rebellious breasts to quell, And were not she her statutes to maintain, The cot no more, I ween, were deem'd the cell, Where comely peace of mind, and decent order dwell. A russet stole was o'er her shoulders thrown; And think, no doubt, she been the greatest wight on ground. Albeit ne flattery did corrupt her truth, Or dame, the sole additions she did hear; Yet these she challeng'd, these she held right dear: Ne would esteem him act as mought behove, But there was eke a mind which did that title love. One ancient hen she took delight to feed, The plodding pattern of the busy dame; Which, ever and anon, impell'd by need, Into her school, begirt with chickens, came! Such favor did her past deportment claim: And, if Neglect had lavish'd on the ground Fragment of bread, she would collect the same, For well she knew, and quaintly could expound What sin it were to waste the smallest crumb she found. Herbs too she knew, and well of each could speak That in her garden sipp'd the silvery dew; Where no vain flower disclos'd a gaudy streak; But herbs for use, and physic, not a few, Of gray renown, within those borders grew: The lowly gill, that never dares to climb; And more I fain would sing, disdaining here to rhyme. Yet euphrasy may not be left unsung, That gives dim eyes to wander leagues around; And plantain ribb'd, that heals the reaper's wound, To lurk amidst the labors of her loom, And crown her kerchiefs clean, with mickle rare perfume. And here trim rosemarine, that whilom crown'd A sacred shelter for its branches here; Where edg'd with gold its glittering skirts appear. Nor ever would she more with thane and lordling dwell. Here oft the dame, on Sabbath's decent eve, Uphung their useless lyres-small heart had they to sing. For she was just, and friend to virtuous lore, |