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PART VII.

POEMS OF TRAGEDY AND SORROW.

THE mournful funeral slow proceeds behind,
Arrayed in black, the heavy head declined;
Wide yawns the grave; dull tolls the solemn bell;
Dark lie the dead; and long the last farewell.
There music sounds, and dancers shake the hall;
But here the silent tears incessant fall.

Ere Mirth can well her comedy begin,
The tragic demon oft comes thundering in,
Confounds the actors, damps the merry show,
And turns the loudest laugh to deepest woe.

JOHN WILSON.

POEMS OF TRAGEDY AND SORROW.

Sir Patrick Spens.

THE king sits in Dunfermline town, Drinking the blude-red wine;

"Oh where will I get a skeely skipper To sail this new ship of mine?"

Oh up and spake an eldern knight,
Sat at the king's right knee:
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best sailor
That ever sailed the sea."

Our king has written a braid letter,
And sealed it with his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
Was walking on the strand.

"To Noroway, to Noroway,

To Noroway o'er the faem; The king's daughter of Noroway,

'Tis thou maun bring her hame!"

The first word that Sir Patrick read,
Sae loud, loud laughed he;
The neist word that Sir Patrick read,
The tear blindit his e'e.

"Oh wha is this has done this deed,
And tauld the king o' me,

To send us out at this time of the year,
To sail upon the sea?

"Be it wind, be it weet, be it hail, be it sleet,
Our ship must sail the faem;
The king's daughter of Noroway,
'Tis we must fetch her hame."

They hoysed their sails on Monenday morn
Wi' a' the speed they may;
They hae landed in Noroway
Upon a Wodensday.

They hadna been a week, a week
In Noroway, but twae,

When that the lords o' Noroway
Began aloud to say:

"Ye Scottishmen spend a' our king's gowd
And a' our queenis fee."
"Ye lie, ye lie, ye liars loud!

Fu' loud I hear ye lie!

"For I hae brought as much white monie

As gane my men and me,

And I hae brought a half-fou o' gude red gowd Out owre the sea wi' me.

"Make ready, make ready, my merry men a'! Our gude ship sails the morn." "Now, ever alake! my master dear, I fear a deadly storm!

"I saw the new moon, late yestreen,
Wi' the auld moon in her arm;
And if we gang to sea, master,
I fear we'll come to harm."

They hadna sailed a league, a league,
A league, but barely three,

When the lift grew dark, and the wind blew loud,

And gurly grew the sea.

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