The lav'rock in the morning she'll rise frae her nest, * And mount to the air wi' the dew on her breast,* And wi' the merry Ploughman she'll whistle and sing, And at night she'll return to her nest back again. I'LL It is pleasing to mark those touches of sympathy which shew the sons of genius to be of one kindred.-In the following passage from the poem of his countryman, the same figure is illustrated with characteristic simplicity; and never were the tender and the sublime of poetry more happily united, nor a more affectionate tribute paid to the memory of Burns. "Thou, simple bird, "Of all the vocal quire, dwell'st in a home Grahame's Birds of Scotland, vol. ii. p. iv. I'LL AY CA' IN BY YON TOWN. I'LL'ay ca' in by yon town, I'll And by yon garden green, again; ay ca' in by yon town, And see my bonie Jean again." There's nane sall ken, there's nane sall guess, What brings me back the gate again, But she my fairest faithfu' lass, And stownlins* we sall meet again. She'll wander by the aiken tree, When trystin-time+ draws near again ; And when her lovely form I see, O'haith, she's doubly dear again! WHISTLE *Stownlins-By stealth. + Trystin-time-The time of appointment. WHISTLE O'ER THE LAVE O'T. FIRST when Maggy was my care, Meg was meek, and Meg was mild, How we live, my Meg and me, Whistle o'er the lave o't.- YOUNG JOCKEY. YOUNG Jockey was the blythest lad My Jockey toils upon the plain, Thro' wind and weet, thro' frost and snaw; And o'er the lee I leuk fu' fain. When Jockey's owsen hameward ca'. An' ay the night comes round again, An' ay be vows he'll be my ain MCPHERSON'S *The Gaud-at the Plough. M'PHERSON'S FAREWEL. FAREWEL ye dungeons dark and strong, On yonder gallows tree. Sae rantingly, sae wantonly, Sae dauntingly gaed he; He play'd a spring and danc'd it round Oh, what is death but parting breath ?— I've dar'd his face, and in this place I scorn him yet again! Sae rantingly, &c." Untie these bands from off my hands,* And bring to me my sword; And there's no a man in all Scotland, Sae rantingly, &c. I've See the 2d verse of the ballad of Hughie Graham, p. 287. |