Pale Scotia's recent wound I may deplore. Justice, the high vicegerent of her God, rod; Hearing the tidings of the fatal blow She sank, abandoned to the wildest wo. Wrongs, injuries, from many a darksome den, Mark ruffian Violence, distained with crimes, The life-blood equal sucks of Right and Wrong: Ye dark waste hills, and brown unsightly plains, Ye suit the joyless tenor of my soul. Life's social haunts and pleasures I resign, Be nameless wilds and lonely wanderings mine, To mourn the woes my country must endure, That wound degenerate ages cannot cure. A FAREWELL TO CLARINDA, ON LEAVING EDINBURGII. CLARINDA, mistress of my soul, To what dark cave of frozen night We part-but, by these precious drops. No other light shall guide my steps She, the fair sun of all her sex, And shall a glimmering planet fix CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SECOND VOLUME OF JOHNSON'S MUSEUM.1 WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YE, MY LAD. OH whistle and I'll come to ye, my lad, Oh whistle and I'll come to ye, my lad. 66 1 The number of songs sent in Burns's handwriting to Johnson's Scots Musical Museum has been stated at one hundred and eighty; but many of these were old songs, gathered by him from oral tradition; many had only received from him a few improving touches; and only forty-seven were finally decided upon by Dr. Currie as wholly and undoubtedly the production of Burns. The poet himself, through the voluminousness of Johnson's collection seems to have disposed him to regard it as the text-book and standard of Scottish song and music," felt ashamed of much that he had contributed to it. "Here, once for all," said he in a letter to Mr. Thomson, "let me apologise for the many silly compositions of mine in this work. Many beautiful airs wanted words, and in the hurry of other avocations, if I could string a parcel of rhymes together, anything near tolerable, I was fain to let them pass." On the other hand, a considerable number of his contributions to Johnson were equal to the best of his compositions, and had already attained popularity. Come down the back stairs when ye come to court me, Come down the back stairs when ye come to court me, Come down the back stairs, and let naebody see; And come as ye were na coming to me.1 MACPHERSON'S FAREWELL. TUNE-MPherson's Rant. James Macpherson was a noted Highland freebooter, of uncommon personal strength, and an excellent performer on the violin. After holding the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray in fear for some years, he was seized by Duff of Braco, ancestor of the Earl of Fife, and tried before the sheriff of Banffshire (November 7, 1700), along with certain gypsies who had been taken in his company. In the prison, while he lay under sentence of death, he composed a song and an appropriate air, the former commencing thus: "I've spent my time in rioting, Debauched my health and strength; 1 Burns afterwards altered and extended this song. But dantonly, and wantonly, I'll play a tune, and dance it roun' When brought to the place of execution, on the Gallows-hill of Banff (Nov. 16), he played the tune on his violin, and then asked if any friend was present who would accept the instrument as a gift at his hands. No one coming forward, he indignantly broke the violin on his knee, and threw away the fragments; after which he submitted to his fate. The verses of Burns-justly called by Mr. Lockhart "a grand lyric " were designed as an improvement on those of the freebooter, preserving the same air. FAREWELL, ye dungeons dark and strong, On yonder gallows-tree. Sae rantingly, sae wantonly, Sae dauntingly gaed he; He played a spring, and danced it round, Oh, what is Death but parting breath? On many a bloody plain I've dared his face, and in this place I scorn him yet again! Untie these bands from off my hands, And bring to me my sword; |