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ANCIENT POEMS.

73.

ROBIN

XIII.

AND MAKYN E.

AN ANCIENT SCOTTISH PASTORAL.

The palm of paftoral poefy is here contested by a cotemporary writer with the author of the foregoing. The crities will judge of their respective merits; but must make fome allowance for the preceding ballad, which is given fimply, as it ftands in the old editions: whereas this, which follows, has been revifed and amended throughout by ALLAN RAMSEY, from whofe EVER-GREEN, Vol. I. it is here chiefly printed. The curious Reader may however compare it wuh the more original copy, printed among "Ancient Scottilh "Poems, from the MS. of George Bannatyne, 1568. Edinb. "" 1770. 12mo. Mr. ROBERT HENRYSON (to whom we are indebted for this Poem) appears to fo much advantage among the writers of eclogue, that we are forry we can give little other account of him, befides what is contained in the following eloge, written by W. Dunbar, a Scottish poet, who lived about the middle of the 16th century:

66

"In Dumferling, he [Death] bath tane Broun,
"With gude Mr. Robert Henryfon."

Indeed fome little farther infight into the hiftory of this Scottish bard is gained from the title prefixed to fome of his poems preferved in the British Museum; viz. "The morall "Fabillis of Efop compylit be Maifter ROBERT HENRISOUN, SCOLMAISTER of Dumfermling, 1571." Harleian MSS. 3865. §1.

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In Ramfay's EVERGREEN, Vol. I. whence the above distich is extracted, are preferved two other little Doric pieces by Henryfon; the one intitled THE LYON AND THE MOUSE; the other, THE GARMENT OF GUDE LADYIS. Some other of his Poems may be seen in the "Ancient Scottish Poems "printed from Bannatyne's MS. above referred to."

R

OBIN fat on the gude grene hill,
Keipand a flock of fie,

Quhen mirry Makyne faid him till,

"O Robin rew on me

"I haif thee luivt baith loud and ftill,

"Thir towmonds twa or thre:

"My dule in dern bot gif thou dill,

"Doubtless but dreid Ill die.

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5

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20

Robin,

Ver. 19. Bannatyne's MS. reads as above, heynd, nct, keynd, as in the Edinb. edit. 1770. Ver. 21. So that no danger. Bannatyne's MS.

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