Why grows the gazer's sight so dim? Short was thy sway, frenzied and short, "Tis past! and darkly stand revealed A mother's cares and purpose deep: That kiss, the last adieu that sealed, Waked Mary from her death-like sleep! Slowly she raised her form of grace, Her eyes no ray conceptive flung; And O, her mild, her languid face, Was like a flower too early sprung! "O I lie sick and weary here, My heart is bound in moveless chain; Another cup, my mother dear, I cannot sleep though I would fain!"— She drank the wine with calm delay, She drank the wine with pause and sigh: Slowly, as wakes the dawning day, Dawned long-lost thought in Mary's eye. She looked at pall, she looked at bier, "Twas all a dream, nor boded good, A phantom of the fevered brain! She laid her down in moaning mood, To sooth her woes in sleep again. Needs not to paint that joyful hour, The nuptial vow, the bridal glee, How Mary Scott, the Forest-flower, Was borne a bride to Torwoodlee. Needs not to say, how warriors prayed Diamond and ruby rayed her waist, And twinkled round her brow so fair; She wore more gold upon her breast Than would have bought the hills of Yair. A foot so light, a form so meet, Ne'er trode Saint Mary's lonely lea; A bride so gay, a face so sweet, The Yarrow braes shall never sce. Old Tushilaw deigned not to smile, No grateful word his tongue could say, He took one kiss, blest her the while, Wiped his dark eye, and turned away. The Scotts were freed, and peace rea Each Scott, each Ker, each Pringha Swore by his name, and by his swerd To be firm friends for evermore. Lord Pringle's hills were stocked a Drove after drove came nightly fre But many a Border-Baron knew Whence came the dower to Torv Scarce had the closing measure rang When from the ring the minstrel O'er foot of maid, and cane of man, Three times he foundered as he ran And his gilt harp, of flowery frame, Left ready for the next that came. Loud were the plaudits,-all the fair Their eyes turned to the royal chair: They looked again,—no bard was the But whisper, smile, and question ra Around the ring anent the man! While all the nobles of the south Lauded the generous stranger youth The next was bred on southern sho Beneath the mists of Laminermore; And long, by Nith and crystal Tweed When first of Royal Wake he heard Forthwith it chained his sole regard: It was his thought, his hourly them His morning-prayer, his midnight-dr Knights, dames, and squires of each He deemed as fond of songs as he, And talked of them continually. But when he heard the Highland-strai Scarce could his breast his soul cont 'Twas all unequalled, and would make Immortal Bards! immortal Wake! About Dunedin streets he ran, Each knight he met, each maid, cach The Wake was first, the Wake was In field, in alley, tower, or hall, Alike to him the south or north. So high he held the minstrel-worth. So high his ardent mind was wrought, Once of himself he scarcely thought Dear to his heart the strain sublime, The strain admired in ancient time; And of his minstrel-honours proud. He strung his harp too high, too low 1 readful the onset that Edward beheld, ast his brave legions were heaped on the field. His spirit, escaped on the wings of the wind, He looked over meadow, broad river, and From Ochel's fair mountains to Lammermore brown; He still found his heart and desires were the same; He wished to leave Scotland nor sceptre nor name. He thought, as he lay on the green mountain thyme, A spirit approached him in manner sublime. Her robe was the blue silken veil of the sky, Her mantle the sun-beam, her bracelets the Her hands and her feet like the bright burning levin; Her face was the face of an angel from heaven: Around her the winds and the echoes grew still, And rainbows were formed in the cloud of the hill. Like music that floats o'er the soft heaving deep, When twilight has Inlled all the breezes The wild fairy-airs in our forests that rung, When theGuardian of Scotland's proud moun- "What boots, mighty Edward, thy victories won? 'Tis over-thy sand of existence is run; Thy laurels are faded, dispersed in the blast ; Thy soul from the bar of Omnipotence cast, To wander bewildered o'er mountain and plain, plaided blueHighlander,swift as the wind, ad terror before him, and ruin behind. k clouds of blood-vapour brood over the slain, Pembroke and Howard are stretched O'er lands thou hast steeped with the blood on the plain. of the slain. chieftain he hated, all covered with blood, "I heard of thy guerdon, I heard it on high : nearer and nearer approached where he | Thou'rt doomed on these mountains to linger The next was from a western val Where Nith winds slowly down the Where play the waves o'er goldenLike mimic billows of the main. Of the old elm his harp was made, That bent o'er Cluden's loneliest sha For his own hand that harp had fr No gilded sculpture round her flam In stolen hours, when, labour doar He strayed to view the parting sa O, when the toy to him so fair, Began to form beneath his care, How danced his youthful heart with How constant grew the dear emp The sun would chamber in the he The red star rise o'er Locherben; Waked from her eastern couch ef The solemn moon, in sickly hue Would half way gain the vault et Bathe in the Nith, slow stealing b And still the bard his task would i When his first notes, from covent Arrested maiden on her way; When ceased the reaper's evening And paused the shepherd of the da j Bootless all higher worldly bliss. To crown our minstrel's happiness What all the joys by fortune givi To cloyless song, the gift of Her sung. That harp could make the matron stare, Bristle the peasant's hoary hair, Iake patriot-breasts with ardour glow, nd warrior pant to meet the foe; nd long by Nith the maidens young hall chant the strains their minstrel t ewe-bught, or at evening-fold, When resting on the daisied wold, ombing their locks of waving gold, ft the fair group, enrapt, shall name heir lost, their darling Cunninghame; is was a song beloved in youth,tale of weir-a tale of truth. DUMLANRIG. THE SIXTEENTH BARD'S SONG. 'ho's he that at Dumlanrig's gate Io! rise, Dumlanrig! all's at stake! r round thee reaves thy ruthless foe- s fur-cloak round him Douglas threw, d to the crennel eager flew. What news?what news?thou stalwart groom, ho thus, in midnight's deepest gloom, ingst to my gate the loud alarm foray wide and country harm? hat are thy dangers? what thy fears? y out thy message-Douglas hears." aste, Douglas! Douglas, arm with speed, d mount thy fleetest hattle-steed; r Lennox, with the southern host, hom thou hast baulked and curbed the most, ke locusts from the Solway blown, → spread upon thy mountains brown: ke from their camp in search of prey, ey drive thy flocks and herds away; used by revenge, and hunger keen, ey've swept the hills of fair Dalveen; left thee bullock, goat, or steer, all the holms of Durisdeer. ⇒ troop came to my father's hall; burnt our tower-they took our all. ey dear, my only sister May, force the ruffians bore away; - kid, nor lamb, bleats in the glen, und all lonely Locherben! My twenty men, I have no moe, Arm, cried the Douglas, one and all! At first, like thunder's distant tone, When first the word: To arms! was given, The Nith they stemmed in firm array; O, haste thee, Douglas! haste and ride! O, haste thee, Douglas to the fray, |