Sayes, Mither deare, gi owre this house,
For the reek it fmithers me.

80

Then wi' his fpear he turnd hir owre,
O gin hir face was wan!

He fayd, Ze are the first that eir
I wisht alive again.

He turnd hir owre and owre again,
O gin hir skin was whyte!

I might ha fpared that bonnie face
To hae been fum mans delyte.

Bufk and boun, my merry men a',
For ill dooms I doe guefs;

100

105

I cannae luik in that bonnie face,

As it lyes on the grass.

Thame, luiks to freits, my mafter deir,

Then freits wil follow thame :

110

Let it neir be faid brave Edom o' Gordon

Was daunted by a dame.

But quhen the ladye fee the fire
Cum flaming owre hir head,

She wept and kift her children twain,
Sayd, Bairns, we been but dead.

115

The

V. 98, 102. O gin, &c. a Scottish idiom to exprefs great admiration.

V. 109, 110. Thame, &c. i. e. Them that look after omens of ill Jack, ill luck will follow.

The Gordon then his bougill blew,

And faid, Awa', awa';

This house o' the Rodes is a' in flame,

Than fum they rade, and fum they rin,

Fou faft out-owre the bent;

But eir the foremost could get up,

135

Baith lady and babes were brent.

He wrang his hands, he rent his hair,
And wept in teenefu' muid:
O traitors, for this cruel deid

Ze fall weip teirs o' bluid.

140

And

And after the Gordon he is gane,

Sa faft as he micht drie;

And foon i' the Gordon's foul hartis bluid,

He's wroken his dear ladie.

THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK.

Our great dramatic poet having occafionally quoted mang ancient ballads, and even taken the plot of one, if not more, of his plays from among them, it was judged proper to pre

Serve