Don't

Don't you feel a pleafing smart,
Gently fealing to your beart?
Fondly hope, and fondly figh?
For, my fhepherd cft do I;
With in Hymen's bands to join,
I'll be your's, and you be mine?
Tell me, Thyrfis. tell me this,
Tell me, then, and tell me yes,
Farewel, loit'ring idle day!
To my dear I hie away
On the wings of love I go,
He the ready way will fhow:
Peace, my breaft, nor danger fear,
Love and Thyrfis both are near;
'Tis the youth! I'm fur 'tis he!
Night, how much I owe to thee.

273

ONE midfummer morning, when nature look'd gay,

The birds full of fong, and the flocks full of play a
When earth feem'd to anfwer the fmiles from above,
And all things proclaim'd it the feafon of love:
My mother cry'd, Nancy, come hafte to the mill,
If the corn be not ground, you may feold if you will.
The freedom to use my tongue, pleas'd me no doubt;
A woman, alas! would be nothing without.
I went to'ard the mill without any delay,
And conn'd o'er the words I intended to fay;
But when I came near it, I found it stock ftill;
Blefs my ftars, now I cry'd, huff'em rarely I will.
The miller to marker that inftant was gone,
The work was all left to the care of his fon;
Now tho' I cap fcold well as any one can,
Yet I thought 'twould be wrong to feold the young
I faid, I'm furpris'd you can ufe me foill; [man.
Sir, I must have my corn ground, I muft and I will.
Sweet maid, cry'd the youth, the neglect is not mine,
No corn in the town I'd grind fooner than thine,
There's no one more eeady in pteafing the fair,
The mill fhall go merrily round, I declare:

But hark how the birds fing, and fee how they bi
Now I must have a kifs first I muft and I will.

My corn being done, I to'ard home bent my way;
He whisper'd he'd femeihing of moment to say,
Infifted to hand me along the green mead,
And there fwore he lov'd me, indeed and indeed;
And that he'd be conftant and tfue to me ftill,
So that fince that I've lik'd him, and like him I wi
I often fay, mother, the miller I'll huff;
She laughs, and cries, go girl, aye plague him enoug
And fcarce a day paffes, but by her defire,
I fteal a fly kifs from the youth I admire.
If wedlock he wishes, his wifh I'll fulfil;
And I'll anfwer, oh yes, with a hearty good will
274

ON Tay's green banks I'll boldly tell
The love I have for Jockey,
Attend my fong, each blythiome belle,
And shepherd's hither flosk ye.
I gave my heart to that fond fwain,
Who won it of me fairly;

I'd do't if 'twere to do again,

I love him still fo dearly.

His manners foft, tho' ftrong his mind,
Not fickle like the weather,
Not crofs to-day, to-morrow kind,

And lighter than a feather;
His words and actions both agree,
His temper's warm, not heady :
He's always good and juft to me,

To love and honour fteady,

For his owa felf, I like my fwain,
I know his worth and nature:
I'll give him not a moment's pain,

No girl on Tweed, on Clyde, or Spay,
Is born to fo much pleasure,
As is the merry lafs of Tay,
Or clofer hugs her treasure.

Nor wrong fo fweet a creature.

WE

275

WHEN the theep are in the fauld, and a' the kye
And a' the weary warld afleep is gane; [at hame,
The waes of my hears fall in fhow'rs fra my e'e,
While my gude man fleeps found by me.

Young Jamie lov'd me weel, and afk'd me for his
But faving a crown he had naithing else befide [bride
To make the crown a pound my Jamie went to fea,
And the crown and the pound were baith for me,
He had na been gane a year and a day, [ftole a way
When my faither brake his arm, and our cow was
My mither he fell fick, and Jamie at the sea,
And Auld Robin Gray came a courting to me.
Mytaither cou'd na work, & my mither cou'd na fpin
I toiled day and night but their bread I cou'd na win
Auld Robin fed 'em baith, and wi' tears in hise'e,
Said, Jeanie, for their fakes, oh marry me :
My heart it faid na, and I look'd for Jamie back,
But the wind it blew hard, and his fhip was a wreck
ship was a wreck, why did na Jamie die,
And why was he fpared to cry wae is me?
My father urg'd me fair, but my mither did na speak
But the lookt in my face till my heart was like to break
So they gied him my hand, tho' my heart was at fea,
And Auld Robin Gray was a gude man to me:
had na been a wife, but weeks only four,
When fitting fa mournfully out my ain door,
law my Jamie's ghaist, for I could na think it he,
Till he faid I'm come hame, love, to marry thee.
Sair, fair did we greet, and mickle did we say,
We took but a kifs, and we tore ourselves away,
I wish I were dead, but I'm na like to die,

Oh, why was I born to fay, wae is me?

gang like a ghaist, and I canna like to fpin,
dare na think on Jamie, for that would be a fin;
I will do my beft a gude wife to be,

Fit Auld Kobin Gray is fa kind to me.

276

Then fee my poor au'd banes, pray, laid into the earth
Ah Jeanie! I hall die, he cry'd, as fure as I had birth
And be a widow for my fake a twelvemonth & a day
And I will leave whate'er belongs to Auld Robin Gray'
I laid poor Robin in the earth, as decent as I cou'd,
And fhed a tear upon his grave, for he was very gude,
I took my rock all in my hand, and in my cot I figh'd
Ah wae is me what shall I do fince poor Auld Robin died
Search ev'ry part thro' out the land there's none like
[me forlorn ;

I

I'm ready e'en to ban the day, that ever I was born,
For Jamie all I lov'd on earth; ah! he is gone away
My faither & my mither's dead & eke AuldRobin Gray
rofe up with the morning fun & fpun till fetting day
And one whole year of widowhood I mournd for Robin
I did the duty of a wife both kind & conftant too[Gray
Let ev'ry one example take and Jeanie's plan pursue.
I thought that Jamie he was dead or he to me was loft,
And all my fond and youthful love entirely was croft.
I tried to fing, I tried to laugh, and pass the time away
For I had not a friend alive ince died AuldRobin Gray
At length the merry bells rung round, I cou'd na guefs

[the caufe,
Yet Rodney was the man they faid who got so much ap
[plaufe
I doubted if the tale was true, till Jamie came to me,
And fhew'd a purfe of golden ore, & faid it is for thee,
Auld Robin Gray I find is dead & ftill your heart istrue
Then take me Jeanie to your arms, & I will be fo too.
Mefs John fhall join us at the kirk & we'll be blith&gay
I blush'd, confented, & replied, adieu to Robin Gray.
277
TWAS in the dead of night, foon after Janie wed
And wi her faithful Jamie was fleeping in her bed,
A hollow voice he heard which call'd her to awake,

And liften to the words would be utter'd for her fake.
She started from her fleep, her bofom beat wi fear,
When the ghaift of Robin Gray before her did appear,

THE finmer it was fmiling, nature round was gay, He wav'd his fhadowy hand, and thus to her did fay,

ben

Jeanie was attending on Auld Robin Gray; For he was fick at heart, and had na friend befide, But only me, poor Jeanie, who newly was his bride.

Ah Jeanie! lift awhile, to your Auld Robin Gray.

His honeft heart deferves whatever he can receive,

279

Since he has fought fa nobly & would not you deceive THE fportfman goes out with his dog & his g Still let his courage rife, his country's foes to quell, To kill all the game till the day-light is gone, To you he safe shall come again, the fates now bid My pleasure's to fpare all the birds I can get, [me tell, For I catch them alive, and they're fafe in my ne With Howe as well as Rodney his valor he'll difplay The men are my birds, for whom fpread is my fna If you will but believe the ghaift of Robin Gray. I can judge of their merit the best when they're the And Jeanie muft fubmit your virtue is your guard, And if they have nothing my heart to engage, For fortune has in ftore for you a high & rich reward, Ilofe not a twelvemonth in making a cage. The haughty Dons fubdued with Holland&with France |If they whistle and fing, and my faney employ, Your Jamie with fresh laurels crown'd will to your I'm glad of my prize, and grow fond of my toy, [with advance if their plumage is gaudy, and fweet is their fong join a noble fleet can fee, and can hear the dear things all day lon no harm fhall But if they delight not my eye nor my ear, [Jamie meet if too fqualling their notes for my patience to hea future day. If they are not worth keeping, I e'en let them go Robin Gray. A cage is too good for a magpie or crow.

Then let him hafte wi all his speed to
Tho' danger does appear in view

But joyful fhall return again upon a As you may fure believe the ghaift of 278

YE gales that gently wave the sea,

And please the canny boatman,
Bear me fra' hence, or bring to me,
My blyth, my bonny scotman:
In holy bands we join'd our hands,
Yet may not that discover,
While parents rate a large eftate,
Before a faithful lover,

But I would chufe in highland glens,
To herd the kid and goat-man,
E'er I cou'd for fuch little ends
Refufe my bonny Scotman:
Wae worth the man who firft began
The bafe ungen'rous fashion;
From greedy views, love's art to use,
Whilft ftranger to its paffion.
Fra' foreign fields my lovely youth,
Hafte to thy longing laffie;
Who pants to kifs thy balmy mouth,
And in her bofom prefs thee.
Love gives the word, then hafte on board,

Fair wind and gentle boatman,
Waft o'er, waft o'er, from yonder shore,
My blyth, my bonny scotman.

I

If the lark, thrufh, or nightingale, bullfinch, or w
Who're the witty, the tuneful, the gay among me
Will fly to my net, I'll draw tight if I can,
In a cage place my captive-I mean my sweet ma
280
THREE lads contended for my heart,

Each boafted different charms and grace,
Young Hal cou'd fing with tafte and art,
Beau Jemmy fported frogs and lace.

Blith Willy was a foldier brave,

Who fear'd not scars or deaths or wounds.

His country or his love to fave,

When Britain's filver trumpet founds.

Now fear is rous'd by war's alarms,
And threat'ning foes each hour arife,

I fcorn young Harry's vocal charms,
And mafter Femmy I defpife;

I love my Willy, bold and brave,

He heeds not fcars, or death, or wounds,
His country or his love to fave,

When Britain's filver trumpet founds.
In piping times of peace, a beau,

Dear girls, may idle thoughts employ ;
But now, while threaten'd by each foc,
Be wife, and throw away the toy :

T