THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST. MISS JANE ELLIOT OF MINTO I've heard them lilting, Before dawn of day; At bughts in the morning, And dowie and wae; Nae daffing, nae gabbing, In har'st, at the shearing, And lyart or gray; Are a' wede awae. At e'en, in the gloaming, The Flowers of the Forest Dool and wae for the order By guile wan the day; Are cauld in the clay. We'll hear nae mair lilting Women and bairns are Heartless and wae ; Sighing and moaning On ilka green loaning, The Flowers of the Forest Are a' wede awae. ["In these beautiful stanzas," says Scott, "the manner of the ancient minstrels is so happily imitated that it required the most positive evidence to convince me that they were modern. Such evidence I have however been able to procure." [Min. of Scot. Bord. vol. iii. 333.] Miss Jane Elliot was the sister of Sir Gilbert, the author of the fine song printed before My sheep I neglected I lost my sheep-hook.] THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST. MISS RUTHERFORD. I've seen the smiling It is fled far away. I've seen the Forest, With flowers of the fairest, Both pleasant and gay : But now they are wither'd, I've seen the morning With gold the hills adorning ; I've seen Tweed's silver streams As they roll'd on their way. Oh, fickle Fortune! Since the Flowers of the Forest [Miss Rutherford of Fairnalie in Selkirkshire, afterwards Mrs. Cockburn of Ormiston, was among the first to discover the expanding genius of Sir Walter Scott, who speaks very warmly of her kindness and talents in several of his writings. "These verses were written at an early period of her life," says Scott," and without peculiar relation to any event, unless it were the depopulation of Ettrick Forest."] FOR LACK OF GOLD. DR. AUSTIN. For lack of gold she has left me-o; She me forsook for a great duke, And to endless wo she has left me-o. A star and garter have more art Than youth, a true and faithful heart ; No cruel fair shall ever move Ye powers above, I to your care Your choicest blessings be her share, ["The country. girls in Ayrshire, instead of the lineShe me forsook for a great duke, say, For Athole's duke she me forsook ; which I take to be the original reading. These words were composed by the late Dr. Austin, Physician at Edinburgh. He had courted a lady, [Miss Jean Drummond of Megginch] to whom he was shortly to have been married: but the Duke of Athole having seen her, became so much in love with her, that he made proposals of marriage, which were accepted, and she jilted the Doctor."-BURNS.] Come gie's a sang, Montgomery cried, For what's been done before them? Let Whig and Tory all agree, To drop their whigmegorum. |