20

Wizard, witch, and fiend have power, And ghastly forms through mist and shower

Gleam on the gifted ken;

And then the affrighted prophet's ear
Drinks whispers strange of fate and fear,
Presaging death and ruin near

Among the sons of men;-
Apart from Albyn's war-array,
'T was then gray Allan sleepless lay;
Gray Allan, who for many a day

Had followed stout and stern,
Where, through battle's rout and reel,
Storm of shot and edge of steel,
Led the grandson of Lochiel,

Valiant Fassiefern.

Through steel and shot he leads no more,
Low laid mid friends' and foemen's gore-
But long his native lake's wild shore,
And Sunart rough, and high Ardgower,

And Morven long shall tell,

And proud Bennevis hear with awe,
How upon bloody Quatre-Bras
Brave Cameron heard the wild hurra

Of conquest as he fell.

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40

That sinks its head when whirlwinds rave,

And swells again in eddying wave

As each wild gust blows by;

But still the corn

At dawn of morn

Our fatal steps that bore,

To bloody grave,

To sleep without a shroud.

Burst ye clouds, in tempest showers,
Redder rain shall soon be ours-

See the east grows wan-
Yield we place to sterner game,
Ere deadlier bolts and direr flame
Shall the welkin's thunders shame;
Elemental rage is tame

To the wrath of man.

At morn, gray Allan's mates with awe
Heard of the visioned sights he saw,

The legend heard him say;
But the Seer's gifted eye was dim.
Deafened his ear and stark his limb,

Ere closed that bloody day-
He sleeps far from his Highland heath, -
But often of the Dance of Death

His comrades tell the tale,

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150

SONG

ON THE LIFTING OF THE BANNER OF THE HOUSE OF BUCCLEUCH, AT A GREAT FOOT-BALL MATCH ON CARTERHAUGH

The foot-ball match took place December 5, 1815. The Ettrick Shepherd also celebrated it.

FROM the brown crest of Newark its summons extending,

Our signal is waving in smoke and in flame;

And each forester blithe, from his mountain descending,

Bounds light o'er the heather to join in the game.

Then up with the Banner, let forest winds fan her,

She has blazed over Ettrick eight ages and more;

In sport we'll attend her, in battle defend her,

With heart and with hand, like our fathers before.

There are worse things in life than a tumble on heather,

And life is itself but a game at football.

And when it is over we 'll drink a blithe

measure

To each laird and each lady that wit nessed our fun,

And to every blithe heart that took part in our pleasure,

To the lads that have lost and the lads that have won.

May the Forest still flourish, both Borough and Landward,

From the hall of the peer to the herd's ingle-nook;

And huzza! my brave hearts, for BucCLEUCH and his standard,

For the King and the Country, the Clan and the Duke!

Then

up with the Banner, let forest winds fan her,

She has blazed over Ettrick eight ages and more;

In sport we'll attend her, in battle defend her,

With heart and with hand, like our fathers before.

SONGS FROM GUY MANNERING

Published in 1815.

I

'CANNY MOMENT, LUCKY FIT' From Chapter iii.

CANNY moment, lucky fit;
Is the lady lighter yet?
Be it lad, or be it lass,
Sign wi' cross, and sain wi' mass.

Trefoil, vervain, John's-wort, dill,
Hinders witches of their will;
Weel is them, that weel may
Fast upon St. Andrew's day.

Saint Bride and her brat,
Saint Colme and her cat,
Saint Michael and his spear,

Keep the house frae reif and wear.