The cauld blasts o' the winter wind,
That thrilled through my heart,
They're a' blown by; I ha'e him safe,
Till death we'll never part:

But what puts parting in my heid,
It may be far awa' ;

The present moment is our ain,

The neist we never saw.

Since Colin's weel, I'm weel content,
I hae nae mair to crave:
Could I but live to mak' him blest,
I'm blest aboon the lave:1
And will I see his face again?
And will I hear him speak?
I'm downricht dizzy wi' the thocht,
In troth I'm like to greet.

For there's nae luck about the house,

There' nae luck ava;

There's little pleasure in the house
When our gudeman's awa'.

1 Rest.

THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST.

I'VE seen the smiling

Of Fortune beguiling ;

I have felt all its favours, and found its decay.
Sweet was its blessing,

Kind its caressing,

But now it has fled-fled far away.

I've seen the forest

Adorned the foremost,

With Flowers of the Forest most pleasant and gay, Sae bonnie was their blooming,

Their scent the air perfuming;

But now they are withered, and a' wede away.

I've seen the morning

With gold the hills adorning,

And loud tempests storming before the mid-day. I've seen the Tweed's siller stream

Glittering in the sunny beam,

Grow drumly and dark as they row'd on their way.

Oh, fickle Fortune,

Why this cruel sporting?

Oh, why still perplex us poor sons of the day.

Nae mair your smiles can cheer me,

Nae mair your frowns can fear me,

For the Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST.

I've heard them lilting,1 at our yowe-milking,
Lasses a-lilting, before the dawn of day;
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning,
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

At buchts,2 in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning,
The lasses are lanely and dowie3 and wae ;
Nae daffin', nae gabbin', but sighin' and sabbin',
Ilk ane lifts her hylen5 and hies her away.

6

In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering,
The bandsters are lyart, and runkled, and grey;
At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching,
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

8

At e'en, in the gloaming, nae swankies9 are roaming
Bout stacks wi' the lasses at bogle10 to play,
But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie:
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

1 Singing. 2 Sheep-pens. 3 Doleful. 4 Romping.
6 Harvest. 7 Sheaf-binders. 8 Cajoling.
9 Gallants.
10 Hide and seek.

5 Milk-pail.

Dule1 and wae to the order sent our lads to the Border,
The English for ance by guile won the day;
The Flowers of the Forest, that focht2 aye the foremost,
The prime of our land are cauld in the clay.

We'll hae nae mair lilting at the yowe-milking;
Women and bairns are heartless and wae,
Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning:
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.

1 Sorrow and sadness.

2 Fought.

THE THREE WARNINGS.

A TALE.

THE tree of deepest root is found
Least willing still to quit the ground;
'Twas therefore said by ancient sages,
That love of life increased with years,
So much that, in our latter stages,
When pain grows sharp and sickness rages,
The greatest love of life appears.
This great affliction to believe,
Which all confess but few perceive,
If old affections can't prevail,

Be pleased to hear a modern tale.
When sports went round and all were gay,
On Neighbour Dobson's wedding-day,
Death called aside the jocund groom
With him into another room:

And looking grave, "You must," says he,

66

'Quit your sweet bride and come with me." "With you! and quit my Susan's side? With you?" the hapless husband cried : "Young as I am; 'tis monstrous hard; Besides, in truth, I'm not prepared: My thoughts on other matters go, This is my wedding-night, you know." What more he urged I have not heard, His reasons could not well be stronger, So Death the poor delinquent spared, And left to live a little longer.