299 Vain wretch! canst thou expect to see Thy narrow pride, thy fancied green ALISON RUTHERFORD COCKBURN [1712-1794] THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST' I'VE seen the smiling Of Fortune beguiling; I've felt all its favours, and found its decay; Sweet was its blessing, Kind its caressing; But now it is fled-fled far away. I've seen the forest Adorned the foremost, With flowers of the fairest, most pleasant and gay; 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 tempest storming before the mid-day. Shining in the sunny beams Grow drumly and dark as he rowed on his way. 1" The flowers of the Forest" in this and the following song are the men of Ettrick Forest in Selkirkshire who fell at the battle of Flodden. 300 Oh, fickle Fortune! Why this cruel sporting? Oh, why still perplex us, poor sons of a day? Nae mair your frowns can fear me; For the flowers of the forest are a' wede away. JANE ELLIOT [1727-1805] LAMENT FOR FLODDEN I'VE heard them lilting' at our ewe-milking, But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning - At bughts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning, Nae daffin', nae gabbin',' but sighing and sabbing, 8 In har'st,' at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering, 10 At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching ". At e'en, in the gloaming, nae younkers are roaming Dool and wae for the order, sent our lads to the Border! 1 Singing. The prime of our land, are cauld in the clay. 3 Withered. • Toying. 9 Lane. 7 Jeering. strawbands for the sheaves. 13 Flattering. Doleful. 10 Makers of 12 Wrinkled. We'll hear nae mair lilting at the ewe-milking; 301 CHRISTOPHER SMART [1722-1770] A SONG TO DAVID O THOU, that sitt'st upon a throne, To bless each valley, grove, and coast, To keep the days on Zion's Mount, O servant of God's holiest charge, Which thou mayst now receive; Great, valiant, pious, good, and clean, Strong, constant, pleasant, wise! Great-from the lustre of his crown, For all the host, from rear to van, Valiant-the word, and up he rose; Pious-magnificent and grand, Foremost to give the Lord his dues, Good-from Jehudah's genuine vein, Clean-if perpetual prayer be pure, Clean in his gestures, hands, and feet, Sublime-invention ever young, Contemplative-on God to fix 'Twas then his thoughts self-conquest pruned, And heavenly melancholy tuned, To bless and bear the rest. Serene to sow the seeds of peace, When God had calmed the world. Strong-in the Lord, who could defy And hell, and horror, and despair Constant-in love to God, the Truth, Pleasant-and various as the year; Wise-in recovery from his fall, Whence rose his eminence o'er all, Of all the most reviled; The light of Israel in his ways, Wise are his precepts, prayer, and praise, And counsel to his child. |