Oh, waly, waly, but love be bonnie And fades away like the morning dew. Or wherefore should I kame my hair? And says he'll never love me mair. Now Arthur's Seat shall be my bed, "Tis not the frost that freezes fell, Nor blawing snaw's inclemencie ; But my love's heart grown cauld to me. But had I wist before I kiss'd That love had been sae ill to win, And pinn'd it wi' a siller pin. And it's oh! if my young babe were born, And set upon the nurse's knee, And I mysel' were dead and gone, And the green grass growin' ower me! Nothing is known with certainty as to the authorship of this exquisite song-one of the most affecting of the many that Scotland can boast. It has been supposed to refer to an incident in the life of the Lady Barbara Erskine, wife of the second Marquis of Douglas; but the allusions are evidently to the deeper woes of one not a wife -who "loved not wisely, but too well." WILL YE GAE TO THE EWE-BUGHTS, MARION? From the "Tea-Table Miscellany," 1724. Wiye gae to the ewe-bughts, Marion, The sun shines sweet, my Marion, Oh, Marion's a bonnie lass, And the blythe blink's in her ee; There's gowd in your garters, Marion, At e'en when I come hame. There's braw lads in Earnslaw, Marion, I've nine milk-ewes, my Marion, And ye'se get a green sey apron, I'm young and stout, my Marion ; And gin ye forsake me, Marion, I'll e'en gae draw up wi' Jean. Sae put on your pearlins, Marion, And kirtle o' cramasie; And as sune as the sun's down, Marion, I will come west and see ye. This song is signed by Allan Ramsay with a Q., signifying that it was an old song with additions and amendments by himself. The air is old and very beautiful. "Your remarks on the Ewe-Bughts' are just," says Burns in a letter to Thomson; "still it has obtained a place among our more classical Scottish songs; and what with many beauties in its composition, and more prejudices in its favour, you will not find it easy to supplant it." MAXWELTON BANKS. MAXWELTON banks are bonnie, "These two verses," as we are informed by Mr. Robert Chambers, "were written by a Mr. Douglas of Fingland, upon Anne, one of the four daughters of Sir Robert Laurie, first baronet of Maxwelton, by his second wife, who was a daughter of Riddell of Minto. As Sir Robert was created a baronet in the year 1685, it is probable that the verses were composed about the end of the seventeenth or the beginning of the eighteenth century, It is painful to record, that, notwithstanding the ardent and chivalrous affection displayed by Mr. Douglas in his poem, he did not obtain the heroine for a wife: she was married to Mr. Ferguson of Craigdarroch." The first four lines of the second stanza are taken from the old and indecent ballad of "John Anderson my Jo." "John Anderson," as it was sung before it was rendered presentable by Robert Burns, appeared in a very scarce volume of English songs, with the music, entitled "The Convivial Songster," published in 1782. ANNIE LAURIE. MAXWELTON braes are bonnie, This song, Gied me her promise true, Which ne'er forgot will be; That e'er the sun shone on; Her voice is low and sweet, And she's a' the world to me; And for bonnie Annie Laurie I'd lay me doun and dee. which is a modern version of the preceding, was the favourite of the British soldiers in their weary encampment before Sebastopol in 1854-5. THE BUSH ABOON TRAQUAIR. 1 ROBERT CRAWFORD. From the "Tea-Table Miscellany," 1724. Traquair is on the bank of the water or river of Quair, in Peebleshire. HEAR me, ye nymphs and ev'ry swain, That day she smiled, and made me glad, I thought myself the luckiest lad, I tried to soothe my amorous flame Yet now she scornful flies the plain, Ye rural pow'rs, who hear my strains, DOUN THE BURN, DAVIE. ROBERT CRAWFORD. WHEN trees did bud and fields were green, When Mary was complete fifteen, Blythe Davie's blinks her heart did move Now Davie did each lad surpass That dwelt on this burnside; Her cheeks were rosie, red and white; Her looks were like the morning bright, |