NORA'S VOW.

AIR-Cha teid mis a chaoidh.*

WRITTEN FOR ALBYN'S ANTHOLOGY.

1816.

In the original Gaelic, the Lady makes protestations that she will not go with the Red Earl's son, until the swan should build in the cliff, and the eagle in the lake-until one mountain should change place with another, and so forth. It is but fair to add, that there is no authority for supposing that she altered her mind-except the vehemence of her protestation.

I.

HEAR What Highland Nora said—
"The Earlie's son I will not wed,
Should all the race of nature die,
And none be left but he and I.
For all the gold, for all the gear,
And all the lands both far and near,
That ever valour lost or won,

I would not wed the Earlie's son."

II.

"A maiden's vows," old Callum spoke,
"Are lightly made and lightly broke;
The heather on the mountain's height
Begins to bloom in purple light;
The frost-wind soon shall sweep away
That lustre deep from glen and brae;
Yet Nora, ere its bloom be gone,
May blithely wed the Earlie's son."-

III.

"The swan," she said, "the lake's clear breast

May barter for the eagle's nest;

The Awe's fierce stream may backward turn,

Ben-Cruaichan fall, and crush Kilchurn;
Our kilted clans, when blood is high,
Before their foes may turn and fly;
But I, were all these marvels done,
Would never wed the Earlie's son."

"I will never go with him."

IV.

Still in the water-lily's shade
Her wonted nest the wild-swan made;
Ben-Cruaichan stands as fast as ever,
Still downward foams the Awe's fierce
river;

To shun the clash of foeman's steel,
No Highland brogue has turned the heel,
But Nora's heart is lost and won,
-She's wedded to the Earlie's son!

MACGREGOR'S GATHERING. AIR-Thain' a Grigalach.•

WRITTEN FOR ALBYN'S ANTHOLOGY. 1816.

These verses are adapted to a very wild, yet lively gathering-tune, used by the MacGregors. The severe treatment of this Clan, their outlawry, and the proscription of their very name, are alluded to in the Ballad.

THE moon's on the lake, and the mist's on the brae,

And the Clan has a name that is nameless by day;

Then gather, gather, gather Grigalach!
Gather, gather, gather, &c.

Our signal for fight, that from monarchs we drew,

Must be heard but by night in our vengeful haloo!

Then haloo, Grigalach! haloo, Grigalach!

Haloo, haloo, haloo, Grigalach, &c.

Glen Orchy's proud mountains, Coalchuirn and her towers,

Glenstrae and Glenlyon no longer are

But doom'd and devoted by vassal and lord,

Macgregor has still both his heart and his sword!

Then courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!

Courage, courage, courage, &c.

If they rob us of name, and pursue us
with beagles,
Give their roofs to the flame, and their
flesh to the eagles!

Then vengeance, vengeance, vengeance,
Grigalach!

Vengeance, vengeance, vengeance, &c.
While there's leaves in the forest, and
foam on the river,
MacGregor, despite them, shall flourish

for ever!

"Before my breath, like blazing flax, Man and his marvels pass away! And changing empires wane and wax, Are founded, flourish, and decay. "Redeem mine hours-the space is brief

While in my glass the sand-grains shiver,

And measureless thy joy or grief, When TIME and thou shalt part for ever!"

Chap. x.

ELSPETH'S BALLAD.

THE herring loves the merry moon-light,
The mackerel loves the wind,
But the oyster loves the dredging sang,
For they come of a gentle kind.

Now haud your tongue, baith wife and carle,

And listen great and sma’,
And I will sing of Glenallan's Eari

That fought on the red Harlaw.

The cronach's cri、d on Bennachie,

And doun the Don and a', And hieland and lawland may mournfu' be

For the sair field of Harlaw.

They saddled a hundred milk-white steeds,

They hae bridled a hundred black, With a chafron of steel on each horse's head,

And a good knight upon his back.

They hadna ridden a mile, a mile,
A mile but barely ten,

When Donald came branking down the brae

Wi' twenty thousand men.

Their tartans they were waving wide, Their glaives were glancing clear, The pibrochs rung frae side to side, Would deafen ye to hear.

The great Earl in his stirrups stood,
That Highland host to see:

"Now here a knight that's stout and good

May prove a jeopardie:

And pleased again by toys which childhood please;

As-book of fables graced with print of wood,

Or else the jingling of a rusty medal,
Or the rare melody of some old ditty,

Pepin's cradle.

CHAP IX.

"Be brave," she cried, "you yet may be our guest,

Our haunted room was ever held the best ; If, then, your valour can the fight sustain Of rustling curtains, and the clinking chain;

If your courageous tongue have powers to talk,

When round your bed the horrid ghost shall walk

If you dare ask it why it leaves its tomb, I'll see your sheets well air'd, and show the room."-True Story.

CHAP. XI.

Sometimes he thinks that Heaven this vision sent,

And order'd all the pageants as they went; Sometimes that only 'twas wild Fancy's play,

The loose and scatter'd relics of the day.

CHAP. XII.

Beggar!-the only freemen of your Commonwealth!

Free above Scot-free, that observe no laws,

Obey no governor, use no religion But what they draw from their own ancient customs,

Or constitute themselves, yet they are no rebels.-Brome.

CHAP. XIX.

Here has been such a stormy encounter, Betwixt my cousin Captain, and this soldier,

'Tis like the wine some joyous guest hath

quaff'd,

CHAP. XLI.

fancy:

Mine is the poor residuum of the cup, Vapid, and dull, and tasteless, only soiling With its base dregs the vessel that contains it.-Old Play.

told, Incumbent, brooded o'er her eggs of gold, With hand outstretch'd, impatient to Stole on her secret nest the cruel Boy, destroy, Whose gripe rapacious changed hcr splendid dream,

For wings vain fluttering, and for dying