The songs to savage virtue dear That won of yore the public ear, Ere Polity, sedate and sage, Had quench'd the fires of feudal rage. These venerable ancient Song-Enditers Soar'd many a pitch above our modern writers: WARTON. ROWE. Yet fragments of the lofty strain Introduction to Jamieson's Ballads and Romances. I. TRADITIONAL BALLADS. THOMAS THE RHYMER. True Thomas lay on Huntly bank,— And there he saw a Lady bright Come riding down by the Eildon Tree. Her shirt was o' the grass-green silk, True Thomas he pull'd aff his cap, “O no, O no, Thomas!" she said: "That name does not belang to me,I am but the Queen of fair Elf-land That am hither come to visit thee. 66 Harp and carp, Thomas!" she said: Harp and carp along wi' me! And if ye dare to kiss my lips, Sure of your bodie I will be." "Betide me weal, betide me woe, That weird shall never daunton me." Syne he has kiss'd her rosy lips, All underneath the Eildon Tree. "Now ye maun go wi' me," she said,— "True Thomas! ye maun go wi' me; And ye maun serve me seven years, Through weal or woe as may chance to be." 66 She's mounted on her milk-white steed,- And aye, whenever her bridle rang, The steed flew swifter than the wind. O, they rode on, and farther on (The steed gaed swifter than the wind), Until they reach'd a desert wide, And living land was left behind. Light down, light down now, true Thomas! And lean your head upon my knee ! Abide and rest a little space! And I will show you ferlies three. "O, see ye not yon narrow road So thick beset with thorns and briars ? That is the path of Righteousness, Though after it but few inquires. "And see ye not that braid braid road That lies across that lily leven? That is the path of Wickedness, Though some call it the road to heaven. "And see not ye that bonnie road That winds around the ferny brae ? That is the road to fair Elf-land, Where thou and I this night maun gae. 66 But, Thomas! ye maun hold your tongue, Whatever ye may hear or see: For if you speak word in Elfin-land Ye'll ne'er get back to your ain countrie." O, they rode on, and farther on, And they waded through rivers aboon the knee, And they saw neither sun nor moon, But they heard the roaring of the sea. It was mirk mirk night, there was nae stern-light, And they waded through red blude to the knee : For a' the blude that's shed on earth Rins through the springs o' that countrie. Syne they came on to a garden green, And she pu'd an apple frae a tree; "Take this for thy wages, true Thomas! It will give thee the tongue that can never lee." "My tongue is mine ain," true Thomas said: I neither dought to buy nor sell "I dought neither speak to prince or peer, He has gotten a coat of the even cloth, True Thomas on earth was never seen. ΚΕΜΡΙΟΝ. "Come here, come here, ye freely fee'd! “O, mickle dolour shall ye dree, And aye the salt seas o'er ye'se swim; And far mair dolour shall ye dree On Estmere crags, when ye them climb. "I weird ye to a fiery beast, And relieved ye shall never be Till Kempion, the kingis son, Come to the crag and thrice kiss thee." O, mickle dolour did she dree, And aye the salt seas o'er she swam ; And far more dolour did she dree On Estmere crags, when she them clamb; And aye she cried for Kempion, Gin he would but come to her hand. Now word has gone to Kempion, That such a beast was in his land. "Now, by my sooth," said Kempion, 66 My ae brother! I'll gang wi' thee." Then bigg'd hae they a bonnie boat, "O Segramour! keep the boat afloat, |