A garland of seven lilies wrought!
Seven Sisters that together dwell;
But he, bold knight as ever fought,
Their father, took of them no thought,
He loved the wars so well.

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The Solitude of Binnorie!

Fresh blows the wind, a western wind
And from the shores of Erin,

Across the wave, a Rover brave
To Binnorie is steering:

Right onward to the Scottish strand
The gallant ship is borne ;

The warriors leap upon the land,

And hark! the leader of the band

Hath blown his bugle horn.

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The Solitude of Binnorie.

Beside a grotto of their own,

With boughs above them closing,
The Seven are laid, and in the shade
They lie like fawns reposing.

But now, upstarting with affright

At noise of man and steed,

Away they fly to left, to right--

Of your fair household, Father Knight,
Methinks you take small heed!

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The Solitude of Binnorie.

Away the seven fair Campbells fly,

And, over hill and hollow,

With menace proud, and insult loud,

The youthful rovers follow.

Cried they, "Your father loves to roam Enough for him to find

The empty house when he comes home;

For us your yellow ringlets comb,

For us be fair and kind!"

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,

The Solitude of Binnorie.

Some close behind, some side by side,
Like clouds in stormy weather,
They run, and cry, Nay let us die.
And let us die together."

66

A lake was near; the shore was steep;

There never foot had been;

They ran, and with a desperate leap

Together plunged into the deep,

Nor ever more were seen.

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,

The Solitude of Binnorie.

The stream that flows out of the lake,
As through the glen it rambles,
Repeats a moan o'er moss and stone,
For those seven lovely Campbells.
Seven little islands, green and baro,
Have risen from out the deep:
The fishers say, those sisters fair
By fairies are all buried there,
And there together sleep.

Sing, mournfully, oh! mournfully,
The Solitude of Binnorie.

"-Pleasure is spread through the earth

In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.”

By their floating mill,

Which lies dead and still,

Behold yon prisoners three!

The miller with two dames, on the breast of the Thames The platform is small, but there's room for them all; And they're dancing merrily.

From the shore come the notes

To their mill where it floats,

To their house and their mill tethered fast;

To the small wooden isle where, there work to beguile, They from morning to even take whatever is given ;And many a blithe day they have past.

In sight of the spires,

All alive with the fires

Of the sun going down to his rest,

In the broad open eye of the solitary sky,

They dance, there are three, as jocund as free,
While they dance on the calm river's breast.

Man and maidens wheel,

They themselves make the reel,

And their music's a prey which they seize;
It plays not for them,-what matter! 'tis theirs;
And if they had care it has scattered their cares,
While they dance, crying, "Long as ye please!"

They dance not for me,

Yet mine is their glee!

Thus pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find
Thus a rich loving-kindness, redundantly kind,
Moves all nature to gladness and mirth.

The showers of the Spring

Rouse the birds, and they sing;

If the wind do but stir for his proper delight,

Each leaf, that and this, his neighbour will kiss ; Each wave, one and t'other, speeds after his brother; They are happy, for that is their right!

THE KITTEN, AND THE FALLING LEAVES.

THAT way look, my infant, lo!

What a pretty baby show!

See the Kitten on the wall,

Sporting with the leaves that fall,

Withered leaves-one-two-and three

From the lofty elder tree!

Through the calm and frosty air

Of this morning bright and fair
Eddying round and round they sink
Softly, slowly: one might think,
From the motions that are made,
Every little leaf conveyed
Sylph or fairy hither tending,-
To his lower world descending,
Each invisible and mute,

In this wavering parachute.

-But the Kitten how she starts,
Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts!
First at one, and then its fellow

Just as light and just as yellow;

There are many now-now one

Now they stop; and there are none--
What intenseness of desire

In her upward eye of fire!

With a tiger-leap half way

Now she meets the coming prey,

Lets it go as fast, and then

Has it in her power again:

Now she works with three or four,

Like an Indian conjuror;

Quick as he in feats of art,

Far beyond in joy of heart.

Were her antics played in the eye

Of a thousand standers-by,

Clapping hands with shout and stare
What would little Tabby care

For the plaudits of the crowd?

Over happy to be proud,
Over wealthy in the treasure
Of her own exceeding pleasure

"Tis a pretty baby-treat;
Nor, I deem, for me unmeet;
Here, for neither babe nor me,
Other playmate can I see.

2 A

Of the countless living things,
That with stir of feet and wings,
(In the sun or under shade
Upon bough or grassy blade)
And with busy revellings,
Chirp and song, and murmurings,
Made this orchard's narrow space,
And this vale so blithe a place;
Multitudes are swept away
Never more to breathe the day:
Some are sleeping; some in bands
Travelled into distant lands;
Others slunk to moor and wood,
Far from human neighbourhood;
And, among the kinds that keep
With us closer fellowship,
With us openly abide,

All have laid their mirth aside.
-Where is he that giddy sprite,
Blue-cap, with his colours bright,
Who was blest as bird could be,
Feeding in the apple-tree;

Made such wanton spoil and rout,
Turning blossoms inside out;

Hung with head towards the ground,

Fluttered, perched, into a round

Bound himself, and then unbound;

Lithest, gaudiest harlequin!

Prettiest tumbler ever seen!

Light of heart, and light of limb,

What is now become of him?

Lambs, that through the mountains went

Frisking, bleating merriment,

When the year was in its prime,

They are sobered by this time.
If you look to vale or hill,

If you listen, all is still,

Save a little neighbouring rill,
That from out the rocky ground
Strikes a solitary sound.
Vainly glitters hill and plain,
And the air is calm in vain;
Vainly morning spreads the lure
Of a sky serene and pure;
Creature none can she decoy
Into open sign of joy:
Is it that they have a fear
Of the dreary season near?
Or that other pleasures be
Sweeter even than gaiety?

Yet, whate'er enjoyments dweil
In the impenetrable cell

Of the silent heart which Nature

Furnishes to every creature:
Whatsoe'er we feel and know
Too sedate for outward show,
Such a light of gladness breaks,
Pretty Kitten! from thy freaks,---
Spreads with such a living grace
O'er my little Laura's face;
Yes, the sight so stirs and charms
Thee, baby, laughing in my arms,
That almost I could repine

That your transports are not mine,
That I do not wholly fare

Even as ye do, thoughtless pair!
And I will have my careless season
Spite of melancholy reason,

Will walk through life in such a way
That, when time brings on decay,
Now and then I may possess
Hours of perfect gladsomeness.
-Pleased by any random toy;
By a Kitten's busy joy,
Or an infant's laughing eye
Sharing in the ecstasy;

I would fare like that or this,
Find my wisdom in my bliss;
Keep the sprightly soul awake,
And have faculties to take,

Even from things by sorrow wrought,
Matter for a jocund thought;
Spite of care, and spite of grief,

To gambol with life's falling leaf.

A FRAGMENT.

BETWEEN two sister moorland rills
There is a spot that seems to lie
Sacred to flow'rets of the hills,
And sacred to the sky.

And in this smooth and open dell
There is a tempest-stricken tree;
A corner-stone by lightning cut,
The last stone of a cottage hut;
And in this dell you see

A thing no storm can e'er destroy,
The shadow of a Danish boy.

In clouds above the lark is heard,
He sings his blithest and his best;
But in this lonesome nook the bird
Did never build her nest.

No beast, no bird hath here his home
The bees, borne on the breezy air,