The psalms of heaven will soon be sung,
And I, ere now, will be miss'd away."-

Then she has ta'en a crystal wand,

And she has stroken her troth thereon; She has given it him out at the shot-window, Wi' mony a sad sigh, and heavy groan.

"I thank ye, Margret; I thank ye, Marg❜ret; And aye I thank ye heartilie ;

Gin ever the dead come for the quick,
Be sure, Margret, I'll come for thee."-

It's hosen and shoon, and gown alone,
She climb'd the wall, and follow'd him,
Until she came to the green forest,

And there she lost the sight o' him.

"Is there ony room at your head, Saunders ?
Is there ony room at your feet?
Or ony room at your side, Saunders,
Where fain, fain, I wad sleep?"-

"There's nae room at my head, Margʼret, There's nae room at my feet;

My bed it is full lowly now:

Amang the hungry worms I sleep.

"Cauld mould is my covering now, But and my winding-sheet;

The dew it falls nae sooner down,
Than my resting place is weet.

"But plait a wand o' bonny birk,'
And lay it on my breast;

And shed a tear upon my grave,
And wish my saul gude rest.

"And fair Marg'ret, and rare Marg❜ret, And Marg❜ret o' veritie,

Gin e'er ye love another man,

Ne'er love him as ye did me."—

Then up and crew the milk-white cock,

And up and crew the

grey;

Her lover vanish'd in the air,

And she gaed weeping away.

1 The custom of binding the new-laid sod of the churchyard with osiers, or other saplings, prevailed both in England and Scotland, and served to protect the turf from injury by cattle, or otherwise. It is alluded to by Gay, in the What d'ye call it—

"Stay, let me pledge, 'tis my last earthly liquor,

When I am dead you'll bind my grave with wicker."

In the Shepherd's Week, the same custom is alluded to, and the cause explained :

"With wicker rods we fenced her tomb around,
To ward, from man and beast, the hallow'd ground,
Lest her new grave the parson's cattle raze,
For both his horse and cow the churchyard graze."
Fifth Pastoral.

EARL RICHARD.

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.

There are two Ballads in Mr HERD's MSS. upon the following story, in one of which the unfortunate Knight is termed YOUNG HUNTIN.1 A fragment, containing from the sixtk to the tenth verse, has been repeatedly published. The best verses are selected from both copies, and some trivial alterations have been adopted from tradition.

“O LADY, rock never your young son young,
One hour langer for me;

For I have a sweetheart in Garlioch Wells
I love far better than thee.

"The very sole o' that lady's foot
Than thy face is far mair white."-
"But, nevertheless, now, Erl Richard,
Ye will bide in my bower a' night ?”-

1 [Mr Buchan has published (1828) a copy of "Young Huntin," as preserved in Aberdeenshire. See vol. i. p. 118.-ED.]

She birled1 him with the ale and wine,

As they sat down to sup:

A living man he laid him down,
But I wot he neʼer rose up.

Then up and spake the popinjay,
That flew aboun her head;

"Lady! keep weel your green cleiding
Frae gude Erl Richard's bleid."-

"O better I'll keep my green cleiding
Frae gude Erl Richard's bleid,

Than thou canst keep thy clattering toung,
That trattles in thy head."

She has call'd upon her bower maidens,
She has call'd them ane by ane;

"There lies a dead man in my

I wish that he were gane!"

bour:

They hae booted him, and spurred him,

As he was wont to ride ;-
A hunting-horn tied round his waist,
A sharpe sword by his side;

And they hae had him to the wan water,
For a' men call it Clyde.2

1 Birled-Plied.—[ Clyde, in Celtic, means white.-ED.]

Then up and spoke the popinjay

That sat upon the tree—

"What hae ye done wi' Erl Richard? Ye were his gay ladye.”—

"Come down, come down, my bonny bird,

And sit upon my hand;

And thou sall hae a cage o' gowd,
Where thou hast but the wand.".

She hadna cross'd a rigg o' land,

A rigg but barely ane,

When she met wi' his auld father,

Came riding all alane.

"Where hae ye been, now, ladye fair,
Where hae ye been sae late?

We hae been seeking Erl Richard,
But him we canna get.”—

"Erl Richard kens a' the fords in Clyde,

He'll ride them ane by ane.

And though the night was ne'er sae mirk, Erl Richard will be hame."