Was-"Your love canna win here."

Feast on, feast on, my maidens all,
The wine flows you among;
While I gan to my shot window,
And hear yon bonny bird's song.

Sing on, sing on, my bonny bird,
The song ye sung yest'reen;
For well I ken, by your sweet singing,
Ye've with my true love been.

O, first he sang a merry song,
And syne he sang a grave;
And syne he picked his feathers gray,
To her the letter gave.

Hae there a letter from Lord William ;
He says he's sent you three:
He cannot wait your love longer,
And for your sake he'll die.

Go bid him bake his bridal bread,
And brew his bridal ale;

And I shall meet him at Mary's kirk,
Long, long ere it be stale.

The lady is gone to her chamber,

And a mournful woman was she

As gin she had ta'en a sudden brash,
And were about to die.

A boon! a boon! my father dear,
A boon I beg of thee!-
-Ask not that paughty Scottish lord,
For him you ne'er shall see:

But for your honest asking else,
Well granted it shall be.-
Then gin I die in Southern land,
In Scotland bury me.

And the first Kirk that ye come to,
Ye's gar the Mass be sung;
And the next kirk that ye come to,
Ye's gar the bells be rung;

And when ye come to St. Mary's kirk,
Ye's tarry there till night.-
And so her father pledged his word,
And so his promise plight.

She's ta'en her to her bigly bower,
As fast as she could fare;
And she has drank a sleepy draught,
That she had mixed with care.-

And pale, pale, grew her rosy cheek, That was so bright of blee;

And she seemed to be as surely dead As any one could be.

Then spake her cruel step-mother,

Take

ye the burning lead, And drop a drop on her bosom,

To try if she be dead.

They took a drop of boiling lead,
They dropped it on her breast:

Alas! alas! her father cried,

She's dead without the Priest.

She neither chattered with her teeth,
Nor shivered with her chin:
Alas! alas! her father cried,

There is no breath within.

Then up arose her seven brethren,
And hewed to her a bier;

They hewed it from the solid oak,
Laid it o'er with silver clear.

Then up and got her seven sisters,
And sewed to her a kell;

And every steek that they put in
Sewed to a silver bell.

The first Scotch Kirk that they came to,
They gar'd the Bells be rung;

The next Scotch Kirk that they came to,
They gar'd the Mass be sung.

But when they came to St. Mary's kirk,
There stood spearman all in a row;
And up and started Lord William,
The chieftain among them a'.

Set down, set down the bier, he said,

Let me look her upon :

But as soon as Lord William touched her hand

Her colour began to come.

She brightened like the lily,

Till her pale colour was gone:

With rosy cheek, and ruby lip,
She smiled her love upon.

A morsel of your bread, my Lord,
And one glass of your wine;
For I have fasted three long days,
All for your sake and mine.

Go home, go home, my seven bold brothers,
Go home, and blow your horn!

I trow ye would have given me the skaith,
But I've given you the scorn.

Commend me to my gray Father,
That wished my soul good rest;
But woe be to my cruel step-dame,

Gar'd burn me on my breast.

Ah! woe to you, you light woman!
An ill death may you die!

For we left father and sisters at home,
Breaking their hearts for thee.

SCOTT'S BORDER MINSTRELSY.

LADY ELSPAT.

How brent's your brow, my Lady Elspat!
How golden yellow is your hair!

O' a' the maids o' fair Scotland,

There's nane like Lady Elspat fair.

Perform your vows, sweet William, she says,
The vows which ye have made to me;
And at the back o' my mither's castle,
This night I'll surely meet with thee.

But wae be to her brother's page,

That heard the words thir twa did say;

He's told them to her lady mother,

Who wrought sweet William mickle wae.

For she has taken him, sweet William,

And she 's gar'd bind him with his bow-string,

Till the red blood of his fair body

From ilka nail of his hand did spring

O, it fell once upon a time,

That the Lord-Justice came to town;
Out has she taken him, sweet William,
Brought him before the Lord-Justice boun',

And what is the crime now, lady, he says,
That has by this young man been done?
O, he has broken my bonny castle,

That was weel built wi' lime and stane;