Bear witness many a pensive sigh And by Loch Lomond's Braes! And, far and near, through vale and hill, Are faces that attest the same; The proud heart flashing through the eyes, At sound of ROB ROY's name. X. COMPOSED AT CASTLE. DEGENERATE Douglas! oh, the unworthy Lord! A brotherhood of venerable Trees, Leaving an ancient Dome, and Towers like these, XI. YARROW UNVISITED. (See the various Poems the Scene of which is laid upon the Banks of the Yarrow; in particular, the exquisite Ballad of Hamilton, beginning "Busk ye, busk ye, my bonny, bonny Bride, Busk ye, busk ye, my winsome Marrow !”—) FROM Stirling Castle we had seen Had trod the banks of Clyde, and Tay, "Let Yarrow Folk, frae Selkirk Town, "Who have been buying, selling, "Go back to Yarrow, 'tis their own; "On Yarrow's banks let herons feed, "There's Galla Water, Leader Haughs, "Both lying right before us; "And Dryborough, where with chiming Tweed "The Lintwhites sing in chorus ; "There's pleasant Tiviot-dale, a land "Made blithe with plough and harrow : 66 Why throw away a needful day "To go in search of Yarrow? "What's Yarrow but a River bare, "That glides the dark hills under ? "There are a thousand such elsewhere "As worthy of your wonder." Strange words they seemed of slight and scorn; My True-love sighed for sorrow; And looked me in the face, to think I thus could speak of Yarrow ! "Oh! green," said I," are Yarrow's Holms, "And sweet is Yarrow flowing! "Fair hangs the apple frae the rock*, "But we will leave it growing. "O'er hilly path, and open Strath, "We'll wander Scotland thorough; “But, though so near, we will not turn "Into the Dale of Yarrow. "Let beeves and home-bred kine partake "The sweets of Burn-mill meadow; "The swan on still St. Mary's Lake "Float double, swan and shadow ! "We will not see them; will not go, "To-day, nor yet to-morrow; 66 Enough if in our hearts we know "There's such a place as Yarrow. "Be Yarrow Stream unseen, unknown! "It must, or we shall rue it: "We have a vision of our own; "Ah! why should we undo it? "The treasured dreams of times long past, "We'll keep them, winsome Marrow ! "For when we 're there, although 'tis fair, ""Twill be another Yarrow! * See Hamilton's Ballad as above. |