There came a shape which seem'd to her
As a rainbow 'mang the rain;
And sair these sweet babes pled for her,
And they pled and pled in vain.

"And O! and O!" said the youngest babe, "My mother maun come in:"

"And O! and O!" said the eldest babe, "Wash her twa hands frae sin."

"And O! and O!" said the youngest babe, "She nursed me on her knee :" "And O! and O!" said the eldest babe, "She's a mither yet to me."

"And O! and O!" said the babes baith, "Take her where waters rin,

And white as the milk of her white breast, Wash her twa hands frae sin."

WILLIAM AND MARGARET.

"TWAS at the silent solemn hour,
When night and morning meet,
In glided Margaret's grimly ghost,
And stood at William's feet.

Her face was like an April morn,
Clad in a wintry cloud:
And clay-cold was her lily hand,
That held her sable shrowd.

So shall the fairest face appear,

When youth and years are flown: Such is the robe that kings must wear, When death has reft their crown.

Her bloom was like the springing flower, That sips the silver dew;

The rose was budded in her cheek,

Just opening to the view.

But love had, like the canker-worm,
Consum'd her early prime:

The rose grew pale, and left her cheek;
She dy'd before her time.

"Awake!" she cry'd, "thy true love calls,
Come from her midnight grave;
Now let thy pity hear the maid
Thy love refus'd to save.

"This is the dark and dreary hour
When injur'd ghosts complain;
Now yawning graves give up their dead,
To haunt the faithless swain.

"Bethink thee, William, of thy fault,
Thy pledge and broken oath;
And give me back my maiden vow,
And give me back my troth.

"Why did you promise love to me,
And not that promise keep?

Why did you swear mine eyes were bright,
Yet leave those eyes to weep?

"How could you say my face was fair,
And yet that face forsake?
How could you win my virgin heart,
Yet leave that heart to break?

"Why did you say my lip was sweet,
And made the scarlet pale?
And why did I, young witless maid,
Believe the flattering tale?

"That face, alas! no more is fair;
These lips no longer red:

Dark are my eyes, now clos'd in death,
And every charm is fled.

"The hungry worm my sister is;
This winding-sheet I wear:
And cold and weary lasts our night,

Till that last morn appear.

"But hark! the cock has warn'd me hence!

A long and last adieu!

Come see, false man, how low she lies,
Who died for love of you."

The lark sung loud; the morning smil'd
With beams of rosy red:
Pale William shook in ev'ry limb,
And raving left his bed.

He hyed him to the fatal place
Where Margaret's body lay:

And stretch'd him on the grass-green turf,
That wrapt her breathless clay:

And thrice he call'd on Margaret's nams,
And thrice he wept full sore:
Then laid his cheek to her cold grave,
And word spake never more.

LADY ELSPAT.

"How brent's your brow, my lady Elspat!
How gouden 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 ha' made to me; And at the back o' my mither's castell, This night I'll surely meet wi' thee."

But wae be to her brother's page,

That heard the words thir twa did say;

He's tald them to her lady mither,

Wha wrought sweet William mickle wae.

For she has ta'en him, sweet William,

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

Till the red bluid o' his fair body

Frae ilka nail o' his hand did spring.

O, it fell ance upon a time,

That the Lord-justice came to town; Out has she ta'en 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 dane?" "O he has broken my bonnie castell,

That was weel biggit wi' lime and stane;

"And he has broken my bonnie coffers, That was weel bandit wi' aiken ban; And he has stown my rich jewels;

I wot he has stown them every ane."

Then out it spak' her Lady Elspat,
As she sat by Lord-justice' knee;
"Now ye ha'e told your tale, mither,
I pray, Lord-justice, ye'll now hear me.

"He hasna broken her bonnie castell,
That was weel biggit wi' lime and stane;
Nor has he stown her rich jewels,

For I wat she has them every ane.

"But though he was my first true love, And though I had sworn to be his bride, 'Cause he hadna a great estate,

She would this way our loves divide."

Syne out and spak' the Lord-justice,
I wat the tear was in his e'e;
"I see nae faut in this young man;

Sae loose his bands, and set him free;

"And tak' your love, now, Lady Elspat;
And my best blessin' you baith upon;
For gin he be your first true love,
He is my eldest sister's son.

"There stands a steed in my stable,
Cost me baith gold and white mony;
Ye's get as mickle o' my free land

As he'll ride about in a summer's day."