The Modern Scottish Minstrel Volume Vi Part 14

Crawford is an occasional contributor to the public journals. He is at present preparing an historical and descriptive work, to be ent.i.tled, "Memorials of the Town and Parish of Alloa." The following poetical epistle in tribute to his genius is from the pen of Mr Scott Riddell.

The days, when write wad minstrel men To ane anither thus, are gone, And days ha'e come upon us when Bards praise nae anthems but their own: But I will love the fas.h.i.+on old While breath frae heaven this breast can draw, And joy when I my tale have told Anent the Bard of Alloa.

Thou, Crawford, sung hast mony a lay.

Far mair through nature's power than art's, Pouring them frae thine ain, that they Might reach and gladden other hearts; Therefore our hearts shall honour thee, And say't alike in cot and ha'-- Sublime thro' pure simplicity Is he--the Bard of Alloa.

Though far o'er earth these lays shall roam, And make to mankind their appeal; 'Tis not because they 'll lack a home, While Scottish hearts, as wont, can feel: The swains shall sing them on the hill, The maidens in the greenwood-shaw, And mothers bless, wi' warm guid-will, The gifted Bard of Alloa.

E'en weans, wi' their shauchled shoon, And clouted hose, and pinafores, Will lilt, methinks, these lays, sae soon As they can staucher 'boot the doors: Sae shall they sing anent themsells To nature true, as its ain law; For minstrel nane on earth excels In this the Bard of Alloa.

Fresh as the moorland's early dews, And glowing as the woodland rose, Of hearts, his thought gives forth the hues, As richly bright as heaven's ain bow 's-- With me, my native land, rejoice, And let the bard thy bosom thaw, As Spring's sweet breathing comes the voice Of him wha sings frae Alloa.

Then rest thee, Crawford, on the lawn, And thus, if song thy soul shall sway, I'll bless thee, while thy toil-worn han'

Pu's for itsel' a flower or twa; 'Tis idle--gowd-gear hearts will say-- But maist for whilk will tear-drops fa'

When death has come, and flowers shall bloom Aboon the Bard of Alloa?

Oh, sing, ye bards, to nature true, And glory shall your brows adorn, And else than this, by none or few, The poet's wreath will long be worn.

Cauld fa' the notes o' him wha sings O' scenes whilk man yet never saw-- Pour then, frae nature's ain heart-strings, Your strains like him of Alloa.

Possess maun he a poet's heart, And he maun ha'e a poet's mind Wha deftly plays the generous part That warms the cauld, and charms the kind.

Nor scorn, ye frozen anes, the powers Whilk hinder other hearts to fa'

Into a sordid sink--like yours-- But bless the Bard of Alloa.

Ah! little ye may trow or ken The mony cares, and waes, and toils, 'Mang hearts and hames o' lowly men Whilk nought save poetry beguiles; It lifts fu' mony fortune 'boon, When she begins her face to thraw, That ne'er sae sweet a harp could tune As his that sounds frae Alloa.

And as for me, ere this I'd lain Where mark'd my head a mossy stane, Had it not made the joys my ain When a' life's other joys were gane.

If 'mang the mountains lone and gray, Unknown, my early joys I sung, When cares and woes wad life belay, How could my harp away be flung?

The dearest power in life below, Is life's ain native power of song, As he alone can truly know, To whom it truly may belong.

Lighten'd hath it fu' mony a step, And lessen'd hath it mony a hill, And lighted up the rays o' hope, Ay, and it up shall light them still.

Lo! avarice cauld can gowd secure, Ambition win the wreath o' fame, Wealth gies reputed wit and power, And crowns wi' joy the owner's aim.

But be my meed the generous heart, For nought can charm this heart o' mine, Like those who own the undying art That gies a claim to Ossian's line.

Hale be thy heart, dear Crawford--hale Be every heart belonging thee,-- The day whan fortune gies ye kale Out through the reek, may ye ne'er see.

Ilk son o' song is dear to me; And though thy face I never saw, I'll honour till the day I dee The gifted Bard o' Alloa.

MY AULD WIFIE JEAN.

AIR--_"There 'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame."_

My couthie auld wifie, aye blythsome to see, As years slip awa' aye the dearer to me; For ferlies o' fas.h.i.+on I carena ae preen When I cleek to the kirk wi' my auld wifie Jean.

The thoughts o' the past are aye pleasin' to me, And mair sae when love lights my auld wifie's e'e; For then I can speak o' the days I ha'e seen When care found nae hame i' the heart o' my Jean.

A hantle we've borne since that moment o' bliss, Frae thy lips, breathin' balm, when I stole the first kiss, When I read a response to my vows in thy e'en.

An, blus.h.i.+n', I prest to my bosom my Jean.

Like a rose set in snaw was the bloom on thy cheek, Thy hair, wi' its silken snood, glossy and sleek, When the Laird o' Drumlochie, sae lithless and lean, Wad ha'e gane a lang mile for ae glisk o' my Jean.

Thy mither was dead, and thy faither was fain That the lang-luggit lairdie wad ca' thee his ain; But auld age and frailty could ne'er gang atween The vows I had niffer'd wi' bonnie young Jean.

I canna weel work, an' ye 're weary an' worn, The gudes and the ills lang o' life we ha'e borne; But we ha'e a hame, an' we 're cozie and bein, And the thrift I've to thank o' my auld wifie Jean.

Baith beddin' an' cleadin' o' a' kind ha'e we, A sowp for the needy we 've aye had to gie, A bite and a drap for baith fremit an' frien', Was aye the warst wish o' my auld wifie Jean.

The puir beildless body has scugg'd the cauld blast, 'Yont our hallan he 's houft till the gurl gaed past, An' a bite aff our board, aye sae tidy an' clean, He 's gat wi' gudewill frae my auld wifie Jean.

Our hopes we ha'e set where our bairnies ha'e gaen; Though lyart we've grown since they frae us were ta'en; The thoughts o' them yet brings the tears to our e'en, And aft I 've to comfort my auld wifie Jean.

The paughty and proud ha'e been laid i' the dust, Since the first hairst I sh.o.r.e, since the first clod I cuist; And soon we'll lie laigh; but aboon we 've a Frien', And bright days are comin' for me an' my Jean.

THE LAND O' THE BONNET AND PLAID.

Hurra! for the land o' the broom-cover'd brae, The land o' the rowan, the haw, and the slae; Where waves the blue harebell in dingle and glade-- The land o' the pibroch, the bonnet, and plaid.

Hurra! for the hills o' the cromlech and cairn, Where blossoms the thistle by hillocks o' fern; There Freedom in triumph an altar has made For holiest rites in the land o' the plaid.

A coronal wreath, where the wild flowers bloom, To garnish the martyr and patriot's tomb: Shall their names ever perish--their fame ever fade Who enn.o.bled the land o' the bonnet and plaid?

Oh, hame o' my bairnhood, ye hills o' my love!

The haunt o' the freeman for aye may ye prove; And honour'd forever be matron and maid In the land o' the heather, the bonnet, and plaid.

Hurra! for the land o' the deer and the rae, O' the gowany glen and the bracken-clad brae, Where blooms our ain thistle, in suns.h.i.+ne and shade-- Dear badge o' the land o' the bonnet and plaid.

SING ON, FAIRY DEVON.[9]

Sing on, fairy Devon, 'Mong gardens and bowers, Where love's feast lies spread In an Eden o' flowers.

What visions o' beauty My mind has possess'd, In thy gowany dell Where a seraph might rest.

Sing on, lovely river, To hillock and tree A lay o' the loves O' my Jessie and me; For nae angel lightin', A posie to pu', Can match the fair form O' the la.s.sie I lo'e.

Sweet river, dear river, Sing on in your glee, In thy pure breast the mind O' my Jessie I see.

How aft ha'e I wander'd, As gray gloamin' fell, Rare dreamin's o' heaven My la.s.sie to tell.

Sing on, lovely Devon, The sang that ye sung When earth in her beauty Frae night's bosom sprung, For lanesome and eerie This warld aye would be Did clouds ever fa'