A Delectable New BALLAD, INTITULED, Leader-Haughs and Yarow.
To its own Proper Tune.
VVHen PHOEBVS bright, the Azure Skies
with golden rayes enlightneth,
These things Sublunar he espies;
Herbs Trees and Plants, be quick'neth;
Among all those be makes his choice
and gladly goes he thorow,
With Radiant Beams, and Silver Streams,
Through Leader Haughs and Yarow.
When Aries, the day and night
In equal length divideth,
Old frosty Saturn takes the flight
No longer he abideth:
Then Flora Queen, with Mantle green,
Casts off her former sorrow,
And vows to dwell with Caeres sell
In Leader Haughs and Yarow.
Pan playing on his Oaten reed,
with Sheepherds him attending,
Doth here resort their flocks to feed,
The Hill, and Haughs commending;
With bottle, bag, and staff with knag,
and all singing good Morrow;
They swear no Fields more pleasure yields,
Then Leader Haughs and Yarow.
One House there stands on Leader side
Surmounting my destr [...]ing,
With Ease rooms raie, and Windows fair,
Like Daedalus contriving:
Men passing by, do often say,
In South it has no marrow;
It stands as fair on Leader side,
As New wark does on Yarow,
A mile below, who list to ride,
They'l heare the Mavis singing,
Into St. Leonards bank she'l bide,
Sweet Birks her head o'r hinging:
The Lint white loud, and progne proud,
With tender throats and narrow,
Into St. Leonards banks do sing
As sweetly as in Yarow.
The Lapwing lilteth o'r the Lie,
With nimble wings she sporteth,
But vowes she'l not come near the Tree
Where philomel resorteth:
By break of day, the Lark can say,
l'e bid you all good morrow,
I'le yout and yell, for I may dwell
In Leader Haughs and Yarow.
Parke, wanton walls, and wooden cleugh,
The East and Vester Mainses,
The Forrest of Lawder's fair enough,
The Corns are good in blansties;
Where Oats are fine and sold by kind,
That if ye search all thorow
Mearns, buchan, Marr, none better are,
Then Leader Haughs and Yarow.
In burn Milne boge, and whitstead Shawes,
The fearful Hare she haunteth,
Bridge haugh and broad wood shiel she knawes
To the chapel wood frequenteth:
Yet when she irks, to Kaidstie Birks,
She runs and sighs for sorrow,
That she should leave sweet Leader Haughs.
And cannot win to Yarow.
What sweeter Musick would y [...] hear,
Than Hourids and Beigles crying
The [...] for fear
[...]
[...] length
[...] can she borrow
[...] Soreles-field
[...] to be at Yarow
[...] Rival, Aimer
[...] for to view her,
[...] begins,
[...]
[...] and dike o'r seugh and syke
[...] the fields all thorow,
Yet ends her dayes in Leader Haughs,
And bids farewell to Yarow,
Thou E [...]ington and Calden knowes,
Where Humes had once commanding,
And Dry Grange with thy milk white Ewes,
'Twixt Tweed and Leader standing:
The Birds that flees through Rid path trees
And Gladswood banks all thorow,
May Chant and Sing, sweet Leader Haughs,
And the bony Banks of Yarow.
But BVRN cannot his grief asswage,
While as his days endureth,
To see the Changes of this Age,
Which day and time procureth;
For many a place stands in hard case.
Where Burns were blyth beforrow,
With Humes that dwelt on Leader side,
And Scots that dwelt in Yarow.
The words of BVRN the Violer.
What? shall my Viol silent be,
or leave her wonted Scriding?
But choise some sadder Elegie,
Not Sports and Mirds deriding.
It must be fame with lower strain,
Then it was wont beforrow,
To sound the praise of Leader Haughs,
And the bony Banks of Yarow.
But floods has overflown the Banks,
The greenish Haughs disgracing,
And Trees in Voods grow thin in ranks,
About the fields defacing:
For Waters waxes, Woods do waind;
More, if I could for sorrow,
In rural verse I could rehearse,
Of Leader Haughs and Yarow.
But sighs and sobs o'rsets my breath,
Sore saltish tears forth sending,
All things Sublunar here on Earth
Are subject to an ending:
So must my Song, though some what long,
Yet late at even and Morrow,
I'le sigh and sing, sweet Leader Haughs,
And the bony Banks of YAROW.
Hic terminus [...]
FINIS.