Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Scots musical museum > Volume 5

364 CCCCV. — A LASSIE ALL ALOME.
The winds were laid, the air was stilly
The stars they shot alang the sky ;
The fox was howling on the hill.
And the distant-echoing glens reply.
The stream, adown its hazelly path.
Was rushing by the ruin'd wa's.
Hasting to join the sweeping Nith,
Whase distant roaring swells and fa's.
The cauld blue north was streaming forth
Her lights, wi' hissing eerie din ;
Athort the lift they start and shift.
Like fortune's favours, tint as win.
By heedless chance I turn'd mine eyes.
And by the moon-beam shook to see,
A stern and stalwart ghaist arise,
Attir'd as minstrels wont to be.
Had I a statue been o' stane.
His darin' look had daunted me ;
And on his bonnet grav'd was plain.
The sacred posy — Liberty !
And frae his harp sic strains did flow.
Might rous'd the slumb'ring dead to hear ;
But, oh ! it was a tale of woe.
As ever met a Briton's ear !
He sang wi' joy the former day.
He, weeping, wail'd his latter times ;
But what he said, it was nae play,
I winna ventur't in my rhymes.
Dr Currie informs us, that " The scenery so finely des-
cribed is taken from nature. The poet is supposed to be
musing by night on the banks of the river Cluden or Clou-
den, and by the ruins of Lincluden- Abbey, founded in the
twelfth century, in the reign of Malcolm IV., of whose pre-
sent situation the reader may find some account in Pennant's
Tour in Scotland, or Grose's Antiquities of that part of the
island. Such a time and such a place are well fitted for
holding converse with aerial beings. Though this poem has
a political bias, yet it may be presumed, that no reader of
taste, whatever his opinions may be, would forgive its being
omitted. Our poet's prudence suppressed the song of Liber-
tie, perhaps fortunately for his reputation. It may be ques-