Tears descending, sweetly blending,
As down her cheeks they rove,
Beauty's charms in pity's arms;
O that's the hour of love!
When the fair one, and the dear one,
Appears in morning dreams,—
In flowing vest—by fancy drest,—
And all the angel beams!
The heavenly mien, and look serene,
Confess her from above;
While rising sighs, and dewy eyes,
Say, that's the hour of love!
Through the wood, laddie.
[The original verses, or at least what are supposed to be the oldest verses, to the favourite old air called "Through the wood, laddie," are very long, and not worth quoting. They begin thus:
"As Philermon and Phillis together did walk,
To the woods they did wander,
To the woods they did wander,
As Philermon and Phillis together did walk,
To the woods they did wander,
Together did talk!"
Ramsay wrote two sets of verses to the tune. The first is, like the above, very long, but much superior to it as a piece of composition. It begins,
"As early I walk'd on the first of sweet May,
Beneath a steep mountain,
Beside a clear fountain,
I heard a grave lute soft melody play,
While the echo resounded the dolorous lay."
We content ourselves with quoting here Ramsay's second song to the tune, which still retains a place in the collections.]
O, Sandy, why leave thus thy Nelly to mourn?
Thy presence could ease me,
When naething can please me;
Now dowie I sigh on the bank o' the burn,
Or through the wood, laddie, until thou return.
Though woods now are bonnie, and mornings are clear,
While lav'rocks are singing,
And primroses springing;
Yet nane o' them pleases my eye or my ear,
When through the wood, laddie, ye dinna appear.
That I am forsaken, some spare not to tell;
I'm fash'd wi' their scornin'
Baith e'enin' and mornin';
Their jeering gaes aft to my heart wi' a knell,
When through the wood, laddie, I wander mysel'.
Then stay, my dear Sandy, nae langer away;
But, quick as an arrow,
Haste here to t'ny marrow,
Wha's living in languor till that happy day.
When through the wood, laddie, thegither we'll gae.
Green Sleeves.
[The following song was written by Ramsay, and appears in the Tea-Table Miscellany. It is called "Green Sleeves" from the name of the tune to which it is adapted. This tune is of great antiquity, and was popular in England as well as in Scotland more than two centuries ago. The old words to the tune began
"Green sleeves and pudding pies,"
and were in ridicule of the Popish clergy, but extremely coarse. Besides "Green Sleeves," the tune is also known by the name of "Nobody can deny," that being the burthen of various English ballads, which are sung to it. Gay in his "Beegar's Opera" (1727) adopts the tune of "Green Sleeves" for one of the songs sung by Macheath, beginning,
"Since laws were made for every degree."]
Ye watchful guardians of the fair,
Who skiff on wings of ambient air,
Of my dear Delia take a care,
And represent her lover
With all the gaiety of youth,
With honour, justice, love, and truth;
Till I return, her passions soothe,
For me in whispers move her.
Be careful no base sordid slave,
With soul sunk in a golden grave,
Who knows no virtue but to save,
With glaring gold bewitch her.
Tell her, for me she was design'd,
For me who knew how to be kind,
And have mair plenty in my mind,
Than ane who's ten times richer.
