Page:The Lay of the Last Minstrel - Scott (1805).djvu/15

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And he began to talk, anon,
Of good Earl Francis^[1], dead and gone,
And of Earl Walter^[2], rest him God!
A braver ne'er to battle rode:
And how full many a tale he knew,
Of the old warriors of Buccleuch;
And, would the noble Duchess deign
To listen to an old man's strain,
Though stiff his hand, his voice though weak,
He thought even yet, the sooth to speak,
That, if she loved the harp to hear,
He could make music to her ear.

 The humble boon was soon obtained;
The aged Minstrel audience gained.
But, when he reached the room of state,
Where she, with all her ladies, sate,

1. Francis Scot, earl of Buccleuch, father to the duchess.
2. Walter, earl of Buccleuch, grandfather to the duchess, and a celebrated warrior.