THE SWEETEST THING THE BEST THING.
A SONG.
VERSE FIRST.
Come tell me a' you shepherds
That love the tarry woo',
And tell me a' you jolly boys
That whistle at the plow,
What is the greatest bliss
That the tongue of man can name,
'Tis "To woo a bonny lassie
When the kye come hame."
When the kye come hame,
When the kye come hame,
'Tween the gloaming and the mirk,
When the kye come hame.
That's the burden, or the quoir, as father Cormack calls it;—the o'erword, like.
VERSE SECOND.
'Tis not beneath the burgonet,
Nor yet beneath the crown,
'Tis not on couch of velvet,
Nor yet in bed of down;
'Tis beneath the spreading birch
In the dell without the name,
Wi' a bonny bonny lassie,
When the kye come hame.
When the kye come hame, &c.
VERSE THIRD.
There the blackbird bigs his nest
For the mate he lo'es to see,
And on the topmost bough,
Oh a happy bird is he!
There he pours his melting ditty,
And love 'tis a' the theme;
And he'll woo his bonny lassie
When the kye come hame.
When the kye come hame, &c.
VERSE FOURTH.
When the little wee bit heart
Rises high in the breast,
And the little wee bit starn
Rises red in the east,
O there's a joy sae dear,
That the heart can hardly frame,
Wi' a bonny bonny lassie,
When the kye come hame.
When the kye come hame, &c.
VERSE FIFTH.
Then the eye shines sae bright,
The hale soul to beguile,
There's love in every whisper,
And joy in every smile.
O wha wad chuse a crown
Wi' its perils and its fame,
And miss a bonny lassie
When the kye come hame.
When the kye come hame, &c.
Here the poet warred a long time with recollection, always repeating, "I made the thing, and it is impossible I can forget it—I can't comprehend——" At length he sung the following verse, which he said was the fifteenth.
VERSE THE FIFTEENTH.
See yonder pawky shepherd,
That lingers on the hill,
His ewes are in the fauld
And his lambs are lying still;
Yet he downa gang to bed,
For his heart is in a flame,
To meet his bonnie lassie,
When the kye come hame.
When the kye come hame, &c.
VERSE SIXTEENTH AND LAST.
Away wi' fame and fortune,
What comfort can they gie?
And a' the arts that prey
On man's life and libertye;
Gie me the highest joy
That the heart of man can frame,
My bonny, bonny lassie,
When the kye come hame.
When the kye come hame,
When the kye come hame;
'Tween the gloaming and the mirk,
When the kye come hame.
"I made the thing," added the poet; "but God knows how I have forgot it. Since I came to the top of this cursed tower, the wind has blown it out of my head." With these words he fell into a profound sleep, which they suffered him to enjoy, before he began his competition. In the meantime, Isaac relates an extraordinary story of a certain consultation that took place in the castle in that very interim, but does not say on what authority he had it, none of the parties yet named having apparently heard it.
The castle of Aikwood, says he, being left as before, an ample and perilous void, some old and frequent inmates took undisputed possession. The leader and convoker of this gang was no other than the Master Fiend who ordered our yeomen out of the castle, and chased them forth, with so little ceremony. In the great Master's study was his gigantic and commanding frame placed at the end of the board, while the three pages, Prig, Prim, and Pricker, were waiting his beck.
"Come nigh me, my friends," said he; "and read me what is to be done with this king of mighty conjurors now?"
"What thou willest, our Lord and Master," was the reply: "Give the command with the power, and thy pleasure shall be done."
"How canst thou answer for thy negligence in suffering this cowled and canting vagabond to gain admittance here with his saws and parables, his crosiers and his writings?"
"We meant to devour him, but our power extended not to it. Thou hast seen the bones of one whom we suspected."
"You are indolent and wayward slaves. Either separate our greatest vassal on earth from this captious professor, or you shall be punished with many stripes. Our sway is dishonoured if such a man as he is suffered to take shelter under a crosier, and there hold our power at bay,—our control at defiance."—"Return to him that power which since his dejection has been withdrawn, and you are sure of him still. Riches and honours he despises: feasting and wine-bibing he abhors: but for power to do what no other man can perform, he would sell twenty souls, were they in his power of disposal."
"He is a great man, and well suited for our free independent government. By his principle of insubordination to established authorities, I yet hope to bring all mankind to my own mind and my own country. Read me my riddle, you three slaves. What is the most hateful thing in nature?"
"A saint."
"More ready than right, and more right than ingenious. Show cause."
"Because he is the greatest coward, and all that he does springs from the detestable passion of terror."
"Right. Which being is the most noble?"
"The opposer of all established authorities ordained by the tyrant of the universe."
"Right! Right! These are the men for me, and of these this Master was a great ensample. Therefore, Separate! Separate! Separate! My elemental power is solemnly engaged; but on the morning of the third day, it shall be given to you to work again at your Master's will. Till that time it will be as well to prevent all ingress and egress here; and at that time I will come again. Speed you well, nimble noddies; shape well and shard well, and the day is your own. While I transform my shape, sing me the song that I love. Whenever I hear it, my furtherance is the better. The imps complied, and the redoubted fiend laughed till the walls of the castle shook, while those on the top took it for the great bittern of the Hartwood, called there the Bogbumper.