But if he’s forgotten his faithfulest Nannie,
O still flow between us, thou wide, roaring main;
May I never see it, may I never trow it,
But, dying, believe that my Willie’s my ain!
I leave it to you, my dear Sir, to determine whether the above, or the old “Thro’ the lang muir I have followed my Willie,” be the best.
R. B.
CCL.
TO MISS BENSON.
[Miss Benson, when this letter was written, was on a visit to Arbigland, the beautiful seat of Captain Craik; she is now Mrs. Basil Montagu.]
Dumfries, 21st March, 1793.
Madam,
Among many things for which I envy those hale, long-lived old fellows before the flood, is this in particular, that when they met with anybody after their own heart, they had a charming long prospect of many, many happy meetings with them in after-life.