he sees new beauties rise,
Swift mantling to the view,
Like colours o'er the morning skies,
As bright, as transient too.
The bashful look, the rising breast,
Alternate spread alarms;
The lovely stranger stands confest
A maid in all her charms.
'And ah! forgive a stranger rude,
A wretch forlorn,' she cried,
Whose feet unhallowed thus intrude
Where heaven and you reside.
'But let a maid thy pity share,
Whom love has taught to stray:
Who seeks for rest, but finds despair
Companion of her way.
'My father lived beside the Tyne,
A wealthy lord was he;
And all his wealth was marked as mine
He had but only me.
'To win me from his tender arms,
Unnumbered suitors came;
Who praised me for imputed charms,
And felt, or feigned, a flame.
Each hour a mercenary crowd
With richest proffers strove;
Amongst the rest young Edwin bowed,
But never talked of love.
'In humblest, simplest habit clad,
No wealth nor power had he;
Wisdom and worth were all he had;
But these were all to me.
'The blossom opening to the day,
The dews of heaven refined,
Could nought of purity display,
To emulate his mind.
'The dew, the blossoms of the tree,
With charms inconstant shine;
Their charms were his; but, woe to me,
Their constancy was mine.
'For still I tried each fickle art,
Importunate and vain;
And while his passion touched my heart,
I triumphed in his pain.
'Till quite dejected with my scorn,
He left me to my pride;
And sought a solitude forlorn,
In secret, where he died!
'But mine the sorrow, mine the fault,
And well my life shall pay:
I'll seek the solitude he sought,
And stretch me where he lay.
'And there, forlorn, despairing, hid,
I'll lay me down and die:
'Twas so for me that Edwin did,
And so for him will I.'
Forbid it, Heaven!' the hermit cried,
And clasped her to his breast:
The wondering fair one turned to chide
'Twas Edwin's self that prest!
'Turn, Angelina, ever dear,
My charmer, turn to see
Thy own, thy long-lost Edwin here,
Restored to love and thee.
Thus let me hold thee to my heart,
And every care resign;
And shall we never, never part,
My life--my all that's mine?
'No, never from this hour to part,
We'll live and love so true;
The sigh that rends thy constant heart,
Shall break thy Edwin's too.'
_LADY ANNE BARNARD_
AULD ROBIN GRAY
WHEN the sheep are in the fauld, when the kye's come hame,
And a' the weary warld to rest are gane,
The waes o' my heart fa'
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