A Delectable [New BALLAD,] INTITULED,
Leader-Haughs and Yarow.
To its own Proper Tune.
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WHen PHOEBUS bright, the Azure Skies
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with golden rayes enlightneth
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These things Sublunar he espies;
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[Herbs, Trees] and Plants he quickneth:
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Among all tho[se he] makes [his choise,]
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And gladly goes he thorow,
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With Radiant Beams, and Silver streams,
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Through Leader-Haughs and [Yarow.]
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When Aries, t[he] day and night
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[In] equal length divideth,
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Old [frosty] Saturn takes the flight,
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No longer he abideth:
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Then Flora Queen, with Mantle green,
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Casts off her former sorrow,
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And vows to dwell with Caeres sell
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In Leader Haughs and Yarow.
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Pan playing on his Oaten reed,
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with Sheepherds him attending,
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Doth here resort their flocks to feed,
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The Hill, and Haughs commending:
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With bottle, bag, and staff with knag,
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and all singing good Morrow,
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They swear no Fields more pleasure yields,
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Then Leader Haught and Yarow.
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One House there stands on [Lead]er side
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Surmounting my descryving,
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With Ease rooms rair, and Windows fair,
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Like Daedalus contriving:
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Men passing by, do often say
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In South it has no marrow;
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It stands as fair on Leader side
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As Newwark does on Yarow
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A mile below, who list to ride,
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Theyl heare the Mavis singing,
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Into St. Leonards bank shel bide,
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Sweet Birks her head or hinging:
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The Lint white loud, and progne proud,
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With tender throats and narrow,
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Into St. Leonards banks do sing
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As sweetly as in Yarow.
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The Lapwing lilteth or the Lie,
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With nimble wings she sporteth,
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But vowes shel not come near the Tree
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Where philomel resorteth:
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By break of day, the Lark can say,
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Ie bid you all good morrow,
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Ile yout and yell, for I may dwell
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In Leader Haughs and Yarow.
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Parke, wanton walls, and wooden cleugh,
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The East and Wester Mainses,
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The Forrest of Lawders fair enough,
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The Corns are good in blanslies;
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Where Oats are fine and sold by kind,
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That if ye search all thorow
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Mearns, buchan, Marr, none better are,
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Then Leader Haughs and Yarow.
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In burn Milne boge, and whitstead Shawes,
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The fearful Hare she haunteth,
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Bridge haugh and broad wood shiel she knawes
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To the chapel wood frequenteth:
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Yet when she irks, to Kaidstie Birks,
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She runs and sighs for sorrow,
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That she should leave sweet Leader Haughs
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And cannot win to Yarow.
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What sweeter Musick would ye hear,
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The[n hounds and Bieglies crying,]
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The [Hare waits not but flees for fe]ar,
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[their hard pursuit defying,]
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[But yet her strength it fails] at length,
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[no bielding can she] borrow,
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[At Haggs Clockmas nor] Sortlesfield
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[but longs to] be at Yarow,
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[For Rackwood, Ringwood] Rival, Aymer,
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[still thinking] for [to] view her,
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[But O! to fail her strength] begins,
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[no cu]nning can rescue her:
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Oer [du]bbe and dike, or seugh and syke,
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Shel run the fields all thorow,
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Yet ends her dayes in Leader Haughs,
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And bids farewell to Yarow.
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Thou Ersington and Colden knowes,
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Where Humes had once commanding,
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And Dry Grange with thy milk white Ewes,
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Twixt Tweed and Leader standing:
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The Birds that flees through Rid path trees
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And Gledswood banks all thorow,
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May Chant and Sing, sweet Leader Haughs,
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And the bony Banks of Yarow.
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But BURN cannot his grief asswage,
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While as his dayes endureth,
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To see the Changes of this Age,
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Which day and time procureth;
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For many a place stands in hard case.
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Where Burns were blyth beforrow,
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With Humes that dwelt on Leader side,
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And Scots that dwelt in Yarow.
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The words of BURN the Violer.
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What? shall my Viol silent be,
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or leave her wonted Scriding?
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But choise some sadder Elegie,
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Not Sports and Mirds deriding:
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It must be faine with lower strain,
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Then it was wont beforrow,
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To sound the praise of Leader Haughs,
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And the bony Banks of Yarow.
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But floods has overflown the Banks,
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The greenish Haughs disgracing,
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And Trees in Woods grows thin in ranks
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About the fields defacing:
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For Waters waxes, Woods do waind;
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More, if I could for sorrow,
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In rural verse, I could rehearse,
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Of Leader Haughs and Yarow.
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But sighs and sobs orsets my breath,
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Sore saltish tears forth sending,
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All things Sublunar here on Earth
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Are subject to an ending:
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So must my Song, though some what long,
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Yet late at even and Morrow,
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Ile sigh and sing, sweet Leader Haughs,
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And the bony Banks of YAROW.
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