A delectable new Ballad, Entituled Leader
Haughs and Yarow.
To its own proper Tune.
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WHen Phaebus 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 quick'neth
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Among all those 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 the day and night,
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in equal length divideth;
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Old frosty Saturn [t]akes 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 Shepherds him attending,
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Doth here resort their flocks to feed,
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the Hills 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 yeelds
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than Leader-Haughs and Yarow.
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One house there stands on Leader 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 New-wark does on Yarow.
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A mile below, who list to ride,
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they'l hear the Mavis singing.
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Into St. Leonards bank she'l bide,
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sweet Birks her head o'r-hinging:
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The Lintwhite loud, and Progne proud,
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with tender throats and narrow,
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Into St. Leonards bank do sing,
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as sweetly as in Yarow.
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The Lapwing lilteth o're the Lee,
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with nible wings she sporteth,
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But vows she'l 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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I'le bid you all good morrow,
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I'le yout and yell, for I may dwel
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In Leader-Haughs and Yarow.
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Park Wanton walls and Wooden.cleugh,
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the East and Wester Mainses,
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The Forrest of Lawder's 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, Mar, none better are,
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then Leader-Haughs and Yarow.
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In Burn milne-bog, and Whiteslead Shaws
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the fearful Hare she hunteth,
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Bridge-haugh and Broad-wood-shiel she knaws
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to the Chapel-wood frequenteth
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Yet when she irks, to Kainslie 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 you hear,
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then hounds and beigls crying;
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The hare waits not, but flees for fear,
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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 Hoggs, Clackmay, nor Sorlesfield,
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but longs to be at Yarow.
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For Rockwood, Ringwood, Reva, Almer,
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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 cunning can re[scue her:]
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O'r dub and dike, o'r seugh and syke,
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she'l 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 Erslington and Coldon-Knowes,
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where Hume had once commanding;
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And Dry-grange with thy milk white ewes
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Tweed and Leader standing:
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The birds that flees through Red-path trees
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and Gladswood 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 days 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 besorrow,
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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 Bur[n]
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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 fain with lower strain,
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then it was wont besorrow,
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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 flouds hath 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 doth wind
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more, if could for sorrow,
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In rurul verse, I could rehearse,
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of Leader-haughs and Yarow.
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But sighs and sobs o'rsets my breath,
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sory 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 somewhat long,
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yet late at even and morrow,
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I'le sing, and sing, sweet Leader-Haughs,
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and the bony banks of Yarow.
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