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Sae warming, sae charming,

Her faultless form and gracefu' air;
Ilk feature-auld Nature

Declar'd that she could do nae mair:
Hers are the willing chains o' love,
By conquering beauty's sovereign law;
And aye my Chloris' dearest charm,
She says she lo'es me best of a'.

Let others love the city,

And gaudy show at sunny noon;
Gie me the lonely valley,

The dewy eve, and rising moon

Fair beaming, and streaming,

Her silver light the boughs amang;

While falling, recalling,

The amorous thrush concludes his sang:
There, dearest Chloris, wilt thou rove
By wimpling burn and leafy shaw,
And hear my vows o' truth and love,
And say thou lo'es me best of a'!

Of this exquisite song Burns says little; of the woman in whose praise it was written he says too much. "She is one of the finest women in Scotland, and in fact is in a manner to me what Sterne's Eliza was to him—a mistress, or a friend, or what you will, in the guileless simplicity of Platonic love. I assure you, that to my lovely friend you are indebted for many of your best songs of mine. Do you think that the sober gin-.

horse routine of existence could inspire a man with life, and love, and joy,-could fire him with enthusiasm, or melt him with pathos, equal to the genius of your book? No, no ;-whenever I want to be more than ordinary in song-to be in some degree equal to your diviner airs, do you imagine I fast and pray for the celestial emanation? I put myself in a regimen of admiring a fine woman; and in proportion to the adorability of her charms, in proportion you are delighted with my verses. The lightning of her eye is the godhead of Parnassus, and the witchery of her smile the divinity of Helicon." Such is the glowing picture which the poet gives of youth and health, and voluptuous beauty; but let no lady envy the poetical elevation of poor Chloris: her situation in poetry is splendid-her situation in life merits our pity, and perhaps our charity.

AULD ROBIN GRAY.

When the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye a' at

hame,

And a' the warld to sleep are gane;

The waes of my heart fa' in showers frae my ee,

When my gudeman lies sound by me.

Young Jamie lo'ed me weel, and he sought me for his

bride,

But saving a crown he had naething beside ;

To make that crown a pound, my Jamie gaed to sea, And the crown and the pound were baith for me.

He had nae been gone a week but only twa,

When my mither she fell sick, and the cow was stoun awa';

My father brake his arm, and my Jamie at the sea,
And auld Robin Gray came a courting to me.

My father couldna' work, and my mither couldna' spin, I toil'd day and night, but their bread I couldna' win ; Auld Rob maintain'd them baith, and wi' tears in

his ee

Said, Jenny, for their sakes, will ye marry me?

My heart it said nay, I look'd for Jamie back;

But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wreck,
The ship it was a wreck, why didna Jenny die?
And why do I live to say Wae is me?

My father urged me sair; though my mither didna

speak,

She look'd in my face till my heart was like to break ; So I gied him my hand, though my heart was in

the sea,

And auld Robin Gray is gudeman to me.

I hadna been a wife a week but only four,
When sitting sae mournfully at my ain door,

I saw my Jamie's wraith, for I coudna think it he,
Till he said, I'm come back, love, to marry thee.

O sair did we greet, and muckle did we say ;
We took but ae kiss, and we tore ourselves away;
I wish I were dead, but I'm no like to die;
And why do I live to say Wae is me?

I

gang like a ghaist, and carena to spin;

I darena think on Jamie, for that wou'd be a sin;

But I'll do my best a gude wife to be,

For auld Robin Gray is kind unto me.

This exquisite song was written by Lady Ann Lindsay, and appeared before her ladyship was twenty years old. It has been fortunate in the admiration of the world and in the abuse of Mr. Pinkerton. In truth, I imagine the critic condemned it more from an intense spirit of contradiction, than from coldness of heart or infirmity of judgment, for he has sometimes expressed opinions in good taste and right feeling; but all who are charmed with simple grace and happy delicacy will love the song of "Auld Robin Gray." Of the three characters, I love Auld Robin the most: he is a grayhaired and chivalrous old man, and ought to have lived and established a dynasty of Grays. Jamie is indeed a worthy fellow, and is to be commended for his many words and his "ae kiss ;" but the unstable element on

which a sailor lives makes him look out for disappointments and changes-quicksands, sunken rocks, sudden tempests, fierce enemies, and faithless loves are part and parcel of his fortunes; they are expected with calmness, and braved or endured when met. Of Jenny I would gladly believe the best, yet she seems something of a schemer; the destruction of her lover's vessel, and the belief that he had perished, I am afraid had some share in overcoming her reluctance: yet who can forget the picture of domestic sorrow which she draws, or fail to lay up in his heart the conclusion of the courtship:

My father urged me sair; though my mother didna speak,

She look'd in my face till my heart was like to break.

Of the noble authoress I am sorry I can say no more than that she is the daughter of James Lindsay, fifth Earl of Balcarras, the widow of Andrew Bernard, Esq. Colonial Secretary at the Cape of Good Hope, and that her residence is in Berkeley-square. Some years ago the song of "Auld Robin Gray" was claimed as the production of an Irish clergyman. Lady Ann married the son of the bishop of Limerick-I can help Ireland no farther in its claim of authorship.

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