'O Leader-haughs are wide and braid 'But Willie's gone, whom I thought on, 'O came ye by yon water-side? She sought him up, she sought him down, Syne, in the cleaving of a craig, She found him drown'd in Yarrow ! UNKNOWN. THE REVERIE OF POOR SUSAN AT the corner of Wood Street, when daylight appears, In the silence of morning the song of the Bird. She sees 'Tis a note of enchantment; what ails her? Green pastures she views in the midst of the dale, She looks, and her heart is in heaven: but they fade. THE ARMADA A FRAGMENT ATTEND, all ye who list to hear our noble England's praise, It was about the lovely close of a warm summer day, There came a gallant merchant-ship full sail to Plymouth Bay; Her crew hath seen Castile's black fleet, beyond Aurigny's isle, At earliest twilight, on the waves lie heaving many a mile. At sunrise she escaped their van, by God's especial grace; And the tall Pinta,' till the noon, had held her close in chase. Forthwith a guard at every gun was placed along the wall; The beacon blazed upon the roof of Edgecumbe's lofty hall; Many a light fishing-bark put out to pry along the coast, And with loose rein and bloody spur rode inland many a post. With his white hair unbonneted, the stout old sheriff comes; Behind him march the halberdiers; before him sound the drums; His round the market cross make clear an ample space; yeomen For there behoves him to set up the standard of Her Grace. And haughtily the trumpets peal, and gaily dance the bells As slow upon the labouring wind the royal blazon swells. Look how the Lion of the sea lifts up his ancient crown, And underneath his deadly paw treads the gay lilies down. So stalked he when he turned to flight, on that famed Picard field, Bohemia's plume, and Genoa's bow, and Cæsar's eagle shield. So glared he when at Agincourt in wrath he turned to bay, Ho! strike the flagstaff deep, Sir Knight: ho! scatter flowers, fair maids : Ho! gunners, fire a loud salute: ho! gallants, draw your blades: The freshening breeze of eve unfurled that banner's massy fold; The parting gleam of sunshine kissed that haughty scroll of gold; Night sank upon the dusky beach, and on the purple sea, Such night in England ne'er had been, nor e'er again shall be. |