But Phylida was all tò coye,

For Harpalus to winne: For Corin was her onely joye,

Who forft her not a pinne.

How often would fhe flowers twine?

How often garlandes make

Of couflips and of colombine?

And al for Corin's fake.

But Corin, he had haukes to lure,
And forced more the field:
Of lovers lawe he toke no cure;
For once he was begilde.

Harpalus prevailed nought,

His labour all was loft;

For he was fardest from her thought,
And yet he loved her most.

His eyes were red, and all forewacht';

His face befprent with teares :

It femde unhap had him long hatcht',
In mids of his difpaires.

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Ver. 33. &c. The Corrections are from Ed. 1574.

Corin he liveth carèleffe:

He leapes among the leaves:
He eates the frutes of thy redreffe:
Thou reapft', he takes the fheaves.

My beaftes, a whyle your foode refraine,
And harke your herdmans founde:
Whom fpitefull love, alas! hath flaine,
Through-girt with many a wounde,

O happy be ye, beaftès wilde,
That here your pasture takes:
I fe that ye be not begilde
Of these your faithfull makes,

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The hart he feedeth by the hinde:

The bucke harde by the do:

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The turtle dove is not unkinde

To him that loves her fo.

The ewe she hath by her the ramme:
The yong cow hath the bull:

What reafon is that crueltie

With beautie should have part? Or els that such great tyranny Should dwell in womans hart?

I fee therefore to shape my death
She cruelly is preft;

To th'ende that I may want my breath:
My dayes been at the best.

O Cupide, graunt this my request,
And do not stoppe thine eares;
That she may feele within her brest

The paines of my dispaires :

Of Corin' who' is carèleffe,

That the may crave her fee:

As I have done in great distresse,

That loved her faithfully.

But fince that I fhal die her flave;

Her flave, and eke her thrall:

Write you, my frendes, upon my grave

This chaunce that is befall.

"Here lieth unhappy Harpalus
"By cruell love now flaine:
"Whom Phylida unjustly thus
"Hath murdred with difdaine."

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XIII. ROB LN

XIII.

ROBIN AND MAKY NE.

C

AN ANCIENT SCOTTISH PASTORAL.

it with

The palm of paftoral poefy is here contested by a cotemporary writer with the author of the foregoing. The critics will judge of their respective merits; but must make fome allowance for the preceding ballad, which is given fimply, as it ftands in the old editions: whereas this, which follows, has been revifed and amended throughout by ALLAN RAMSEY, from whofe EVER-GREEN, Vol. I. it is here chiefly printed. The curious Reader may however compare the more original copy, printed among "Ancient Scottish "Poems, from the MS. of George Bannatyne, 1568, Edinb. 1770, 12mo Mr. ROBERT HENRYSON (to whom we are indebted for this Poem) appears to fo much advantage among the writers of eclogue, that we are forry we can give little other account of him befides what is contained in the following eloge, written by W. Dunbar, a Scottish poet, who lived about the middle of the 16th century:

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"In Dumferling, he [Death] hath tane Broun,
"With gude Mr, Robert Henryfon."

Indeed fome little further infight into the hiftory of this Scottish bard is gained from the title prefixed to fome of his poems preferved in the British Mufeum; viz. "The morall Fabillis of Efop compylit be Maifter ROBERT HENRISOUN, SCOLMAISTER of Dumfermling, 1571.” Harleian MSS. 3865. § 1.

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In Ramfay's EVERGREEN, Vol. I. whence the above diftich is extracted, are preferved two other little Doric pieces by Henryfon; the one intitled THE LYON AND THE MOUSE; the other, THE GARMENT OF GUDE LADYIS. Some other of his Poems may be feen in the " Ancient Scottish Poems ' printed from Bannatyne's MS.“ above referred to.

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