What reafon is that crueltie

With beautie fhould have part? Or els that fuch 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.

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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. ROBIN

XIII.

ROBIN AND MAKYNE.

AN ANCIENT SCOTTISH PASTORAL.

The palm of paftoral poefy is here contefted by a cotemporary writer with the author of the foregoing. The reader will decide their respective merits. The author of this poem has one advantage over his rival, in having his name handed down to us. Mr. ROBERT HENRYSON (to whom we are indebted for it) 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:

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

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

In Ramsay's EVERGREEN, Vol. I. whence the above diftich, and the following beautiful poem are 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.

R

OBIN fat on the gude grene hill,
Keipand a flock of fie,

Quhen mirry Makyne said him till,

"O Robin rew on me

"I haif thee luivt baith loud and ftill,

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"Thir towmonds twa or thre:

"My

But keip my fheip undir yon wod:

Lo quhair they raik on raw.

Quhat can have mart thee in thy mude,

Thou Makyne to me schaw

;

Or quhat is luve, or to be lude?

Fain wald I leir that law.

"The law of luve gin thou wald leir, “Tak thair an A, B, C ;

"Be keynd, courtas, and fair of feir,

"Wyfe, hardy, 'bauld' and frie, "Sae that nae danger do the deir,

"What dule in dern thou drie ; "Prefs ay to pleis, and blyth appeir, "Be patient and privie."

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"Robin

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"Robin, tak tent unto my tale,

"And wirk all as I reid;

"And thou fall haif my heart all hale, "Eik and my maiden-heid:

Sen God, he fends 'us' bute for bale, "And for murning remeid,

"I'dern with thee but give I dale, "Doubtless I am but deid."

Makyne, to-morn be this ilk tyde,
Gif ye will meit me heir,

Maybe my fheip may gang befyde,
Quhyle we have liggd full neir;
But maugre haif I, gif I byde,
Frae thay begin to fteir,

Quhat lyes on heart I will nocht hyď,
Then Makyne mak gude cheir.

"Robin, thou reivs me of my reft ;

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"Robin, I ftand in fic a ftyle,

"I fich and that full fair."

Makyne, I have bene here this quyle;

At hame I wish I were.

"Robin, my hinny, talk and fmyle,
"Gif thou will do nae mair.".
Makyne, fom other man beguyle,
For hameward I will fare.

Syne Robin on his ways he went,
As light as leif on tree;

But Makyne murnt and made lament,

Scho trow'd him neir to fee.

Robin he brayd attowre the bent:

Then Makyne cried on hie,

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"Now may thou fing, for I am fhent! 66 Quhat can ail luve at me ?"

Makyne went hame withouten fail,

And weirylie could weip;

Then Robin in a full fair dale

Affemblit all his fheip:

Be that fome part of Makyne's ail,
Out-throw his heart could creip,

Hir faft he followt to affail,

And till her tuke gude keip.

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Abyd,