LOVELY DAVIES.

TUNE Miss Muir.

Burns had become acquainted, probably at Friars' Carse, with a beautiful young Englishwoman, a relation of the Riddels, and also connected by the marriage of a sister with the noble family of Kenmure in the neighboring stewartry. Deborah Davies — for this was her name was of small stature, but exquisitely handsome, and she possessed more than an average share of mental graces. With his usual sensibility to female beauty, but especially that of a refined and educated woman, Burns became an idolater of Miss Davies, and the feelings which possessed him soon led to an effusion of both prose and verse. She was the subject of the two following songs.

O HOW shall I, unskilfu', try
The poet's occupation,

thus writes

1"One day, while Burns was at Moffat' Allan Cunningham "the charming, lovely Davies rode past, accompanied by a lady tall and portly: on a friend asking the poet, why God made one lady so large, and Miss Davies so little, he replied in the words of the epigram:

"Ask why God made the gem so small,

And why so huge the granite?

Because God meant mankind should set
The higher value on it."

The tunefu' powers, in happy hours,
That whisper inspiration?

Even they maun dare an effort mair
Than aught they ever gave us,
Ere they rehearse, in equal verse,
The charms o' lovely Davies.

Each eye it cheers, when she appears,
Like Phoebus in the morning,

When past the shower, and every flower
The garden is adorning.

As the wretch looks o'er Siberia's shore,
When winter-bound the wave is,

Sae droops our heart when we maun part
Frae charming, lovely Davies.

Her smile's a gift, frae 'boon the lift, above-sky
That maks us mair than princes ;

A sceptered hand, a king's command,
Is in her darting glances:

The man in arms 'gainst female charms,
Even he her willing slave is;

He hugs his chain, and owns the reign
Of conquering, lovely Davies.

My Muse to dream of such a theme,
Her feeble powers surrender;

The eagle's gaze alone surveys
The sun's meridian splendour :

I wad in vain essay the strain,

The deed too daring brave is;
I'll drop the lyre, and mute admire
The charms o' lovely Davies.

THE BONNY WEE THING.

TUNE- Bonny wee Thing.

BONNY wee thing, cannie wee thing, “nice”
Lovely wee thing, wert thou mine,

I wad wear thee in my bosom,
Lest my jewel I should tine!
Wishfully I look and languish

In that bonny face o' thine;

lose

And my heart it stounds wi' anguish, aches Lest my wee thing be na mine.

Wit and grace, and love and beauty,
In ae constellation shine;
To adore thee is my duty,

Goddess o' this soul o' mine!
Bonny wee thing, cannie wee thing,
Lovely wee thing, wert thou mine,

I wad wear thee in my bosom,
Lest my jewel I should tine!

TO MR. MAXWELL, OF TERRAUGHTY, ON HIS BIRTHDAY.

The person addressed in these verses -John Maxwell, Esq., of Terraughty and Munches

ing public man in the county of Dumfries.

was a lead

HEALTH to the Maxwells' veteran chief!
Health, aye unsoured by care or grief!
Inspired, I turned Fate's sybil leaf

This natal morn;

I see thy life is stuff o' prief,

Scarce quite half-worn.

This day thou metes threescore eleven, And I can tell that bounteous Heaven (The second-sight, ye ken, is given

To ilka Poet)

On thee a tack o' seven-times-seven

Will yet bestow it.

proof

lease

If envious buckies view wi' sorrow crabbed fellows Thy lengthened days on this blest morrow, May Desolation's lang-teethed harrow,

Nine miles an hour,

Rake them like Sodom and Gomorrah,

In brunstane stoure!

brimstone dust

But for thy friends, and they are monie,
Baith honest men and lasses bonny,
May couthie fortune, kind and cannie,
In social glee,

Wi' mornings blithe, and e'enings funny,
Bless them and thee!

loving

old boy

molest

Fareweel, auld birkie! Lord be near ye,
And then the deil he daurna steer ye:
Your friends aye love, your faes aye fear ye:
For me, shame fa' me,

If niest my heart I dinna wear ye,

While BURNS they ca' me!

next

SONG OF DEATH.

AIR- Oran an Aoig.

Scene - A Field of Battle. -Time of the day, Evening. The wounded and dying of the victorious army are supposed to join in the following song.

FAREWELL, thou fair day, thou green earth, and ye skies,

Now gay with the bright setting sun;