Bishop Percy. "O, NANNY, WILT THOU GANG WI' ME. gang wi' me, NANNY, wilt thou Can silent glens have charms for thee, The lowly cot and russet gown? Nae langer drest in silken sheen, Nae langer decked wi' jewels rare, Say, canst thou quit each courtly scene, Where thou wert fairest of the fair? O, Nanny, when thou'rt far awa, Severest hardships learn to bear, O, Nanny, canst thou love so true, Through perils keen wi' me to gae? Or, when thy swain mishap shall rue, To share with him the pang of wae? Say, should disease or pain befall, Wilt thou assume the nurse's care, Nor, wishful, those gay scenes recall, Where thou wert fairest of the fair? And when at last thy love shall die, Wilt thou receive his parting breath? Wilt thou repress each struggling sigh, And cheer with smiles the bed of death! And wilt thou o'er his much-loved clay Strew flowers, and drop the tender tear? Nor then regret those scenes so gay, Where thou wert fairest of the fair? THE FRIAR OF ORDERS GRAY. T was a friar of orders gray IT Walked forth to tell his beads, And he met with a lady fair, Clad in a pilgrim's weeds. "Now Christ thee save, thou reverend friar! “And how should I know your true love From many another one?" "Oh! by his cockle hat and staff, And by his sandal shoon: "But chiefly by his face and mien, His flaxen locks that sweetly curled, "O lady, he is dead and gone! "Within these holy cloisters long He languished, and he died, Lamenting of a lady's love, And 'plaining of her pride. "Here bore him barefaced on his bier Six proper youths and tall; "And art thou dead, thou gentle youth--- "O weep not, lady, weep not so, "O do not, do not, holy friar, My sorrow now reprove; "And now, alas! for thy sad loss 66 'Weep no more, lady, weep no more; Thy sorrow is in vain : For violets plucked, the sweetest shower Will ne'er make grow again. "Our joys as wingèd dreams do fly; Why, then, should sorrow last? Since grief but aggravates thy loss, Grieve not for what is past." “O say not so, thou holy friar! I pray thee, say not so; For since my true love died for me, 'Tis meet my tears should flow. "And will he never come again— Will he ne'er come again? Ah, no! he is dead, and laid in his grave, Forever to remain. "His cheek was redder than the roseThe comeliest youth was he; But he is dead and laid in his grave, 66 Alas! and woe is me." Sigh no more, lady, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever; One foot on sea, and one on land, To one thing constant never. "Hadst thou been fond, he had been false, And left thee sad and heavy; For young men ever were fickle found, Since summer trees were leafy." "Now say not so, thou holy friar, I pray thee say not so; My love he had the truest heart-- O, he was ever true : “And art thou dead, thou much-loved youth? And didst thou die for me? Then farewell home; for evermore A pilgrim I will be. "But first upon my true love's grave My weary limbs I'll lay, And thrice I'll kiss the green grass turf That wraps his breathless clay." "Yet stay, fair lady; rest awhile Beneath this cloister wall; The cold wind through the hawthorn biows, And drizzly rain doth fall." "O stay me not, thou holy friar ; O stay me not, I pray; No drizzly rain that falls on me "Yet stay, fair lady; turn again, And dry those pearly tears; For see, beneath this gown of gray, 66 Thy own true love appears. Here, forced by grief and hopeless love, These holy weeds I sought; And here, amid these lonely walls, To end my days I thought. |