Songs and fables. Illus. by F.B

A

SONGS AND FABLES.

PUBLISHED BV

JAMES MACLEHOSE, GLASGOW.

MACMILLAN AND CO., LONDON.

London, . . . Hamilton, Adams and Co.
Cambridge, . . Macmillan and Co.
Edinburgh, . . Edmonston and Douglas.
Dublin, . . . IV. H, Smit/i and Son>

MDCCCLXXIV.

Uoo

SONGS AND FABLES

WILLIAM J. MACQUORN RANKINE

LATE PROFESSOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS IN THK
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

WITH ILL USTRA TIONS BY J. B.

GLASGOW: JAMES MACLEHOSE

PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY

LONDON: MACMILLAN AND CO.,
1874

All rights reserved

p/?

THOSE who enjoyed the personal intimacy of the late
Professor Rankine — and the circle was not a narrow
one — will, it is thought, be glad to have the means of
recalling some of the songs which they can no longer
hear from him, though his voice and manner lent a
charm which the printed page cannot restore.

Those who knew him from his graver works only,
may be surprised, but it is hoped will not be disap-
pointed, to find that a genius for philosophic research,
which made his name known throughout the whole
scientific world — and the labours of a life devoted
chiefly to directing others, from the chair, and by the
press, how to follow his steps — were not incompatible
with the playful, genial spirit which brightens the
following pages.

VI

The first of the Songs may be taken as the meeting-
point of science and humour: — the last possesses a
melancholy interest, from having been written very
shortly before his death, when failing health and eye-
sight seem to have revived a longing for the scenery
and simple pleasures of his childhood.

Three of the Songs have already been published in
Blackwoocfs Magazine, whose proprietors have kindly
consented to their re-appearing in the present volume.
One or two have been issued separately, along with
their airs and accompaniments ; and some others will
probably be published in that form, for the use of those
to whom the music is an essential or principal attrac-
tion.

The Fables explain, in a mode not attempted by
archaeologists, the origin and meaning of some of our
old and popular sign-boards. The illustrations attached
to them, from the well known pencil of a gifted lady
connected with the same University, will serve to en-
liven a humour which some readers might consider
dry.

May, 1874.

CONTENTS.

.Songs.

PAGE

THE MATHEMATICIAN IN LOVE, 3

THE COACHMAN OF THE "SKYLARK" 7

THE ENGINE-DRIVER TO HIS ENGINE, 12

IRON, . . 15

WHA T SHALL WE DO FOR COAL ? 17

THE THREE-FOOT R ULE 2O

DREAMS OF MY YOUTH— On Re-Visiting , ... 23

THE LASS OF URR, 25

THEY NEVER SHALL HAVE GIBRALTAR, .... 28

THE DASHING YOUNG FELLOW, 31

viii CONTENTS.

PAGE

THE FALLEN TREE 35

LOYAL PETER 40

THE " SATURDAY REVIEW," . . . . „, , . 43

THE INFANT METAPHYSICIAN, . . ... . .47

THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN THE ROOM, . . . . 5 1

THE MARRIED MEN'S BALL 55

ODE IN PRAISE OF THE CITY OF MULLINGAR, . . 6l

THE STANDARD-BEARER, 67

THE CARRICK HILLS, 69

/. THE GOOSE AND GRIDIRON, 75

//. THE MAGPIE AND STUMP 77

III. THE HOG IN ARMOUR, 79

IV. THE PIG AND WHISTLE, 8l

V. THE CAT AND FIDDLE, 83

VI. THE GOAT AND COMPASSES, 85

VII. THE BELLE-SAVAGE, 87

VIII. THE CAT AND SALUTATION, 89

CONTENTS. ijc

PAGE

IX. THE SWAN WITH TWO NECKS, . . . . . 91

X. THE TIPPLING PHILOSOPHER, 93

XI. THE GREEN MAN AND STILL, . . . . . .94

XII. THE BULL AND MOUTH, 95

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

/. THE GOOSE AND GRIDIRON, .... To face 75
//. THE MAGPIE AND STUMP, ,,77

III. THE HOG IN ARMOUR, 79

IV. THE PIG AND WHISTLE, 8l

V. THE CA T AND FIDDLE, ,83

VI. THE GOA T AND COMPASSES, .... ,,85

VII. THE BELLE-SA VAGE, 87

VIII. THE CAT AND SALUTATION, 89

IX. THE SWAN WITH TWO NECKS, .... 91

X. THE TIPPLING PHILOSOPHER 93

Songs.

THE

MATHEMATICIAN IN LOVE.

I.

A MATHEMATICIAN fell madly in love

With a lady, young, handsome, and charming:
By angles and ratios harmonic he strove
Her curves and proportions all faultless to prove.
As he scrawled hieroglyphics alarming.

II.

He measured with care, from the ends of a base,

The arcs which her features subtended :
Then he framed transcendental equations, to trace
The flowing outlines of her figure and face,
And thought the result very splendid.

4 THE MATHEMATICIAN

III.

He studied (since music has charms for the fair)

The theory of fiddles and whistles, —
Then composed, by acoustic equations, an air,
Which, when 'twas performed, made the lady's long hair

Stand on end, like a porcupine's bristles.

IV.

The lady loved dancing : — he therefore applied,

To the polka and waltz, an equation;
But when to rotate on his axis he tried,
His centre of gravity swayed to one side,
And he fell, by the earth's gravitation.

*J

V.

No doubts of the fate of his suit made him pause,

For he proved, to his own satisfaction,
That the fair one returned his affection; — "because,
" As every one knows, by mechanical laws,
" Re-action is equal to action."

IN LOVE.
VI.

"Let x denote beauty, — y, manners well-bred, —

"z, Fortune, — (this last is essential), —
" Let L stand for love " — our philosopher said, —
" Then Z is a function of x, y, and z,

" Of the kind which is known as potential."

VII.

"Now integrate L with respect to <//,

" (/ Standing for time and persuasion) ;
"Then, between proper limits, 'tis easy to see,
" The definite integral Marriage must be : —
"(A very concise demonstration)."

VIII.

Said he — " If the wandering course of the moon

" By Algebra can be predicted,
" The feraale affections must yield to it soon" —
— But the lady ran off with a dashing dragoon,

And left him amazed and afflicted.

6 THE MA THE MA TICIAN IN LO VE.

Equation referred to in Stanza VI. —

Z = $(x, y, z)

fix, y, 2)

rrr
JJJ -

Equation referred to in Stanza VII.
+oo

/

THE

COACHMAN OF THE "SKYLARK."

Air — " Four high-mettled steeds."

In the good old times, before railways were known, the " Skylark," on the

and road, was the fastest coach, and its driver, Joseph ,

the best and smartest coachman in England. The " Skylark " has long ago

gone the way of all coaches ; and Joe is now landlord of the " Horns," at ,

where long may he flourish !

I.

YE passengers so bothered,

Who snore in rattling trains,
By dusty vapour smothered,

Awake, and hear my strains !
I '11 tell you of the good old days,
For ever past and gone,

THE COACHMAN OF

Before your pestilent railways

Had spoiled all sorts of fun, —
When Joe, with light but steady hand,
Did four high-mettled steeds command,
And well was known, through all the land,
The Coachman of the " Skylark."

II.

Can any greasy stoker

With dashing Joe compare?
He was a jovial joker,

And company most rare.
Then wind and weather we defied,
We scorned your well glazed car,
And gladly on the box would ride,

To smoke a mild cigar
With Joe, whose light but steady hand
Did four high-mettled steeds command ; —
Oh ! well was known, through all the land,
The Coachman of the " Skylark."

THE "SKYLARK."

III.

Where your long, dismal tunnel
Gropes through yon lofty hill
(A pitch-dark, noisome funnel,
That might Old Harry kill),
We, on the "Skylark," used to glide

Up from the smiling vale,
And on the mountain's heathy side

The freshening breeze inhale,
While Joe, with light but steady hand,
Did four high-mettled steeds command ; —
Oh! well was known, through all the land,
The Coachman of the " Skylark."

IV.

Where yon embankment ugly

Has marred the pleasant scene,
A little inn stood snugly

Beside the village green :
'Twas there the "Skylark" stopped to dine,
And famous was the cheer;

10 THE COACHMAN OF

Good were the victuals, old the wine,

And strong the foaming beer
For Joe, whose light but steady hand
Did four high-mettled steeds command ; —
Oh ! well was known, through all the land,
The Coachman of the " Skylark."

V.

And one dwelt in that valley

Would make a desert shine :
The sparkling eyes of Sally
Eclipsed her father's wine.
Oh ! where 's the flinty heart that could

Withstand that lovely lass,
As smiling at the bar she stood,

And filled a parting glass
For Joe, whose light but steady hand
Did four high-mettled steeds command; —
Oh ! well was known, through all the land,
The Coachman of the " Skylark."

THE "SKY LARK:''

VI.

Those days are gone for ever —

The "Skylark" is no more;
And poor old Joe shall never

More drive his coach-and-four.
Then let us to the "Horns" repair,

And, with a flowing bowl,
Let's strive to banish grief and care,

And cheer the good old soul
Of Joe, whose light but steady hand
Did once four mettled steeds command,
When well was known, through all the land,
The Coachman of the " Skylark ! "

1844-

THE

ENGINE-DRIVER TO HIS ENGINE.

Air — " The Iron Horse."
I.

PUT forth your force, my iron horse, with limbs

that never tire !
The best of oil shall feed your joints, and the best

of coal your fire ;
So off we tear from Euston Square, to beat the

swift south wind,
As we rattle along the North -West rail, with the

express train behind : —
Dash along, crash along, sixty miles an hour !

Right through old England flee !
For I am bound to see my love,

Far away in the North Countrie.

THE ENGINE-DRIVER TO HIS ENGINE. 13

II.

Like a train of ghosts, the telegraph posts go wildly

trooping by,
While one by one the milestones run, and off

behind us fly :
Like foaming wine it fires my blood to see your

lightning speed, —
Arabia's race ne'er matched your pace, my gallant

steam-borne steed !
Wheel along, squeal along, sixty miles an hour !

Right through old England flee !
For I am bound to see my love,

Far away in the North Countrie.

Ill

My blessing on old George Stephenson ! let his

fame for ever last;
For he was the man that found the plan to make

you run so fast :
His arm was strong, his head was long, he knew

not guile nor fear ;

14 THE ENGINE-DRIVER TO HIS ENGINE.

When I think of him, it makes me proud that /

am an engineer !
Tear along, flare along, sixty miles an hour !

Right through old England flee !
For I am bound to see my love,

Far away in the North Countrie.

IV.

Now Thames and Trent are far behind, and evening's
shades are come;

Before my eyes the brown hills rise that guard my
true love's home :

Even now she stands, my own dear lass! beside the
cottage door,

And she listens for the whistle shrill, and the blast-
pipe's rattling roar : —
Roll along, bowl along, sixty miles an hour !

Right through old England flee !
For I am bound to see my love,
At home in the North Countrie.

1859.

IRON.

A GEOLOGICAL, ECONOMICAL, AND PATRIOTIC SONG.
I.

MYRIADS of ages ere this earth

Beheld the first of human birth,

When o'er the future Britain rolled

The monster-teeming Ocean old,

Deep in the bosom of this land

Heaven sowed the seed with bounteous hand,

Whence Britain's strength and glory spring,

IRON, the Metals' mighty king.

1 6 IRON.

II.

We "envy not those distant lands
Whose rivers roll o'er golden sands ;
Rich in the nobler metal we,
That guides the ship o'er trackless sea —
That digs the mine — that tills the plain —
That bears and drives the flying train —
That wealth in every shape bestows,
And arms our hands against our foes.

III.

Yet not in lifeless ore alone
Does Britain Iron's virtues own.
Man nor the elements can foil
The children of the Iron soil.
'Tis their's to wield resistless might,
Danger, and toil, and death to slight,
In every clime between the poles,
With Iron frames and Iron souls.

1849.

WHAT SHALL WE DO FOR COAL ?

Air—"lo\y goode Ale and olde."
I.

WITH furnace fierce in forge and mill,

And steamships on the foam,
And trains that sweep through vale and hill,

And roaring fires at home,
In warmth and wealth while we rejoice,

Nor heed the risk we run,
Geology, with warning voice,
Says, " Coal will soon be done :

Then forge and mill must all stand still,

And trains no longer roll,
Nor longer float the swift steamboat ;

Oh ! what shall we do for Coal?
B

1 8 WHAT SHALL WE DO FOR COAL?

II.

" For countless ages forests dark
Grew thick o'er Britain's isle ;
For countless ages wood and bark

Lay deep beneath her soil.
The old black diamond may appear
As though 'twould ne'er give o'er ;
But seventy million tons a-year
Will soon exhaust the store :

Then forge and mill must all stand still,

And trains no longer roll,
Nor longer float the swift steamboat ;
Oh ! what shall we do for Coal?

III.

Our goods by horse and cart must go,

By coach-and-four the mail ;
Our travellers walk, swim, ride, or row,

And steam give place to sail ;
From wind and water we must try

To draw what help we can,

WHAT SHALL WE DO FOR COAL? 19

While sticks and straw our clothes must dry,
And boil the pot and pan ;

And forge and mill must all stand still,

And trains no longer roll,

•

Nor longer float the swift steamboat ;
Oh ! what shall we do for Coal ? "

IV.

If Britain's hopes on Coal depend,

Her race is well nigh run ;
Decline and fall her realm attend,

As soon as Coal is done :
Yet Britain flourished long before

Her treasures black were found ;
And worth and valour, as of yore,
'Gainst wealth may hold their ground.

Though forge and mill should all stand still,

Cheer up, each valiant soul !
While Britain can breed British Man,
We never need care for Coal !

THE THREE-FOOT RULE.

A SONG ABOUT STANDARDS OF MEASURE.
Aii — " The Poacher."

I.

WHEN I was bound apprentice, and learned to use

my hands,
Folk never talked of measures that came from

foreign lands :
Now I'm a British Workman, too old to go to

school ;
So whether the chisel or file I hold, I '11 stick to

my three-foot rule.

THE THREE-FOOT RULE. 21

II.

Some talk of millimetres, and some of kilogrammes,
And some of decilitres, to measure beer and drams ;
But I 'm a British Workman, too old to go to school ;
So by pounds I'll eat, and by quarts I'll drink, and
I'll work by my three-foot rule.

III.

A party of astronomers went measuring of the earth,
And forty million metres they took to be it's girth ;
Five hundred million inches, though, go through

from pole to pole ;
So let's stick to inches, feet, and yards, and the

good old three-foot rule.

IV.

The great Egyptian pyramid 's a thousand yards about;
And when the masons finished it, they raised a
joyful shout ;

22 THE THREE-FOOT RULE.

The chap that planned that building, I'm bound he

was no fool ;
And now 'tis proved beyond a doubt he used a

three-foot rule.

V.

Here's a health to every learned man that goes by

common sense,
And would not plague the workman on any vain

pretence ;
But as for those philanthropists who'd send us back

to school,
Oh; bless their eyes, if ever they tries to put down

the three-foot rule !

BRITISH ASSOCIATION ; 1864.

DREAMS OF MY YOUTH.

ON RE-VISITING .

I.

OH blest were the days when I cared not for

money,
When the hours were all sunny that beamed on

my youth,

When with visions of beauty my fancy was glowing,
And my heart was o'erflowing with love and with
truth.

24 DREAMS OF MY YOUTH.

IL

Not lonely, as now, through these woods did I wander,
Not then did I ponder on fortune's fell strokes,

For I revelled in bliss which I fancied unfading
As I kissed my sweet maiden beneath the broad
oaks.

III.

Oh, why fades the passion that once seemed so
deathless ?

Oh, why is she faithless ? and why am I cold ?
'Tis the demon of wealth that with envy has seen us,

And raised up between us a barrier of gold.

IV.

But vain is my sorrow, thus idly bewailing
The dreams unavailing that memory evokes :

Farewell, then, fair scene of delusion so tender !
No more shall I wander beneath the broad oaks.

1849.

THE LASS OF URR.

The picturesque and rugged coast of the Stewartry offers remarkable
facilities for the contraband trade, which was there carried on with great
activity and success up to a comparatively recent period. During the last
century, indeed, many families, now opulent and distinguished, were founded
by the daring adventurers, enriched by a pursuit which was then, like black-
mail and treason, considered a gentlemanly crime.

The Water of Urr, well known for the mingled wildness and beauty of its
scenery, was a favourite resort of smugglers. To one of those heroes, known
(probably from the locality of his birth) by the name of Rab o' Buittle, the
following rude lyric, and the wild and singular air to which it is sung, are
ascribed. He appears, like many of his compeers, to have made his fortune by
his profession, and settled in life; and, from the allusion to the wigs of the
Scottish bar, it may be inferred that he at one time held the respectable
position called by poor Peter Peebles " Dominus Litis," and very naturally
congratulated himself on escaping therefrom.

I.

FAREWEEL Auld Reekie's stink and stour,
And learned pows weel dredged wi' flour;
Langer here I downa bide, — •
Fivescore miles this night 1 11 ride !

26 THE LASS OK URR.

Up the Tweed and down the Annan,
By Dalskairth and through Kirkgunzeon ;-
Oh ! sweet 's the lass will welcome me
Upon the banks of Urr.

II.

'Twos on a night o' driftin' snaw,
And wild the wintry gusts did blaw;
My men and I did hetly spur
Wi' kegs o' brandy up Glen-Urr.
At bein Dalbeattie up I drew
To wat my grey mear's weary mou'.
'Twas then I lost my heart to thee,
My bonny lass of Urr !

III.

" Sweet lass ! an honest heart forgie,
If rough and plain I speak to thee ;
For courtly phrase nae time hae I,
The red-coats follow, we maun fly; —

THE LASS OF URR. 27

Thou art the fairest e'er I saw,

I'll lo'e thee weel while breath I draw;

And soon will I return to thee,

My winsome lass of Urr ! "

IV.

E'en sae I spak my mind fu' braid,
Just reived ae kiss, and aff I rade ;
Sinsyne I've mony a peril passed,
But now I'm free frae toil at last.
Flee like fire, my guid grey mear,
Till to my breast I brizz my dear !
Oh! blythe, blythe, will our meeting be
Upon the banks of Urr !

THEY NEVER SHALL HAVE GIBRALTAR!

I.

WHERE the Midland Sea and the Ocean meet,

Stands a corner of British ground ;
There the wild waves dash at a mountain's feet,

With a giant fortress crowned.
The Spaniard casts a jealous eye,
As he sees our flag from the summit fly ; —
For the Dons may come and the Dons may go,
And frown and strut on the shore below ;
But they never shall have Gibraltar — No !

They never shall have Gibraltar !

THEY NEVER SHALL HAVE GIBRALTAR! 29

II.

'Twas a British fleet, in days of old,

To the Straits came, westward bound,
When Sir George Rooke, our Admiral bold,

Resolved on a deed renowned ; —
Says he, " That castle may serve, some day,
To guard old England's blue highway;"
And he swore that the Dons might come or go,
And the Dons might fight, both high and low ;
But they should not keep Gibraltar — No !

They should not keep Gibraltar !

III.

The brave old Admiral kept his word,

And the mighty fortress won ;
And what he took by the gun and sword,

We have kept by the sword and gun.
The last time was, when France and Spain
'Gainst Elliott strove four years in vain ;
For the Dons might come, and the Dons might go,

30 THEY NEVER SHALL HAVE GIBRALTAR!

And bring allies to aid the blow ;
But they never could take Gibraltar — No !
They never could take Gibraltar !

IV.

Oh ! ne'er let us speak of yielding back

That gem of Britain's crown !
Where our fathers planted the Union Jack,

Shall their children haul it down ?
The strongest fort is justly due
To those who can take it and hold it too : —
So the Dons may come, and the Dons may go,
And frown and strut on the shore below ;
But they never shall have Gibraltar — No !

They never shall have Gibraltar !

THE DASHING YOUNG FELLOW.

Air — " The Charming Woman."

1.

So Pygwyggyne is going to marry —

What a number of hearts it will vex !
In fact it will quite play old Harry

With the feelings of half the fair sex.
I believe he 's of kin to a Duke,

Or a Marquis, or else to an Earl ;
And I know he 's a dashing young fellow,

And she 's a most fortunate girl !

32 THE DASHING YOUNG FELLOW.

II.

Yes, indeed, he 's a dashing young fellow—

A three-bottle man, as they say ;
And he 's always good-natured when mellow,

As long as he gets his own way.
Cards, billiards, and hazard he '11 play,—

His whiskers most charmingly curl —
In short, he 's a dashing young fellow,

And she 's a most fortunate girl !

III.

His horse he can sit like a centaur,

He rides like a trump to the hounds ;
His tailor he owes, I may venture

To say, ten or twelve hundred pounds.
His bills and his bets have no bounds,

He can fence, box, row, steer, reef, and furl-
Oh, by Jove ! he's a dashing young fellow,

And she 's a most fortunate girl !

THE DASHING YOUNG PELLOW. 33

IV.

Though to business he never attended,

His great talents for it appear, —
For he lives in a style that is splendid,

On an income of — nothing a year.
Now his bride's handsome fortune will clear

(For the present) his credit from peril-
In fact, he 's a dashing young fellow,

And she 's a most fortunate girl !

V.

He keeps dogs and guns in large forces,

A tiger (a comical elf),
And seven or eight tall Irish horses,

Which he loves more than aught save himself.
That he marries the lady for pelf

Sure none can suspect but a churl —
For you know he 's a dashing young fellow,

And she 's a most fortunate girl !
c

34 THE DASHING YOUNG FELLOW.

VI.

At the pistol to none he '11 surrender,
As witness his deeds at Chalk Farm ;

Yet his heart as a dove's is as tender,
For to every fair face it can warm.

I would not the ladies alarm,

But you know good advice is a pearl —

DON'T MARRY A DASHING YOUNG FELLOW,
IF YOU ARE A SENSIBLE GIRL !

THE FALLEN TREE.

MY DEAR L.

The other evening, whilst walking in Richmond Park alone, as I was
approaching the gate leading to the "Star and Garter," I overtook our old friend
Theopompus Gubbins, crawling at a snail's pace, and wearing an aspect of the
deepest dejection. Wishing for a companion at the dinner which 1 meditated,
I accosted Gubbins, and endeavoured by cheerful conversation to dispel his
melancholy. At first my efforts were fruitless ; and, although I succeeded in
leading him into the " Star and Garter," he for some time pertinaciously refused
even the slightest refection.

At length it occurred to me to urge him to disburden his mind of the cause 01
his despondency. This suggestion he promptly followed, by calling for pen,
ink, and paper, and writing the verses of which I annex a copy. The relief
given by this effusion was complete. During the exquisite little dinner which
followed, Theopompus' spirits continued to rise ; and in the evening he evinced
even more than his usual convivial talent.

The verses are passable, and might have been better had the author deigned
to avail himself of some suggestions of mine for their improvement. I give
them as he wrote them, adding my own proposed emendations in the form of

Notes.

Believe me,

Ever yours,
LONDON, 1857.

K.

THE FALLEN TREE.

LINES

On revisiting the FALLEN TREE, beside the little old saw-pit, in the wood on the

hill in Richmond Park, about half-a-mile S.S.E. of the " Star and Garter."

BY THEOPOMPUS GUBBINS. With Notes by a friend of the Author.

Richmond. 1857.

I.

ON a hill in Richmond Park waves a grove perplexed

and dark,
Where the Cockneys fear to ramble lest they lose

their way,
Where the foliage hides the sky, and the fern grows

shoulder-high,
And beneath the oak's broad branches nods the

foxglove gay ;
And a grassy track, made clear through the brake by

roaming deer,
Winds amidst the deepest shadoAv of that wild wood

free,
To a lovely place and still, on the summit of the hill,

THE FALLEN TREE. 37

Where, beside a moss-grown sawpit, lies a fallen
tree. *

II.

Twas a day of sunbeams bright — of breezes fresh and

light—

A foretaste of the summer in the early spring ; t
When first I wandered there, while my maiden sweet

and fair J

Tripped by my side o'er cool green sward and fairy -ring;
We cheered the forest walk with unconnected talk,
With goblin tales, and ancient songs, and child-like

* Considering the " saw-pit" to be an unpoetical object, I proposed to Gubbins
to alter the line as follows : " Where, forgotten by the woodman, lies a fallen
tree ; " to which he answered, that the saw-pit really existed, and that he was
resolved to describe the locality exactly.

t Here I reminded Theopompus that, in the "early spring," the foxglove is
not in flower, nor does the fern grow "shoulder-high." His (utterly irrelevant)
reply was, " I 'm not writing a treatise on Botany."

t In the author's private copy, which he keeps in the inside breast-pocket of his
coat, I believe that, instead of the word "maiden," there is an abbreviated
female Christian name ; but I could not prevail on Theopompus to divulge it.

§ Here I proposed to Gubbins that he should add some of these "goblin
tales" and "ancient songs" by way of Appendix to his poem ; but he declared
that grief had effaced them all from his memory.

38 THE FALLEN TREE.

We wreathed our heads with flowers, whence the dew-
drops shook in showers,
Till the winding pathway led us to the fallen tree.

III.

As we sat there, side by side, o'er our spirits seemed to

glide

A deep and wild emotion that repressed our mirth ;
Then I clasped her to my breast, saying, " Loveliest

and best !
Let me tell you that I love you more than aught on

earth !"
Then I kissed her o'er and o'er ; and at first she chid

me sore,*

But I pled for her forgiveness until she kissed me ;
Then the time passed like a dream, till the sunset's

rosy gleam

Glanced beneath the oak's broad branches on the
fallen tree.

* I suggested " pinched " or " slapped " instead of " chid," but Gubbins obstin-
ately adhered to the original reading.

THE FALLEN TREE.

IV.

39

Since the raptures of that day, three years had passed

away,

When I visited once more the well-remembered spot ;
But I traced the path alone, for my faithless girl had

flown,

And left me to a desolate and dreary lot.
The fallen tree I found, with the ferny woods around —
The change was not in them, but in my love and me :
I thought I should have died — but I summoned up

my pride,*
And I turned away foj ever from the fallen tree.

* Here I accused Theopompus of exaggeration in speaking of dying of
a disappointment in love, and suggested that he should alter the line as
follows: — "I thought I should have cried" — but the Author indignantly
spurned the amendment, and denied the exaggeration. Should his verses fail
to excite the admiration that he expects, all I can say is, that he cannot lay the
blame on me.

1

.J-

LOYAL PETER.

Air — " Corn Rigs are bonny."
I.

OUR Peter is a writer bauld,

His style is never muddy, O !
At jobs and quacks he weel can scauld,

His face is round and ruddy, O !
His shape is portly, middle size,
He's sturdy in his walkin', O !
The sparklins o' his wit surprise,

It's fun to hear him talkin', O !
Chorus — Come, Rottenraw and Gallowgate,

Gusedubs and Briggate smeeky, O
And join in praise o' Loyal Pate,
Wi' Candleriggs sae reeky, O !

LOYAL PETER.

. II.

Some quacks sells fusionless pease-meal,

Pretends it's Revalenta, O !.
And brags o' makin' sick folk weel

In advertisements plenty, O !
A' crammed wi' lees frae en' to en'

And balderdash sae weary, O !
When Peter he whips out his pen,

And dings them tapsalteerie, O !
Come, Rottenraw, &c.

III.

Some knaves, puir simple folk to rob,

Gets up a scheme ca'd Diddlesex,
But Peter he scents out the job,

And dings it a' to fiddlesticks.
Our West-End Park will flourish green,

When summer nights are shorter, O !
Where, but for Peter, would ha'e been

A park o' bricks and mortar, O !
Come, Rottenraw, &c.

42 LOYAL PETER.

IV.

Ye rogues o' high and low degree,

Scowp aff wi' fear and quakin', O !
If Peter chance your tricks to see,

It's then ye '11 get a paikin', O !
Ilk honest man and bonny lass,

Come, brew the toddy sweeter, O !
And drink wi' me a bumper glass,

To the health o' Loyal Peter, O !
Come, Rottenraw, &c.

j/*

v\

THE " SA TURD A Y RE VIE W."

An excellent new Ballad, by a Juvenile Author, to the old tune of
" The Bold Dragoon."

I.

'TWAS some clever little boys, and they grew to smart

young men,
And they vowed they would amaze the world by

wielding of the pen ;
So they write a weekly journal, and one reads it now

and then, —
'Tis the Saturday Revieiu, with its pert, smart, witty

critics : — •» -

Whack, fol-de-rol, the pert, smart, witty critics !
Whack, fol-de-rol, fol-de-riddle, ol-de-ray.

44 THE "SATURDAY REVIEW"

II.

" The Times is full of blunders in history and Greek ;
And of the other daily prints 'twere waste of time

to speak :
There's neither wit nor sense in those that come out

once-a-week,

Save the Saturday Review, with its pert, smart, witty
critics : —

Whack, fol-de-rol, &c.

III.

"Of ancient authors' lumber, and modern authors'

stuff,
There a 'nt a dozen volumes that are worth a pinch of

snuff;
Though stupid writers may combine, each other's works

to puff" :—

Says the Saturday Review, with its pert, smart, witty
critics : —

Whack, fol-de-rol, &c.

THE ' ' SA TURD A Y RE VIE IV." 45

IV.

" Fred. Schiller lived in Germany, and wrote of Wal-

lenstein ;
And his tragedy has here and there a passage rather

fine ;
But the style is far too prosy, and the plot don't

well combine;"

Says the Saturday Review, with its pert, smart, witty
critics : —

Whack, fol-de-rol, £c.

V.

" And as for Walter Scott, who wrote some forty years

ago,
He could tell a right good story, and describe a scene

or so ;

Yet, after all, his tales are but a clever puppet-show ;"
Says the Saturday Review, with its pert, smart, witty
critics : —

Whack, fol-de-rol, &c.

46 THE ' ' SA TURD A Y RE VIE IV."

VI.

" Some scribblers of the present time, by dint of brag

and brass,

For poets or philosophers contrive themselves to pass ;
And they suit the British Public, for the Public is

an ass,"

Says the Saturday Revieiv, with its pert, smart, witty
critics : —

Whack, fol-de-rol, &c.

VII.

Now if about the author of this ballad you would know,

At present I 'm a little chap, but hope that I shall grow ;

And my business is to carry proofs and copy to and fro

Twixt the Saturday Review and its pert, smart, witty

critics : —

Whack, fol-de-rol, the pert, smart, witty critics !
Whack, fol-de-rol, fol-de-riddle, ol-de-ray.

THE INFANT METAPHYSICIAN.

I.

A LITTLE boy went out one night,

The little boy went out ;
The moon and stars were very bright

As he ran round about.

II.

And round, and round, and round about,

And round about ran he ;
Says he, " I'm running round about,

Oh round about I be."

48 THE INFANT METAPHYSICIAN.

III.

His head began to giddy get,

To giddy get began,
And giddier still, and giddier yet,

As round about he ran ;

IV.

•

And then he said unto himself,

Unto himself, says he,
" Is this myself that 's round about,

And is it really me ? "

V.

And then it grew so very dark,

So very dark grew it,
That though he often tried to see,

He could not see a bit.

4

THE INFANT METAPHYSICIAN. 49

VI.

And then he thought his eyes were out,

As out they seemed to be;
Says he, " I think my eyes are out,

I think they are," says he.

VII.

But his mamma came running out,

To look for little Sam;
Says she, "Where are you, Sammikin?"

Says Sammy, "Here I am."

VIII.

And when he saw his dear mamma,

Who Sammy came to find,
He knew by that, as well he might,

He was not really blind.
D

5° THE INFANT METAPHYSICIAN.

IX.

And then he knew his eyes were in,
As in they well might be,

Says he, " I think my eyes are in,
" I think they are," says he.

NOTE. — This beautiful poem, in which the most touching simplicity is min-
gled with the most profound knowledge of the human heart, is (as the reader,
we are sure, will learn with tears of delight) not altogether a vision of the
illustrious author's benign imagination. It is actually, as we have been
credibly informed, an almost literal narrative of an incident of the childhood
of the famous DOCTOR SAMUEL JOHNSON (who wrote the big Dictionary and
Rasselas).

THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN THE ROOM.

Air — " The Charming Woman."
I.

I 'VE always been told that I 'm pretty,

(And really I think so myself),
I'm accomplished, good-tempered, and witty,

And papa has got plenty of pelf.
My teeth, eyes, and curls I won't mention,

My shape, nor my delicate bloom ;
But I'm sure I deserve the attention

Of "the handsomest man in the room,"
Yes, I know I deserve the attention

Of " the handsomest man in the room."

52 THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN THE ROOM.

II.

When I met that sublimest of fellows,

The sight really made my heart jump;
Other men shrank to mere punchinellos,

As he towered like a pine in a clump.
So noble and classic each feature,

With a touching expression of gloom,
That I said to myself — " The dear creature !

He 's the handsomest man in the room ! "
" Yes ! " I said to myself — " The dear creature !

" He 's the handsomest man in the room ! "

III.

He asked me if I'd walk a measure,
(When he came it was nearly midnight)-

I said — " With a great deal of pleasure,"
For he danced like a perfect delight.

So in waltzing and polking we sported,
Till supper sent forth its perfume,

THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN THE ROOM. 53

And I went down to table, escorted
By the handsomest man in the room —

Yes, I went down to table, escorted
By the handsomest man in the room.

IV.

I thought 'twas a nice situation,

So snugly together we sat,
And in hopes of a pleasant flirtation

I tried to engage him in chat.
But, to talk of himself never backward,

He strove modest airs to assume,
For he told me, he felt very awkward

As the handsomest man in the room —
" Really, really, one does feel so awkward

As the handsomest man in the room ! "

V.

Thought I—" This is really too stupid !
Your good looks are very well known,

54 THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN THE ROOM.

But you ought to know, Grenadier Cupid,

That I'd much rather hear of my own."
Yet should he reform in this one thing,

(Of which there are hopes, I presume),
We still may contrive to make something

Of the handsomest man in the room —
Yes, we still may contrive to make something

Of the handsomest man in the room.

THE MARRIED MEN'S BALL.

Air — " 's own favourite galop.'

(Each reader to fill up tlte blank for himself.)

I.

OF all the right good fellows that the world its surface

carries on,
The married men of Glasgow are the best beyond

comparison ;
Resolved of us poor bachelors to earn the lasting

gratitude,

56 THE MARRIED MEN'S BALL.

They've given a ball that fills us all with rapturous
beatitude.

Chorus — Whirl about ! twirl about ! every

merry girl about !
Skip about ! slip about ! like the fairies trip

about !
Whisk about ! frisk about ! nimble as a

fawn,
In mirth and joy till morning dawn.

II.

Those married men (I 'd readily bet ten to one in fives
upon 't)

Most prudently consulted all their wise and charming
wives upon't,

And hence the good arrangements, whose completeness
and diversity

So pleased the new Lord Rector of our ancient Uni-
versity.

Whirl about ! &c.

THE MARRIED MEN'S BALL. 57

III.

The halls are bright with cheerful light and sparkling

decoration too ;
The shrubs and flowers upon the stair are like a small

plantation too ;
And lest the flight of time should cause reflections dull

and vapoury,

The clock face in the gallery is hidden by the drapery.
Whirl about ! &c.

IV.

The music is so spirited, there 's nothing to prevent its

tone
From rousing into capering a gentleman of twenty

stone ;
And should he need refreshment, for fatigue there is a

happy cure —
The supper and the wine would please the most

fastidious epicure.

Whirl about ! &c.

5 8 THE MARRIED MEWS BALL.

V.

Oh ! how it warms one's heart to see the lovely ladies

glide along,
And swiftly o'er the polished floor in waltz and galop

slide along,

So beautiful and elegant, so full of grace and suavity,
They'd make a Greek philosopher oblivious of his

gravity.

Whirl about ! &c.

VI.

Amongst the gentle maidens that adorn this brilliant

festival,
There 's one sweet little darling that I dearly love the

best of all,
She raises feelings in my breast of such profound

extensiveness,
That in the midst of all the mirth there comes a touch

of pensiveness.

Whirl about ! &c.

THE MARRIED MEWS BALL. 59

VII.

Ye bachelors, come join with me in rapturous beatitude,
Expressing to those married men our everlasting grati-
tude;
Cheer one and all, to shake the hall ; 'twas admirably

done of them ;

But next time that they give a ball, may I myself be
one of them !

Whirl about ! twirl about ! every merry girl

about !
Skip about ! slip about ! like the fairies trip

about !
Whisk about ! frisk about ! nimble as a

fawn,
In mirth and joy till morning dawn !

POSTSCRIPT AND MORAL.
Sure dancing is an antidote to everything that's

horrible,
It clears the brain of care and pain, and bodings dark

and terrible,

60 THE MARRIED MEN'S BALL.

And nothing so confounds the machinations of the

devil as
Those innocent amusements which the fanatics call

frivolous.

Skip about ! &c.

ODE
IN PRAISE OF THE CITY OF MULLINGAR.

Air — THE DESERTER — " If sadly thinking."

I.

YE may sthrain your muscles
To brag of Brussels,

Of London, Paris, or Timbuctoo,
Constantinople, «

Or Sebastople,

Vienna, Naples, or Tongataboo,

62 ODE IN PRAISE OF

Of Copenhagen,
Madrid, Kilbeggan,

Or the Capital iv the Rooshian Czar;
But they're all infarior
To the vast, suparior,

And gorgeous city of Mullingar.

II.

That fair metropolis,
So great and populous,

Adorns the ragions iv sweet Westmeath,
That fertile county
Which nature's bounty

Has richly gifted with bog and heath.
Thim scenes so charming,
Where snipes a-swarming

Attract the sportsman that comes from far ;
And whoever wishes
May catch fine fishes

In deep Lough Owel near Mullingar.

THE CITY OF MULLINGAR. 63

III.

I could stray for ever
By Brusna's river,

And watch its waters in their sparkling fall,
And the gandhers swimmin'
And lightly skimmin'

O'er the crystial bosom of the Roy'l Canal ;
Or on Thursdays wander,
'Mid pigs so tender,

And geese and turkeys on many a car,
Exchangin' pleasantry
With the fine bowld pisantry

That throng the market at Mullingar.

IV.

Ye nine, inspire me,
And with rapture fire me

To sing the buildings, both ould and new,
The majestic court-house,
And the spacious workhouse,

And the church and steeple which adorn the view.

64 ODE IN PRAISE OF

Then there's barracks airy
For the military,

Where the brave repose from the toils iv war;
Five schools, a nunnery-,
And a thrivin' tannery,

In the gorgeous city of Mullingar.

V.

The railway station
With admiration

I next must mintion in terms of praise,
Where trains a-rowlin'
And ingynes howlin'

Strike each behowlder with wild amaze.
And then there's Main Street,
That broad and clane street,

With its rows of gas-lamps that shine afar ;
I could spake a lecture
On the architecture

Of the gorgeous city of Mullingar.

THE CITY OF MULLING A R. 65

VI

The men of genius
Contemporaneous

Approach spontaneous this favoured spot,
Where good society
And great variety

Of entertainment is still their lot.
The neighbouring quality
For hospitality

And conviviality unequalled are ;
And from December
Until November

There's still divarsion in Mullingar.

VII.

Now, in conclusion,
I make allusion

To the beauteous females that here abound;
Celestial cratures,
With lovely fatures,

And taper ankles that skim the ground.
E

66 THE CITY OF MULLINGAR.

But this suspinds me,

For the thame transcinds me —

My muse's powers are too wake by far;
It would take Catullus, »

And likewise Tibullus,

To sing the beauties of Mullingar.

THE STANDARD-BEARER.

(Translated from the German.)
I.

THE Minstrel guards the standard on the plain,
Upon his arm his trusty sword is lying,

Amidst the stilly night he wakes the strain,

His harp beneath his blood-stained hand replying :

" The lady that I love I may not name,

Whose chosen colours on my breast are blending ;

To death I '11 fight for freedom and for fame,
This glorious standard faithfully defending."

68 THE STANDARD-BEARER.

II.

The night is o'er ; the battle comes with day ;

The minstrel from the standard will not sever;
He waves his sword, and while he sings his lay,

Each blow strikes down an enemy for ever.
" The lady that I love I may not name,

Although the foeman's lance my heart were rending,
To death I fight for freedom and for fame,

This glorious standard faithfully defending."

III.

The fight is won, the deadly strife is past,

The minstrel on the blpody field is dying,
Beside the standard, faithful to the last,

His song of love and war still faintly sighing ;
" The lady that I love I ne'er shall name,

My life with joy in honour's cause is ending ;
Till death I 've fought for freedom and for fame,

This glorious standard faithfully defending."

THE CARRICK HILLS.

A new sang to the auld tune of " Major Logan's Compliments
to Miss MacMyn."

I.

COME busk ye braw, my bonnie bride,
And hap ye in my guid gray plaid,
And ower the Brig o' Boon we '11 ride
Awa' to Carrick Hills, love.

II.

For there 's flowery braes in Carrick land,
There 's wimplin' burns in Carrick land,
And beauty beams on ilka hand

Amang the Carrick Hills, love.

7° THE CARRICK HILLS.

III.

There dwalt my auld forefathers lang,

Their hearts were leal, their arms were strang ;

To thee my heart and arm belang

Amang the Carrick Hills, love.

IV.

»
I '11 bear thee to our auld gray tower,

And there we '11 busk a blythesome bower,
Where thou shalt bloom, the fairest flower,
Amang the Carrick Hills, love.

V.

In spring we '11 watch the lammies play,
In summer ted the new-mawn hay,
In hairst we '11 sport the lee-lang day
Amang the Carrick Hills, love.

THE CARRICK HILLS. ^ I

VI,

When winter comes wi' frost and snaw,
We '11 beet the bleeze and light the ha',
While dance and sang drive care a\va'
Amang the Carrick Hills, love.

1872.

Jablcs.

The G-oose and Gridiron.

THE GOOSE AND GRIDIRON.

A GOOSE, proud of her wings, taunted a gridiron with
its inability to fly. " Foolish bird ! " that utensil replied ;
" I shall perhaps one day broil those members of which
you now boast."

MORAL — Boast not of transient advantages.

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PABLES.

77

II.

THE MAGPIE AND STUMP.

A MAGPIE was in the habit of depositing articles
which he pilfered in the hollow stump of a tree. " I
grieve less," the stump was heard to say, " at the
misfortune of losing my branches and leaves, than
at the disgrace of being made a receptacle for stolen
goods."

MORAL — Infamy is harder to bear than adverse
fortune.

'The Ho£ i.n Armour.

FABLES.

79

III.

THE HOG IN ARMOUR.

A HOG, dreading the usual fate of animals of his
species, clothed himself in a suit of armour. " Your
precautions," said his owner, "will prolong your life
but for a few minutes."

MORAL-- Inevitable evils cannot be averted.

The Pig and

FABLES.

81

IV.

THE PIG AND WHISTLE.

A COTTAGER, being disturbed by the cries of his pig,
tied a whistle on the animal's snout, and thus converted
its discord into melody.

MORAL — True wisdom converts the nwst unpleasing
circumstatices into sources of comfort.

The Cat <md Fiddle.

FABLES. 83

V.

THE CAT AND FIDDLE.

A FIDDLE was boasting of the sweetness of its, voice.
" Vain instrument ! " exclaimed a cat who stood by,
"your notes are but a feeble attempt to imitate

mine.

MORAL — Art strives in vain to vie with nature.

FABLES. 85

VI.

THE GOAT AND COMPASSES.

A PAIR of compasses, belonging to a geographer, was
lying on a table, when a goat, happening to pass by,
addressed to it the following taunt : "Your limbs serve
but to straddle across a piece of paper; mine, to
bound over the mountains."

" Your limbs," replied the instrument, " enable one
wretched animal to seek its food; mine assist a sage
to map the world."

MORAL — Science, though despised by the ignorant,
is better than bodily strength.

T~he Belle Savag,e.

FABLES. 87

VII.

THE BELLE-SAVAGE.

A BELLE, on some slight provocation, lost her temper,
and became savage. " My dear," said her wise aunt,
" if you persist in becoming savage, you will soon
cease to be regarded as a belle."

MORAL— Ill-temper is the worst enemy of beauty.

'

1 IT- I

f / .x?7

The Cat and Salutation.

FABLES. 89

VIII.

THE CAT AND SALUTATION.

A YOUNG man carried good breeding to a pitch of
perfection so exalted, that he would not pass even
his grandmother's cat without bowing profoundly by
way of salutation.

This conduct so gratified the aged gentlewoman,
that she bequeathed to her well-bred grandson the
whole of her large fortune, to the exclusion of her
other descendants, who were less polite.

MORAL — Courtesy is due even to the lowliest; and,
though costing nothing, is often amply rewarded.

•

Hie Swan and two necks.

FABLES. 91

IX.
THE SWAN WITH TWO NECKS.

A SWAN, being dissatisfied with its single neck and
head, implored and obtained from Jupiter the gift of a
duplicate provision of those members. The proud bird
at first gloried in its acquisition ; but soon its existence
was embittered by the frequent struggles and combats
of the two necks for articles of food • and, in the end,
the swan hailed as a happy release the amputation of
one of its necks by the jaws of a voracious pike, which
left the other in its primeval condition of peaceful
solitude.

MORAL FIRST — Ambition often suffers by the attain-
ment of its ends.

MORAL SECOND — Divided authority is fatal to peace.

MORAL THIRD — The loss of superfluous possessions
may frequently prove a blessing.

The Tippling Philosopher.

FABLES. 93

X.

. . THE TIPPLING PHILOSOPHER
IN LIQUORPOND STREET.

A PHILOSOPHER, having joined a party of topers in
Liquorpond Street, astonished and delighted the com-
pany by his wit and joviality, which were at first ascribed
to the effect of his frequent potations from a capacious
goblet, supposed to contain diluted metropolitan alco-
hol.* But before the conclusion of the entertainment,
the sage invited his companions to taste his beverage,
which proved to be pure water; whereupon, with one
accord, those previously intemperate individuals re-
nounced, from that time forth, the practice of imbibing
ardent spirits.

MORAL FIRST — The best promoter of gaiety is tem-
perance.

MORAL SECOND — Example is better than precept.

MORAL THIRD — The true philosopher despises not
innocent jocularity.

* The author is supposed to mean Gin and Water. — Printer's Devil.

94 FABLES.

XL
THE GREEN MAN AND STILL.

A GREEN man, wandering through the Highlands of
Scotland, discovered, in a sequestered valley, a still,
with which certain unprincipled individuals were engaged
in the illicit manufacture of aqua-vitae. Being, as we
have stated, a green man, he was easily persuaded by
those unprincipled individuals to expend a consider-
able sum in the purchase of the intoxicating produce
of their still, and to drink so much of it that he
speedily became insensible.

On awaking next morning, with an empty purse and
an aching head, he thought, with sorrow and shame,
what a green man he had been.

MORAL — He who follows the advice of unprincipled
individuals -is a green man indeed.

FABLES. 95

XII.

THE BULL AND MOUTH.

A NATIVE of the sister isle having opened his mouth
during a convivial entertainment, out flew a bull, where-
upon some of the company manifested alarm. " Calm
your fears," said the sagacious host ; " verbal bulls
have no horns."

MORAL — Harmless blunders are subjects of amusement
rattier than of consternation.

WORKS

PUBLISHED BY MR, MACLEHOSE,

PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY, GLASGOW.

Second Edition, in Extra Fcap. 8vo, Price dr. f>d. , Cloth.

OLRIG GRANGE:

A Poem in Six Books. Edited by HERMANN KUNST, Philol
Professor.

Examiner.

" This remarkable poem will at once give its anonymous author a high
place among contemporary English poets, and it ought to exercise a potent
and beneficial influence on the political opinions of the cultivated classes.
. . . . The demoralizing influence of our existing aristocratic institutions
on the most gifted and noblest members of the aristocracy, has never been so
subtly and so powerfully delineated as in ' Olrig Grange.' "

Pall Mall Gazette.

" ' Olrig Grange,' whether the work of a raw or of a ripe versifier, is plainly
the work of a ripe and not a raw student of life and nature. ... It has
dramatic power of a quite uncommon class: satirical and humorous obser-
vation of a class still higher; and, finally, a very pure and healthy, if perhaps
a little too scornful, moral atmosphere. . . . The most sickening phase
of our civilization has scarcely been exposed with a surer and quieter point,
even by Thackeray himself, than in this advice of a fashionable and religious
mother to her daughter."

Spectator.

" The story itself is very simple, but it is told in powerful and suggestive
verse. The composition is instinct with quick and passionate feeling, to a
degree that attests the truly poetic nature of the man who produced it. It
exhibits much more of genuine thought, of various knowledge, of regulated
and exquisite sensibility. The author exhibits a fine and firm discrimination
of character, a glowing and abundant fancy, a subtle eye to read the symbol-
ism of nature, and great wealth and mastery of language, and he has employed
it for worthy purposes. "

Daily Review.

" A remarkable poem, — a nineteenth century poem, — the work of a genuine
poet, whoever he may be, and of a consummate artist. . . . The story is
wrought out with exquisite beauty of language, and a wealth of imagery
which mark the writer as one full of true poetic sensibility, and keenly alive
to all the subtle influences that are at work in society."

Academy.

"The pious self-pity of the worldly mother, and the despair of the worldly
daughter are really brilliantly put. . . . The story is worked out with
quite uncommon power."

English Independent.

" There is a music in portions of the verse which is all but perfect ; while
for vigorous outline of description, raciness and pungency of phrase, and con-
densation of thought, we know no modern volume of poems that is its equal.
. . . The satire is most searching, the pathos tenderness itself, and once
or twice the passion becomes almost tragic in its intensity. From the first
page to the last the fascination is fully maintained."

WORKS PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE.

Notices of OLRIG GRANGE — continued.

Athenseum.

" That it is one of many books which many would do well to read. The
monologues are in a metre which is, as far as we know, original, and is emi-
nently well adapted to the semi-ironical tone of this part of the poem. The
quaint jolt of the ninth line does the author credit. ... If the author
will rely still further on his own resources, he may produce something as
much better than ' Olrig Grange ' as that is better than nineteen-twentieths
of the poetry we have to read.'

Congregationalist.

" There is a pathos and a passion, a depth of sadness and of love, which
seems to us to vindicate for this unknown author a very high place among
contemporary poets. . . . Most charming is the soliloquy of Hester.
. The Herr Professor is very much in Hester's thoughts, and the shy
surprise, the palpitating wonder, the shame, the pride, the sweet delight,
which are all blended in her discovery that she is really falling in love, are
perfectly delicious and beautiful . . . but the triumph of the author's
genius is in Rose's farewell to her lover."

Tatler in Cambridge.

" One could quote for ever, if a foolscap sheet were inexhaustible ; but I
must beg my readers, if they want to have a great deal of amusement, as well
as much truth beautifully put, to go and order the book at once. I promise
them, they will not repent."

Glasgow Herald.

" We believe that no competent reader will fail to acknowledge the vigour,
originality, humour, dramatic power, and imagination which this poem
shows."

Scotsman.

" We have said enough to lead our readers, we hope, to take up the book
for themselves. It abounds in passages full of suggestion, and contains some
of no small poetic beauty, and others of much satirical vivacity and dexterity
of expression."

North British Daily Mail.

" It would be easy to cite remarkable instances of thrilling fervour, of

flowing delicacy, of scathing and trenchant scorn —to point out the fine and
rm discrimination of character which prevails throughout. The lady mother
— a proud, grand, luxurious, worldly, mean-minded, canting woman — the
author scarifies with a remorseless hate. "

Dundee Advertiser.

" If this volume does not place the author in the company of Browning and
Tennyson, that is only saying that his book is second to the great master-
pieces of contemporary literature."

Liverpool Albion. «

" We look upon this poem as an earnest protest against the hollowness and
pettiness of much that constitutes society. No moral is obtruded, but the
pointed barb of sarcasm is there with its sting, that should act, not indeed as
poison, but rather as an antidote."

Echo.

" This is a remarkable poem on contemporary English society, using that
term in its most restricted sense, written in a brilliant, humorous, and sar-
castic style, but at the same time with a high philosophic aim and a grave
moral purpose."

WORKS PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE,
In One Vol., Extra Fcap. &vo, Cloth, Price %s.

HILLSIDE RHYMES:

AMONG THE ROCKS HE WENT,
AND STILL LOOKED UP TO SUN AND CLOUD
AND LISTENED TO THE WIND.

Scotsman.

" Let any one who cares for fine reflective poetry read for himself and judge.
Besides the solid substance of thought which pervades it, he will find here
and there those quick insights, those spontaneous felicities of language which
distinguish the man of natural power from the man of mere cultivation.
Next to an autumn day among the hills themselves, commend us to
poems like these, in which so much of the finer breath and spirit of those
pathetic hills is distilled into melody."

Glasgow Herald.

" The author of ' Hillside Rhymes ' has lain on the hillsides, and felt the
shadows of the clouds drift across his half-shut eyes. He knows the sough
of the fir trees, the crooning of the burns, the solitary bleating of the moor-
land sheep, the quiet of a place where the casual curlew is his only com-
panion, and a startled grouse cock the only creature that can regard him with
enmity or suspicion. The silence of moorland nature has worked into his
soul, and his verse helps a reader pent within a city to realize the breezy
heights, the sunny knolls, the deepening glens, or the slopes aglow with those
crackling flames with which the shepherds fire the heather."

Mqffat Times.

" The most remarkable thing in these poems is the great and passionate
love of nature as displayed on the green hillside, which seems to colour all
that the author writes. In this he follows in Wordsworth's footsteps, and
seems to have caught the true key-note of his great master. . . . ' Alta
Montium : Among the Uplands ' constantly reminds us, in its tone and key,
of Wordsworth in his highest moods."

Border Advertiser.

" Manor Water in its summer hues, and also when winter mocks the slant-
ing sun, is beautifully described."

North British Daily Mail.

"These 'rhymes,' put before the public in a dress corresponding to the
dainty attire in which * Olrig Grange ' was clad, are, for the most part, pure,
pleasing, and graceful. . . . They embody certain touching pictures, re-
miniscences, and reflections ; they are instinct with a fine enthusiasm as
regards the legendary associations, the pastoral life, and the beautiful scenes
of Tweeddale. . . . There is something of Wordsworth in the simple,
smooth, flowing lines of ' The Grey Stone on Dollar Law.' "

In One Volume, Extra Fcap. 8zv, Price ^s., Cloth.

THE SONGS AND FABLES OF

the late WILLIAM J. MACQUORN RANKINE, Professor of
Civil Engineering in the University of Glasgow, with 10
Illustrations by J. B. (Mrs. Hugh Blackburn).

WORKS PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE.

THE POETICAL WORKS OF
DAVID GRAY.

New and Enlarged Edition. Edited by HENRY GLASSFORD
BELL, late Sheriff of Lanarkshire. In One Volume, Extra
Fcap. 8vo, price 6s., Cloth.

Scotsman.

" This volume will effectually serve not only to renew, but extend the feel-
ing that the fame and name of David Gray ought not willingly to be let die.
His best known poem, ' The Luggie,' abounds in beauties which should be
joys for long, if not for ever."

Glasgow Evening Citizen.

"This new and enlarged edition of the poems of David Gray will be hailed
by all lovers of genuine poetry. Young as he was, he lived long enough to
make his mark. Some of his sonnets are exquisitely fine."

Glasgow Herald.

" It is over twelve years since David Gray, at the age of twenty-three, died
at Merkland, Kirkintilloch. It is a misfortune that he was not permitted to
live until the season of ripeness ; our misfortune, because, judging from the
volume before us, we perceive clearly what he might have been, and with
what poetic riches he might have dowered the world."

Edinburgh Courant.

" This volume possesses a peculiarity, independent of the gems which it
embodies, in that the editing of it was the last literary labour of the late
lamented Sheriff of Lanarkshire. The reverential vigour which pervades the
equable verse of David Gray is, however, unique ; there is a more forcible
beauty in his pieces than in those of the Westmoreland poet, and the awe he
manifests " for things unseen and eternal " is quite as conspicuous as the
deep and steady devotion of the poet of the 'Seasons.' The volume is got up
with sufficient taste not to befool the precious things within."

CAMP LIFE

As seen by a Civilian. A Personal Narrative. By GEORGE
BUCHANAN, A.M., M. D. , Professor of Anatomy in Anderson's
University, Glasgow. Crown 8vo, Cloth, 73. 6d.
Standard.

" This lively and fascinating narrative is the substance of daily jottings in
a diary kept by a surgeon in the Crimean war. It certainly comes very late
before the public, and must accordingly lose much interest, although it puts on
record many things we have not seen elsewhere, or if so, not so well recorded."

Scotsman.

The book contains a variety of readable and interesting sketches, and has
about it an air of freshness and originality, partly due, no doubt, to its having
been drawn up almost on the spot, and partly also to the pleasant and un-
affected style in which the doctor's materials are put together."

WORKS PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE.

THE MAN IN THE MOON,

AND OTHER TALES.

In Imperial i6mo, Cloth gilt, price 35. , Illustrated.
Nonconformist.

" There is a dash, and at the same time a delicacy, about these stories
which pleases us. ' The Story of the Little Pond,' and ' The Story of Little
Maggie,' have a good deal of originality and whimsical earnestness about

them."

Bookseller.

" For a bit of genuine fun, without any pretence to obtruded moral, com-
mend us to the ' Man in the Moon.' "

Spectator.

' ' The genuine fairy tale has, we much fear, died out with the fairies them-
selves, and we must be content with such approximations to the true growth
as we can find. Even now such a writer as Andersen, or such a story as
Ruskin's Black Brothers, will bring back the age of gold ; but in the main,
we should be satisfied if we could always have on hand a supply of stories so
simple, pure, and childish in the best sense of the term, as the Man in the
Moon."

THE PIPITS.

A COMPANION VOLUME TO " CAW! CAW!"

With Sixteen Page-Illustrations byj. B. (Mrs. Hugh Blackburn.)

/;/ 4/0, price y.

Courant.

" This is a charming fable in verse, illustrated by the well-known 'J. B.,'
whose power in delineating animals, especially birds, is scarcely inferior to
Landseer or Rosa Bonheur."

Inverness Courier.

" Even without the aid of the initials, there could be no difficulty in recog-
nizing the illustrations in this charming volume to be by Mrs. Blackburn.
They are full of fun, beauty, and character. Mrs. Blackburn seems to pick
out instinctively the peculiarities of West Coast birds, and, with a few touches
of her pencil, brings up scenes of land and sea-board which may be recognized
in a moment."

Glasgow Herald.

" We doubt whether Mrs. Blackburn herself ever drew better birds — more
full of expression — more true both to bird nature and the human nature,
which her pictures of animals somehow always satirise. . . . The verses
are very good — the drawing simply admirable, including, we imagine, bird-
portraits of several eminent citizens."

WORKS PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE.

THE SCOTTISH WAR OF INDE-

PENDENCE, its ANTECEDENTS and EFFECTS.
t By WILLIAM BURNS. 2 Vols., 8vo, Cloth, 265.

Scotsman.

" Mr. Burns displays a wonderful amount of research, and a very con-
siderable critical power."

Daily Review.

" Able and learned — the production of an eminent member of the legal
profession in Glasgow. . . . His theory is indisputable — that North
Britain has from the earliest period been inhabited by an ardent, energetic,
high-spirited, dour race, who have resolutely and successfully maintained
their independence against the incessant attacks of nations mightier and far
more numerous than they. . . . The tale of Scotland's wrongs, the patri-
otic and disinterested ambition of Wallace, the self-seeking of the great nobles,
and the high-spirited and generous patriotism of the minor gentry and
burghers, have never been so vividly or so acccurately portrayed.
Mr. Burns's exposure of the errors and unfounded charges of writers like Mr.
Freeman is most complete and withering."

North British Daily Mail.

"We take leave of Mr. Burns with sincere respect for his ability, pains-
taking research, fairness, and patriotic spirit, which his works display.'

WHENCE, AND WHA T IS THE

CHURCH? A Tract for the Times. By a FREE CHURCH
LAYMAN. In Crown 8vo, Cloth, 45. 6d.

Glasgow Herald.

"This excellent book, thoughtful and suggestive, is by a layman and a
Free Churchman : but though of the laity, he is quite a match for the clergy,
and his Free Churchmanship would liberalize the churches in general, not to
say the Free in particular. He is able and accustomed to think, and while he
claims and exercises full liberty of thought, he accepts with devout reverence
the authority of the written Word of God."

N URSI NG ;

OR, FULL DIRECTIONS FOR THE SICK-ROOM.

By ^NEAS MUNRO, M.D., i Vol., Post 8vo, Cloth, 75. 6d.

Medical Times and Gazette.

"If more heads of households were familiar with its teaching, it would
save them much anxiety and the doctor much unnecessary trouble."

Standard.

" Since Miss Nightingale's book, we have not seen so useful and practical
a work on the subject as the work before us."

WORKS PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE.
Just Published, in Extra Fcap. Svo, Cloth, Price ^s. 6d.

HANNIBAL:

A Historical Drama. By JOHN NICHOL, B. A.Oxon., Professor
of English Language and Literature in the University of Glasgow.

Saturday Review.

"After the lapse of many centuries an English poet is found paying to the
great Carthaginian the worthiest poetical tribute which has as yet, to our
knowledge, been offered to his noble and stainless name."

Athenseum.

" Probably the best and most accurate conception of Hannibal ever given
in English. Professor Nichol has done a really valuable work. From first
to last of the whole five acts, there is hardly a page that sinks to the level of
mediocrity."

Fortnightly Review.

" Upon one figure alone, besides that of his hero, the author has expended
all his care and power. Of this one ideal character, the conception is admir-
able, and worthy of the hand of a great poet. . . . We receive with all
welcome this latest accession to the English school of historic drama."

North British Daily Mail.

" 'Hannibal,' in all the attributes of dramatic poetry, rises as far above
Addison and Dryden as they overtop the paltriness of a modern Vaudeville.
. . . But much grander is the final vengeance of Rome upon faithless
Capua, and the last banquet of the Campanian chiefs. . . . We do not
know what higher praise we can give to the exquisite lyrics which the author
has introduced into this scene, than by warning the Laureate that, if Pro-
fessor Nichol take it into his head to write many more of the same calibre, he
must look to his bays."

Glasgow Herald.

" It would be to attribute to Professor Nichol a genius equal to Shake-
speare's, or superior even to that, to say that all the difficulties have been
triumphantly overcome in the volume before us. But they have been so far
surmounted, we venture to say, as to secure for ' Hannibal' a cordial wel-
come from all who appreciate the historical and classical drama, and to gain
for its author a high place among the poets of the present century."

English Independent.

"Had we space, there are many noble passages in the poem we should
like to quote. Fulvia's imaginary description of Rome to Hannibal ; the
death scene of Archimedes ; and the renewed vows of Hannibal of everlasting
enmity to Rome, when his brother's head is brought to him, are particularly
worthy of note."

Manchester Guardian.

" Fulvia 'makes a golden tumult in the house,' and carries Roman energy
into her love of pleasure, and hatred of the cold and stubborn Roman ways,
is perhaps the newest and the most delightful character in Mr. Nichol's
play. . . . Mr. Nichol has made the old story live afresh. . . . Mr.
Nichol is certain to please his readers ; but the audience of historical drama,
however fit, is a scanty one, and what the poet has to say deserves the widest
hearing.

WORK'S PUBLISHED BY MR. MACLEHOSE.

Notices of HANNIBAL — continued.

Manchester Examiner.

"We know no modern work in which the dignity of history has been so
justly regarded by a poet possessed of such intense admiration for his hero."

Echo.

" Professor Nichol has produced a scholarly and polished work."

Dublin Telegraph.

" Professor Nichol has just given us a volume which bids fair to open a
new era in poetry, and secures to the author a position among the first poets
of the day.

Morning Post.

" Glasgow has good reason to be proud of her Professor of English Litera-
ture, in which he now takes a prominent place by right of his admirable
classic drama. Criticism will award him a regal seat on Parnassus, and laurel
leaves without stint."

Scotsman.

" But there is much more than mere historical power in 'Hannibal.' Mr.
Nichol seems to us to possess real dramatic genius. His personages are not
merely types of Carthaginian or Roman, but they are real men and women.
They are nearly all conceived under the influence of a generous sympathy
with the strong and heroic qualities of character. . . . As regards dram-
atic power, and the spirited representations of action, we think it no disparage-
ment to them (Arnold and Swinburne) to say that we prefer 'Hannibal' either
to 'Merope' or to 'Atlanta in Calydon.'"

"Westminster Review.

" Professor Nichol has thrown his fine poem ' Hannibal' into a dramatic
form, simply because his whole tone is dramatic. He throws himself into
each of his characters. ... In Myra's speeches we have the ring of
antique valour. . . . The beauties of the lyrics, which are scattered with
so lavish a hand throughout the volume, resemble the odes in a Greek play,
rather than the songs of our own dramatists. . . . ' Hannibal' is a re-
markable poem, it stands out alone, by itself, from all other modern poems."

A SYSTEM OF MIDWIFERY;

including the Diseases of Pregnancy and the Puerperal
State. By WILLIAM LEISHMAN, M.D., Regius Professor
of Midwifery in the University of Glasgow. In One Thick
Vol., 8vo (860 Pages and 183 Wood Engravings), Price 305.

Practitioner.

" In many respects, not only the best treatise on midwifery that we have
seen, but one of the best treatises on any medical subject that has been pub-
lished of late years."

Lancet.

"We have little hesitation in saying that it is, in our judgment, the best
English book on the subject."

British and Foreign Medical Chirurgical Review.

" We can recommend this work as unquestionably the best modern book on
midwifery in our language. "

t-*, I:

PR

5209

R3S6

Rankine, William John Macquorn
Songs and fables

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY