Solemn and grave, “Monkbarns”
approached, amidst that burial line;
And “Ochiltree” leant o’er
his staff, and mourn’d for “Auld lang syne!”
Slow march’d the gallant “McIntyre,”
whilst “Lovel” mused alone;
For once, “Miss Wardour’s”
image left that bosom’s faithful throne!
With coronach, and arms reversed, forth
came “MacGregor’s” clan—
Red “Dougal’s” cry peal’d
shrill and wild—“Rob Roy’s”
bold brow
look’d
wan;
The fair “Diana” kissed her
cross, and bless’d its sainted ray;
And “Wae is me!” the “Bailie”
sighed, “that I should see this day!”
Next rode in melancholy guise, with sombre
vest and scarf,
Sir Edward, Laird of Ellieslaw, the far-renowned
“Black Dwarf;”
Upon his left, in bonnet blue, and white
locks flowing free—
The pious sculptor of the grave—stood
“Old Mortality!”
“Balfour of Burley,” of “Claverhouse,”
the “Lord of Evandale,”
And stately “Lady Margaret,”
whose woe might naught avail!
Fierce “Bothwell” on his charger
black, as from the conflict won;
And pale “Habakuk Mucklewrath,”
who cried, “God’s will be done!”
And like a rose, a young white rose, that
blooms mid wildest scenes,
Passed she,—the modest, eloquent,
and virtuous “Jeanie Deans;”
And “Dumbedikes,” that silent
laird, with love too deep to smile,
And “Effie,” with her noble
friend, the good “Duke of Argyle.”
With lofty brow, and bearing high, dark
“Ravenswood” advanced,
Who on the false “Lord Keeper’s”
mien with eye indignant glanced;
Whilst graceful as a lonely fawn, ’neath
covert close and sure,
Approached the beauty of all hearts—the
“Bride of Lammermoor!”
Then “Annot Lyle,” the fairy
queen of light and song, stepped near,
The “Knight of Ardenvohr,”
and he, the gifted Hieland Seer:
“Dalgetty,” “Duncan,”
“Lord Monteith,” and “Ranald,”
met my view—
The hapless “Children of the Mist,”
and bold “Mhich-Connel-Dhu!”
On swept “Bois Guilbert”—“Front
de Boeuf”—“De Bracy’s”
plume of woe;
And “Coeur de Lion’s”
crest shone near the valiant “Ivanhoe;”
While soft as glides a summer cloud “Rowena”
closer drew,
With beautiful “Rebecca”—peerless
daughter of the Jew!
Still onward like the gathering night
advanced that funeral train—
Like billows when the tempest sweeps across
the shadowy main;
Where’er the eager gaze might reach,
in noble ranks were seen,
Dark plume, and glittering mail and crest,
and woman’s beauteous mien!
A sound thrilled through that lengthening
host! methought the vault
was
closed,
Where in his glory and renown fair Scotia’s
bard reposed!—
A sound thrilled through that length’ning
host! and forth my vision fled!
But, ah! that mournful dream proved true,—the
immortal Scott was dead!
Literary Gazette.