These cowls of Kilmarnock had spits and
had spears,
And lang-hafted gullies to kill cavaliers;
But they shrunk to close-heads, and the
causeway was free
At the toss of the bonnet of bonnie Dundee.
He spurred to the foot of the proud castle
rock,
And with the gay Gordon he gallantly spoke:
“Let Mons Meg and her marrows speak
twa words or three,
For the love of the bonnet of bonnie Dundee.”
The Gordon demands of him which way he
goes.
“Where’er shall direct me
the shade of Montrose!
Your grace in short space shall hear tidings
of me,
Or that low lies the bonnet of bonnie
Dundee.
“There are hills beyond Pentland
and lands beyond Forth;
If there’s lords in the Lowlands,
there’s chiefs in the north;
There are wild Duniewassals three thousand
times three
Will cry ‘Hoigh!’ for the
bonnet of bonnie Dundee.
“There’s brass on the target
of barkened bull-hide,
There’s steel in the scabbard that
dangles beside;
The brass shall be burnished, the steel
shall flash free,
At a toss of the bonnet of bonnie Dundee.
“Away to the hills, to the caves,
to the rocks,
Ere I own an usurper I’ll couch
with the fox;
And tremble, false whigs, in the midst
of your glee,
You have not seen the last of my bonnet
and me.”
He waved his proud hand, and the trumpets
were blown,
The kettle-drums clashed, and the horsemen
rode on,
Till on Ravelston’s cliffs and on
Clermiston’s lea
Died away the wild war-notes of bonnie
Dundee.
Come fill up my cup, come fill up my can; Come saddle the horses, and call up the men; Come open your doors and let me gae free, For it’s up with the bonnets of bonnie Dundee!
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
* * * * *
LIBERTY TREE.
[1775.]
In a chariot of light from the regions
of day,
The Goddess of Liberty came;
Ten thousand celestials directed the way,
And hither conducted the dame.
A fair budding branch from the gardens
above,
Where millions with millions
agree,
She brought in her hand as a pledge of
her love,
And the plant she named Liberty
Tree.
The celestial exotic struck deep in the
ground,
Like a native it flourished
and bore;
The fame of its fruit drew the nations
around,
To seek out this peaceable
shore.
Unmindful of names or distinction they
came,
For freemen like brothers
agree;
With one spirit endued, they one friendship
pursued,
And their temple was Liberty
Tree.
Beneath this fair tree, like the patriarchs
of old,
Their bread in contentment
they ate,
Unvexed with the troubles of silver and
gold,
The cares of the grand and
the great.
With timber and tar they Old England supplied,
And supported her power on
the sea;
Her battles they fought, without getting
a groat,
For the honor of Liberty
Tree.