Part 2

The Bass stands frae North Berwick Law a league or less to sea, About its feet the breakers beat, abune the sea-maws flee, There’s castle stark and dungeon dark, wherein the godly lay, That made their rant for the Covenant through mony a weary day. For twal’ years lang the caverns rang wi’ preaching, prayer, and psalm, Ye’d think the winds were soughing wild, when a’ the winds were calm, There wad they preach, each Saint to each, and glower as the soldiers pass, And Peden wared his malison on a bonny leaguer lass, As she stood and daffed, while the warders laughed, and wha sae blithe as she, But a wind o’ ill worked his warlock will, and flang her out to sea. Then wha sae bright as the Saints that night, and an angel came, say they, And sang in the cell where the Righteous dwell, but he took na a Saint away. There yet might they be, for nane could flee, and nane daur’d break the jail, And still the sobbing o’ the sea might mix wi’ their warlock wail, But then came in black echty-echt, and bluidy echty-nine, Wi’ Cess, and Press, and Presbytery, and a’ the dule sin’ syne, The Saints won free wi’ the power o’ the key, and cavaliers maun pine! It was Halyburton, Middleton, and Roy and young Dunbar, That Livingstone took on Cromdale haughs, in the last fight of the war: And they were warded in the Bass, till the time they should be slain, Where bluidy Mitchell, and Blackader, and Earlston lang had lain; Four lads alone, ’gainst a garrison, but Glory crowns their names, For they brought it to pass that they took the Bass, and they held it for King James!

It isna by preaching half the night, ye’ll burst a dungeon door, It wasna by dint o’ psalmody they broke the hold, they four, For lang years three that rock in the sea bade Wullie Wanbeard gae swing, And England and Scotland fause may be, but the Bass Rock stands for the King!

There’s but ae pass gangs up the Bass, it’s guarded wi’ strong gates four, And still as the soldiers went to the sea, they steikit them, door by door, And this did they do when they helped a crew that brought their coals on shore. Thither all had gone, save three men alone: then Middleton gripped his man, Halyburton felled the sergeant lad, Dunbar seized the gunner, Swan; Roy bound their hands, in hempen bands, and the Cavaliers were free. And they trained the guns on the soldier loons that were down wi’ the boat by the sea! Then Middleton cried frae the high cliff-side, and his voice garr’d the auld rocks ring, ‘Will ye stand or flee by the land or sea, for I hold the Bass for the King?’

They had nae desire to face the fire; it was mair than men might do, So they e’en sailed back in the auld coal-smack, a sorry and shame-faced crew, And they hirpled doun to Edinburgh toun, wi’ the story of their shames, How the prisoners bold had broken hold, and kept the Bass for King James.

King James he has sent them guns and men, and the Whigs they guard the Bass, But they never could catch the Cavaliers, who took toll of ships that pass, They fared wild and free as the birds o’ the sea, and at night they went on the wing, And they lifted the kye o’ Whigs far and nigh, and they revelled and drank to the King.

Then Wullie Wanbeard sends his ships to siege the Bass in form, And first shall they break the fortress down, and syne the Rock they’ll storm. After twa days’ fight they fled in the night, and glad eneuch to go, With their rigging rent, and their powder spent, and many a man laid low.

So for lang years three did they sweep the sea, but a closer watch was set, Till nae food had they, but twa ounce a day o’ meal was the maist they’d get. And men fight but tame on an empty wame, so they sent a flag o’ truce, And blithe were the Privy Council then, when the Whigs had heard that news. Twa Lords they sent wi’ a strang intent to be dour on each Cavalier, But wi’ French cakes fine, and his last drap o’ wine, did Middleton make them cheer, On the muzzles o’ guns he put coats and caps, and he set them aboot the wa’s, And the Whigs thocht then he had food and men to stand for the Rightfu’ Cause. So he got a’ he craved, and his men were saved, and nane might say them nay, Wi’ sword by side, and flag o’ pride, free men might they gang their way, They might fare to France, they might bide at hame, and the better their grace to buy, Wullie Wanbeard’s purse maun pay the keep o’ the men that did him defy!

Men never hae gotten sic terms o’ peace since first men went to war, As got Halyburton, and Middleton, and Roy, and the young Dunbar. Sae I drink to ye here, To the Young Chevalier! I hae said ye an auld man’s say, And there may hae been mightier deeds of arms, but there never was nane sae gay!

THREE PORTRAITS OF PRINCE CHARLES

1731

BEAUTIFUL face of a child, Lighted with laughter and glee, Mirthful, and tender, and wild, My heart is heavy for thee!

1744

Beautiful face of a youth, As an eagle poised to fly forth, To the old land loyal of truth, To the hills and the sounds of the North: Fair face, daring and proud, Lo! the shadow of doom, even now, The fate of thy line, like a cloud, Rests on the grace of thy brow!

1773

Cruel and angry face, Hateful and heavy with wine, Where are the gladness, the grace, The beauty, the mirth that were thine?

Ah, my Prince, it were well,— Hadst thou to the gods been dear,— To have fallen where Keppoch fell, With the war-pipe loud in thine ear! To have died with never a stain On the fair White Rose of Renown, To have fallen, fighting in vain, For thy father, thy faith, and thy crown! More than thy marble pile, With its women weeping for thee, Were to dream in thine ancient isle, To the endless dirge of the sea! But the Fates deemed otherwise, Far thou sleepest from home, From the tears of the Northern skies, In the secular dust of Rome.

* * *

A city of death and the dead, But thither a pilgrim came, Wearing on weary head The crowns of years and fame: Little the Lucrine lake Or Tivoli said to him, Scarce did the memories wake Of the far-off years and dim. For he stood by Avernus’ shore, But he dreamed of a Northern glen And he murmured, over and o’er, ‘For Charlie and his men:’ And his feet, to death that went, Crept forth to St. Peter’s shrine, And the latest Minstrel bent O’er the last of the Stuart line.

FROM OMAR KHAYYAM

RHYMED FROM THE PROSE VERSION OF MR. JUSTIN HUNTLY M‘CARTHY

THE Paradise they bid us fast to win Hath Wine and Women; is it then a sin To live as we shall live in Paradise, And make a Heaven of Earth, ere Heaven begin?

The wise may search the world from end to end, From dusty nook to dusty nook, my friend, And nothing better find than girls and wine, Of all the things they neither make nor mend.

Nay, listen thou who, walking on Life’s way, Hast seen no lovelock of thy love’s grow grey Listen, and love thy life, and let the Wheel Of Heaven go spinning its own wilful way.

Man is a flagon, and his soul the wine, Man is a lamp, wherein the Soul doth shine, Man is a shaken reed, wherein that wind, The Soul, doth ever rustle and repine.

Each morn I say, to-night I will repent, Repent! and each night go the way I went— The way of Wine; but now that reigns the rose, Lord of Repentance, rage not, but relent.

I wish to drink of wine—so deep, so deep— The scent of wine my sepulchre shall steep, And they, the revellers by Omar’s tomb, Shall breathe it, and in Wine shall fall asleep.

Before the rent walls of a ruined town Lay the King’s skull, whereby a bird flew down ‘And where,’ he sang, ‘is all thy clash of arms? Where the sonorous trumps of thy renown?’

ÆSOP