XIII. Robin and Makyne. AN ANCIENT SCOTTISH PASTORAL. ......................
The palm of pastoral poesy is here contested by a contemporary writer with
the author of the foregoing. The critics will judge of their respective merits; but must
make some allowance for the preceding ballad, which is given simply as it stands in
the old editions; whereas this, which follows, has been revised and amended
throughout by Allan Ramsay, from whoseEver-Green, vol. i. it is here chiefly
printed. The curious reader may however compare it with the more original copy,
printed among "Ancient Scottish poems, from the manuscript of George Bannatyne,
1568," Edinb. 1770, 12mo. Mr. Robert Henryson (to whom we are indebted for this
poem) appears to so much advantage among the writers of eclogue, that we are sorry
we can give little other account of him besides what is contained in the following
eloge, written by W. Dunbar, a Scottish poet, who lived about the middle of the 16th
century:
In Dumferling, he [Death] hath tane Broun,
With gude Mr. Robert Henryson.
Indeed some little further insight into the history of this Scottish bard is gained
from the title prefixed to some of his poems preserved in the British Museum; viz.
"The morall Fabillis of Esop compylit be Maister Robert Henrisoun, Scolmaister of
Dumfermling," 1571.-- Harleian MSS. 3865. § i.
In Ramsay'sEver-Green, vol. i. whence the above distich is extracted, are
preserved two other little Doric pieces by Henryson; the one intitledThe Lyon and the
Mouse; the other,The Garment of gude Ladyis. Some other of his poems may be seen
in "Ancient Scottish Poems printed from Bannatyne's manuscript" above referred to.
ROBIN sat on the gude grene hill,
Keipand a flock of fie,
Quhen mirry Makyne said him till,
"O Robin rew on me:
I haif the luivt baith loud and still,
Thir towmonds twa or thre;
My dule in dern bot giff thou dill,
Doubtless but dreid Ill die."
Robin replied, "Now by the rude,
Naithing of luve I knaw,
But kelp my sheip undir yon wod:
Lo quhair they raik on raw.
Quhat can have mart thee in thy mode,
Thou Makyne to me schaw;
Or quhat is luve, or to be lude?
Fain wald I leir that law."
"The law of luve gin thou wald leir,
Tak thair an A, B, C;
Be heynd, courtas, and fair of feir,
Wyse, hardy, kind and frie,
Sae that nae danger do the deir,
Quhat dule in dern thou drie;