And as I rode by Dalton-hall

Beneath the turrets high,

A Maiden on the castle wall
Was singing merrily,-

"O, Brignall banks are fresh and fair,
And Greta woods are green;
I'd rather rove with Edmund there,
Than reign our English queen."

"If, Maiden, thou would'st wend with me, To leave both tower and town,

Thou first must guess what life lead we,
That dwell by dale and down?
And if thou can'st that riddle read,

As read full well you may,

Then to the greenwood shalt thou speed,

As blithe as Queen of May."

Yet sung she: "Brignall banks are fair,
And Greta woods are green;

I'd rather rove with Edmund there,
Than reign our English queen.

"I read you, by your bugle-horn,
And by your palfrey good,

I read you for a Ranger sworn,
To keep the king's greenwood."
"A Ranger, lady, winds his horn,
And 'tis at peep of light;

His blast is heard at merry morn,
And mine at dead of night."

Yet sung she: "Brignall banks are fair,
And Greta woods are gay;

I would I were with Edmund there,

To reign his Queen of May!

"With burnish'd brand and musketoon, So gallantly you come,

I read you for a bold Dragoon,
That lists the tuck of drum.".
"I list no more the tuck of drum,
No more the trumpet hear;

But when the beetle sounds his hum,
My comrades take the spear."
"And, O! though Brignall banks be fair,
And Greta woods be gay,

Yet mickle must the maiden dare,

Would reign my Queen of May!

"Maiden! a nameless life I lead, A nameless death I'll die;

The fiend, whose lantern lights the mead,
Were better mate than I!

And when I'm with my comrades met,
Beneath the greenwood bough,

What once we were we all forget,
Nor think what we are now."

"Yet Brignall banks are fresh and fair,
And Greta woods are green,
And you may gather garlands there
Would grace a summer queen."

BARBARA ALLEN'S CRUELTY.

IN Scarlet towne, where I was borne,
There was a faire maid dwellin,
Made every youth crye, Wel-awaye!
Her name was Barbara Allen.

All in the merrye month of May,

When green buds they were swellin, Young Jemmye Grove on his death-bed lay, For love of Barbara Allen.

He sent his man unto her then,

To the town where she was dwellin; "You must come to my master deare, Giff your name be Barbara Allen.

"For death is printed on his face,
And ore his hart is stealin:
Then haste away to comfort him,
O lovely Barbara Allen."

"Though death be printed on his face,
And ore his harte is stealin,

Yet little better shall he be
For bonny Barbara Allen."

So slowly, slowly, she came up,
And slowly she came nye him;
And all she sayd, when there she came,
"Yong man, I think y'are dying."

He turned his face unto the wall,
As deadlye pangs he fell in:
“Adieu! adieu! adieu to you all,
Adieu to Barbara Allen."

As she was walking ore the fields,
She heard the bell a knellin;
And every stroke did seem to saye,.
"Unworthy Barbara Allen!"

She turned her body round about, And spied the corps a coming: "Laye down, laye down the corps," she sayd, "That I may look upon him."

"Farewell," she sayd, "ye virgins all,
And shun the fault I fell in:
Henceforth take warning by the fall

Of cruel Barbara Allen."

ALICE BRAND.

From THE LADY OF THE LAKE.

Sir Walter Scott.

I.

MERRY it is in the good greenwood,

When the mavis1 and merle 2 are singing,

When the deer sweeps by, and the hounds are in cry, And the hunter's horn is ringing.

"O Alice, 'twas all for thy locks so bright,
And 'twas all for thine eyes so blue,
That on the night of our luckless flight,
Thy brother bold I slew.