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verses on the destruction of the woods near drunrig

as on the banks o&039; wanderg nith,

ae silg sir orn i stray&039;d,

and traced its bonie howes and haughs,

where lties sang and ies py&039;d,

i sat down upon a craig,

and drank y fill o&039; fancy&039;s drea,

when fro the eddyg deep below,

up rose the ni of the strea

dark, like the frowng rock, his brow,

and troubled, like his try wave,

and deep, as sughs the bodg d

aang his caves, the sigh he gave—

“and e ye here, y n,” he cried,

“to wander y birken shade?

to e favourite sttish the,

or sg favourite sttish aid?

“there was a ti, it&039;s nae ng syne,

ye ight hae seen y pride,

when a&039; y banks sae bravely saw

their woody pictures y tide;

when hangg beech and spreadg el

shaded y strea sae clear and ol:

and stately oaks their isted ars

threw broad and dark across the pool;

“when, gltg thro&039; the trees, appear&039;d

the wee white t aboon the ill,

and peacefu&039; rose its gle reek,

that, slowly curlg, cb the hill

but now the t is bare and cauld,

its leafy bield for ever gane,

and scarce a stted birk is left

to shiver the bst its ne”

“as!” h i, “what ruefu&039; chance

has &039;d ye o&039; your stately trees?

has id your rocky bo bare—

has stripped the cleedg o&039; your braes?

was it the bitter eastern bst,

that scatters blight early sprg?

or was&039;t the wil&039;fire srch&039;d their boughs,

or canker-wor wi&039; secret stg?”

“nae eastl bst,” the sprite replied;

“it bws na here sae fierce and fell,

and on y dry and hale banks

nae canker-wors t leave to dwell:

an! cruel an!” the ni sighed—

as through the cliffs he sank hi down—

“the wor that gnaw&039;d y bonie trees,

that