vain.

"By the Baron's brand, near Tweed's fair strand,
Most foully slain I fell;
And my restless sprite on the beacon's height,
For a space is doom'd to dwell.

"At our trysting place, for a certain space,
I must wander to and fro,
But I had not had power to come to thy bower,
Hadst thou not conjured me so."

Love master'd fear--her brow she cross'd;
"How, Richard, hast thou sped?
And art thou saved or art thou lost?"--
The vision shook his head!

"Who spilleth life, shall forfeit life;
So bid thy lord believe:
That lawless love is guilt above,
This awful sign receive."

He laid his left hand on an oaken beam,
His right upon her hand,
The lady shrunk, and fainting sunk,
For it scorched like a fiery brand.

The sable score, of fingers four,
Remains on that board impress'd,
And forever more that lady wore
A covering on her wrist.

There is a nun in Dryburgh bower,
Ne'er looks upon the sun,
There is a monk in Melrose tower,
He speaketh word to none.

That nun, who ne'er beholds the day,
That monk that speaks to none,--
That Nun was Smaylho'me's Lady gay,
That monk the bold Baron.

FAIR MARGARET'S MISFORTUNES

"I am no love for you, Margaret,
You are no love for me.
Before to-morrow at eight of the clock,
A rich wedding you shall see."

Fair Margaret sat in her bower-window
Combing her yellow hair;
There she espied sweet William and his bride,
As they were a-riding near.

Down she laid her ivory comb,
And up she bound her hair;
She went away out of her bower,
And never returned there.

When day was gone and night was come,
And all men fast asleep,
There came the spirit of fair Marg'ret,
And stood at William's feet.

"Are you awake, sweet William?" she said,
"Or, William, are you asleep?
God give you joy of your gay bride-bed,
And me of my winding sheet."

When day was come and night was gone,
And all men waked in from sleep,
Sweet William to his ladye said,--
"Alas I have cause to weep.

"I dreamt a dream, my dear ladye,--
Such dreams are never good,--
I dreamt my bower was full of red swine,
And the walls ran down with blood."

He called up his merrymen all,
By one, by two, and by three;
Saying, "I'll away to fair Margaret's bower,
By the leave of my ladye."

And when he came to fair Margaret's bower,
He knocked at the ring;
And who so ready a