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 whose _Evergreen_, 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 MS. of George Bannatyne, 1568, Edinburgh, 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 sixteenth century:

"In Dunfermline he [Death] hes done roun Gud Maister Robert Henrisoun."

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. Harl. MSS. 3865, § 1.

In Ramsay's _Evergreen_, vol. i. are preserved two other little Doric pieces by Henryson: the one intitled _The Lyon and the Mouse_, the other _The garment of gude Ladyis_. Some other of his poems may be seen in the _Ancient Scottish Poems_, printed from Bannatyne's MS. above referred to.

* * * * *

[This remarkable poem is peculiarly interesting as being the earliest specimen of pastoral poetry in the language. Campbell calls it "the first known pastoral, and one of the best in a dialect rich with the favours of the pastoral muse." Langhorne writes justly:

"In gentle Henryson's unlaboured strain Sweet Arethusa's shepherd breath'd again."

Percy errs in describing Henryson as a contemporary of Surrey, as the Scottish poet lived half a century before the English one. The dates of his birth and death are not known, but he flourished in the reign of James III. (1460-1488). "On the 10th of September, 1462, the venerable master Robert Henrysone, Licentiate in Arts and Bachelor in Degrees, was incorporated or admitted a member of the newly founded University of Glasgow." He was a notary public, and probably the master of the grammar school attached to the Abbey of Dunfermline, not as might be supposed a mere parish schoolmaster. According to the tradition of the last century, our poet was the representative of the family of Henryson or Henderson, of Fordell, in the county of Fife; but Mr. David Laing thinks that it is a gratuitous assumption to suppose that he or his predecessors ever possessed a single acre of the lands of Fordell.

Percy has used the version given in Ramsay's _Evergreen_, which is slightly altered in diction from the original in the Bannatyne MS.; for instance, the last stanza occurs in the latter as follows:

"Makyne went hame blyth anneuche, Attour the holltis hair; Robene murnit, and Makyne leuche; Scho sang, he sichit sair And so left him, bayth wo and wreuch, In dolour and in cair, Kepand his hird under a huche Amangis the holtis hair."

In the _Evergreen_ version, the last verse is altered to "Amang the rushy gair," either because the words "holtis hair" occur in verse two of the stanza, or that the Editor saw an impropriety in the close vicinity of the similar words _holt_ and _heuch_. The two words "holtis hair" are explained as hoary hills or hoary woods, but Finlay (_Scottish Historical and Romantic Ballads_, 1808, vol. ii. p. 193) holds that "hair" really means high, and derives it from Isl. har == altus. He says that a high rock in some of the northern counties of Scotland, where the dialect is strongly tinctured with Danish, is called "hair craig," and that the same word lingers on in the Hare-stone of the Borough Moor, Edinburgh, which obtained its name in the following manner: The laird of Pennycuik held certain lands by a strange tenure. He was obliged to mount a large stone or rock, and salute the king with three blasts of a horn whenever he passed that way. This rock or eminence was called the "Hare-stone," and still exists near Morningside Church. Hoary, however, is to be understood as grey and not as white with snow, so that the hare-stone is probably the grey stone. The word holt may also mean a heath, and Cædmon uses the phrase "har hæð" = hoar or grey heath.

The date (1571) attached to Henryson's version of _Æsop's Fables_ is that of transcription. It is not known when the Fables were first printed, but they were reprinted by Robert Lekpreuik for Henry Charteris in 1570. They are supposed to have been written between 1470 and 1480.

Henryson wrote several other short poems, as well as the _Testament of Cresseid_, written as a continuation or supplement to Chaucer's _Troilus and Cresseide_, all of which have been collected for the first time into an elegant volume by David Laing, who has added notes and a memoir of the poet (Edinburgh, 1865).

This _Testament_ has a particular interest for us, because Shakspere referred to it when he wrote "Cressida was a beggar" (_Twelfth Night_, act iii. sc. 1). The lines in Henryson's poem which illustrate this passage, are as follows:

"Thair was na buit [help], bot furth with thame scho yeid Fra place to place, quhill cauld and houngir sair Compellit hir to be ane rank beggair." Ll. 481-3.]

* * * * *

Robin sat on the gude grene hill, Keipand a flock of fie,[391] Quhen mirry[392] Makyne said him till,[393] "O Robin rew[394] on me: I haif thee luivt baith loud and still,[395] 5 Thir towmonds[396] twa or thre; My dule in dern bot gif thou dill,[397] Doubtless but dreid Ill die."

Robin replied, Now by the rude, Naithing of love I knaw, 10 But keip my sheip undir yon wod: Lo quhair they raik on raw.[398] Quhat can have mart[399] thee in thy mude,[400] Thou Makyne to me schaw; Or quhat is luve, or to be lude?[401] 15 Fain wald I leir[402] that law.

"The law of luve gin thou wald leir, Tak thair an A, B, C; Be heynd,[403] courtas, and fair of feir,[404][405] Wyse, hardy, kind and frie, 20 Sae that nae danger do the deir,[406][407] Quhat dule in dern thou drie;[408] Press ay to pleis,[409] and blyth appeir, Be patient and privie."

Robin, he answert her againe, 25 I wat not quhat is luve; But I haif marvel in certaine Quhat makes thee thus wanrufe.[410] The wedder is fair, and I am fain;[411] My sheep gais hail abuve;[412] 30 And sould we pley us on the plain, They wald us baith repruve.

"Robin, tak tent[413] unto my tale, And wirk[414] all as I reid;[415] And thou sall haif my heart all hale, 35 Eik and my maiden-heid: Sen God, he sendis bute for bale,[416] And for murning remeid,[417] I'dern with thee bot gif I dale,[418] Doubtless I am but deid." 40

Makyne, to-morn be this ilk tyde, Gif ye will meit me heir, Maybe my sheip may gang besyde, Quhyle we have liggd full neir; But maugre haif I, gif I byde,[419] 45 Frae thay begin to steir, Quhat lyes on heart I will nocht hyd, Then Makyne mak gude cheir.

"Robin, thou reivs[420] me of my rest; I luve bot thee alane." 50 Makyne, adieu! the sun goes west, The day is neir-hand gane. "Robin, in dule[421] I am so drest, That luve will be my bane." Makyn, gae luve quhair-eir ye list, 55 For leman I luid nane.

"Robin, I stand in sic a style, I sich[422] and that full sair." Makyne, I have bene here this quyle; At hame I wish I were. 60 "Robin, my hinny, talk and smyle, Gif thou will do nae mair." Makyne, som other man beguyle, For hameward I will fare.

Syne Robin on his ways he went, 65 As light as leif on tree; But Makyne murnt and made lament, Scho[423] trow'd him neir to see. Robin he brayd attowre the bent:[424] Then Makyne cried on hie, 70 "Now may thou sing, for I am shent![425] Quhat ailis luve at me?"

Makyne went hame withouten fail, And weirylie could weip; Then Robin in a full fair dale 75 Assemblit all his sheip. Be that some part of Makyne's ail, Out-throw his heart could creip; Hir fast he followt to assail, And till her tuke gude keip.[426] 80

Abyd, abyd, thou fair Makyne, A word for ony thing; For all my luve, it sall be thyne, Withouten departing.[427] All hale thy heart for till have myne, 85 Is all my coveting; My sheip to morn quhyle houris nyne, Will need of nae keiping.

"Robin, thou hast heard sung and say, In gests and storys auld, 90 The man that will not when he may, Sall have nocht when he wald. I pray to heaven baith nicht and day, Be eiked[428] their cares sae cauld, That presses first with thee to play 95 Be forrest, firth, or fauld."[429]

Makyne, the nicht is soft and dry, The wether warm and fair, And the grene wod richt neir-hand by,[430] To walk attowre all where: 100 There may nae janglers[431] us espy, That is in luve contrair; Therin, Makyne, baith you and I Unseen may mak repair.

"Robin, that warld is now away, 105 And quyt brocht till an end: And nevir again thereto, perfay, Sall it be as thou wend; For of my pain thou made but play; I words in vain did spend: 110 As thou hast done, sae sall I say, Murn on, I think to mend."

Makyne, the hope of all my heil,[432] My heart on thee is set; I'll evermair to thee be leil,[433] 115 Quhyle I may live but lett,[434] Never to fail as uthers feill,[435] Quhat grace so eir I get. "Robin, with thee I will not deill; Adieu, for thus we met." 120

Makyne went hameward blyth enough, Attowre the holtis hair;[436] Pure Robin murnd, and Makyne leugh;[437] Scho sang, and he sicht sair:[438] And so left him bayth wo and wreuch,[439] 125 In dolor and in care, Keipand his herd under a heuch,[440] Amang the rushy gair.[441]

FOOTNOTES:

[391] [keeping a flock of sheep.]

[392] [when merry.]

[393] [unto.]

[394] [take pity.]

[395] [openly and secretly.]

[396] [these twelvemonths.]

[397] [unless thou share my secret woe.]

[398] [they extend themselves in a row.]

[399] [marred.]

[400] [mood.]

[401] [loved.]

[402] [learn.]

[403] [gentle.]

[404] [fair of countenance.]

[405] Ver. 19. Bannatyne's MS. reads as above, _heynd_, not _keynd_, as in the Edinb. ed. 1770.

[406] [do thee hurt.]

[407] V. 21. So that no danger, Bannatyne's MS.

[408] [whatever sorrow you may endure in secret.]

[409] [be eager to please.]

[410] [uneasy.]

[411] [glad.]

[412] [go healthful in the uplands.]

[413] [heed.]

[414] [do.]

[415] [advise.]

[416] [since God sends good for evil.]

[417] [for mourning remedy.]

[418] [in secret with thee, unless I share thy favour.]

[419] [But ill will may I have if I stay.]

[420] [bereavest.]

[421] [sorrow.]

[422] [sigh.]

[423] [she.]

[424] [he hastened over the field.]

[425] [confounded.]

[426] [and took good watch of her.]

[427] [dividing.]

[428] [enlarged.]

[429] [by forest, copse, or field.]

[430] Ver. 99. Bannatyne's MS. has _woid_, not _woud_, as in ed. 1770.

[431] [tell-tales.]

[432] [health or happiness.]

[433] [true.]

[434] [live without hindrance.]

[435] Ver. 117. Bannatyne's MS. reads as above feill, not faill, as in ed. 1770.

[436] [over the grey woods (see p. 81).]

[437] [laughed.]

[438] [sighed sore.]

[439] [wretchedness.]

[440] [height or hill.]

[441] [rushy strip of land.]