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144
Andrew Lang
[There are seven stanzas here in place of four in Hogg's version (Relics, i. 82).
In Hogg's text the father, not the grandfather, of the speaker tries the mare the
;
speaker is James VIII., not Prince Charles. The absurd scandal about the
poisoning of Queen Anne is in our seventh, but in Hogg's second stanza. Our
song has no 'sow' (some German mistress of George). The remarks on the
national debt caused by our Dutch deliverer is not in Hogg's version (our
stanza n.), and the allusions to Prince Charles's victories and to Flora Macdonald
in our song are absent from Hogg's. The generation of 1745 has retained and
expanded a chant of the generation of 1715.]
A SONG
OVER yon hills, and yon lofty mountains,
Where the trees are clad with snow,
And down by yon murm'ring chrystal fountain,
Where the silver streams do flow.
There, fair Flora sat complaining,
For the absence of our K g,
Crying, Charlie, lovely Charlie,
When shall we two meet again ?
Fair Flora's love it was surprising,
Like to diadems in array ;
And her dress of the tartan plaidie
Was like a rainbow in the sky ;
And each minute she tun'd her spinnet,
And Royal Jamie was the tune,
Crying, C s, Royal C s,
When shalt thou enjoy thy own ?
When all these storms are quite blown o'er,
Then the skies will rend and tear,
Then C s he'll return to Britain
To enjoy the grand affair :
The frisking lambs will skip over,
And larks and linnets shall sweetly sing:
Singing, C s, lovely C s,
You're welcome home to be our King.
[There may be some connection between this too artless ditty about Flora
Macdonald and Hogg's Lament of Flora Macdonald ii.
(Relics, 179). Hogg says
that he got the original of the Lament l
from Mr. Niel Gow, who told me they
were a translation from the Gaelic, but so rude that he could not publish
them. . . . On which I versified them anew,' says the honest Shepherd,
*and made them a great deal better without altering one sentiment' (Relief,
ii. 369).
The original Gaelic may have been excellent : our version is, at least, unpretentious,
but Hogg's is too conscientiously noble and sublime, though it has
been popular as a song : and has a Gaelic substratum.]