[A composite volume : containing The ballads and songs of Ayrshire ...

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O NATUEE LAVISHED ON MY LOVE.
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Allan
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Her vestal breast of ivorie,
Aneath the snowy lawn,
Shows with its twin-born swelling wreaths,
Too pure to look upon ;
While through her skin her sapphire veins
Seem ^^olets clropt in milk.
And tremble with her honey breath
Like thi'eads of finest silk
Her arms are long, her shoulders broad,
Her middle small and round
The mould was lost that made my love,
And never more was found.
Cunningham modernised these verses from the original by
Alexander Montgomerie of Hesilheid, author of " The Cherrie and
the Slae," of whom we gave some account in the former Series of the
Ballads and Songs. In the " Flyting" between Hume of Polwart
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and Montgomerie, allusion is frequently made by the fonner to Montj
gomerie's visits to the Highlands, such as—
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" Into Argyle some lair to leir," &c.
" In Argyle, amang gaites he gead within glennes."
" JErse slaiker, gleyd glaiker, roome raiker, for releife."
Neither Dr Irving, nor any of the other biographers or commentators
on the works of Montgomerie, have assigned any reason for
the Poet's sojournings in the Highlands, and we have been led to
regard the allusions of Hume as the license of poetic banter. Dr
Crawfurd of Lochwinnoch, however, who has devoted much attention
to family research, enables us to add a new fact to the scanty materials
illustrative of the life of Montgomerie.
Amongst the Craigend's
papers, he found a contract of marriage betwixt James Craufurd of
Auchinames and Elizabeth, " dochter of William, Erie of Glencairn"
—dated Sept. 1579—in which reservation is made " to Geillis Conynghame,
relict of umql. Johnne Crawfurd of Auchinames, hir lyfrent and
hir Terce," &c. ;
" and siclyke reservand to Dame Marioun Montgomerie,
Lady of the Shippinmage, hir lyfrent of 27 bolls victuall,
togiddir with thrie dussane of capownes and henis quhilk scha hes,
in Terce, furth of the saidis 21 merkland of Corsbie," &c. This Ma-
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