And shee shed the haire off her milk white bree

Wi' her fingers sae sma' and lang;

And fast as saylit that gude ship on, her sang.

Sae louder was aye

And aye shee
shee sang, and aye shee sang
the sea;

As shee rade upon

If ye bee men of Christian moulde
Throwe the master out to mee.

"Throwe out to mee the master bauld
If ye bee Christian men;

But an ye faile, though fast ye sayle
Ye'll nevir see land agen!

Sayle on, sayle on, sayle on," said shee,

"Sayle on and nevir blinne,

The winde at will your saylis may fill,
But the land ye shall never win!"

Its never word spak that master bauld,
But a loud laugh leuch the crewe;
And in the deep then the mermayden
Doun drappit frae their viewe.

But ilk ane kythit her bonnie face,
How dark dark grew its lire;

And ilk ane saw her bricht bricht eyne
Leming like coals o' fire.

And ilk ane saw her lang bricht hair
Gae flashing through the tide,

And the sparkles o' the glass shee brake
Upon that gude ship's side.

"Steer on, steer on, thou master bauld, The wind blaws unco hie;"

"O there's not a sterne in a' the lift To guide us thro' the sea!"

"Steer on, steer on, thou master bauld, The storm is coming fast;" "Then up, then up my bonnie boy

Unto the topmost mast.

"Creep up unto the tallest mast,

Gae up my ae best man;

Climb

up until the tall top mast And spy gin ye see land."

"Oh all is mirk towards the eist,
And all is mirk be west;
Alas there is not a spot of light

Where any eye can rest!"

"Looke oute, looke oute my bauldest man, Looke oute unto the storme,

And if ye cannot get sicht o' land,

Do you see the dawin o' morn?"

Oh alace, alace my master deare,"
Spak then that ae best man;
"Nor licht, nor land, nor living thing,
Do I spy on any hand."

"Looke yet agen my ae best man,
And tell me what ye do see:"
"O Lord! I spy the false mermayden
Fast sayling out owre the sea!"

How can ye spy the fause mermayden
Fast sayling on the mirk sea,

For there's neither mune nor mornin' licht

In troth it can nevir bee."

"O there is neither mune nor mornin' licht, Nor ae star's blink on the sea;

But as I am a Christian man,

That witch woman I see!

'Good Lord! there is a scaud o' fire
Fast coming out owre the sea;

And fast therein the grim mermayden
Is sayling on to thee!

"Shee hailes our ship wi' a shrill shrill cryShee is coming, alace, more near :"

“Ah woe is me now," said the master bauld, "For I both do see and hear!

"Come doun, come doun my ae best man, For an ill weird I maun drie:

Yet, I reck not for my sinful self,

But thou my trew companie!"

HALBERT THE GRIM.

THE following beautiful verses were suggested to the writer of them, by the highly graphic description of the abode of Pluto, given by Matthew Paris.—And the gentleman whose character is here attempted to be delineated, is such a person, as, in the estimation of the learned Monk of St. Alban's, was fully entitled to be an inhabitant of the place of terrors.

Miles quidam, qui vitam, suam in cædibus innocentium, et torneamentis peregerat, et rapinis. Hic omnibus armis militibus armatus, equo nigerrimo insidebat; qui piceam flammam cum fætore spumo per os et naress cum urgeretur calcaribus, efflabat.-Matt. Paris, p. 219.

THERE is blood on that brow;
There is blood on that hand;
There is blood on that hauberk,
And blood on that brand.

Oh! bloody all over

Is his war cloak, I weet;
And he's wrapped in the cover
Of murder's red sheet.

There is pity in many:

Is there any in him?
No! Ruth is a strange guest
To Halbert the Grim.