Robert Gilfillan
Blue Bonnets Over the Border
(Scott)
Read, read, Woodstock and Waverley,
Turn every page and read forward in order;
Read, read, every tale cleverly,
All the old novels are over the border.
Many a book lies dead,
Dusty and never read,
Many a chiel wants a thread to his story;
While Walter, that king o’ men,
Just with his single pen,
Like a giant, well grogged, marches on in his glory!
Come from your tales full of murders amazing,
Come from romaunts gone to bed long ago;
Come from the scribblers whom pye-men are praising,
Come to Redgauntlet and brave Ivanhoe!
Scott’s fame is sounding,
Readers abounding,
May laurels long circle his locks thin and hoary!
Scotland shall many a day
Speak of her bard, and say,
He lived for his country, and wrote for her glory!