62 ON THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN MENTAL 



upon her sick bed, centre in her approaching death, and the whole 

 of the portions of old ballads collected in her roving and desultory 

 life bear upon this point. 



u Our work is over, over now ; — 

 The goodman wipes his weary brow, 

 The last long wain winds slow away, 

 And we are free to sport and play ; 

 The night comes on, when sets the sun, 

 And labour ends when day is done ; 

 When autumn's gone and winter's come 

 We hold our jolly harvest home." 



Again, in a strain of a different character — 



" When the fight of grace is fought, 

 When the marriage vest is wrought, 

 When faith hath chased cold doubt away, 

 And hope but sickens at delay, 

 When charity, imprisoned here, 

 Longs for a more expanded sphere; 

 Doff thy robes of sin and clay, 

 Christian, rise ! and come away." 



The next snatches are extremely pathetic, and indicate a greater 

 degree of consciousness than was exhibited by the former. Memory 

 assumes more power, and the poor maniac looks back with sorrow 

 and shame at the crimes and misfortunes of her past life, and her 

 once happy home — contrasts it with her present situation as an out- 

 cast on the bed of charity ; and prophecies that an evil and sudden 

 termination of existence must attend the author of all her miseries : 



i( Cold is my bed, Lord Archibald, 



And sad my sleep of sorrow; 

 But thine shall be as sad and cold, 



My false true love, to-morrow. 

 And weep ye not my maiden's free, 



Tho' death your mistress borrow ; 

 For he for whom I die to-day 



Shall die for me to-morrow." 



Her last words relate to her burial, which a strange mixture of 

 ideas confuse with a wedding : 



u ' Tell me, thou bonnie bird, 

 When shall I marry me ;' 

 When six braw gentlemen 

 Kirkward shall carry ye.' 



