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ORIGINAL POETRY. 



[Nov. 1, 



TH* MURDER OF 



THE RED CUMING. 



WRITTKN BY THE CHEVALIER LAW- 

 RENCE. 



■pOBERT BRUCE having, in the year 

 1304) i difputs with John, furnameci, 

 fnni the colour of liis liair, the Red Cu- 

 m ng, a powerful chieftain, and formerly 

 regent of Scotland, ftabbed him in the Do- 

 minican church of Dunnfrics ; but, full of 

 confufion and remorfe, the future monarch 

 ruflu-d out of the church with the bloody 

 poinard in his hind. K.:rlcpatrick and Lind-- 

 fav, two barons of hi: party, were waiting 

 at the gate. " I doubt (faid Bruce) I have 

 (lain trie Red Cuming." " Doubtcft thou 

 (exclaimed Kirkp..tricli) : I mak ficker." — 

 .Accordingly with Linufay and a f'.-w follow- 

 ers he ruflled into the church and difpitched 

 the vvoiindfd Cuming. The priefts, offended 

 at a f'.nftuary's being violated, reported, that 

 as they were watching the dead body at mid- 

 night, they all were o'ertaken by a deep 

 fleep, excpt one aged father, who heard a 

 voice exclaim, " How long, O Lord I rtnll 

 vengeance be deferred .'" It was anfwcred, 

 <' Endure with patience till this day (hall re- 

 turn for the fir'y-feco;id lime." In I3;7 

 Jame= of L'n. I.n- was hofpitably featVed in the 

 caftle of Caeriaveroc in Dumfriesfhire, be- 

 Joneinp to Roger Kiik^atrick. Thej were 

 the fons of the murderers of tlie regent.^ 

 In the deaii of the night, for fome unknown 

 cauf- , LiiJfay arofe and poinatiltvi in his bed 

 his unfu'p' cti.^g 1,0ft. He ther, mounted his 

 horle to fly, but guilt and fear had fo bewil- 

 dercd his fer.fcs, that after riding till day- 

 break lie was taken not three miles fiom the 

 caftle, and executed by order of King David 

 II. 



' THE haly abbot of Du.-nfrics 

 Wai ftricken with aflVight, 

 Returning thro' the kirkyard trees. 

 He herde the bird o' night. 



He draptabead, he crofs'd himfel, 

 " Gramercie Chrift me fave," 



Anon he herde a toUi.Tg bell, 

 And thought him an tie grave. 



He left hi$ palfrey in the ftall 5 



The cloiiters all wc;e mirk, 

 Nae mank found he in cell or hall. 



He haftcdto the kirk. 



The kirk was de^k'd in black attire, 

 The Sd';;Us in black ariay'd, 



And in the middle o' the quire 

 A bloody corple was laid, 



And round it mony a monk and frlsj 

 . Jn iilence watch'd andpwy'd. 



And when they faw their abbot come. 

 And blcfs them wi' the fign. 

 With luiks they fpake, their lips were dumb, 

 They pointed to the ihrine. 



And nearer as he came, he found 



The altar ftain'd in blood, 

 And on the fteps and all around 



There ftream'd acrintifon flood. 



His filver locks wild horror rais'd, 

 And wae ! he cried, wae! wae ! 



The mae he cried, the mae he gaz'd. 

 The wounds they bled the mae. 



" Say wha is murder'J here ? (he Cried) 



And by whafe arm he fell ? 

 He feems a chief 0' mickle pride ; 



Methinks I ken him well." 



«' Red Cuming lies upon that biec 



(A mi;nk avofe and faid), 

 And gill' he war a traitor here, 



He ij a faint now dead. 



" For being flain in holy ground 



Ry nitbhfs dirks and keen, 

 The blo.)d that trickles frae his wound 



Will vva/h his confcicnce clean. 

 " Cuming, the friend of England's namej 



And Bruce, the Scotfman bold. 

 This morning unattended came 



A parley here to hold. 



" Red Cuming had for Edward fpoke. 



And fpoke of Engli(h gold : 

 Qaotb Bruce, < Th.u haft thy honour brokS, 



And our dear country fold.' 

 ' You lie,' quoth Cuming ; Bruce replied 



Nie word, but drew his dirk, 

 And plung'd it in the rege.Tt's fide. 



In fpite o' mither kirk. 



«' But Bruce was ftruck wi' haly fear. 



And fled without the kirk. 

 The barons faw the chief appear, 



Grafping the bloody dirk. 



«< His bulhy hair Ike briftles flood. 



His luiks war all aftound. 

 And frae his dirk the draps 0' blood 

 Ran trickling to the ground. 

 « What now ? what now?' (Kirkpatrick cried, 

 Wi' frown o' fierce difdain) 

 * I doubt (faid Bruce, he faid and figh'd) 



I have Red Cuming flain.' 

 « What doubteft thou (with knotty brort 



Return'd Caerlaveroc's knight) ; 

 « 1 fickcr make,' Kirkpatrick fpake. 



And vanilli'd out o' fight. 

 «' And he and Lindfay, like bloodhounds, 



Purfu'd the track o' gore. 

 And, while we fltove to bind his wounds, 

 Picvc'd Cuming o'er and o'er. 



« Rsd 



