Still, with vain fondness, could I trace, Anew, each kind familiar face, That brighten'd at our evening fire! 210 From the thatch'd mansion's grey-hair'd Sire, Wise without learning, plain and good, And sprung of Scotland's gentler blood; Whose eye, in age, quick, clear, and keen, Show'd what in youth its glance had been; 215 Whose doom discording neighbours sought, Content with equity unbought; To him the venerable Priest, Our frequent and familiar guest, Whose life and manners well could paint 220 Alike the student and the saint; Alas! whose speech too oft I broke With gambol rude and timeless joke: For I was wayward, bold, and wild, A self-will'd imp, a grandame's child; 225 But half a plague, and half a jest, Was still endured, beloved, caress'd. From me, thus nurtured, dost thou ask The classic poet's well-conn'd task? Nay, Erskine, nay--On the wild hill 230 Let the wild heath-bell flourish still; Cherish the tulip, prune the vine, But freely let the woodbine twine, And leave untrimm'd the eglantine: Nay, my friend, nay--Since oft thy praise 235 Hath given fresh vigour to my lays; Since oft thy judgment could refine My flatten'd thought, or cumbrous line; Still kind, as is thy wont, attend, And in the minstrel spare the friend. 240 Though wild as cloud, as stream, as gale, Flow forth, flow unrestrain'd, my Tale! CANTO THIRD. THE HOSTEL, OR INN. I. The livelong day Lord Marmion rode: The mountain path the Palmer show'd By glen and streamlet winded still, Where stunted birches hid the rill. They might not choose the lowland road, 5 For the Merse forayers were abroad, Who, fired with hate and thirst of prey, Had scarcely fail'd to bar their way. Oft on the trampling band, from crown Of some tall cliff, the deer look'd down; 10 On wing of jet, from his repose In the deep heath, the black-cock rose; Sprung from the gorse the timid roe, Nor waited for the bending bow; And when the stony path began, 15 By which the naked peak they wan, Up flew the snowy ptarmigan. The noon had long been pass'd before They gain'd the height of Lammermoor; Thence winding down the northern way, 20 Before them, at the close of day, Old Gifford's towers and hamlet lay. II.