 | The Poetical Works of David Macbeth Moir |  |
26
VI.
[Leaning upon the time-worn parapet]
Leaning upon the time-worn parapetOf this old Roman bridge,
The venerable bridge over the Esk at Musselburgh is believed to be of Roman construction; but no traces of its date are extant. An ancient local tax for keeping it in repair is still in force, under the name of the gentes custom.
Three noted fields of battle are within view of Inveresk— Pinkie, Carberry, and Prestonpans.
Of Forth hath seen thee, Esk, gliding away
From age to age, and spans thee gliding yet,—
Before me I behold thy sea-most town,
Yclept in Saxon Chronicles Eske-mouthe,
Its venerable roofs—its spire uncouth—
And Pinkie's field of sorrowful renown.
Scenes of my childhood, manhood, and decline—
Scenes that my sorrows and my joys have known,
Ye saw my birth, and be my dust your own,
When, as these waters mingle with the sea,
To look upon the light no more is mine,
And time is swallowed in eternity!
| The Poetical Works of David Macbeth Moir | |