The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-08-18
Jessie, the Flower Of Dunblane.

tunatc, ScOttlSh poet, Iannanlll Inerc are
few of our readers, we suppose, but are fa-
miliar with the beautiful poem, and the de-
lightful music, of Jessie, the Flower Of
Dunblane."
The fair object of this song was a
bonnie lassie in Dunblane. Her fam
lily were of poor extraction, and Jessie
herself was contcnted with a peasants
lot. When Tannahill became ac-
quainted with her, she was in her
g teens," a slight, dimple-cheeked,
happy lassie /; her hair yellow colored
and luxuriant her eyes large and
full, overhowing with the voluptuous
languor which is so becoming in young
blue eyes with golden lashes. Tanna-
hill was struck with her beauty, and
as in all things he was enthusiastical,
became forthwith her ardent worship
per. But her heart was not to be
won. Young, thoughtless, and pant
ing to know and see the world, she
left her poor amourante " to con songs
to his mistress eyebrows" while she
recklessly rambled along the flowery
meads of Dunblane, or of an evening
sang his inspired verses to him with
the most notifying nonctdldnce. This
was a two-fold misery to the sensitive
poet. A creature so sweetly elegant,
so dear to him, so very lovely and in
nocent, and yet, withal, so encased in
insensibility, as apparently to be ncith-
er conscious of the beauty of the verses
trembling on her dulcet tongue, nor
caring for the caresses of her lover.
Twas too much to mark all this, and
feel it with the feeling of a poet was
the acme of misery. But the " Flow
er of Dunblane was not that unfeel-
ing. unimaginative being which Tan
nahill pictured her. She was a crea-
ture all feeling, all imagination, al
though the bard had not that in his
person or manners to engage her at
tention or to arrest her fancy. The
young affections are not to be control
led. Love-almighty love-must be
free, else it ceases to be love.
Tannahill was plain in his person
and uncouth in his manners, and felt
and expressed discomfort at the cruel
disappointment which it had been his
fate almost invariably to encounter.
Jessie, on the contrary, looked upon
the world as brilliant spectacle yet
to be seen and enjoyed-as a vast par
adise full of the beauty of heaven and
of earth, where men walked forth in
the image of their creator, invested
with his attributes, and woman trod
proudly amidst the lovely creation, as
an angel venerated and adored. To
express dissatisfaction under all these
circumstances was, to her mind, the
extravaganza of a misanthrope, the
madness of a real lover of misery, and
sufficient cause for her not to respect
him. Both viewed the world through
false medium, and their deductions,
although at variance, gave color to
their minds and accelerated their fate.
Jessie could not comprehend what ap-
peared to her the folly of her suitor.
She relished not his sickly sentiment,
and, as all womankind ever did and
do, she scorned a cooling lover. The
bard was driven to despair, and sum-
moning up an unwonted energy of
mind, departed, and left his adored to
her youthful alterations. Soon after
this period the song of "Jessie, the
Flower of Dunbane," together with
the music, was published and became
public favorite it was sung every
where. in theatres and at parties a
world of praise was showered upon it
from woman's fattering lips, and men
became mad to know the adored sub
ject of the lay. In a short period it
was discovered. Jessie Monteith, the
pretty peasant of Dunblane, was the
favored one.
From all quarters young men and
bachelors flocked to see her, and her
own sex were curious and critical.
Many promising youths paid their ad-
dresses to her, and experienced the
same reception as her first lover. New
ertheless, poor Jessie became really
enamoured. A rakish spark from
Midlothians, adorned with education,
being of polished manners, and conf
dent from wealth and superiority of
rank, gained her young affections.
She too credulously trusted in his un-
hallowed professions. The ardor of
first love oyercame her better judg-
ment, and, abandoning herself to her
love passion, she made an imprudent
escape from the protection of her par
ents, and soon found hersefin elegant
apartments near the city of Edinburgh.
The song of neglected Tannahill was
to his Jessie both glory and curse ;
while it brought her into notice and
enchanted her beauty, it laid the foun-
dation of her final destruction. Pop
ularity is dangerous elevation, wheth-
er the object of it be a peasant or
prince ; temptations crowd around it,
and snares are laid on every hand.
"Who would be eminent" said a dis
tin nguished child of popularity" if they
knew the peril, the madness, and dis,
traction of mind to which the creature
of the popular breath is exposed p
When the poet heard the fate of his
beloved Jessie, his heart almost burst
with mental agony, and, working him
| self into the enthnsiastic frenzy of in.