ON READING IN A NEWSPAPER THE DEATH OF JOHN M'LEOD, ESQ., BROTHER TO A YOUNG LADY, A PARTICULAR FRIEND OF THE AUTHOR'S. SAD thy tale, thou idle page, And rueful thy alarms: Death tears the brother of her love Sweetly deckt with pearly dew Fair on Isabella's morn The sun propitious smil'd; But, long ere noon, succeeding clouds Fate oft tears the bosom chords So Isabella's heart was form'd, 10 Dread Omnipotence alone Can heal the wound He gave; Can point the brimful grief-worn eyes Virtue's blossoms there shall blow, There Isabella's spotless worth 20 ON THE BIRTH OF A POSTHUMOUS CHILD, BORN IN PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF FAMILY DISTRESS. SWEET flow'ret, pledge o' meikle love, November hirples o'er the lea, May He who gives the rain to pour, May He, the friend of woe and want, But late she flourish'd, rooted fast, Blest be thy bloom, thou lovely gem, And from thee many a parent stem ΙΟ 20 EPITAPH ON THE POET'S DAUGHTER. HERE lies a rose, a budding rose, Whose innocence did sweets disclose To those who for her loss are grieved, She's from a world of woe relieved, VERSES WRITTEN UNDER VIOLENT GRIEF. ACCEPT the gift a friend sincere Wad on thy worth be pressin'; Though 'twad my sorrows lessen. My morning raise sae clear and fair, My peace, my hope, for ever! You think I'm glad; oh, I pay weel For a' the joy I borrow, My deeply-ranklin' sorrow. Farewell! within thy bosom free TO A LADY, WITH A PRESENT OF A PAIR OF DRINKING GLASSES. FAIR Empress of the Poet's soul, And fill them high with generous juice, And pledge me in the generous toast-- 'To those who love us!'-second fill; TO MISS FERRIER, ENCLOSING THE ELEGY ON SIR J. H. BLAIR. NAE heathen name shall I prefix Auld Reekie dings them a' to sticks, For rhyme-inspiring lasses. Jove's tunefu' dochters three times three But, gi'en the body half an ee, Last day my mind was in a bog, A creeping cauld prosaic fog 10 ΙΟ Do what I dought to set her free, Ye turned a neuk-I saw your ee-- The mournfu' sang I here enclose, And wish and pray in rhyme and prose, A' gude things may attend you! WRITTEN ON THE BLANK LEAF OF A COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION OF HIS POEMS, ONCE fondly lov'd, and still remember'd dear, And when you read the simple artless rhymes. 20 INSCRIPTION FOR AN ALTAR TO INDEPENDENCE, AT KERROUGHTRY, SEAT OF MR. HERON, WRITTEN IN SUMMER, 1795. THOU of an independent mind, With soul resolv'd, with soul resign'd; Virtue alone who dost revere, Thy own reproach alone dost fear, Approach this shrine, and worship here. |