He wales a portion with judicious care; selects And "Let us worship GOD!" he says, with solemn air. They chant their artless notes in simple guise; They tune their hearts, by far the noblest aim: Perhaps Dundee's wild-warbling measures rise, Or plaintive Martyrs, worthy of the name, Or noble Elgin beets the heavenward flame, The sweetest far of Scotia's holy lays: [feeds Compared with these, Italian trills are tame; The tickled ear no heartfelt raptures raise ; Nae unison hae they with our Creator's praise. The priest-like father reads the sacred page How Abram was the friend of GOD on high; Or, Moses bade eternal warfare wage With Amalek's ungracious progeny ; Or how the royal bard did groaning lie Beneath the stroke of Heaven's avenging ire; Or Job's pathetic plaint, and wailing cry; Or rapt Isaiah's wild, seraphic fire; Or other holy seers that tune the sacred lyre. Perhaps the Christian volume is the theme How guiltless blood for guilty man was shed: How HE, who bore in heaven the second name, Had not on earth whereon to lay his head: How his first followers and servants sped: The precepts sage they wrote to many a land: How he, who lone in Patmos banished, Saw in the sun a mighty angel stand, And heard great Bab'lon's doom pronounced by Heaven's command. Then kneeling down to HEAVEN'S ETERNAL KING, The saint, the father, and the husband prays: Hope "springs exulting on triumphant wing,"1 That thus they all shall meet in future days: There ever bask in uncreated rays, No more to sigh, or shed the bitter tear, Together hymning their Creator's praise, In such society, yet still more dear; While circling Time moves round in an eternal sphere. Compared with this, how poor Religion's pride, The Power, incensed, the pageant will desert, The pompous strain, the sacerdotal stole ; But, haply, in some cottage far apart, May hear, well pleased, the language of the soul; And in His book of life the inmates poor enrol. Then homeward all take off their several way; That HE, who stills the raven's clamorous And decks the lily fair in flowery pride, Would, in the way His wisdom sees the best, For them and for their little ones provide; But, chiefly, in their hearts with grace divine preside. From scenes like these old Scotia's grandeur springs, That makes her loved at home, revered abroad: Princes and lords are but the breath of kings, "An honest man's the noblest work of God;" And certes, in fair Virtue's heavenly road, The cottage leaves the palace far behind : What is a lordling's pomp? a cumbrous load, Disguising oft the wretch of human kind, Studied in arts of hell, in wickedness refined ! Oh Scotia! my dear, my native soil! For whom my warmest wish to Heaven is sent, Long may thy hardy sons of rustic toil Be blest with health, and peace, and sweet content! And oh may Heaven their simple lives prevent From luxury's contagion, weak and vile! Then, howe'er crowns and coronets be rent, A virtuous populace may rise the while, And stand a wall of fire around their muchloved isle. Oh Thou who poured the patriotic tide, That streamed through Wallace's undaunted heart, Who dared to nobly stem tyrannic pride, Or nobly die, the second glorious part, (The patriot's God, peculiarly thou art, His friend, inspirer, guardian, and reward!) Oh never, never, Scotia's realm desert; But still the patriot, and the patriot bard, In bright succession raise, her ornament and guard ! ADDRESS TO THE DEIL. "Oh prince, oh chief of many throned powers, That led th' embattled seraphim to war!"- MILTON. The Address to the Deil appears to have been produced in early winter, probably before the month of November had expired. Gilbert recollected his brother repeating the poem to him as they were going together with their carts to bring coal for the family fire. Он thou! whatever title suit thee, Spairges about the brunstane cootie,2 To scaud poor wretches! Hear me, auld Hangie, for a wee, dashes 1 A Scotch appellative of Satan, from his cloven feet or cloots. 2 Burns here imagines a foot-pail, called in Scotland a cootie, as employed by Satan in distributing brimstone over the unfortunates under his care. |