Bounteous no more, and hofpitably good,
The genial hearth first blush'd with stranger's blood:
The friend no more upon the friend relies,
And femblant falfhood puts on truth's disguise.
The peaceful houfhold fill'd with dire alarms,
The ravish'd virgin mourns her flighted charms :
The voice of impious mirth is heard around:
In guilt they feast, in guilt the bowl is crown'd:
Unpunifh'd violence lords it o'er the plains,
And happiness forfakes the guilty fwains.
Oh, happiness! from buman fearch retir'd,
Where art thou to be found, by all defir'd?
Nun fober and devout! why art thou fled,
To hide in shades thy meek contented head?
Virgin of afpect mild! ah, why, unkind,
Fly't thou, difpleas'd, the commerce of mankind?
Oh, teach our steps to find the fecret cell,
Where, with thy fire Content, thou lov't to dwell.
Or fay, dost thou a duteous handmaid wait
Familiar at the chambers of the great?
Doft thou pursue the voice of them that call
To noify revel, and to midnight ball?
Or the full banquet when we feast our soul,
Doft thou infpire the mirth, or mix the bowl?
Or, with th' industrious planter, doft thou talk,
Converfing freely in an evening walk?
Say, does the mifer e'er thy face behold,
Watchful and ftudious of the treasur'd gold?
Seeks knowledge, not in vain, thy much lov'd pow'r,
Still mufing filent at the morning hour?
May we thy presence hope in war's alarms,
In Stairs's wifdom, or in Erfkine's charms?
In vain our flatt'ring hopes our steps beguile,
The flying good eludes the fearcher's toil:
In vain we seek the city or the cell,
Alone with virtue knows the pow'r to dwell.
Nor need mankind despair thefe joys to know,
The gift themfelves may on themselves bestow.
Soon, foon we might the precious bleifing boast;
But many paffions must the bleffing cott;
Infernal malice, inly pining hate,
And envy, grieving at another's ftate.
Revenge no more must in our hearts remain,
Or burning luft, or avarice of gain.
When thefe are in the human bosom nurst,
Can peace refide in dwellings fo accurst?
Unlike, Oh, Eglinton! thy happy breast,
Calin and ferene, enjoys the heav'nly guest;
From the tumultuous rule of paffions free'd,
Pure in thy thought, and spotlefs in thy deed.
In virtues rich, in goodness unconfin'd,
Thou fhin'st a fair example to thy kind;
Sincere and equal to thy neighbour's name,
How swift to praife, how guiltlefs to defame?
Bold in thy prefence bafhfuinefs appears,
And backward merit lofes all its fears.
Supremely bleft by heav'n, heav'n's richest grace
Confeft is thine, an early blooming race,
Whofe pleafing fimiles fall guardian wisdom arm,
Divine inftruction! taught of thee to charm.
What transports hall they to thy foul impart
(The confcious tranfports of a parent's heart)
When thou behold'st them of each grace poffeít,
And fighing youths imploring to be bleft!
After thy image form'd, with charms like thine,
Or in the vifit or the dance to fhine.
Thrice happy! who fucceed their mother's praise,
The lovely Eglintons of other days.
Mean while perufe the following tender scenes,
And liften to thy native poet's strains;
In ancient garb the home-bred mufe appears,
The garb our mufes wore in former years;
As in a glafs reflected, here behold
How fmiling goodness look'd in days of old.
Nor blush, to read where beauty's praife is fhown,
Or virtuous love, the likeness of thy own;
While 'midft the various gifts that gracious heaven,
To thee, in whom it is well pleas'd, has given,
Let this, Oh, Eglinton! delight thee moft,
'I' enjoy that innocence the world has loft.
HE nipping frofts and driving fna Are o'er the hills and far awa; Bauld Boreas fleeps. the Zephyrs blaw,
Sae dainty, youthfu, gay, and bra,
Anes, anes again, beneath some tree,
Exert thy skill and nat❜ral glee,
To him wha has fae courteously.
Set these rude fonnets fung by me
Thefe doughty actions frae his pen, Our age, and these to come, shall ken, How ftubborn navies did contend
How free-born Britons faught like men,
Their faies like flaves.
Sae far infcribing, Sir, to you, This country fang, my fancy flew, Keen your juft merit to purfue;
11. To weaker fight, fet thefe, &c.] Having done me the honour of turning fome of my paftoral poems into English justly and elegantly.
21. Frae bis pen.] His valuable Naval History.
Grant you a lang and muckle fhair
Till unto langest life and mair
May never care your bleffings fowr,
And may the mufes ilka hour
Improve your mind, and haunt your bow'r :
Yet may I please you, while I'm your
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