Compar'd with this, how poor Religion's pride,
In all the pomp of method, and of art, When men display to congregations wide Devotion's ev'ry grace, except the heart! The Pow'r, incens'd, the pageant will desert, The pompous strain, the sacerdotal stole ; But haply, in some cottage far apart,
May hear, well pleas'd, the language of the soul, And in his Book of Life the inmates poor enroll.
Then homeward all take off their sev'ral way; The youngling cottagers retire to rest; The parent-pair their secret homage pay, And proffer up to Heav'n the warm request, That He, who stills the raven's clam'rous nest, And decks the lily fair in flow'ry 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 lov'd at home, rever'd 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 refin'd!
O 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 much-lov'd Isle.
O Thou! who pour'd the patriotic tide
That stream'd thro' Wallace's undaunted heart;
Who dar'd 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!) O never, never, Scotia's realm desert,
But still the patriot and the patriot-bard
In bright succession raise, her ornament and guard!
'TWAS in that place o' Scotland's isle, That bears the name o' Auld King Coil, Upon a bonie day in June,
When wearing thro' the afternoon, Twa dogs, that were na thrang at hame, Forgather'd ance upon a time.
The first I'll name, they ca'd him Cæsar,
Was keepit for his Honour's pleasure: His hair, his size, his mouth, his lugs, Shew'd he was nane o' Scotland's dogs; But whalpit some place far abroad, Whare sailors gang to fish for Cod.
His locked, letter'd, braw brass collar, Shew'd him the gentleman and scholar; But tho' he was o' high degree, The fient a pride- -na pride had he; But wad hae spent an hour caressin Ev'n wi' a tinkler-gypsey's messin. At kirk or market, mill or smiddie, Nae tawted tyke, tho' e'er sae duddie, But he wad stan't, as glad to see him, An' stroan't on stanes and hillocks wi' him. The tither was a ploughman's collie,
A rhyming, ranting, raving billie,
Trowth, Cæsar, whyles they're fash't eneugh; A cotter howkin in a sheugh,
Wi' dirty stanes biggin a dyke, Baring a quarry, and siclike, Himsel, a wife, he thus sustains, A smytrie o' wee duddie weans,
An' nought but his han' darg, to keep Them right and tight in thack an' rape. An' when they meet wi' sair disasters, Like loss o' health, or want o' masters, Ye maist wad think, a wee touch langer, An' they maun starve o' cauld and hunger; But, how it comes, I never kent yet, They're maistly wonderfu' contented An' buirdly chiels an' clever hizzies Are bred in sic a way as this is.
But then to see how ye're negleckit, How huff'd, an' cuff'd, an' disrespeckit ! Lord, man, our gentry care as little For delvers, ditchers, an' sic cattle, They gang as saucy by poor folk, As I wad by a stinking brock.
I've notic'd, on our Laird's court-day, An' mony a time my heart's been wae, Poor tenant bodies, scant o' cash, How they maun thole a factor's snash: He'll stamp an' threaten, curse an' swear, He'll apprehend them, poind their gear; While they maun stan' wi' aspect humble, An' hear it a', an' fear and tremble!
I see how folk live that hae riches: But surely poor folk maun be wretches.
They're nae sae wretched's ane wad think,
Tho' constantly on poortith's brink :
They're sae accustom'd wi' the sight, The view o't gies them little fright.
Then chance an' fortune are sae guided, They're ay in less or mair provided; An' tho' fatigu'd wi' close employment, A blink o' rest's a sweet enjoyment.
The dearest comfort o' their lives, Their grushie weans an' faithfu' wives; The prattling things are just their pride, That sweetens a' their fire-side.
An' whyles twalpennie worth o' nappy Can mak the bodies unco happy; They lay aside their private cares, To mind the Kirk and State affairs; They'll talk o' patronage an' priests Wi' kindling fury in their breasts, Or tell what new taxation's comin, An' ferlie at the folk in Lon'on.
As bleak-fac'd Hallowmass returns, They get the jovial, ranting kirns, When rural life, o' ev'ry station,
Unite in common recreation;
Love blinks, Wit slaps, an' social Mirth
Forgets there's Care upo' the earth.
That merry day the year begins They bar the door on frosty win's; The nappy reeks wi' mantling ream, An' sheds a heart-inspiring steam; The luntin pipe an' sneeshin mill
Are handed round wi' right guid will; The cantie auld folks crackin crouse, The young anes rantin thro' the house,- My heart has been sae fain to see them, That I for joy hae barket wi' them.
Still it's owre true that ye hae said, Sic game is now owre aften play'd. There's monie a creditable stock O' decent, honest, fawsont folk Are riven out baith root an' branch, Some rascal's pridefu' greed to quench, Wha thinks to knit himsel the faster
In favour wi' some gentle Master,
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