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 power to dwell:
Nor need mankind despair those joys to know,
The gift themselves may on themselves bestow:
Soon, foon we might the precious bleffing boast,
But many paffions muft the bleffing coft;
Infernal malice, inly pining hate,
And envy grieving at another's ftate;
Revenge no more muft in our hearts remain,
Or burning luft, or avarice of gain.
When these are in the human bosom nurst,
Can peace refide in dwellings fo accurst?
Unlike, O Eglintoun! thy happy breast,
Calm and ferene enjoys the heavenly gueft;
From the tumultuous rule of paffions freed,
Pure in thy thought, and spotless 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 praise! how guiltless to defame!
Bold in thy prefence bashfulness 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,
Whose pleasing smiles fhall guardian wisdom arm,
Divine instruction! taught of thee to charm;
What transports fhall they to thy foul impart,
(The conscious transports of a parent's heart,)
When thou behold'st them of each grace poffeft,
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 Eglintouns of other days.
Meanwhile, peruse the following tender scenes,
And liften to thy native poet's strains :
In ancient garb the home-bred muse appears,
The garb our mufes wore in former years.
As in a glafs reflected, here behold
How smiling goodness look'd in days of old :
Nor blush to read where beauty's praise is fhewn,
Or virtuous love, the likeness of thy own;
While 'midst the various gifts that gracious heaven
To thee, in whom it is well pleas'd, has given,
Let this, O Eglintoun! delight thee most,
T'enjoy that innocence the world has loft.
TO JOSIAH BURCHET, SECRETARY OF THE ADMIRATY,
WITH THE FIRST SCENE OF THE GENTLE SHEPHERD
THE nipping frofts, and driving fna,
Are o'er the hills and far awa;
Bauld Boreas fleeps, the Zephyrs blaw,
And ilka thing
Sae dainty, youthfou', gay, and bra,'
Invites to fing.
Then let's begin by creek of day,
Kind muse skiff to the bent away,
The eclogue, intitled "Patie and Roger," which now forms the first scene of the "Gentle Shepherd," was published feveral years before the author compofed the pastoral comedy of that name. It was from obferving the talents difplayed in that eclogue, and a fequel to it, intitled "Jenny and Meggy," likewife feparately publifhed, that his friends advised him to attempt a complete drama in the paftoral ftyle.
To try anes mair the landart lay,
With a' thy speed,
Since Burchet awns that thou can play
Upon the reed.
Anes, anes again beneath fome tree
Exert thy fkill and nat❜ral glee,
To him wha has fae courteously,
To weaker fight,
Set these rude fonnets * fung by me
In trueft light.
In trueft light may a' that's fine
In his fair character still shine,
Sma' need he has of fangs like mine,
To beet his name;
For frae the north to fouthern line,
Wide gangs his fame.
His fame, which ever shall abide,
Whilst hist'ries tell of tyrants' pride,
Having done me the honour of turning fome of my paf
toral poems into English, juftly and elegantly.
Wha vainly strave upon the tide
T' invade these lands,
Where Britain's royal fleet doth ride,
Which still commands.
These doughty actions frae his pen †,
Our age, and these to come, shall ken,
How ftubborn navies did contend
How free-born Britons fought like men,
Their faes like flaves.
Sae far infcribing, Sir, to you,
This country fang, my fancy flew,
Keen your just merit to pursue ;
But ah! I fear,
In giving praises that are due,
Yet, tent a poet's zealous prayer;
May powers aboon with kindly care,
Grant you a lang and muckle skair
Of a' that 's good,
'Till unto langeft life and mair
You've healthfu' ftood.
His valuable Naval Hiftory.
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