Who call'd on Fame, low ftanding by, To hand him on, Where many a Patriot-name on high And Hero fhone DUAN SE CON D. With mufing deep aftonish'd ftare, I view'd the heavenly-feeming Fair; A whisp'ring throb did witnefs bear Of kindred fweet, When with an elder Sifter's air She did me greet. • All hail! my own infpired Bard! Thus poorly low! I come to give thee fuch reward As we beltow. Know, the great Genius of this land, • Who, all beneath his high command, • Harmoniously, Their labours ply. • As Arts or Arms they understand, They Scotia's Race among them share; Some fire the Soldier on to dare; Some roufe the Patriot up to bare Corruption's heart: • Some teach the Bard, a darling care, The tuneful art. 'Mong fwelling floods of reeking gore, They ardent, kindling fpirits pour; • Or mid the venal Senate's roar, And when the Bard, or hoary Sage, Charm or inftruct the future age, They bind the wild Poetic rage Hence, Fullarton, the brave and young, Hence, Dempfler's zeal-inspired tongue; Hence, fweet harmonious Beattie fung • His Minarel lays;" Or tore, with noble ardour stung, The Scepetic's bays. To lower orders are affign'd • The Artifan; All chufe, as various they're inclin'd, The various man. When yellow waves the heavy grain, The threat'ning ftorm, fome ftrongly, rein; . Some teach to meliorate the plain With tillage-fkill; And fome inftruct the Shepherd-train, Blythe o'er the hill. 'Some hint the Lover's harmless wile; 'Some grace the maiden's artlefs fmile; Some foothe the Lab'rer's weary toil, For humble gains, And make his cottage-fcenes beguile His cares and pains. Some, bounded to a diftrict fpace, Explore at large Man's infant race, 'To mark the embryotic trace 6 Of these am I-Coila my name; And this district as mine I claim, 'Where once the Campbells chiefs of fame, • Held ruling pow'r : 'I mark'd thy embryo-tuneful flame, Thy natal hour. With future hope, I oft would gaze, • Fond on thy little early ways, Thy rudely caroll'd, chiming phrafe, In uncouth rhymes, Fir'd at the fimple, artlefs lays • Of other times." I faw thee feek the founding shore, Delighted with the dafhing roar ; Or when the North his fleecy flore 'Drove thro' the sky, I faw grim Nature's vifage hoar Strike thy young eye. Or when the deep green-mantl'd Earth ·Warm cherish'd cv'ry flow'ret's birth, And joy and mufic pouring forth In every grove, • I faw thee eye the gen❜ral mirth • With boundless love. When ripen'd fields, and azure skies, Call'd forth the Reaper's ruftling noife, • I faw thee leave their ev`ning joys, And lonely talk, To vent thy bofom's fwelling rife, In pensive walk. 6 < When youthful Love, warm-blushing strong Keen-fhivering hot thy nerves along, Thofe accents, grateful to thy tongue, Th' adored Name, I taught thee how to pour in fong, To foothe thy fame. I faw thy pulfe's maddening play, • Wild fend thee Pleafure's devious way, Milled by Fancy's meteor-ray, By Paffion driven; But yet the light that led aftray Was light from Heaven, I taught thy manners-painting strains, Thy fame extends; And fome, the pride of Coila's plains, Become thy friends. Thou canst not learn, nor I can fhew, With Shenstone's art; Or pour with Gray, the moving flow • Warm on the heart. |