WRITTEN

IN

FRIARS-CARSE HERMITAGE,

ON NITH-SIDE.

THOU whom chance may hither lead,

Be thou clad in ruffet weed,

Be thou deckt in filken ftole,
Grave these counfels on thy foul.

Life is but a day at moft,

Sprung from night, in darknefs loft;

Hope not funshine ev'ry hour,

Fear not clouds will always lour.

As Youth and Love with sprightly dance,
Beneath thy morning ftar advance,
Pleasure with her firen air

May delude the thoughtless pair;
Let Prudence blefs Enjoyment's cup,
Then raptur'd fip, and fip it up.

As thy day grows warm and high, Life's meridian flaming nigh,

Doft thou fpurn the humble vale?

Life's proud fummits wouldst thou scale?

Check thy climbing step, elate,

Evils lurk in felon wait:

VOL. II.

L

Dangers,

r

Dangers, eagle-pinioned, bold,

Soar around each cliffy hold,

While chearful Peace, with linnet fong,
Chants the lowly dells among.

As the fhades of ev'ning close, Beck'ning thee to long repofe ;... As life itself becomes disease,

Seek the chimney-nook of cafe,

There ruminate with fober thought,

On all thou'ft feen, and heard, and wrought;
And teach the fportive younkers round,
Saws of experience, fage and found.
Say, man's true, genuine estimate,

The grand criterion of his fate,
Is not, art thou high or low? **
Did thy fortune ebb or flow?
Did many talents gild thy fpan?
Or frugal Nature grudge thee one?
Tell them, and prefs it on their mind,
As thou thyfelf must shortly find,

The

The fmile or frown of aweful Heav'n,
To Virtue or to Vice is giv'n.

Say, to be juft, and kind, and wife,
There folid felf-enjoyment lies;

That foolish, selfish, faithless ways,
Lead to be wretched, vile, and base.
17

Thus refign'd and quiet, creep
To the bed of lasting sleep;

Sleep, whence thou fhalt ne'er awake,
Night, where dawn fhall never break,
Till Future Life, future no more,
To light and joy the good restore,
To light and joy unknown before.

Stranger, go! Heav'n be thy guide! Quod the Beadsman of Nith-fide.

O DE,

SACRED TO THE MEMORY

OF

MRS

OF.

DWELLER in yon dungeon dark,
Hangman of creation, mark!
Who in widow weeds appears,
Laden with unhonoured years,

Noofing