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'Tis not in foily, not to scorn a fool; And scarce in human wisdom, to do

more.

All promise is poor dilatory man,
And that through every stage: when
young, indeed,

In full content we, sometimes, nobly
rest,

Unanxious for ourselves; and only wish,
As duteous sons, our fathers were more
wise.

At thirty man suspects himself a fool;
Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan;
At fifty chides his infamous delay,
Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve;
In all the magnanimity of thought
Resolves; and re-resolves; then, dies
the same.

And why? Because he thinks him-
self immortal.

All men think all men mortal, but themselves;

Themselves, when some alarming shock of fate

Strikes through their wounded hearts the sudden dread.

But their hearts wounded, like the wounded air,

Soon close, where, past the shaft, no trace is found.

As from the wing, no scar the sky retains;

The parted wave no furrow from the keel;

So dies in human hearts the thought of
death,

E'en with the tender tear which Nature
sheds
O'er those we love,
grave.

we drop it in their

ALLAN RAMSAY.

1686-1758.

[ALLAN RAMSAY was born in 1686, in Lanarkshire. His father was the manager of Lord Hopetoun's lead mines, but his great-grandfather was younger son of a "laird of Cockpen," and nephew of Ramsay of Dalhousie, and he took pride in his descent from this ancient stock. He was apprenticed as a boy to a wig-maker, but passed from writing poetry and editing poetical collections into being a bookseller. His earliest efforts were circulated among his "cronies "in MS., and sold by himself to the public in penny broad sheets. In 1716 he published an edition of Christ's Kirk on the Green, with a second canto of his own composition, and soon after, another edition with a third new canto. In 1719 he published a collection of Scots Songs; in 1721 a collection of his own poems in quarto; in 1722 his Fables and Tales and his Tale of Three Bonnets; in 1723 his Fair Assembly; in 1724 a poem on Health; in the same year miscellaneous collections entitled The Tea-Table Miscellany, and The Evergreen; and in 1725 the work with which chiefly his fame is associated, The Gentle Shepherd. He died in 1758.]

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And dosens1 down to nane, as fowk grow auld.

PEGGY.

But we'll grow auld together, and ne'er find

The loss of youth, where love grows on

the mind.

Bairns and their bairns make sure a firmer tie

Than aught in love the like of us can spy.

See yon twa elms that grow up side by side,

Suppose them some years syne bridegroom and bride;

Nearer and nearer ilka year they've prest,

Till wide their spreading branches are increas'd,

And in their mixture now are fully blest : This shields the other frae the eastlin blast,

That in return defends it frae the wast. Sic as stand single (a state sae liked by you),

Beneath ilk storm frae every airt maun bow.

JENNY.

I've done. I yield dear lassie, I maun yield;

Your better sense has fairly won the field,
With the assistance of a little fae
Lies dern'd3 within my breast this mony
a day.

The maiden that o'er quickly tines her power,

Like unripe fruit will taste but hard and

sour.

PATIE.

But when they hing o'er lang upon the tree,

Their sweetness they may tine, and sae may ye;

Red-cheeked you completely ripe ap

pear,

And I have tholed and wooed a lang half-year.

PEGGY.

Then dinna pu' me; gently thus I fa' Into my Patie's arms for good and a'. But stint your wishes to this kind embrace,

And mint nae farther till we've got the grace.

PATIE.

O charming armfu'! Hence, ye cares

away.

I'll kiss my treasure a' the livelang day: A' night I'll dream my kisses o'er again, Till that day come that ye'll be a' my ain.

CHORUS.

Sun, gallop down the westling skies,
Gang soon to bed, and quickly rise;
O lash your steeds, post time away,
And haste about our bridal day;
And if ye're wearied, honest light,
Sleep, gin ye like, a week that night.

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[JOHN GAY was born near Barnstaple in 1688. Fairly educated, he began life in London as a silk-mercer; but soon relinquished that occupation for literature. His first poem was Rural Sports, a Georgic "inscribed to Mr. Pope," 1713. In the following year he produced Thr Shepherd's Week, a set of six pastorals. His principal remaining works are the farce of The What-d'ye Call-it, 1715; the mock-heroic poem of Trivia, or the Art of Walking the Streets of London, 1716; Fables, 1726-38: and the famous Beggar's Opera, 1728. His Poems on Several Occasions, including the pastoral tragedy of Dione, were published in 1720. He was also concerned in, and bore the blame of, the unlucky comedy of Three Hours after Marriage, to which Pope and Arbuthnot had largely contributed. He died in London in December, 1732.ĺ

THE PERSIAN, THE SUN, AND The day with sudden darkness hung;

THE CLOUD.

Is there a bard whom genius fires, Whose every thought the god inspires? When Envy reads the nervous lines, She frets, she rails, she raves, she pines; Her hissing snakes with venom swell, She calls her venal train from hell; The servile fiends her nod obey, And all Curll's authors are in pay. Fame calls up Calumny and Spite; Thus Shadow owes its birth to Light. As prostrate to the god of day With heart devout a Persian lay, His invocation thus begun : "Parent of light, all-seeing sun, Prolific beam, whose rays dispense The various gifts of Providence, Accept our praise, our daily prayer, Smile on our fields, and bless the year." A Cloud, who mock'd his grateful tongue,

With pride and envy swell'd, aloud A voice thus thunder'd from the cloud: "Weak is this gaudy god of thine, Whom I at will forbid to shine. Shall I nor vows nor incense know? Where praise is due, the praise bestow."

With fervent zeal the Persian moved, Thus the proud calumny reproved:

"It was that God who claims my prayer,

Who gave thee birth, and raised thee there;

When o'er His beams the veil is thrown,
Thy substance is but plainer shown:
A passing gale, a puff of wind,
Dispels thy thickest troops combined.”

The gale arose; the vapor tossed,
The sport of winds, in air was lost;
The glorious orb the day refines;
Thus envy breaks, thus merit shines.

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