"In Poverty's low barren vale,

"Thick mifts, obfcure, involv'd me round; "Though oft I turn'd the wistful eye,

"Nae ray of fame was to be found: "Thou found'ft me, like the morning fun "That melts the fogs in limpid air, "The friendless Bard and ruftic fong, "Became alike thy foftering care. .

"O! why has worth so short a date?
"While villains ripen grey with time!
"Muft thou, the noble, gen'rous, great,
"Fall in bold manhood's hardy prime !
Why did I live to see that day?

66

"A day to me so full of woè ?

"O! had I met the mortal shaft

"Which laid my benefactor low!

"The

"The bridegroom may forget the bride,
"Was made his wedded wife yeftreen;
"The monarch may forget the crown
"That on his head an hour has been ;
"The mother may forget the child
"That smiles fae fweetly on her knee;
"But I'll remember thee, Glencairn,
An' a' that thou haft done for me!"

VOL. II.

N

LINES

LINE S,

SENT то

Sir JOHN WHITEFORD of WHITEFORD, Bart. With the foregoing Poem.

THOU, who thy honour as thy God rever'st, Who, fave thy mind's reproach, nought earth

ly fear'ft,

To thee this votive off'ring I impart,

The tearful tribute of a broken heart.

The Friend thou valued'ft, I the Patron lov'd;
His worth, his honour, all the world approv'd.
We'll mourn till we too go as he has gone,
And tread the dreary path to that dark world

unknown.

TAM

TAM O' SHANTER.

A

TALE.

Of Brownyis and of Bogillis full is this Buke.

GAWIN DOUGLAS.

WHEN chapman billies leave the street,

And drouthy neebors, neebors meet,
As market-days are wearing late,

An' folk begin to tak the gate;
While we fit boufing at the nappy,

An' getting fou and unco happy,

We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The moffes, waters, flaps, and styles,
That lie between us and our hame,

Whare fits our fulky fullen dame,
Gath'ring her brows like gath'ring storm,
Nurfing her wrath to keep it warm.

This truth fand honeft Tam o' Shanter,
As he frae Ayr ae night did canter,
(Auld Ayr wham ne'er a town furpaffes,
For honeft men and bonny laffes.)

O Tam! hadft thou but been fae wife,
As ta'en thy ain wife Kate's advice!
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,
A blethering, bluftering, drunken blellum;
That frae November till October,

Ae market-day thou was nae fober;
That ilka melder, wi' the miller
Thou fat as lang as thou had filler;

That

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