But cold, successive noontide blasts The sun propitious smil'd; Fate oft tears the bosom chords Dread Omnipotence alone Can heal the wound he gave; ELEGY ON CAPTAIN MATTHEW HENDERSON, A Gentleman who held the Patent for his Honours immediately from Almighty God! But now his radiant course is run, O DEATH! thou tyrant fell and bloody! Haurl thee hame to his black smiddie, O'er hurcheonx hides, And like stock-fish come o'er his studdiey u A halter. Wi' thy auld sides! w Smithy. Hedgehog. y An anvil.-An allusion is here had to the beating of dried stock-fish, to make them tender. He's gane! he 's gane! he 's frae us torn, Thee, Matthew, Nature's sel' shall mourn Where, haply, Pity strays forlorn, Frae man exil'd. Ye hills, near neebors o' the starns, Come join, ye Nature's sturdiest bairns,c Mourn ilka grove the cushatd kens! Or foaming strang, wi' hasty stens,h Mourn, little harebells owre the lee; In scented bow'rs; Ye roses on your thorny tree, The first o' flow'rs! At dawn, when ev'ry grassy blade At ev'n, when beans their fragrance shed Ye maukins, z Stars. a A heap of stones piled up in the form of a cone. b Eagles-they are here called sailing yearns,' in all sion to their flying without that motion of the wings which is common to most other birds. c Children. d The dove, or wood-pigeon. Rivulets. To rear as a horse. f Meandering. g Wimpling. k flares Mourn, ye wee songsters o' the wood; Ye whistling plover; And mourn, ye whirring" paitrick brood; Mourn, sooty coots, and speckled teals, Ye bitterns, till the quagmire reels, Mourn, clam'ring craiks,P at close o' day, Tell thae far warlds, wha lies in clay, Ye howlets, frae your ivy bow'r, Sets up her horn, O rivers, forests, hills, and plains! Mourn, Spring, thou darling of the year! m Cloud. n The noise made by the wings of a covey of partridges. To roar. p Birds called in England landrails, in Scotland corn-craiks. s Ghastly. w Each. Catch. g Those. The waking hour. น Cheertul. Thou, Simmer, while each corny spear Thy gay, green, flow'ry tresses shear, Thou, Autumn, wi' thy yellow hair, Wide o'er the naked world declare The worth we 've lost! Mourn him, thou Sun, great source of light! O Henderson! the man! the brother! Go to your sculptur'd tombs, ye great, But by thy honest turf I'll wait, Thou man of worth! And weep the ae best fellow's fate ЕРІТАРН. STOP, passenger! my story 's brief; I tell nae common tale o' grief, If thou uncommon merit hast, Yet spurn'd at Fortune's door, man; A look of pity hither cast, For Matthew was a poor man. If thou a noble sodger art, That passest by this grave, man, There moulders here a gallant heart, For Matthew was a brave man. If thou on men, their works and ways, If thou at friendship's sacred ca'," If thou art staunch without a stain, For Matthew was a true man. If thou hast wit, and fun, and fire, If onie whiggish, whingin'd sot, 2 Call. a Would. d Fretful. b Fall. e Lamentation. |