Poems

A Pastoral Ballad- Ye shepherds so cheerful and gay, Whose flocks never carelessly roam; Should Corydon’s happen to stray, Oh! call the poor wanderers home. Allow […]

Ode to a Young Lady Survey, my fair! that lucid stream, Adown the smiling valley stray; Would Art attempt, or Fancy dream, To regulate its winding […]

The Beau to the Virtuosos Hail curious wights, to whom so fair The form of mortal flies is! Who deem those grubs beyond compare, Which common […]

The Landskip How pleas’d within my native bowers Erewhile I pass’d the day! Was ever scene so deck’d with flowers? Were ever flowers so gay? How […]

The School-mistress. In Imitation of Spenser (excerpt) Auditæ voces, vagitus et ingens,Infantunque animæ flentes in limine primo. Virg.ADVERTISEMENT What particulars in Spenser were imagined most proper […]

The Speeches of Sloth and Virtue [Upon the Plan of Xenophen’s Judgment of Hercules] SLOTH Hither, dear Boy, direct thy wandring Eyes, ‘Tis here the lovely […]

Written at an Inn at Henley To thee, fair Freedom! I retire, From flattery, cards, and dice, and din; Nor art thou found in mansions higher […]

Bed Time Cuddle-doun my bairnie The dargie day is dune: Yon’s a siller sternie Ablow the siller mune. Like a wabster body Hingin on a threed […]

Black Day A skelp frae his teacher For a’ he cudna spell: A skelp frae his mither For cowpin owre the kale. A skelp frae his […]

Epitaph They delv’d a saft hole For Johnnie McNeel: He aye had been droll But folk likit him weel. The bell gied a toll; And Mess […]