THE wintry west extends his blast,
And hail and rain does blaw;

Or, the stormy north sends driving forth

The blinding sleet and snaw:

While tumbling brown, the burn comes down

And roars frae bank to brae;'

And bird and beast in covert rest.

And pass the heartless day.

II.

"The sweeping blast, the sky o'ercast,"

The joyless winter day,

Let others fear, to me more dear

Than all the pride of May!

The tempest's howl, it soothes my soul,

My griefs it seems to join,

The leafless trees my fancy please,

Their fate resembles mine!

III.

节操

Thou Pow'r Supreme, whose mighty scheme

These woes of mine fulfil,

Here, firm, I rest-they must be best,

Because they are thy will!

• Dr. Young.

Then all I want, (O, do thou grant

This one request of mine!) Since to enjoy thou dost deny, Assist me to resign.

DESPONDENCY.

AN ODE.

I.

OPPRESS'D with grief, oppress'd with care,

A burden more than I can bear,
I sit me down and sigh;
O life, thou art a galling load,

A long, a rough, a weary road,
To wretches such as I!

Dim, backward as I cast my view,

What sick'ning scenes appear!
What sorrows yet may pierce me thro',

Too justly I may fear!

Still caring, despairing,

Must be my bitter doom;

My woes here shall close ne'er,

But with the closing tomb!

II.

Happy, ye sons of busy life,

Who, equal to the bustling strife,

No other view regard!

Ev'n when the wished end's denied,
Yet while the busy means are ply'd,
They bring their own reward:

Whilst I, a hope-abandon'd wight,
Unfitted with an aim,

Meet ev'ry sad returning night,
And joyless morn, the same.
You, bustling and justling,
Forget each grief and pain;
I, listless, yet restless,
Find ev'ry prospect vain.

III.

How blest the Solitary's lot,
Who, all-forgetting, all-forgot,
Within his humble cell,

The cavern wild with tangling roots,
Sits o'er his newly-gather'd fruits,
Beside his crystal well!

Or, haply, to his evening thought,
By unfrequented stream,

The ways of men are distant brought,
A faint collected dream;

While praising, and raising

His thoughts to Heav'n on high,

As wand'ring, meand'ring,

He views the solemn sky.

IV.

Then I, no lonely hermit plac'd
Where never human footstep trac'd,
Less fit to play the part;
The lucky moment to improve,

And just to stop, and just to move,

With self-respecting art:

But ah! those pleasures, loves, and joys,

Which I too keenly taste,

The Solitary can despise,

Can want, and yet be blest!
He needs not, he heeds not,

Or human love or hate,
Whilst I here, must cry here,
At perfidy ingrate!

V.

Oh! enviable, early days,

When dancing, thoughtless pleasure's maze,
To care, to guilt unknown!
How ill exchang'd for riper times,
To feel the follies, or the crimes,
Of others, or my own!

Ye tiny elves that guiltless sport,
Like linnets in the bush,
Ye little know the ills ye court,
When manhood is your wish!
The losses, the crosses,

That active man engage!
The fears all, the tears all,
Of dim declining age!

TO RUIN.

1.

ALL hail! inexorable lord!

At whose destruction-breathing word

The mightiest empires fall! Thy cruel, wo-delighted train,

The ministers of grief and pain,

A sullen welcome, all!

With stern, resolv'd, despairing eye,

I see each aimed dart;

For one has cut my dearest tie,
And quivers in my heart.

Then low'ring and pouring,

The storm no more I dread;
Tho' thick'ning and black'ning
Round my devoted head.

II.

And thou, grim pow'r, by life abhorr❜d.
While life a pleasure can afford,

Oh! hear a wretch's pray'r!
No more I shrink appall'd, afraid,
I court, I beg thy friendly aid,

To close this scene of care!
When shall my soul, in silent peace,
Resign life's joyless day;

My weary heart its throbbings cease,
Cold mould'ring in the clay?

No fear more, no tear more,

To strain my lifeless face; •

Enclasped and grasped

Within thy cold embrace'

LAMENT OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS

ON THE APPROACH OF SPRING.

Now Nature hangs her mantle green

On ev'ry blooming tree,

And spreads her sheets o' daisies white
Out o'er the grassy lea;