Grim Horror girn'd, pale Terror roar'd, And Hell mix'd in the brulyie. As Highland craigs by thunder cleft, Hurl down with crashing rattle; As flames among a hundred woods, The stubborn Tories dare to die; As soon the rooted oaks would fly Before th' approaching fellers: The Whigs come on like Ocean's roar, Against the Buchan Bullers. Lo, from the shades of Death's deep night, And think on former daring: The muffled murtherer of Charles The Magna Charter flag unfurls, All deadly gules its bearing. Nor wanting ghosts of Tory fame; Forgive! forgive! much-wrong'd Montrose! Still o'er the field the combat burns, The Tories, Whigs, give way by turns; For woman's wit and strength o' man, Alas! can do but what they can; The Tory ranks are broken. O that my een were flowing burns! My voice, a lioness that mourns Her darling cubs' undoing! That I might greet, that I might cry, And furious Whigs pursuing! What Whig but melts for good Sir James, Friend, Patron, Benefactor! Not Pulteney's wealth can Pulteney save; Thou, Pitt, shalt rue this overthrow, And Melville melt in wailing: Now Fox and Sheridan rejoice, And Burke shall sing, "O Prince, arise! For your poor friend, the Bard, afar A cool spectator purely! So, when the storm the forest rends, And sober chirps securely. Now, for my friends' and brethren's sakes, Lord, send a rough-shod troop o' Hell To grind them in the mire! ELEGY ON CAPTAIN MATTHEW HENDERSON A Gentleman who held the Patent for his Honours immediately from Almighty God. Should the poor be flattered?-Shakespeare. O DEATH! thou tyrant fell and bloody! Haurl thee hame to his black smiddie, O'er hurcheon hides, And like stock-fish come o'er his studdie Wi' thy auld sides! He's gane, he's gane! he's frae us torn, Where haply, Pity strays forlorn, Frae man exil'd. Ye hills, near neighbours o' the starns, Mourn, ilka grove the cushat kens! Or foaming, strang, wi' hasty stens, Mourn, little harebells o'er the lea; Ye roses on your thorny tree, At dawn, when ev'ry grassy blade Ye maukins, whiddin thro' the glade, Mourn, ye wee songsters o' the wood; grouse that crap the heather bud; Ye Ye curlews, calling thro' a clud; Ye whistling plover; And mourn, we whirring paitrick brood; He's gane for ever! Mourn, sooty coots, and speckled teals; Ye bitterns, till the quagmire reels, Mourn, clam'ring craiks at close o' day, Tell thae far warlds wha lies in clay, Ye houlets, frae your ivy bow'r Wail thro' the dreary midnight hour, O rivers, forests, hills, and plains! And frae my een the drapping rains Mourn, Spring, thou darling of the year! Thy gay, green, flow'ry tresses shear, For him that's dead! 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! For through your orbs he's ta'en his flight, O Henderson! the man! the brother! Like thee, where shall I find another, 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 THE EPITAPH Stop, passenger! my story's brief, I tell nae common tale o' grief, If thou uncommon merit hast, A look of pity hither cast, For Matthew was a poor man. If thou a noble sodger art, That passest by this grave, man; |