Lying at a Reverend Friend's house one night, the Author left the following

VERSES

in the room where he slept.

O THOU dread Power, who reign'st above!
I know Thou wilt me hear;

When for this scene of peace and love
I make my prayer sincere.

The hoary sire-the mortal stroke,
Long, long, be pleased to spare!
To bless his little filial flock,

And show what good men are.
She, who her lovely offspring eyes
With tender hopes and fears,
Oh, bless her with a mother's joys,
But spare a mother's tears!"

Their hope, their stay, their darling youth,
In manhood's dawning blush;

Bless him, Thou God of love and truth,
Up to a parent's wish!

The beauteous, seraph sister-band,
With earnest tears I pray,

Thou know'st the snares on ev'ry hand

Guide thou their steps alway!

When, soon or late, they reach that coast,
O'er life's rough ocean driven,
May they rejoice, no wand'rer lost,
A family in heaven!

THE FIRST PSALM.

THE man, in life wherever placed,
Hath happiness in store,

Who walks not in the wicked's way,
Nor learns their guilty lore!

Nor from the seat of scornful pride
Casts forth his eyes abroad,

But with humility and awe

Still walks before his God.

That man shall flourish like the trees
Which by the streamlets grow;
The fruitful top is spread on high,
And firm the root below.

FIRST SIX VERSES OF NINETIETH PSALM. 27

But he whose blossom buds in guilt
Shall to the ground be cast,
And, like the rootless stubble, tossed
Before the sweeping blast.

For why? that God the good adore
Hath given them peace and rest,
But hath decreed that wicked men
Shall ne'er be truly blest.

THE FIRST SIX VERSES OF THE NINETIETH
PSALM.

O THOU, the first, the greatest Friend
Of all the human race!

Whose strong right hand has ever been
Their stay and dwelling-place!

Before the mountains heaved their heads

Beneath Thy forming hand,

Before this ponderous globe itself

Arose at Thy command;

That Power which raised and still upholds

This universal frame,

From countless, unbeginning time

Was ever still the same.

Those mighty periods of years

Which seem to us so vast,
Appear no more before Thy sight
Than yesterday that's past.

Thou giv'st the word: Thy creature, man,
Is to existence brought:

Again Thou say'st, "Ye sons of men,
Return ye into nought!"

Thou layest them, with all their cares,
In everlasting sleep;

As with a flood Thou tak'st them off
With overwhelming sweep.

They flourish like the morning flower,
In beauty's pride arrayed;

But long ere night, cut down it lies,
All withered and decayed.

TO A MOUSE.1

WEE, sleekit, cowrin', tim'rous beastie,
Oh, what a panic's in thy breastie !
Thou needna start awa' sae hasty,

Wi' bick'ring brattle! 2

I wad be laith to rin and chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!"

I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken nature's social union,
And justifies that ill opinion

Which mak's thee startle
At me, thy poor earth-born companion,
And fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave

'S a sma' request:

I'll get a blessin' wi' the lave,

And never miss 't!

Thou saw the fields laid bare and waste,
And weary winter comin' fast,

And cozie here, beneath the blast

Thou thought to dwell,

Till, crash! the cruel coulter past

Out through thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves and stibble
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!

' A farm servant was driving the plough which Burns held, when a mouse ran before them. The man would have killed it, but was restrained by his master. The circumstance originated this poem.

* Hurrying run.

3 The plough-spade.

An ear of corn in twenty-four sheaves-that is in a thrave. • Build. 6 Bitter.

HALLOWEEN.

Now thou's turned out for a' thy trouble,
But house or hauld,1

To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
And cranreuch cauld!

3

29

HALLOWEEN.

The following poem will, by many readers, be well enough understood; but for the sake of those who are unacquainted with the manners and traditions of the country where the scene is cast, notes are added, to give some account of the principal charms and spells of that night, so big with prophecy to the peasantry in the west of Scotland. The passion of prying into futurity makes a striking part of the history of human nature in its rude state, in all ages and nations; and it may be some entertainment to a philosophic mind, if any such should honour the Author with the perusal, to see the remains of it among the more unenlightened in our own.-BURNS.

Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain,
The simple pleasures of the lowly train;
To me more dear, congenial to my heart,
One native charm, than all the gloss of art.

UPON that night, when fairies light,
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;

2 Bear.

GOLDSMITH.

3 Hoar-frost.

5 Wrong.

1 Without house or home. 4 Not alone. • Halloween is thought to be a night when witches, devils, and other mischief-making beings are all abroad on their baneful midnight errands; particularly those aërial people, the Fairies, are said on that night to hold a grand anniversary.-BURNS.

7 Certain little romantic, rocky, green hills, in the neighbourhood of the ancient seat of the Earls of Cassilis.-Burns.

Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There up the cove' to stray and rove
Amang the rocks and streams

To sport that night.

Amang the bonnie winding banks
Where Doon rins, wimplin' clear,

Where Bruce3 ance ruled the martial ranks,
An' shook the Carrick spear,

Some merry, friendly, countra folks
Together did convene,

To burn their hits, an' pou their stocks,5

An' haud their Halloween

Fu' blithe that night.

The lasses feat, an' cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they're fine;
Their faces blithe, fu' sweetly kythe,7
Hearts leal, an' warm, an' kin':
The lads sae trig, wi' wooer babs,8
Weel knotted on their garten,
Some unco blate, an' some wi' gabs,
Gar lasses' hearts gang startin'

9

Whiles fast at night.

Then, first and foremost, through the kair,
Their stocks maun a' be sought ance;
They steek their een, and graipan' wale,"
For muckle anes and straught anes.

A noted cavern near Colean House, called "The Cove of Colean;" which, as Cassilis Downans, is famed in country story for being a favourite haunt of fairies.-BURNS.

2 Meandering.

3 The famous family of that name, the ancestors of Robert, the great deliverer of his country, were Earls of Carrick.-BURNS.

4 Nuts.

7 Shown.

5 Plants of kail.
8 Garters knotted with loops.

6 Spruce.

9 The first ceremony of Halloween is pulling each a stock, or plant of kail. They must go out, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pull the first they meet with. Its being big or little, straight or crooked, is prophetic of the size and shape of the grand object of all their spells the husband or wife. If any yird, or earth, stick to the root, that is tocher, or fortune; and the state of the custoc, that is, the heart of the stem, is indicative of the natural temper and disposition. Lastly, the stems, or, to give them their ordinary appellation, the runts, are placed somewhere above the head of the door; and the Christian names of the people whom chance brings into the house are, according to the priority of placing the runts, the names in question.-BURNS.

10 Grope.

ií Choose.