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Their lot forbad: nor circumscribed alone

Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined ; Forbad to wade through slaughter to a throne,

And shut the gates of mercy on mankind, The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide,

To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame, Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride

With incense kindled at the Muse's flame. Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,

Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray ; Along the cool sequester'd vale of life

They kept the noiseless tenour of their way. Yet e'en these bones from insult to protect

Some frail memorial still erected nigh, With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture

deck'd, Implores the passing tribute of a sigh. Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd Muse,

The place of fame and elegy supply: And many a holy text around she strews,

That teach the rustic moralist to die. For who, to dumb forgetfulness a prey,

85 This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd, Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,

Nor cast one longing lingering look behind ? On some fond breast the parting soul relies,

Some pious drops the closing eye requires ; 90 E'en from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,

E’en in our ashes live their wonted fires. For thee, who, mindful of th' unhonour'd dead,

Dost in these lines their artless tale relate ; If chance, by lonely contemplation led,

Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate, Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,

Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,

To meet the sun upon the upland lawn ;

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“There at the foot of yonder nodding beech

That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high, His listless length at noontide would he stretch,

And pore upon the brook that babbles by. Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn, 105

Muttering his wayward fancies he would rove ; Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn

Or crazed with care, or cross'd in hopeless love

• One morn I miss'd him on the custom'd hill,

Along the heath, and near his favourite tree ; Another came ; nor yet beside the rill,

Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he ;

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The next with dirges due in sad array
Slow through the church-way path we saw him

borne, Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay

Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.'

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THE EPITAPH

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth

A Youth, to Fortune and to Fame unknown ; Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,

And Melancholy mark'd him for her own.

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Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere ;

Heaven did a recompense as largely send : He gave to Misery all he had, a tear, He gain'd from Heaven, 'twas all he wish'd, a

friend.

No farther seek his merits to disclose,

125 Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, (There they alike in trembling hope repose,) The bosom of his Father and his God.

T. GRAY.

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MARY MORISON

O Mary, at thy window be,

It is the wish'd, the trysted hour ! Those smiles and glances let me see

That make the miser's treasure poor :

How blythely wad I bide the stoure, A weary slave frae sun to sun,

Could I the rich reward secure, The lovely Mary Morison.

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Yestreen, when to the trembling string

The dance gaed thro' the lighted ha', To thee my fancy took its wing

I sat, but neither heard nor saw :

Tho' this was fair, and that was braw, And yon the toast of a' the town,

I sigh’d, and said amang them a’, 'Ye arena Mary Morison.'

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O Mary, canst thou wreck his peace

Wha for thy sake wad gladly dee ? Or canst thou break that heart of his, Whase only faut is loving thee ?

20 If love for love thou wiltna gie, At least be pity to me shown ;

A thought ungentle canna be The thought o' Mary Morison.

R. BURNS.

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BONNIE LESLEY

O saw ye bonnie Liesley

As she gaed o’er the border ?
She's gane, like Alexander,

To spread her conquests farther.

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To see her is to love her,

And love but her for ever ;
For nature made her what she is,

And never made anither !
Thou art a queen, fair Lesley,

Thy subjects we, before thee; Thou art divine, fair Lesley,

The hearts o' men adore thee.

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The deil he couldna scaith thee,

Or aught that wad belang thee; He'd look into thy bonnie face,

15 And say “I canna wrang thee ! The Powers aboon will tent thee

Misfortune sha’na steer thee; Thou’rt like themselves sae lovely,

That ill they'll ne'er let near thee.
Return again, fair Lesley,

Return to Caledonie !
That we may brag we hae a lass
There's nane again sae bonnie.

R. BURNS.

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O my Luve's like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June : O my Luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry :
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun ;
I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

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And fare thee weel, my only Luve !

And fare thee weel å while
And I will come again, my Luve,

15 Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

R. BURNS.

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HIGHLAND MARY

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Ye banks and braes and streams around

The castle o' Montgomery,
Green be your woods, and fair your flowers,

Your waters never drumlie !
There simmer first unfauld her robes,

And there the langest tarry ;
For there I took the last fareweel

O my sweet Highland Mary.
How sweetly bloom'd the gay green birk,

How rich the hawthorn's blossom,
As underneath their fragrant shade

I clasp'd her to my bosom! The golden hours on angel wings

Flew o'er me and my dearie ; For dear to me as light and life

15 Was my sweet Highland Mary. Wi' mony a vow and lock'd embrace

Our parting was fu' tender ;
And pledging aft to meet again,

We tore oursels asunder ;
But, oh! fell Death's untimely frost,

That nipt my flower sae early !
Now green's the sod, and cauld's the clay,

That wraps my Highland Mary !
O pale, pale now, those rosy lips,

I aft hae kiss'd sae fondly !
And closed for ay the sparkling glance

That dwelt on me sae kindly ;

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