Fair on his cheek appear'd youth's mantling glow, While lines of stedfast thought had mark'd his brow; Alone, superior in the sylvan reign, 'Twas his to lead the life that poets feign, Amidst luxuriant fruits, and chrystal springs, "Where the free soul looks down to pity kings *. Yet while through woods and mountains wont to rove, The pious youth excell'd in filial love; For his lov'd parents, and their duteous race, He search'd the flood, or urg'd the vent'rous chace: The fruit of all his toils enrich'd their home: For them th' enamell'd roes their beauteous pride, The leveret wounded in the dewy dawn: No Sylvan game their FARQUHAR's pow'r withstood, But see! where Winter fierce array'd in storms, And pours his snows with wild unwonted haste, NOW FARQUHAR ceas'd thro' gloomy woods to roam, * See note No. 15. The kindred smile, the dear paternal cot: But while through new-fall'n snows he hail'd the spot, His father with unwonted sternness cried,"While heedless you traverse the forest wide, "Our little all, those heifers and those steers, "Rear'd as a stock for our declining years, "Your unregarded charge, have wander'd far, "Where ridgy rocks the dangerous access bar; "Or in the western Corry's depth profound, "Where blasts in fatal eddies circle round *: "While sylvan sports your vigorous youth engage, "Must penury and sorrow cloud our age." The generous youth heart-chill'd with anguish stood, The "light forsook his eyes, his cheeks the blood," Cold thro' his breast the new sensation came, A stranger yet to censure or to shame; Turning, he cried, "I go, where to the west "I go, your wand'ring heifers to explore, * See note No. 16. Then patient mounts the rock, and urges on, Now wide and wild the dreary prospect shews Where stars with glimmering light illume the snows, Through fleecy clouds a dubious lustre spread, Where Corryaric rears his lofty head: Deep at his feet the dismal Corry lies, And hears their hollow shriek amidst the storms. Then, howling, trembling, fly with quicken'd pace, "Shall I too fly, (he cried) or trust the Pow'r "Who guards us in the dark and silent hour? "From whom commission'd blasts have leave to fly, "Or sleep within the curtains of the sky. * See note No. 17. 66 Strong in his strength these horrors I explore, By him protected, FARQUHAR fears no more." His plaid in ample folds around him cast, The vent'rous youth ascends the steep in haste; And all the wide horizon wond'ring view'd *: And strips the graceful foliage from the groves, See note No. 18. And when each neighbouring lake is chill'd to stone, And now the moon in cloudless splendour rose, Where lofty Alps their snowy tops disclose : And the wild Garrie, 'midst his ridgy zone, To her pale beams an icy mirror shone : There Moidart's hills in clustering groupes appear, And Aonich's slow ascent and piny summit here; Knoidart's wild rocks in shapeless forms were seen, And Oich with softer beauties deck'd the scene: A while entranc'd, in solemn awe he gaz'd, Then to the skies his raptur'd eyes he rais'd: "And why (said he) should coward fears controul, "Or doubts desponding, sink the guiltless soul? "The hand which bade those lofty summits rise, "And with those living splendours deck'd the skies, "Which move obedient to his dread command,"I dwell beneath the shadow of that hand." Then downwards to the sheltering glen he hies, And close beneath the tangling thicket lies, Which o'er the rocky cavity was spread, Where wither'd leaves collected form'd his bed: D |