35 Is once again with Eden blest,
And man contains it in his breast.

'Twas thus, as under shade I stood,
I sung my wishes to the wood,
And, lost in thought, no more perceiv'd
40 The branches whisper as they wav'd;
It seem'd as all the quiet place
Confess'd the presence of the Grace.
When thus she spoke: "Go rule thy will;
Bid thy wild passions all be still,
45 Know God, and bring thy heart to know
The joys which from religion flow:
Then every Grace shall prove its guest,
And I'll be there to crown the rest."

Oh! by yonder mossy seat,

50 In my hours of sweet retreat,
Might I thus my soul employ

With sense of gratitude and joy!
Rais'd as ancient prophets were,

In heavenly vision, praise, and prayer;
55 Pleasing all men, hurting none,
Pleas'd and bless'd with God alone:
Then while the gardens take1 my sight,
With all the colors of delight,
While silver waters glide along,
60 To please my ear, and court my song,
I'll lift my voice, and tune my string,
And Thee, great Source of Nature, sing.

The sun, that walks his airy way, To light the world, and give the day; 65 The moon, that shines with borrow'd light;

The stars, that gild the gloomy night; The seas, that roll unnumber'd waves; The wood, that spreads its shady leaves; The field, whose ears conceal the grain, 70 The yellow treasure of the plain;

All of these, and all I see,
Should be sung, and sung by me:
They speak their Maker as they can,
But want and ask the tongue of man.

75 Go search among your idle dreams,
Your busy or your vain extremes,
And find a life of equal bliss,
Or own the next begun in this.

1 charm; bewitch

Chorus

50 my bonny, bonny Highland laddie! My handsome, charming Highland laddie!

May Heaven still guard and love reward Our Lawland lass and her Highland laddie!

If I were free at will to chuse 10 To be the wealthiest Lawland lady, I'd take young Donald without trews,1 With bonnet blew and belted plaidy.

15

20

3

The brawest beau in borrows town,
In a' his airs, with art made ready,
Compared to him, he 's but a clown;
He's finer far in 's tartan plaidy.

O'er benty hill with him I'll run,

And leave my Lawland kin and dady; Frae winter's cauld and summer's sun He'll screen me with his Highland plaidy.

A painted room and silken bed

May please a Lawland laird and lady, But I can kiss and be as glad

Behind a bush in 's Highland plaidy.

25 Few compliments between us pass:
I ca' him my dear Highland laddie;
And he ca's me his Lawland lass,
Syne rows me in his Highland plaidy.
Nae greater joy I'll e'er pretend

30

5

10

Than that his love prove true and steady,

Like mine to him, which ne'er shall end ' While Heaven preserve my Highland laddie.

1

Patie. Were thou a giglet gawky3 like the lave,1

That little better than our nowt behave;

80 At naught they'll ferly; senseless tales believe;

Be blythe for silly heghts, for trifles grieve:

Sic ne'er cou'd win my heart, that kenna how

Either to keep a prize, or yet prove true;

But thou, in better sense without a flaw, 85 As in thy beauty, far excels them a': Continue kind, an' a' my care shall be, How to contrive what pleasing is for thee.

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95

Peggy. Agreed.-But hearken! yon's auld aunty's cry,

110

120

The maiden that o'er quickly tines1 her power,

Like unripe fruit, will taste but hard an' Patie sings.

sour.

But gin they hing o'er lang upon the Their sweetness they may tine; an' sae tree,

may ye.

Red-cheeked ye completely ripe appear, An' I hae thol'd2 and woo'd a lang halfyear.

PREFACE TO THE EVERGREEN
1724

I have observed that readers of the best and most exquisite discernment frequently complain of our modern writings as filled with affected delicacies and studied re5 finements, which they would gladly exchange for that natural strength thought and simplicity of style our forefathers practiced. To such, I hope, the following collection of poems will not be 10 displeasing.

of

When these good old bards wrote, we had not yet made use of imported trimming upon our clothes, nor of foreign embroidery in our writings. Their poetry 15 is the product of their own country, not $ attempt

1 loses

have suffered

3