Preserve the Dignity of Man,

With soul erect;

And trust the Universal Plan

Will all protect.

And wear thou this!-she solemn said,
And bound the Holly round my head:
The polish'd leaves and berries red
Did rustling play;

And, like a passing thought, she fled
In light away.

A DREAM.

Thoughts, words, and deeds, the statute blames with reason,

But surely Dreams were ne'er indicted treason.

[On reading in the public papers, the Laureate's Ode, with the other parade of June 4, 1786, the Author was no sooner dropt asleep, than he imagined himself transported to the birth-day levee; and in his dreaming fancy made the following address.]

GUID-MORNIN' to your Majesty!

May Heaven augment your blisses,
On every new birth-day ye see,
A humble poet wishes!
My Bardship here, at your levee,
On sic a day as this is,

Is sure an uncouth sight to see,
Amang thae1 birth-day dresses
Sae fine this day.

I see ye 're complimented thrang,2
By monie a lord and lady;
God save the king! 's a cuckoo sang,
That's unco3 easy said ay;

The Poets too, a venal gang,

Wi' rhymes weel-turn'd and ready,
Wad gar ye trow ye ne'er do wrang,
But ay unerring steady,

On sic a day.

For me! before a monarch's face,

Even there I win flatter;

1 Among those.-2 By a crowd.-3 Very.-4 Believe.-5 Will not.

For neither pension, post, nor place,
Am I your humble debtor;
So, nae reflection on your grace,
Your kingship to bespatter;

There's monie waur1 been o' the race,

And aiblins ane2 been better

Than you this day.

'Tis very true, my sovereign King,
My skill may weel be doubted;
But facts are chiels that winna ding,3
An' downa be disputed:

Your royal nest,5 beneath your wing,
Is e'en right reft an' clouted,
And now the third part o' the string,
And less, will gang about it.

Than did ae day."

Far be 't frae me that I aspire
To blame your legislation,
Or say, ye wisdom want, or fire,
To rule this mighty nation!
But, faith! I muckle doubt, my Sire,
Ye've trusted ministration

To chaps, wha in a barn or byre

Wad better fill'd their station

Than courts yon day.

And now ye 've gien auld Britain peace,
Her broken shins to plaster:
Your sair taxation does her fleece,

Till she has scarce a tester:

For me, thank God, my life's a lease,
Nae bargain wearing faster,

Or, faith! I fear, that wi' the geese,
I shortly boost1o to pasture

I' the craft" some day.

I'm no mistrusting Willie Pitt,

When taxes he enlarges,

1 Worse.-2 Perhaps one.-3 Will not give way.-4 Cannot.-5 Your dominions.-6 Torn and patched.-7 Written in allusion to the recent loss of America.8 Must. A cow stable.10 Must needs.-11 Croft, grass field.

(An' Will's a true guid fallow's get,
A name not envy spairges,1)
That he intends to pay your debt,
An' lessen a' your charges;
But, G-d sake! let nae saving-fit
Abridge your bonnie barges2

An' boats this day.

Adieu, my liege! may freedom geck3
Beneath your high protection;
An' may ye rax* corruption's neck,
An' gie her for dissection!
But since I'm here, I'll no neglect,
In loyal, true affection,

To pay your Queen, with due respect,

My fealty an' subjection

This great birth-day.

Hail, Majesty most excellent!

While nobles strive to please ye,

Will ye accept a compliment

A simple Poet gies ye?

5

Thae bonnie bairn-time, Heaven has lent,

Still higher may they heeze ye

In bliss, till fate some day is sent,

Forever to release ye

Frae care that day.

For you, young Potentate o' Wales,

I tell your Highness fairly,

Down pleasure's stream, wi' swelling sails,
I'm tauld you 're driving rarely;

But some day ye may gnaw your nails,

An' curse your folly sairly,

That e'er you brak Diana's pales,

Or rattled dice wi' Charlie,

By night or day.

Yet aft a ragged cowte''s been known

To mak a noble aiver;*

So, ye may doucely fill a throne,

For a' their clish-ma-claver;

.10

1 Soils or disparages.-2 Ships of the navy.-3 Hold up her head.-4 Stretch. -5 Family of children.- Elevate.-7 Colt.-8 Horse.- Wisely.-10 Idle conversation.

There, him at Agincourt' wha shone,
Few better were or braver;

An' yet wi' funny queer Sir John,2
He was an unco3 shaver

For monie a day.

For you, right reverend Osnaburg,
Nane sets the lawn-sleeve sweeter,
Altho' a ribbon at your lug1

Wad been a dress completer:
As ye disown yon paughty dog
That bears the keys of Peter,
Then swith!" an' get a wife to hug,
Or, trouth! ye 'll stain the mitre
Some luckless day.

8

Young, royal Tarry Breeks,' I learn,
Ye've lately come athwart her;
A glorious galley, stem an' stern,
Weel rigg'd for Venus' barter
But first hang out, that she 'll discern
Your hymeneal charter,

Then heave aboard your grapple airn,

An' large upo' her quarter

Come full that day.

Ye, lastly, bonnie blossoms a',

Ye royal lasses dainty,

Heaven mak you guid as weel as braw,10
An' gie you lads a plenty:
But sneer na British boys awa',
For kings are unco scant" ay;
An' German gentles are but sma',
They're better just than want ay
On onie day.

God bless you a', consider now,
Ye're unco muckle dautet:12
But, ere the course o' life be thro',
It may be bitter sautet:13

Vide Shakspeare.-3 Strange,

1 King Henry V.-2 Sir John Falstaff. Vide Shakspeare. whimsical.-4 Ear.-5 Proud, haughty.-6 Get away.-7 Breeches.-8 Alluding to the newspaper accounts of a certain royal sailor's amour.-9 Iron.--10 Fine, handsome. -11 Very few.-12 Very much caressed.-13 Salted, pickled.

An' I hae seen their coggie fou,1
That yet hae tarrow'd' at it:
But or the day was done, I trow,
The laggen3 they hae clautet1

Fu' clean that day.

ADDRESS TO THE DEIL.

O Prince! O Chief of many throned Powers,
That led th' embattled Seraphim to war.-Milton.

O THOU! Whatever title suit thee,
Auld Hornie, Satan, Nick, or Clootie,
Wha in yon cavern, grim an' sootie,
Closed under hatches,
Spairges about the brunstane cootie,"

6

To scaud' poor wretches!

Hear me, auld Hangie, for a wee,*
And let poor damned bodies be;
I'm sure sma" pleasure it can gie,10
E'en to a Deil,

To skelp" an' scaud poor dogs like me,
An' hear us squeel!

Great is thy power, an' great thy fame;
Far kenn'dia and noted is thy name;
An' tho' yon lowin' heugh's thy hame,
Thou travels far;

An' faith! thou 's neither lag nor lame,
Nor blate,1 nor scaur.

15

For prey, a' holes an' corners tryin';
Whyles on the strong-wing'd tempest flyin',
Tirling" the kirks:

Whyles in the human bosom pryin',

Unseen thou lurks.

1 Cup or dish full.-2 Murmured.-3 The angle between the side and botom of a wooden dish.-4 Scraped.-5 To dash, or throw about.-6 Brimstone dish, or ladle.-7 Scald.-8 Little.-9 Small.-10 Give.-11 Strike, or beat.12 Known.-13 Flaming pit.-14 Bashful.-15 Apt to be scared.-16 Sometimes.-17 Uncovering.