Epistle to a Young Friend.
MAY 1786.

LANG hae thought, my youthfu' friend,
A fomething to have fent you,
Tho' it fhould serve nae other end
Than just a kind memento ;

But how the fubject-theme may gang,
Let time and chance determine;
Perhaps it may turn out a fang,
Perhaps turn out a fermon."

Ye'll try the world foon, my lad,
And Andrew dear, believe me,
Ye'll find mankind an unco' fquad,
And muckle they may grieve ye:
For care and trouble fet your thought,
Ev'n when your end's attained;
And a' your views may come to nought,
Where ev'ry nerve is strained.

I'll no fay, men are villain's a';
The real, harden'd wicked,
Wha hae nae check but human law,
Are to a few reftricked:
But och, mankind are unco weak,
An' little to be trufted;
If felf the wavering balance shake,
Its rarely right adjusted!

Yet they wha fa' in fortune's strife,
Their fate we should na cenfure,
For ftill th' important end of life,
They equally may answer;
A man may hae an honest heart,
Tho' poortith hourly ftare him;
A man may
tak a neebor's part,
Yet hae nae cab to spare him.

AY

Ay free, aff han' your story tell,
When wi' a bofom crony;
But still keep fomething to yoursel
Ye scarcely tell to ony.
Conceal yourfel as weel's ye can
Frae critical diffection ;
But keek thro' ev'ry other man,
Wi' fharpen'd fly inspection.

The facred lowe o' weel-plac'd love,
Luxuriantly indulge it;
But never tempt th' illicit rove,
Tho' naething fhould divulge it:
I wave the quantum o' the fin,
The hazard of concealing;
But och! it hardens a within,
And petrifies the feeling!

To catch dame Fortune's golden fmile,
Affiduous wait upon her;

And gather gear by ev'ry wile
That's juftified by honor;
Not for to hide it in a hedge,
Nor for a train-attendant;
But for the glorious privilege
Of being independent.

The fear o' hell's a hangman's whip
To haud the wretch in order;
But where ye feel your honor grip,
Let that ay be your border:
Its flightest touches, instant pause—
Debar a' fide pretences;
And refolutely keep its laws,
Uncaring confequences.

The great Creator to revere,
Muft fure become the creature ;

But still the preaching cant forbear,

And ev❜n the rigid feature:

Yet

Yet ne'er with wits prophane to range,
Be complaifance extended;

An Atheist's laugh's a poor exchange
For Deity offended!

When ranting round in pleasure's ring,
Religion may be blinded;
Or if the gie a random fting,

It may be little minded;

But when on life we're tempeft-driv'n,
A confcience but a canker
A correfpondence fix'd wi' Heav'n,
Is fure a noble anchor!

Adieu, dear, amiable youth!

Your heart can ne'er be wanting!
May prudence, fortitude, and truth,
Erect your brow undaunting!

In ploughman phrase, God send you speed,'
Still daily to grow wiser:

And may you better reck the rede,

Than ever did th' adviser.

BURNS.

A

An Epigram.

Member of the modern great
Pafs'd Sawney with his budget,
The Peer was in a car of ftate,
The tinker forc'd to trudge it.

But Sawney shall receive the praise
His Lordship would parade for;
One's debtor for his dapple greys,
And t'other's fhoes are paid for.

CUNNINGHAM.

Charity.

F

Charity.-An Elegy.

'AIR Charity! 'tis thine to wipe away,

From Sorrow's faded cheek, the ftreaming tear! 'Tis thine the debt of Sympathy to pay,

And whisper comfort in Affliction's ear!

From Heav'n's high portals come, thou peerless maid!
Borne on the radiant wings of beaming light:
Be wide thy olive branch of peace difplay'd,
And ftand thyself confeft to mortal fight!
Teach hearts humane to heave the tender figh
For others ills, adopted as their own,
Till ev'ry fcalded fluice of grief be dry,

And gen'ral merriment their labours crown!
Where fell Oppreffion clanks the galling chain,
And shackled captives writhe, in difmal caves;
Thine be the task to foothe, as they complain,
And to emancipate the hapless flaves!
Where haggard Poverty reclines on straw
Its meagre limbs, by aching rheums oppress'd;
Vouchsafe to mitigate the weight of woe!
The hungry feed, and give the weary rest!
Where pale complexion'd Melancholy reigns,
And Beauty's roses droop their heads and die
There image profpects bright, fair, flow'ry plains,
Gay, gilded fcenes, and an indulgent sky!
Where Pain acute, in agonizing throes,
Roars diffonant, and fhrieks in difcord dire;
Tread foftly there! yet kindly interpose,

And stedfast faith and patient hope inspire!

;

Where finks the fuff'rer, at his latest breath,
While dread, difrupting, doleful pangs dismay,
Thy prefence lend; difpel the gloom of death,
And point the paffage to eternal day!

Bb

Nor fix'd, alone, to one dark chequer'd scene,
Move cheerily, where harmless pleasures flow;
And frown not, with a stern and stoic mien,
At gleams of blifs the kinder Fates.beftow!

Where Temp'rance bland her wholesome viands spreads,
Difdain not thou the fimples that abound;
And where light Mirth to fairy-Frolic leads,
Be not the last to wind the wanton round!

Where grateful Transport darts its genial rays,
And youthful Joy holds open jubilee;
Fresh fuel fetch! increase the mantling blaze,
And fwell the choral lay with feftal glee!

But oh! where mortals baneful paths pursue,
And fondly frifk to Folly's frenzy'd found;
Picture deep danger there, in frightful view!
Bid ferpents hifs, and fcorpions bite the ground!

To me thy best and softest influence deign!
True tenderness, and feelings all refin'd!
The heart be mine, to fhare another's pain,
And wide expand to all the human kind!-

Spent be my life my fellow men to bless,

With meek-eyd Pity for my inmate dear!
Mine the fweet toil, to counteract diftrefs,

And fome lone widow's fickly heart to cheer!
To falve the foul, where keenest mis'ry dwells,
Gangren'd by Cruelty's envenom'd dart!
To vifit Want, in dark and dreary, cells,
And wifh'd relief, if poffible, impart!

Then, at the period of my earthly woes,

May guardian angels tend my dying bed ! Some faithful friend my eye-lids gently clofe, Some weeping wretch the tear unbidden fhed!

TEASDALE.