A Winter Night（2 / 2）

sending, like blood-hounds from the slip,

woe, want, and murder o'er a land!

ev'n in the peaceful rural vale,

truth, weeping, tells the mournful tale,

how pamper'd luxury, flatt'ry by her side,

the parasite empoisoning her ear,

with all the servile wretches in the rear,

looks o'er proud property, extended wide;

and eyes the simple, rustic hind,

whose toil upholds the glitt'ring show—

a creature of another kind,

some coarser substance, unrefin'd—

plac'd for her lordly use thus far, thus vile, below!

“where, where is love's fond, tender throe,

with lordly honour's lofty brow,

the pow'rs you proudly own?

is there, beneath love's noble name,

can harbour, dark, the selfish aim,

to bless himself alone?

mark maiden-innocence a prey

to love-pretending snares:

this boasted honour turns away,

shunning soft pity's rising sway,

regardless of the tears and unavailing pray'rs!

perhaps this hour, in misery's squalid nest,

she strains your infant to her joyless breast,

and with a mother's fears shrinks at the rocking blast!

“oh ye! who, sunk in beds of down,

feel not a want but what yourselves create,

think, for a moment, on his wretched fate,

whom friends and fortune quite disown!

ill-satisfy'd keen nature's clamorous call,

stretch'd on his straw, he lays himself to sleep;

while through the ragged roof and chinky wall,

chill, o'er his slumbers, piles the drifty heap!

think on the dungeon's grim confine,

where guilt and poor misfortune pine!

guilt, erring man, relenting view,

but shall thy legal rage pursue

the wretch, already crushed low

by cruel fortune's undeserved blow?

affliction's sons are brothers in distress;

a brother to relieve, how exquisite the bliss!”

i heard nae mair, for chanticleer

shook off the pouthery snaw,

and hail'd the morning with a cheer,

a cottage-rousing craw.

but deep this truth impress'd my mind—

thro' all his works abroad,

the heart benevolent and kind

the most resembles god.