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University of Virginia Library

The works of Allan Ramsay

edited by Burns Martin ... and John W. Oliver [... and Alexander M. Kinghorn ... and Alexander Law]

Ramsay, Allan (1686-1758)

I.

VOL. I.—(Poems: 1721)

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II.

VOL. II.—(Poems: 1728)

The Ram and Buck

EPIGRAM On Receiving a Present of an Orange from Mrs. G. L. now Countess of Aboyne.

Robert, Richy, and Sandy;

EPISTLE To the Honourable DUNCAN FORBES, Lord Advocate.

The Clock and Dial.

AN ODE To the Memory of Lady Margaret Anstruther.

ELEGY On the Right Honourable James Lord Carnegie,

AN ODE Sacred to the Memory of the Right Honourable ANNE Lady Gairlies.

THE Lovely Lass and the Mirror.

JUPITER's Lottery.

The Miser and Minos.

The Ape and the Leopard.

The Ass and Brock.

The Fox and Rat.

The Caterpillar and the Ant.

The twa Cats and the Cheese.

The Chamaeleon.

The twa Lizards.

Mercury in Quest of Peace.

The Spring and the Syke.

The Daft Bargain.

The twa Cut-Purses.

EPISTLE TO Robert Yarde of Devonshire, Esquire.

THE LAST SPEECH OF A Wretched Miser.

EPISTLE From Mr. William Starrat

To Mr. William Starrat, on receiving the above Epistle.

Love Inviting Reason.

The Bob of Dunblane.

Throw the Wood Laddie.

Ann thou were my ain Thing.

There's my Thumb I'll ne'er beguile Thee.

The Highland Laddie.

The Coalier's bonny Lassie.

To L. L. in Mourning.

AN ODE, With a Pastoral Recitative on the Marriage of the Right Honourable, James Earl of Wemyss and Mrs. Janet Charteris.

On seeing the ARCHERS diverting themselves at the Buts and Rovers, &c.

Wrote on Lady Somervile's Book of Scots Sangs.

ODE On the Marriage of the Right Honourable George Lord Ramsay and Lady Jean Maule.

ODE On the Birth of the Most Honourable Marquis of Dumlanrig .

EPISTLE To Mr. JOHN GAY, Author of the Shepherd's Week, on hearing her Grace Dutchess of Queensberry commend some of his Poems.

ODE To the Right Honourable Grace Countess of Aboyn,

On the Marriage of Alexander Brodie of Brodie, Lord Lyon King of Arms, and Mrs. Mary Sleigh.

To Josiah Burchet Esq;

The General Mistake:

The Phœnix and the Owl.

To the Honourable Sir John Clerk of Pennycuik Baronet, one of the Barons of Exchequer, on the Death of his most accomplished Son John Clerk Esq; who died the 20th Year of his Age.

On receiving a Letter to be present at the Burial of Mr. Robert Alexander of Blackhouse.

The Fair Assembly:

On the Royal Company of Archers, shooting for the Bowl, July 6th, 1724.

On the Royal Company of Archers, marching under the Command of his Grace Duke of Hamilton, in their proper Habits, to shoot for the Arrow at Musselburgh, August 4, 1724.

To the Right Honourable Earl of Hartford, Lord Peircy, President, and the rest of the Honourable Members of the Society of British Antiquarians.

On the Marquis of Annandale's conveying me a Present of Guineas in my Snuff-mill, after he had taken all the Snuff.

The Monk and the Miller's Wife.

Advice to Mr.---on his Marriage.

To Mrs. M. M. on her Painting.

An Anacreontique on Love.

On Mr. Drummond's being chosen one of the Honourable Commissioners of the Customs;

The Address of the MUSE,

On his Grace the Duke of Hamilton's shooting an Arrow through the Neck of an Eel.

Betty and Kate;

To Mr. David Malloch, On his Departure from Scotland.

INSCRIPTION on the Tomb-stone of Mr. Alexander Wardlaw, late Chamberlain to the Right Honourable Earl of Wigton, erected by his Son Mr. John Wardlaw in the Church of Biggar.

AN ODE Sacred to the Memory of her Grace Anne Dutchess of Hamilton .

ODE To the Memory of Sir ISAAC NEWTON;

To William Somerville of Warwickshire Esq;

AN EPISTLE From Mr. Somervile.

Answer to the above Epistle From William Somervile Esq; of Warwickshire.

REASONS for not answering the Hackney Scribblers, my obscure Enemies.

To Mr. DONALD MACEWEN Jeweller at St. Petersburg.

To the same [Mr. Donald Macewen], on receiving a Present from him of a Seal, Homer's Head finely cut in Crystal, and set in Gold.

A Ballad on bonny Kate.

To Dr. J. C. who got the foregoing to give to the young Lady.

PROLOGUE, before the acting of Aurenzebe and the Drummer, by the young Gentlemen of the Grammar School of Haddington, August 1727, spoke by Mr. Charles Cockburn, Son to Colonel Cockburn.

EPILOGUE, after the acting of the Drummer, spoke by Mr. Maurice Cockburn, another Son of Colonel Cockburn's.

PROLOGUE spoke by Mr. Anthony Aston, the first Nigh[t] the[y] acted in Winter 1726.

ODE To Alexander Murray of Brughton, Esq;

ODE To the Memory of Mrs. Forbes, Lady Newhall.

On a Slate's falling from a House on Mris. M. M---k's Breast.

To my kind and worthy Friends in Ireland, who on a Report of my Death, made and published several Elegies Lyrick and Pastoral, very much to my Honour.

THE GENTLE SHEPHERD,

Lass with a Lump of Land.

Vertue and Wit.

The STEP-DAUGHTER's Relief.

The Soger Laddie.

III.

VOL. III.—(Poems: Miscellaneous and Uncollected)

IV.

VOL. IV.—(Poems not hitherto collected: Poems attributed to Ramsay)

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28

The Clock and Dial.

Ae Day a Clock wad brag a Dial,
And put his Qualities to trial;
Spake to him thus,—My Neibour, pray,
Can'st tell me what's the time of Day?
The Dial said, “I dinna ken.”—
Alake! what stand ye there for then?—
“I wait here till the Sun shines bright,
“For nought I ken but by his Light.”
Wait on, quoth Clock, I scorn his Help,
Baith Night and Day my lane I skelp;
Wind up my Weights but anes a-week,
Without him I can gang and speak:
Nor like an useless Sumph I stand,
But constantly wheel round my Hand:
Hark, hark, I strike just now the Hour;
And I am right, Ane,—Twa,—Three,—Four.

While thus the Clock was boasting loud,
The bleezing Sun brak throw a Cloud;
The Dial, faithfu' to his Guide,
Spake Truth, and laid the Thumper's Pride:
“Ye see, said he, I've dung you fair,
“'Tis four Hours and three Quarters mair.
“My Friend, he added, count again,
“And learn a wee to be less vain:
“Ne'er brag of constant clavering Cant,
“And that you Answers never want;
“For you're not ay to be believ'd:
“Wha trust to you may be deceiv'd.
“Be counsell'd to behave like me;
“For when I dinna clearly see,
“I always own I dinna ken;
“And that's the way of wisest Men.”