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The works of Allan Ramsay

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

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TO Sir ALEXander DICK OF PRESTONFIELD, BARONET, WITH MR. RAMSAY'S POEMS IN THIS AND SECOND VOLUME

My worthy friend, whose polish'd mind
Springs far aboon the common kind
Since in my verses you can find
What prompts your praise,
Allow yourself to be propined
With all my lays.
When I was clever, blyth, and young,
In strain stile of my mother tongue
What Nature dictated I sung.
Now as on columns,
Them fair, forever, I have hung
Up in these volums.
O! may they always have the power
To tune your saull, should it grow sour,
And clear up ilka gloomy hour.
When spleen is fashous,
May they make cankerd care to cour
With smiles sagacious.

271

May you and your fair partner lang
Enjoy life free of ilka twang.
To con my tales and sowf ilk sang
Can pleasure bring
Till ripe in years aloft we spang
With saints to sing.
Our sauls then freed frae hools of clay,
There we may hope to sing and say
All that is great, divinely gay,
And flights extend
O'er space immence, wher joy and day
Shall never end.
Qd Allan Ramsay the Auther.
Anno Domini: 1755 Etats suae LXX.