The poems and songs of William Hamilton of Bangour collated with the ms. volume of his poems, and containing several pieces hitherto unpublished; with illustrative notes, and an account of the life of the author. By James Paterson |
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AN EPITAPH ON THE AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING POEMS, |
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 | The poems and songs of William Hamilton of Bangour |  |
xxxiv
AN EPITAPH ON THE AUTHOR OF THE FOLLOWING POEMS,
WROTE BY HIMSELF IN THE YEAR 1738.
Does greatness splendid villany allure?Go search in Walpole's trial for a cure.
Blest with enough, wouldst thou increase it still?
Examine Charters' life, and Ruchead's will.
True to thy party, would'st thou blunder thorough;
Cant be thy guide, and Culross be thy borough.
Wouldst thou be happy? then its rule receive,
Read this verse gratis, and thy soul shall live.
Learn from this man, who now lies five feet deep,
To drink when doubting, and when tempted sleep.
This led him safe through life's tempestuous steerage,
Poor by no place, ignoble by no peerage;
An easy mind, by no entails devised;
An humble virtue, by no kings excised;
Stated no law case, and no Bible quoted;
Spoke what he thought; ne'er swore, and never voted.
Courts he abhorred, their errors, their abuses,
St James', Versailles—all, all, but Sanctæ Crucis;
There, where no statesman buys, no bishop sells—
A virtuous palace, where no monarch dwells.
With kind Bargany, faithful to his word,
Whom heaven made honest, social, and—a lord;
The cities viewed of many-languaged men,
Popes, pimps, kings, gamesters; and saw all was vain.
xxxv
Wisdom unblushing yields to youthful joy.
In the chaste virgin the fond wife foretold
The household charm, the rich exchange for gold.
Virtue to charm, and sweetness to endear
A dowerless beauty that could please no peer.
From Hume learned verse with sense to criticise;
From Mein endeavoured to be good and wise;
With Craig oft friendship's holy vigil kept,
Oft on the genial hearth with Waughton slept;
With Ramsay nature mus'd, or nature's power,
Or sauntered comtemplation's faithful hour.
Enjoyed, what Hopetoun's groves could never yield,
The philosophic rapture of the field!
Nor asked, nor feared. His life, and humble lays,
No critics envy, and no flatterers praise.
Sure those who know how hard to write, and live,
Would judge with candour, pity and forgive.
Known but to few, as if he ne'er had been,
He stole through life unheeded, and unseen.
Envied no wit, with patience bore a dunce;
Saw Cochrane never, and not wish'd it once.
And often erring, broke no social duty;
Unbribed by statesmen, and unhurt by beauty.
| The poems and songs of William Hamilton of Bangour | |