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University of Virginia Library

Poems on several subjects

Nicol, Alexander

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TO THE HONOURABLE JAMES HALYBURTON of Pitcur, Esq; Member of Parliament of Orkney and Shetland, and Colonel of the Third Regiment of Foot-Guards, &c.

To the Author, on his Collection of Miscellany Poems.

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I.

NATURE without ART.

An Account of the Author, being an Epistle to the Right Honourable Susanna Countess of Strathmore, in the Year 1727; but newly revised and corrected, with some Circumstances then omitted.

An Introduction to a Wedding SONG. To the Right Honourable the Lord ------.

A POEM, inscribed to the Right Honourable the Earl of Morton, on his accepting the former Ode, &c.

On the Death of the Honourable Henry Crawfoord of Monorgan, who died March 1731.

The young Man's Litany.

The young Woman's Litany in Choice of an Husband.

To the Right Honourable, the Lord Gray, upon his sending me Mr Ramsay's Poems.

To two GENTLEWOMEN.

Another ACROSTIC.

A Collection of Scots Songs, being new Words adapted to old Tunes.

An Epitaph on that puissant Duke of Berwick, Great Marshal of France, who, at the siege of Phillipsburgh, viewing the trenches, had his head shot off by a cannon ball, in the year 1734.

CHRIST's KIRK on the GREEN.

An Epistle to Mr P---, one of his Majesty's Officers of Excise, on his ridiculing my Verses.

A Letter to J--- B--- an old Batchelor, persuading him to marry.

Written by a Gentleman upon seeing some of my Verses.

An Epistle to Mr Allan Ramsay.

Said on WRITING.

An Epistle to a Friend newly married, against the will of his Wife's Friends.

To the Laird of ABERCAIRNIE.

Upon our jolly Change-Keeper leaving the place.

A Tale of two Brothers, and their Posterity.

The AUTHOR's Wish.

Upon the fair Sex.

PROVERBS, Chap. xxxi. Verse 10.

The honest Country-man's Meditation, as he was humming it over alone in Words at Resting-time.

Thirty Riddles, with their Expositions.

A POEM, shewing the Original, Antiquity, Beauty, and Glory of Masonry; also its Progress, Improvements, and Usefulness; with a Description of the Mason's Lodge. All which is concluded with an Ode, sung to the tune of, The free and accepted Mason. To which is prefixed, instead of a Preface, a Poem on the printed Pamphlet.

A POEM on Masonry.

The Masons Lodge.

The ODE.

On receiving a Compliment from the Right Honourable the Lord Kinnaird.

An ELEGY on auld Use and Wont

An ELEGY on Johnie Galla'.

An EPISTLE, from Mr D--- L--- Schoolmaster at Kinnaird, to Alexander Nicol Schoolmaster at Collace, February 3d 1749; on seeing my last book, called Nature without Art.

Alexander Nicol's Answer to the foregoing Epistle, February 6th 1749.

James Ratcliff's Retreat from the Prison of Edinburgh, Monday 23d of July 1739, he being to be hanged the Wednesday after:

A SONG, Tune Allan Water.

A POEM on R--- H--- of South-Ballo.

A Remark on the Poverty of Poets.

The Complaint of a Lark directed to a great Lion: A Fable; occasioned by another Lion being influenced by some evil Speaker, to suspect the honesty of the Lark.

The Cat and the Ape. A Fable.

On seeing Smith and Craig's bantering Poems, anent the building of a School-house at Glenshie.

An EPISTLE to Mr Robert Smith Schoolmaster at Kinnaird, upon his saying he would not stay in the Place.

Mr Smith's ANSWER.

Another EPISTLE to Mr Robert Smith.

The PETITION of Alexander Nicol. Schoolmaster at Collace, to the Honourable Sir William Nairn of Dunsinnan Baronet.

An EPITAPH on Alexander Robertson of Struan.

To the Memory of the Honourable George Hay of Leys, Esq

On Captain Balnave's being dangerously sick of a Fever at the time he should have been married; inscribed to his Lady afterwards.

On the City of DUNDEE.

The BROKEN LAIRD REPAIR'D; OR, The DYVOUR turn'd a THRIVER:

Sung by Miss JENNY.

A PASTORAL between Colin, Willie, and Deavy, upon Baledgarno's Marriage.

VENUS's JOURNEY. A POEM inscribed to Mr Ogilvie of Inchmartine, on his Marriage.

On Mrs Ogilvie's Chariot-wheel sinking on the Brink of the River Spey.

To the Right Honourable the Lord Kinnaird, on his commencing Master of Masons, &c.

II.

NATURE without ART.

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The ODE.

I

Here's a health to each one,
From the king on the throne,
To him that is meanest of station;
If they can contend,
To have lawfully gain'd
The name of an accepted Mason.

II

Fame trumpets aloud,
And seems to be proud
Of such a grand occupation;
To shew unto all,
That there is none shall
E'er vie with an accepted Mason.

III

The glory of kings
Are poor empty things,
Though empires they have in possession,
If void of the fame,
Of that noble name,
Of a free and an accepted Mason.

IV

It is ancienter far
Than other arts are,
Surpassing each other profession:
There's none can pretend
To discover a friend
Like a free and an accepted Mason.

91

V

The world is amaz'd,
Their wonder is rais'd
To see such concurring relation
Among us: they cry,
The devil is nigh,
When one is accepted a Mason.

VI

But let them say on;
To us 'tis well known
What's true or false in the relation:
Let's drink his health round,
That is secret and sound,
And a faithful accepted Mason.