Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Aikin, there breathes in friendship what beguiles
The heavy hours, when dark distended clouds
Burst o'er the head in torrents, and from far
The forked lightning darts athwart the sky,
Quick travelling down to th' eye with dazzling rays;
While deep-mouth'd thunder muttering rolls along.
Then, darkness all around, how sweet the voice
Of friend! In converse kind there dwells a charm,
That cheers the heart, and mocks the blustering storm.
Nor less, when 'mid the barren dreary heath

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The traveller strays, where scarce a heath-flower blooms
Yellow, or purple, as where Pentland lifts
His ridge, or spread the poor unthrifty plains
Of Cardigan, or toiling when he climbs
Snowdon or hoar Plinlimmon's craggy sides,
Brecnoc , or Grampian summits :—who surveys
Nature's grand scenery, may not always hope
To view the cultur'd garden, or the lawn
Of verdure softly smooth, or daisied vale:
Nor always may he meet the wilder charms
Of picturesque; nor always gaze entranced
The lake, whose fair expanse, like mirror clear,
What smiles upon the bank, of bush, or tree,
And heaven's blue vault, reflects; for nature's tints,
Various and bold, display no common tone.
She, skilful painter, from the wide extremes
Of rough and smooth, of light and shade, effects
Beauty's mixt form , the glory of her work.

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But, Aikin, now we part, tho' scene so fair
Might tempt us still to extend our social walk.
Dunkeld, oh! lov'd retreat, embosom'd deep
In boldest rocks, and woods, that graceful clothe
The mountains side, beneath whose smiling cots
Rolls his pellucid stream the sprightly Tay ,
Scotia's divider stream, descending quick,
Meand'ring wide, Braidalbin's silver lake,
Fast hastening to the Frith: Here browner elms,
The greener pine, and larch of paler hue,
Spread more luxuriant branches: every tree
A language borrows, as proclaiming thee,
Dunkeld, its favourite sweetest residence.

Enchanting scene! farewell—so rich a spot
Might well allure the priest of ancient time,
To raise his temple here; and still appears
The sainted abbey, whose time-mouldered walls
Bring to the memory the fair Gothic haunt
Of Tintern, Monmouth's fair sequester'd ruin,
Where, of the scenery proud, Wye swells its flood.

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But, ere we part, my friend, let us ascend
Yon stately mountain, and trace back our course.
Gentle th' ascent, and many a grateful herb
Has nature scatter'd round with skilful hand.
The modest heath-flower here its purple tints
Displays, and broom its yellow splendours; here
The fern spreads broad, and here the juniper
Puts forth its berry, by the prickly green
Guarded, and many a flower of rarer hue
With her own hand she waters:—pleasing height!
Now we have gain'd the mountains sacred brow!
How glows the landscape! for no shadowing cloud
Obstructs the sight: how heaven's own varying hues
Shine on the face of nature! Mount on mount
Here climbs, and there the lessening hills retire!
The towering wood, where trees innumerous spread,
Shrinks to a slender copse, while stately Tay
Seems a poor streamlet to th' astonish'd sight!
How many a day's long journey now appears
To th' eye, quick traveller, a short summer walk!
As fades a series of long wasting cares,
When joy mounts high, and distance veils the scene.

Now pleas'd each roves a lonely traveller,

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For not the solitary path appears
Or sad, or irksome:—for what voice so sweet
As nature's songsters! And what scene so gay,
As hill and dale, and deep romantic glen,
Quick-gliding stream, and ever babbling brook?
And oh! what sound so sweet as western gales
Kissing the trembling trees? And Fancy can
Wake sounds more pleasing, can create new scenes,
Fresh, gay, ambrosial, such as purer sense
Of museful bard sees, hears, and grows inspir'd.

My friend, be thine to rove no fruitless path,
For science guides thee, and thyself hast rais'd
Fair hope, and pointing thee to rural haunts
And pleasing themes, thy parent leads the way.
The months, with all their songs, and fruits and flow'rs,
Vapours, and sullen clouds, and frost, and snows,
In ceaseless change, to Britain's studious youth
Well he describes; and Britain's studious youth
Shall bless his toils—nor less with Ev'ning Tales,
With critic rules, and soft poetic lays,
Moulds tender hearts, than with a modest skill

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To art and science lifts the manly mind.
Nature's fair hand directs a different walk
To her different children, who still following her,
View what may guide the genius to pursue
Studies diverse, yet useful, which unite,
Like the rich hues, whose fair varieties
Each into th' other melting, all conspire
To crown with one grand arch the lofty heav'n.
Thy task be toil and patience; to survey
The form, position, and proportions due
Of mountains, and their natures thence deduce:
Hence shall determine well the distant eye,
What treasures sleep within, or slates or lime,
Granites, or porph'ries; nor shall vain ascent
Thy feet beguile; to thee research shall bring
Its pleasures; nor less useful the research.
'Twas thus, where circled in immortal snow,
Alps rear their tow'ring summits, Saussure rais'd
His fame's high monument ; nor less shalt thou
On Scotia's barren rocks; tho' not to thee
Those rocks shall long prove barren; thou shalt gain
From Scotland's sons the meed of fair renown.

A chain of mountains in Scotland, running through Lothian.

The highest mountains in North and South Wales.

A chain of mountains running East and West almost the whole length of Scotland.

Called by artists the Clear Obscure. See Webb on Painting. Dial. V.

The Tay issues from Loch Tay, in Broadalbin, and divides Scotland into North and South.

Tintern Abbey, in Monmouthshire, the finest ruin of the kind in England.

Author of a Journal of a Tour through North Wales.

Dr. Aikin, author of the Calendar of Nature, Evenings at Home, Poetical, Critical, and Topographical Works.

Arthur Aikin was engaged in a mineralogical survey of Scotland. Saussure is the author of, Voyages dans les Alpes.