The poetical works of William Nicholson With a memoir by Malcolm M'L. Harper ... Fourth edition |
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Verses on Seeing a Domesticated Goat. |
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 | The poetical works of William Nicholson |  |
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Verses on Seeing a Domesticated Goat.
Tenant of the mountain's brow!
Why thus thy youthful haunts forsake?
With shaggy garb of snowy hue,
Thou seek'st a shade by wood and brake;
There, thoughtless crop'st the flowery swaird,
With warrior front, and hermit beard.
Why thus thy youthful haunts forsake?
With shaggy garb of snowy hue,
Thou seek'st a shade by wood and brake;
There, thoughtless crop'st the flowery swaird,
With warrior front, and hermit beard.
Thou mind'st no more the rude grey cairn,
Where awful Silence slumbering lies,
Nor dark caves, crowned with heath and fern,
That echoed back thy mother's cries.
The scene how wild! yet, oh, how grand!
Who robbed thee of thy birthright?—Man.
Where awful Silence slumbering lies,
Nor dark caves, crowned with heath and fern,
That echoed back thy mother's cries.
The scene how wild! yet, oh, how grand!
Who robbed thee of thy birthright?—Man.
For thee no female trims her hair,
Nor offspring round thee gambols play;
No rival comes, with threatening air,
Thy hidden valour to display:
Thy life's unvaried, dull and tame;
Thus bound and shackled stains thy name.
Nor offspring round thee gambols play;
No rival comes, with threatening air,
Thy hidden valour to display:
Thy life's unvaried, dull and tame;
Thus bound and shackled stains thy name.
So Liberty, the mountain maid,
On Scotia's cliffs once tuned her strains,
Till taught with gems her hair to braid,
To sing and toy with southern swains;
Her free-born spirit soon was broke—
She bows 'neath Luxury's golden yoke.
On Scotia's cliffs once tuned her strains,
Till taught with gems her hair to braid,
To sing and toy with southern swains;
Her free-born spirit soon was broke—
She bows 'neath Luxury's golden yoke.
| The poetical works of William Nicholson | |