Poems, on sacred and other subjects and songs, humorous and sentimental: By the late William Watt. Third edition of the songs only--with additional songs |
 |
|
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
|
| I. | I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
|
 | Poems, on sacred and other subjects |  |
I.
Lord of the sallow tatter'd crew,Thy listless look I loath to view;
Thy thread-bare raiment, blotch'd with dust,
Doth strike the soul with deep disgust.
Say, languid loiterer, oh say!
Why thus from happiness you stray?
Can mortals Pleasure's face descry
Through the black veil of Poverty?
Can Misery, in wrath, e'er plant
A direr shaft than haggard want?
Ah no! this truth full well I weet,
Want is with earthly ills replete.
In poverty's cloud-darken'd vale
What woes the cheerless wight assail!
Blank, drear, is all creation's smile,
When poverty doth reign the while:
Cashless—then straight an exile driven,
Damn'd by the laws of earth and heaven.
Oh, Indolence! thou bane of life,
Thy vot'ries war in endless strife;
Hunger and cold, and jails and rags,
Attend thee, while through life thou lagg'st.
Friendless and poor, what joy, what mirth,
Can mortals find upon the earth?
Disease lurks in thy stagnant blood,
And poisons all the crimson flood;
53
Though fate awake necessity;
And, like the searing eastern wind,
Steals slumb'ring stupor o'er thy mind.
| Poems, on sacred and other subjects | |