THE RIVERS OF SCOTLAND,

AN ODE.

Set to Music by Mr Collett.

O'ER Scotia's parched land the Naiads flew, From towering hills explor'd her shelter'd

vales,

Caus'd Forth in wild meanders please the view, And lift her waters to the zephyrs gales; Where the glad swain surveys his fertile fields, And reaps the plenty which his harvest yields.

Here did these lovely nymphs, unseen,
Oft wander by the river's side,
And oft unbind their tresses green,
To bathe them in the fluid tide;
Then to the shady grottos would retire,
And sweetly echo to the warbling choir;

Or to the rushing waters tune their shells,
To call up Echo from the woods,

Or from the rocks or crystal floods,

Or from surrounding banks, or hills, or dales.

CHORUS.

Or to the rushing waters tune their shells,
To call up Echo from the woods,

Or from the rocks or crystal floods,
Or from surrounding banks, or hills, or dales.

When the cool fountains first their springs forsook,
Murmuring smoothly to the azure main,
Exulting Neptune then his trident shook,
And wav'd his waters gently to the plain.
The friendly Tritons on his chariot borne,
With cheeks dilated, blew the hollow-sounding
horn.

Now Lothian and Fifan shores,
Resounding to the Mermaid's song,
Gladly emit their limpid stores,

And bid them smoothly sail along

To Neptune's empire, and with him to roll Round the revolving sphere from pole to pole,

To guard Britannia from her envious foes;
To view her angry vengeance hurl'd
In awful thunder round the world,

And trembling nations bending to her blows.
L

CHORUS.

To guard Britannia from her envious foes;
To view her angry vengeance hurl'd

In awful thunder round the world,

And trembling nations bending to her blows.

High towering on the zephyr's breezy wing, Swift fly the Naiads from Fortha's shores, And to the southern airy mountains bring Their sweet enchantment and their magic powers.

Each nymph her favourite willow takes ; The earth with fev'rous tremor shakes; The stagnant lakes obey their call;

Streams o'er the grassy pastures fall. Tweed spreads her waters to the lucid ray; Upon the dimpled surf the sun-beams play.

On her green banks the tuneful shepherd lies Charmed with the music of his reed, Amidst the wavings of the Tweed;

From sky-reflecting streams the river-nymphs

arise.

On her

CHORUS.

green banks the tuneful shepherd lies Charm'd with the music of his reed,

Amidst the wavings of the Tweed: From sky-reflecting streams the river-nymphs

arise.

The listening Muses heard the shepherd's play: Fame with her brazen trump proclaim'd his

name,

And to attend the easy graceful lay,

Pan from Arcadia to Tweeda came.

Fond of the change, along the banks he stray'd, And sung unmindful of the Arcadian shade.

AIR-Tweedside.

Attend every fanciful swain,

Whose notes softly flow from the reed; With harmony guide the sweet strain, To sing of the beauties of Tweed.

2

Where the music of woods and of streams In soothing sweet melody join,

To enliven your pastoral themes,

And make human numbers divine.

CHORUS.

Ye warblers from the vocal

grove,

The tender woodland strain approve,

While Tweed in smoother cadence glides
O'er flowery vales in gentle tides ;

And as she rolls her silver waves along,
Murmurs and sighs to quit the rural song.
Scotia's great genius in russet clad,

From the cool sedgy bank exalts her head; In joyful rapture she the change espies; Sees living streams descend, and groves arise.

AIR-Gilderoy.

1

As sable clouds at early day
Oft dim the shining skies;
So gloomy thoughts create dismay,
And lustre leaves her eyes.

2

"Ye powers! are Scotia's ample fields

With so much beauty grac'd,

"To have those sweets your bounty yields

By foreign foes defac'd?

3

"O Jove! at whose supreme command
"The limpid fountains play,
"O'er Caledonia's northern land

"Let restless waters stray.