Ah no! 'tis a foul, 'tis a dangerous cheat,
Which offers to view in the glass of deceit
Oblivion of sorrow-but, cruel, conceals
Those ages of misery the future reveals.
'Tis a Creditor, who, for a moment's delay,
Scores double the dreadful reckoning to pay;
Till the Debtor, poor fool! lull'd to fatal repose,
Is awak’d to a dungeon and life-lasting woes!

XI.

THE DRINKIN', 0.

A Sang for the Ladies.

BY JAMES HOGG.

Tune: Dunbarton's Drums.

1 O wae to the wearifu' drinkin', O! That foe to reflection an' thinkin', O!

Our charms are gi'en in vain!

Social conversation's gane!
For the rattlin' o' guns an' the drinkin', 0.

2
O why will you ply at the drinkin',

O? Which to weakness will soon lead you linkin', 0;

These eyes that shine sae bright

Soon will be a weary sight, When ye’re a' sittin' noddin' an' winkin', O!

U

3 For ever may we grieve for the drinkin', O! The respect that is due daily sinkin', O!

Our presence sair abus'd,

An' our company refus'd,
An' its a' for the wearifu' drinkin', O!

4 O drive us not away wi' your drinkin', O! We like your presence mair than ye're thinkin',

0! We'll gie ye another sang, · An' ye're no to think it lang, For the sake o' your wearifu' drinkin', 0!*

5 Sweet delicacy, turn to us blinkin', For by day the guns and swords still are clinkin',

0! An' at night the flowin' bowl

Bothers ilka manly soul, Then there's naething but beblin' an' drinkin',

0!

0!

6 Gentle Peace, come an' wean them frae drinkin',

0! And bring love alang wi' you winkin', O! Gar him thraw at ilka

man, An' wound as deep's he can, Or we're ruin’d by the wearifu' drinkin', O!

XII.

WRITTEN FOR A CONVIVIAL SOCIETY,

WHOSE MOTTO WAS

“ FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, AND TRUTH.”

BY JAMES MONTGOMERY.

1 When“Friendship, Love, and Truth" abound

Among a band of BROTHERS, The cup of joy goes gaily round,

Each shares the bliss of others:
Sweet roses grace the thorny way

Along this vale of sorrow;
The flowers that shed their leaves to-day

Shall bloom again to-morrow :
How grand in age, how fair in youth,
Are holy “FRIENDSHIP, Love, and Truth!"

2
On Halcyon wings our moments pass,

Life's cruel cares beguiling;
Old Time lays down his scythe and glass,

In gay good humour smiling :
With ermine beard and forelock

grey, His reverend front adorning, He looks like Winter turn'd to May,

Night soften'd into morning! How grand in age, how fair in youth, Are holy “Friendship, Love, and Trutu!"

3

From these delightful fountains flow

Ambrosial rills of pleasure:-
Can man desire, can Heaven bestow,

A more resplendent treasure?
Adorn’d with gems so 'richly bright,

We'll form a Constellation,
Where every Star, with modest light,

Shall gild his proper station.
How grand in age, how fair in youth,
Are holy“ FRIENDSHIP, Love, and TRUTH!"

221

LETTER V.

ON AMATORY SONGS.

Sept. 12, 1810. SIR, Love may be considered an universal passion : and perhaps it is that, concerning the due regulation of which, so far as relates to the sexes, mankind have run into the greatest errors. As in all cases, where man is liable to err, it is useful frequently to have recourse to first principles, so on no subject can it be more necessary than upon this.

When man was created and endowed with a nature more perfect than that which we now possess, and with the whole creation subject to him for his use, his instruction and his amusement, God expressly declared that " it was not good that the man should be alone,” and that he would “ make him an help meet for him”; (Genesis II, 18.) he therefore made woman, and declared that they should “ be one", and that for her sake man should, whenever he entered into an union with her, “ leave his father and his mother,