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[Page 63]
Burntisland-Castle, 1765.
Impudence caressed — Merit neglected.
1 IN privateering, or some lucky hit,
2 His sole distinction money, not his wit,
3 Caress'd by fortune, impudent and vain,
4 And borrowed plumes to dignify the man.
5 At cards, at dice, at table, he's the first,
6 Dogs, hounds, and horses, thunder in the list;
7 Averted eyes scarce see the silent youth,
8 And want of spirit deems his modest truth.
9 As mild Lavinia — unminded and the last,
10 Whose juster thoughts in diffidence are lost.
11 Let not neglect or distance e'er oppress,
12 Why should not fools the foolish thus caress;
13 Congenial souls, attention silent pay,
14 Let thus your merit dignify my lay.
15 Or let the Muse — attend you to your home,
16 Trace every thought and wish when you're alone;
[Page 64]17 Mark every deed, or every generous part,
18 Or how Lavinia gladdens every heart:
19 But hark — to war the trumpet sound alarms,
20 His breast to glory warms, to arms, to arms,
21 Rush into life, ambition in his view,
22 But check'd the youth — his vigour to renew.
23 Thus fortune blind to merit oft we call,
24 But providence, not chance, that rules the ball.
25 As various minds in various paths pursue,
26 With happiness — fair phantom, in their view;
27 Yet rather peaceful than supremely blest,
28 Who aims at all must leave her unpossest.
Source edition
Carstairs, Christian. Original Poems. By a Lady, Dedicated to Miss Ann Henderson. A Tribute to Gratitude and Friendships. Edinburgh: Andrew Shortrede, 1786, pp. 63-64. (ESTC T76883) (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [Harding C 680].)
Editorial principles
Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
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- On seeing Lady H— after the Death of a favourite Daughter. ()
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- [QUEEN MARY.] ()
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- A SONG, to the Tune of “Here awa, there awa.” ()
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- The three following beautiful Stanzas by Miss A. H. to the Author. ()
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- Wrote the week before my Father was to be informed of my Brother's death. ()