Verses occafioned by Dr. Frazer's rebuilding,

Part of the University of ABERDEEN.

*

I

N times long paft, ere Wealth was Learning's foe,

And dar'd despise the worth he would not know;
Ere mitred pride, which arts alone had rais'd,
Those very arts, in others faw, unprais'd;
Friend to mankind, a prelate, good and great,
The Muses courted to this fafe retreat :
Fix'd each fair virgin, decent, in ber cell,
With learned leisave, and with peace to dwelle:
The fabric finish'd, to the + sovereign's fame,
His own neglecting, he transfer'd his claim.
Here, by succeffive worthies, well was taught
Whate'er enlightens, or exalts the thought.
With labour planted, and improv'd with care,
The various tree of knowledge flourish'd fair :
Soft and serene the kindly seafons rollid,
And Science long enjoy'd her age of gold.

Now, dire reverse ! impair'd by lapfe of years,
A falling waste the Muses' seat appears.
O'er her gray roofs, with baneful ivy bound,
Time, súre destroyer, walks his hostile round:
Silent, and flow, and ceaseless in his toil,
He mines each wall, he moulders every pile!

Ruin
Bishop Elphinston.
+ Calling it - King's College, in compliment to
James IV.

a

Ruin hangs hovering o'er the fated place :
And dumb Oblivion comes with mended pace.

Sad Learning's genius, with a father's fear,
Beheld the total defolation near :
Beheld the Muses stretch the wing to fly;
And fix'd on heaven his sorrow-streaming eye!

From heaven, in that dark hour, commission'd came
Mild Charity, ev’n there the foremost name.
Sweet Pity flew before her, softly bright;
At whose felt influence, Nature smild with light.

“ Hear, and rejoice! - the gracious Power begun “ Already, fir'd by me thy favourite son, “ This ruin'd scene remarks with filial eyes; « And, from its fall, bids fairer fabrics rise. « Ev'n now, behold! where crumbling fragments grey, « In dust deep-bury'd, lost to memory lay, • The column swells, the well-knit arches bend, “ The round dome widens, and the roofs afcend !

“ Nor ends the bounty thus : by him bestow'd, “ Here, Science fhall her richest stores unload. “ Whate’er, long-hid, Philosophy has found; “ Or the Muse fung, with living lawrel crown'd ; “ Or History defcry'd, far-looking fage, “ In the dark doubtfulness of distant age; “ There, thy best wealth, with curious choice combin’ds “ Now treasur'd here, fhall form the studious mind : “ To wits unborn the wanted succours give, “ And fire the Bard, whom Genius means to live.

• But, teach thy fons the gentle laws of peace; “ Let low Self-love and pedant-Discord cease:

" Their

“ Their object Truth, Utility their aim,
“ One social spirit reign, in all the same.
“ Thus aided arts shall with fresh vigour shoot ;
“ Their cultur'd blossoms ripen into fruit;

Thy faded star dispense a brighter ray,
“ And each glad Muse renew her noblest lay."

SIEGE OF D A MASCU S.
SPOKEN BY LORD SANDWICH.

WHEN

THEN arts and arms, beneath Eliza's smile,

Spread wide their influence o'er this happy ille;
A golden reign, uncurs’d with party-rage,
That foe to taste, and tyrant of our age;
Ere all our learning in a libel lay,
And all our talk, in politics, or play:
The statesman oft would soothe his toils with wit,
What Spenser sung, and Nature's Shakespeare writ;
Or to the laureld grove, at times, retire,
There, woo the Muse, and wake the moving lyre.

As fair examples, like ascending morn,
The world at once enlighten and adorn;
From them diffus’d, the gentle arts of peace
Shot brightening 'o'er the land, with swift encrease :

Rough

*

Rough nature soften d into grace and ease;
Sense grew polite, and science sought to please,

Reliev'd from yon rude scene of party-din,
Where

open

Baseness vies with secret Sin,
And safe embower'd in * Woburn's airy groves,
Let us recall the times our taste approves ;
Awaken to our aid the mourning Muse;
Through every bosom tender thought infuse;
Melt angry Faction into moral sense,
And to his guests a Bedford's foul dispense.

And now, while Spring extends her similing reign,
Green on the mountain, flowery in the plain ;
While genial Nature breathes, from hill and dale,
Health, fragrance, gladness, in the living gale ;
The various softness, stealing through the heart,
Impreffions, sweetly focial, will impart.
When fad Eudocia

pours

her hopeless woe,
The tear of pity will unbidden flow!
When erring Phocyas, whom wild paffions blind,
Holds up himself, a mirror for mankind;
An equal eye on our own hearts we turn,
Where frailties lurk, where fond affections burn:
And, conscious, Nature is in all the fame,
We mourn the guilty, while the guilt we blame!

EP

* The Siege of Damascus was acted at Woburn, by the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Sandwich, and some other persons of distinction, in the month of May, 1743

To woman, sure, the most severe affliction

Is, from these fellows, point-blank contradiction.
Our Bard, without-I with he would appear
Ud! I would give it him but you shall hear -

Good Sir! quoth I and curtsey'd as I spoke
Our pit, you know, expects and loves a joke-
'Twere fit to humour them : for, right or wrong,
True Britons never like the same thing long.
To-day is fair-they strut, huff, swear, harangue:
To-morrow's foul--they sneak aside, and hang.
Is there a war-peace ! peace! is all their cry:
The

peace is made-then, blood! they 'll fight and die.
Gallants, in talking thus, I meant no treason:
I would have brought, you see, the man to reason.
But with some folks, 'tis labour lost to strive :
A reasoning mule will neither lead nor drive.
He hum’d, and haw'd; then, waking from his dream,
Cry'd, I mult preach to you his moral scheme.

A scheme,