VERSES Occafioned by Dr. FRAZER's rebuilding Part of the University of ABERDEEN.

IN

N times long past, ere Wealth was Learning's foe, And dar'd defpife the worth he would not know; Ere mitred pride, which arts alone had rais'd, Thofe very arts, in others faw, unprais'd; Friend to mankind, a prelate, good and great, The Mufes courted to this fafe retreat: Fix'd each fair virgin, decent, in her cell, With learned leisure, and with peace to dwell. The fabric finish'd, to the † fovereign's fame, His own neglecting, he transfer'd his claim. Here, by fucceffive 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 ferene the kindly seasons roll'd, And Science, long enjoy'd her age of gold. Now, dire reverfe! impair'd by lapfe of years, A falling waste the Mufes' feat appears. O'er her gray roofs, with baneful ivy bound, Time, fure destroyer, walks his hoftile round: Silent, and flow, and ceafelefs in his toil, He mines each wall, he moulders every pile!

* Bishop Elphinston.

Ruin

Calling it King's College, in compliment to James IV.

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 Mufes ftretch the wing to fly;
And fix'd on heaven his forrow-ftreaming eye!
From heaven, in that dark hour, commiffion'd came
Mild Charity, ev'n there the foremost name.
Sweet Pity flew before her, foftly bright;
At whofe felt influence, Nature smil'd with light.
"Hear, and rejoice! - the gracious Power begun
"Already, fir'd by me thy favourite fon,
"This ruin'd fcene remarks with filial eyes;
"And, from its fall, bids fairer fabrics rife.
"Ev'n now, behold! where crumbling fragments grey,
In duft deep-bury'd, loft to memory lay,

"The column fwells, 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, Philofophy has found; "Or the Muse fung, with living lawrel crown'd; "Or Hiftory defcry'd, far-looking fage, "In the dark doubtfulness of distant age; "Thefe, thy beft wealth, with curious choice combin'd, "Now treafur'd here, fhall form the ftudious mind: "To wits unborn the wanted fuccours 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 object Truth, Utility their aim,
"One social spirit reign, in all the fame.
"Thus aided arts fhall with fresh vigour shoot;
"Their cultur'd bloffoms ripen into fruit;
"Thy faded star dispense a brighter ray,
And each glad Muse renew her nobleft lay."

PROLOGUE

то THE

SIEGE OF DAMASCU S.

SPOKEN BY LORD SANDWICH.

WHEN

arts and arms, beneath Eliza's fimile, Spread wide their influence o'er this happy ile;

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 ftatefman oft would foothe his toils with wit,
What Spenfer fung, and Nature's Shakespeare writ;
Or to the laurel'd grove, at times, retire,

There, woo the Mufe, and wake the moving lyre.
As fair examples, like afcending 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;
Senfe grew polite, and science sought to please.
Reliev'd from yon rude scene of party -din,
Where open Bafenefs vies with fecret Sin,
And fafe embower'd in * Woburn's airy groves,
Let us recall the times our taste approves ;
Awaken to our aid the mourning Muse;
Through every bofom tender thought infuse;
Melt angry Faction into moral fenfe,
And to his guests a Bedford's foul dispense.

And now, while Spring extends her smiling reign,
Green on the mountain, flowery in the plain;
While genial Nature breathes, from hill and dale,
Health, fragrance, gladnefs, in the living gale;
The various foftnefs, ftealing through the heart,
Impreffions, fweetly 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, confcious, Nature is in all the fame,
We mourn the guilty, while the guilt we blame!

E

*The Siege of Damafcus was acted at Woburn, by the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Sandwich, and fome other perfons of distinction, in the month of May, 1743.

EPILOGUE

то

THE

BROTHERS,

A TRAGEDY, BY DR. YOUNG.

T

O woman, fure, the most severe affliction

Is, from these fellows, point-blank contradiction. Our Bard, without-I wish he would appearUd! I would give it him-but you fhall hear

Good Sir! quoth I— and curtsey'd as I spokeOur pit, you know, expects and loves a joke"Twere fit to humour them: for, right or wrong, True Britons never like the fame thing long. To-day is fair-they strut, huff, swear, harangue :To-morrow's foul-they sneak afide, 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 reafon. But with fome folks, 'tis labour loft to strive:

A reafoning mule will neither lead nor drive.

He hum'd, and haw'd; then, waking from his dream, Cry'd, I must preach to you his moral scheme.

2

A fcheme,