A TALE. THOSE rigid pedagogues and fools, On which they've got an endless comment, As often, ah! too often, teaze May mankind all employ their tools By list'ning to the after tale! Wise Mr. Birch had long intended The alphabet should be amended, One day this alphabetic sinner Was eager to devour his dinner, 1 Var. such. When to appease the craving glutton, Alas! the meat was deadly cold! Here take and h-eat it, says the master; But he went instantly about it; 66 The bell was rung with dread alarm; "You lie, my orders were to heat it." That H is but a breathing now. ON BEING ASKED WHICH OF THREE SISTERS WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. WHEN Paris gave his voice, in Ida's grove, 1 But here what could his ablest judgment teach, 1 Euripides. Iphig. Aul. 1302. 1298: Pausan: V. 19. § 1. Homer Il. xxiv: 25. 29. &c. &c. THE RIVERS OF SCOTLAND. AN ODE. Set to Music by Mr. [Richard] Collett. [Richard Collett was an English violin-player, and is recorded by Dr. Burney as having had a good tone, and a strong hand, but without either taste or knowledge of music, and only a coarse performer. He played the first violin at Vauxhall in the summer of 1745. No doubt, writes the accomplished George Farquhar Graham, Esq. to the Editor, "this is the Collett who set the Ode of Fergusson to music. There is no record of any other English musician of that name in the 18th century. His music must be worthless." I have never been able to discover this Ode with the Music of Collett.] O'ER Scotia's parched land the Naiads flew, From towering hills explor'd her shelter'd vales, Here did those lovely nymphs, unseen, Then to the shady grottos would retire, Or to the rushing waters tune their shells Or from surrounding banks, or hills, or dales. CHORUS. Or to the rushing waters tune their shells Or from the rocks or crystal floods, Or from surrounding banks, or hills, or dales. When the cool fountains first their springs forsook, The friendly Tritons on his chariot borne, Now Lothian and Fifan shores, Gladly emit their limpid stores, And bid them smoothly sail along To Neptune's empire, and with him to roll To guard Britannia from envious foes, CHORUS. To guard Britannia from envious foes, In awful thunder round the world, And trembling nations bending to her blows. High towering on the zephyr's breezy wing, Swift fly the Naiades 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 stagnant lakes obey their call, Tweed spreads her waters to the lucid ray, On her green banks the tuneful shepherd lies, Amidst the wavings of the Tweed : From sky-reflecting streams the river nymphs arise. CHORUS. On her green banks the tuneful shepherd lies, Amidst the wavings of the Tweed: From sky-reflecting streams the river nymphs arise. The list ning muses heard the shepherd 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, AIR-Tweedside. 1. Attend every fanciful swain, Whose notes softly flow from the reed, |