The Gentle Shepherd: A Pastoral Comedy Part 8

[Footnote 55: We are indebted for this anecdote to the venerable George Thomson, Esq., the correspondent of Burns and publisher of his finest songs, now living and in the 93d year of his age, who had it from--Macgowan, Esq., a gentleman formerly well known in this city, as having been told him by Lady Strange herself.

[Ramsay's Poems. Ed. 1850]

LIST OF ALLAN RAMSAY'S WORKS.

POEMS.--Edinburgh, 1721-28. 4to. 2 vols. First collective edition.

Many other editions. _See Preface, page_ ix.

THE EVERGREEN, being a Collection of Scots Poems, wrote by the Ingenious before 1600. Edinburgh, 1724. 16mo. 2 vols. Reprinted, 1761 and 1824.

THE TEA-TABLE MISCELLANY. Edinburgh, 1724, &c.--4 vols. 12mo. A well-known collection of Songs, English as well as Scotish, by several hands. Many other editions.

TEA-TABLE MISCELLANY--circa 1726. "Music for Allan Ramsay's collection of Scots Songs: Set by Alexander Stuart, and engraved by R. Cooper, vol. First. Edinburgh; printed and sold by Allan Ramsay."

This is a small oblong volume of 156 pages, divided into six parts, and contains the music of seventy-one Songs, selected from the first volume of the Tea-Table Miscellany, printed in 1724. It is very scarce, and no second volume ever appeared.

THE GENTLE SHEPHERD, a Scots Pastoral Comedy. Edinburgh, 1725. First edition. Numerous other editions. _See Preface, page_ x.

Included in all the collective editions of the Poems.

_Translations._--By Cornelius Vanderstop. London, 1777. 8vo.--By W.

Ward. London, 1785. 8vo.--By Margaret Turner. London, 1790. 8vo.

FABLES.--A Collection of thirty Fables. Edinburgh, 1730. First collective edition. The greater part of these were included in the quarto of 1728, and are to be found in all the more recent editions of the Poems.

PROVERBS.--A Collection of Scots Proverbs. Edinburgh, 1737. 12mo.

Numerous editions.

TO

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

SUSANNA,

_COUNTESS OF EGLINTOUN_.[56]

MADAM,

The love of approbation, and a desire to please the best, have ever encouraged the Poets to finish their designs with chearfulness. But, conscious of their own inability to oppose a storm of spleen and haughty ill-nature, it is generally an ingenious custom amongst them to chuse some honourable shade.

Wherefore, I beg leave to put my Pastoral under your Ladyship's protection. If my Patroness says, the Shepherds speak as they ought, and that there are several natural flowers that beautify the rural wild, I shall have good reason to think myself safe from the awkward censure of some pretending judges that condemn before examination.

[Footnote 56: "This is the same dignified lady, to whom, at the age of eighty-five, Johnson, and Boswell, offered their homage; whose powers of pleasing continued so resplendent as to charm the fastidious sage into a declaration that, in visiting such a woman, he had spent his day well. This celebrated patroness of poets was the accomplished daughter of the n.o.ble house of Kennedy, who having married, in 1708, Alexander the Earl of Eglinton, by whom she had three sons, two of whom succeeded to the earldom, and seven daughters who married into honourable families, died on the 18th of March, 1780, at the patriarchal age of ninety-one."--_Geo. Chalmers' Life of Ramsay, page x.x.xiv., edition of 1800._]

I am sure of vast numbers that will crowd into your Ladyship's opinion, and think it their honour to agree in their sentiments with the Countess of EGLINTOUN, whose penetration, superior wit, and sound judgment, shines with an uncommon l.u.s.tre, while accompanied with the diviner charms of goodness and equality of mind.

If it were not for offending only your Ladyship, here, Madam, I might give the fullest liberty to my muse to delineate the finest of women, by drawing your Ladyship's character, and be in no hazard of being deemed a flatterer; since flattery lyes not in paying what's due to merit, but in praises misplaced.

Were I to begin with your Ladyship's honourable birth and alliance, the field's ample, and presents us with numberless great and good Patriots that have dignified the names of KENNEDY and MONTGOMERY: Be that the care of the herauld and historian. 'Tis personal merit, and the heavenly sweetness of the fair, that inspire the tuneful lays.

Here every Lesbia must be excepted, whose tongues give liberty to the slaves, which their eyes had made captives. Such may be flatter'd; but your Ladyship justly claims our admiration and profoundest respect: for, whilst you are possest of every outward charm in the most perfect degree, the never-fading beauties of wisdom and piety, which adorn your Ladyship's mind, command devotion.

"All this is very true," cries one of better sense than good nature, "but what occasion have you to tell us the sun shines, when we have the use of our eyes, and feel his influence?"--Very true; but I have the liberty to use the Poet's privilege, which is, "To speak what every body thinks." Indeed, there might be some strength in the reflection, if the Idalian registers were of as short duration as life: but the bard, who fondly hopes immortality, has a certain praise-worthy pleasure in communicating to posterity the fame of distinguished characters.----I write this last sentence with a hand that trembles between hope and fear: But if I shall prove so happy as to please your Ladyship in the following attempt, then all my doubts shall vanish like a morning vapour:--I shall hope to be cla.s.sed with Ta.s.so and Guarini, and sing with Ovid,

"If 'tis allowed to Poets to divine, One half of round eternity is mine."

MADAM,

Your Ladyship's most obedient,

and most devoted servant,

ALLAN RAMSAY.

EDINBURGH, _June_, 1725.

TO THE

COUNTESS OF EGLINTOUN,

WITH THE FOLLOWING PASTORAL.

ACCEPT, O EGLINTOUN! the rural lays, That, bound to thee, thy duteous Poet pays!

The muse, that oft has rais'd her tuneful strains, A frequent guest on SCOTIA'S blissful plains, That oft has sung, her list'ning youth to move, The charms of beauty and the force of love, Once more resumes the still successful lay, Delighted, thro' the verdant meads to stray.

O! come, invok'd, and pleas'd, with Her repair, To breathe the balmy sweets of purer air, In the cool evening negligently laid, Or near the stream, or in the rural shade, Propitious hear, and, as thou hear'st, approve The GENTLE SHEPHERD'S tender tale of love.

Instructed from these scenes, what glowing fires Inflame the breast that real love inspires!

The fair shall read of ardours, sighs, and tears, All that a lover hopes, and all he fears: Hence, too, what pa.s.sions in his bosom rise!

What dawning gladness sparkles in his eyes!

When first the fair one, piteous of his fate, Cur'd of her scorn, and vanquish'd of her hate, With willing mind, is bounteous to relent, And blushing, beauteous, smiles the kind consent!

Love's pa.s.sion here in each extreme is shown, In Charlot's smile, or in Maria's frown.

With words like these, that fail'd not to engage, Love courted beauty in a golden age, Pure and untaught, such nature first inspir'd, Ere yet the fair affected phrase desir'd.

His secret thoughts were undisguis'd with art, His words ne'er knew to differ from his heart: He speaks his love so artless and sincere, As thy Eliza might be pleas'd to hear.

Heaven only to the Rural State bestows Conquest o'er life, and freedom from its woes: Secure alike from Envy and from Care; Nor rais'd by Hope, nor yet depress'd by Fear: Nor Want's lean hand its happiness constrains, Nor Riches torture with ill-gotten gains.

No secret Guilt its stedfast peace destroys, No wild Ambition interrupts its joys.

Blest still to spend the hours that Heav'n has lent In humble goodness, and in calm content: Serenely gentle, as the thoughts that roll, Sinless and pure, in fair Humeia's soul.

But now the Rural State these joys has lost; Even swains no more that innocence can boast: Love speaks no more what beauty may believe, p.r.o.ne to betray, and practis'd to deceive.

Now happiness forsakes her blest retreat, The peaceful dwellings where she fix'd her seat; The pleasing fields she wont of old to grace, Companion to an upright sober race; When on the sunny hill, or verdant plain, Free and familiar with the sons of men, To crown the pleasures of the blameless feast, She uninvited came a welcome guest; Ere yet an age, grown rich in impious arts, Brib'd from their innocence incautious hearts: Then grudging hate, and sinful pride succeed, Cruel revenge, and false unrighteous deed; Then dow'rless beauty lost the power to move; The rust of lucre stain'd the gold of love: Bounteous no more, and hospitably good, The genial hearth first blush'd with stranger's blood: The friend no more upon the friend relies, And semblant falsehood puts on truth's disguise: The peaceful houshold fill'd with dire alarms; The ravish'd virgin mourns her slighted charms: The voice of impious mirth is heard around; In guilt they feast, in guilt the bowl is crowned: Unpunish'd violence lords it o'er the plains, And Happiness forsakes the guilty swains.

Oh Happiness! from human search retir'd, Where art thou to be found, by all desir'd?