THE
VISION
.
DUAN
FIRST
.
Duan
,
a
term
of
Ossian's
for
the
different
divisions
of
a
digressive
Poem
.
See
his
Cath-Loda
,
Vol
,
2.
of
M'Pherson's
Translation
.
THE
sun
had
clos'd
the
winter-day
,
The
Curlers
quat
their
roaring
play
,
And
hunger'd
Maukin
taen
her
way
To
kail-yards
green
,
While
faithless
snaws
ilk
step
betray
Whare
she
has
been
.
The
Thresher's
weary
flingin-tree
,
The
lee-lang
day
had
tir'd
me
;
And
when
the
Day
had
clos'd
his
e'e
,
Far
i'
the
West
,
Ben
i'
the
Spence
,
right
pensivelie
,
I
gaed
to
rest
.
There
,
lanely
,
by
the
ingle-cheek
,
I
sat
and
ey'd
the
spewing
reek
,
That
fill'd
,
wi'
hoast-provoking
smeek
,
The
auld
,
clay
biggin
;
And
heard
the
restless
rattons
squeak
About
the
riggin
.
All
in
this
mottie
,
misty
clime
,
I
backward
mus'd
on
wasted
time
,
How
I
had
spent
my
youthfu'
prime
,
An'
done
nae-thing
,
But
stringing
blethers
up
in
rhyme
For
fools
to
sing
.
Had
I
to
guid
advice
but
harket
,
I
might
,
by
this
,
hae
led
a
market
,
Or
strutted
in
a
Bank
and
clarket
My
Cash-Account
;
While
here
,
half-mad
,
half-fed
,
half-sarket
,
Is
a'
th'
amount
.
I
started
,
mutt'ring
blockhead
!
coof
!
And
heav'd
on
high
my
wauket
loof
,
To
swear
by
a'
yon
starry
roof
,
Or
some
rash
aith
,
That
I
,
henceforth
,
would
be
rhyme-proof
Till
my
last
breath
—
When
click
!
the
string
the
snick
did
draw
;
And
jee
!
the
door
gaed
to
the
wa'
;
And
by
my
ingle-lowe
I
saw
,
Now
bleezan
bright
,
A
tight
,
outlandish
Hizzie
,
braw
,
Come
full
in
fight
.
Ye
need
na
doubt
,
I
held
my
whisht
;
The
infant
aith
,
half-form'd
,
was
crusht
;
I
glowr'd
as
eerie's
I'd
been
dusht
,
In
some
wild
glen
;
When
sweet
,
like
modest
Worth
,
she
blusht
,
And
stepped
ben
.
Green
,
slender
,
leaf-clad
Holly-boughs
Were
twisted
,
gracefu'
,
round
her
brows
,
I
took
her
for
some
SCOTTISH
MUSE
,
By
that
same
token
;
And
come
to
stop
those
reckless
vows
,
Would
soon
been
broken
.
A
"
hare-brain'd
,
sentimental
trace
"
Was
strongly
marked
in
her
face
;
A
wildly-witty
,
rustic
grace
Shone
full
upon
her
;
Her
eye
,
ev'n
turn'd
on
empty
space
,
Beam'd
keen
with
Honor
.
Down
flow'd
her
robe
,
a
tartan
sheen
,
Till
half
a
leg
was
scrimply
seen
;
And
such
a
leg
!
my
BESS
,
I
ween
,
Could
only
peer
it
;
Sae
straught
,
sae
taper
,
tight
and
clean
,
Nane
else
came
near
it
.
Her
Mantle
large
,
of
greenish
hue
,
My
gazing
wonder
chiefly
drew
;
Deep
lights
and
shades
,
bold-mingling
,
threw
A
lustre
grand
;
And
seem'd
,
to
my
astonish'd
view
,
A
well-known
Land
.
Here
,
rivers
in
the
sea
were
lost
;
There
,
mountains
to
the
skies
were
tost
:
Here
,
tumbling
billows
mark'd
the
coast
,
With
surging
foam
;
There
,
distant
shone
,
Art's
lofty
boast
,
The
lordly
dome
.
Here
,
DOON
pour'd
down
his
far-fetch'd
floods
;
There
,
well-fed
IRWINE
stately
thuds
:
Auld
,
hermit
AIRE
staw
thro'
his
woods
,
On
to
the
shore
;
And
many
a
lesser
torrent
scuds
,
With
seeming
roar
.
Low
,
in
a
sandy
valley
spread
,
An
ancient
BOROUGH
rear'd
her
head
;
Still
,
as
in
Scottish
Story
read
,
She
boasts
a
Race
,
To
ev'ry
nobler
virtue
bred
,
And
polish'd
grace
.
DUAN
SECOND
.
With
musing-deep
,
astonish'd
stare
,
I
view'd
the
heavenly-seeming
Fair
;
A
whisp'ring
throb
did
witness
bear
Of
kindred
sweet
,
When
with
an
elder
Sister's
air
She
did
me
greet
.
'
All
hail
!
my
own
inspired
Bard
!
'
In
me
thy
native
Muse
regard
!
'
Nor
longer
mourn
thy
fate
is
hard
,
'
Thus
poorly
low
!
'
I
come
to
give
thee
such
reward
,
'
As
we
bestow
.
'
Know
,
the
great
Genius
of
this
Land
,
'
Has
many
a
light
,
aerial
band
,
'
Who
,
all
beneath
his
high
command
,
'
Harmoniously
,
'
As
Arts
or
Arms
they
understand
,
'
Their
labors
ply
.
'
They
SCOTIA'S
Race
among
them
share
;
'
Some
fire
the
Sodger
on
to
dare
;
'
Some
rouse
the
Patriot
up
to
bare
'
Corruption's
heart
:
'
Some
teach
the
Bard
,
a
darling
care
,
'
The
tuneful
Art
.
'
'Mong
swelling
floods
of
reeking
gore
,
'
They
ardent
,
kindling
spirits
pour
;
'
Or
,
mid
the
venal
Senate's
roar
,
'
They
,
sightless
,
stand
,
'
To
mend
the
honest
Patriot-lore
,
'
And
grace
the
hand
.
'
Hence
,
FULLARTON
,
the
brave
and
young
;
'
Hence
,
DEMPSTER'S
truth-prevailing
tongue
;
'
Hence
,
sweet
harmonious
BEATTIE
sung
'
His
"
Minstrel
lays
;
"
'
Or
tore
,
with
noble
ardour
stung
,
'
The
Sceptic's
bays
.
'
To
lower
Orders
are
assign'd
,
'
The
humbler
ranks
of
Human-kind
,
'
The
rustic
Bard
,
the
lab'ring
Hind
,
'
The
Artisan
;
'
All
chuse
,
as
,
various
they're
inclin'd
,
'
The
various
man
.
'
When
yellow
waves
the
heavy
grain
,
'
The
threat'ning
Storm
,
some
,
strongly
,
rein
;
'
Some
teach
to
meliorate
the
plain
,
'
With
tillage-skill
;
'
And
some
instruct
the
Shepherd-train
,
'
Blythe
o'er
the
hill
.
'
Some
hint
the
Lover's
harmless
wile
;
'
Some
grace
the
Maiden's
artless
smile
;
'
Some
soothe
the
Lab'rer's
weary
toil
,
'
For
humble
gains
,
'
And
make
his
cottage-scenes
beguile
'
His
cares
and
pains
.
'
Some
,
bounded
to
a
district-space
,
'
Explore
at
large
Man's
infant
race
,
'
To
mark
the
embryotic
trace
,
'
Of
rustic
Bard
;
'
And
careful
note
each
op'ning
grace
,
'
A
guide
and
guard
.
'
Of
these
am
I
—
COILA
my
name
;
'
And
this
district
as
mine
I
claim
,
'
Where
once
the
Campbell's
,
chiefs
of
fame
,
'
Held
ruling
pow'r
:
'
I
mark'd
thy
embryo-tuneful
flame
,
'
Thy
natal
hour
.
'
With
future
hope
,
I
oft
would
gaze
,
'
Fond
,
on
thy
little
,
early
ways
,
'
Thy
rudely-caroll'd
,
chiming
phrase
,
'
In
uncouth
rhymes
,
'
Fir'd
at
the
simple
,
artless
lays
'
Of
other
times
.
'
I
saw
thee
seek
the
sounding
shore
,
'
Delighted
with
the
dashing
roar
;
'
Or
when
the
North
his
fleecy
store
'
Drove
thro'
the
sky
,
'
I
saw
grim
Nature's
visage
hoar
,
'
Struck
thy
young
eye
.
'
Or
when
the
deep-green-mantl'd
Earth
,
'
Warm-cherish'd
ev'ry
floweret's
birth
,
'
And
joy
and
music
pouring
forth
,
'
In
ev'ry
grove
,
'
I
saw
thee
eye
the
gen'ral
mirth
'
With
boundless
love
.
'
When
ripen'd
fields
,
and
azure
skies
,
'
Call'd
forth
the
Reaper's
rustling
noise
,
'
I
saw
thee
leave
their
ev'ning
joys
,
'
And
lonely
stalk
,
'
To
vent
thy
bosom's
swelling
rise
,
'
In
pensive
walk
.
'
When
youthful
Love
,
warm-blushing
,
strong
,
'
Keen-shivering
shot
thy
nerves
along
,
'
Those
accents
,
grateful
to
thy
tongue
,
'
Th'
adored
Name
,
'
I
taught
thee
how
to
pour
in
song
,
'
To
soothe
thy
flame
.
'
I
saw
thy
pulse's
maddening
play
,
'
Wild-send
thee
Pleasure's
devious
way
,
'
Misled
by
Fancy's
meteor-ray
,
'
By
Passion
driven
;
'
But
yet
the
light
that
led
astray
,
'
Was
light
from
Heaven
.
'
I
taught
thy
manners-painting
strains
,
'
The
loves
,
the
ways
of
simple
swains
,
'
Till
now
,
o'er
all
my
wide
domains
,
'
Thy
fame
extends
;
'
And
some
,
the
pride
of
Coila's
plains
,
'
Become
thy
friends
.
'
Thou
canst
not
learn
,
nor
I
can
show
,
'
To
paint
with
Thomson's
landscape-glow
;
'
Or
wake
the
bosom-melting
throe
,
'
With
Shenstone's
art
;
'
Or
pour
,
with
Gray
,
the
moving
flow
,
'
Warm
on
the
heart
.
'
Yet
all
beneath
th'unrivall'd
Rose
,
'
The
lowly
Daisy
sweetly
blows
;
'
Tho'
large
the
forest's
Monarch
throws
'
His
army
shade
,
'
Yet
green
the
juicy
Hawthorn
grows
,
'
Adown
the
glade
.
'
Then
never
murmur
nor
repine
'
Strive
in
thy
humble
sphere
to
shine
;
'
And
trust
me
,
not
Potosi's
mine
,
'
Nor
Kings
regard
,
'
Can
give
a
bliss
o'ermatching
thine
,
'
A
rustic
Bard
'
To
give
my
counsels
all
in
one
,
'
Thy
tuneful
flame
still
careful
fan
;
'
Preserve
the
dignity
of
Man
,
'
With
Soul
erect
;
'
And
trust
,
the
UNIVERSAL
PLAN
'
Will
all
protect
.
'
And
wear
thou
this
'
—
She
solemn
said
,
And
bound
the
Holly
round
my
head
:
The
polish'd
leaves
,
and
berries
red
,
Did
rustling
play
;
And
,
like
a
passing
thought
,
she
fled
,
In
light
away
.