Page:Emigrant (1).pdf/4

( 4 ) Around him, bleating, stray’d a scanty flock. And a few goats o’erhung the neighb’ring rock. One faithful dog his sorrows seem’d to share. And drove, with many a trick to ease his care. While o’ei his furrow’d cheeks, the salt drops ran, He tun’d his rultic reed, and thus began:

“ Farewel! farewel! dear Caledonia’s strand, “ Rough though thou be, yet still my native land, "Exil’d from thee I seek a foreign Shore, “ Friends, kindred, country, to behold no more: “ By hard oppression driv’n. my helpless age, “ That should ere now have left life’s burstling stage, "Is forc’d the ocean’s boist’rous breast to brave, “ In a far foreign land to seek a grave.

“ And must I leave thee then my little lot! “ Mine and my father’s poor, but happy, lot, “ Where I have pass'd in innocence away, “ Year after year, till Age has turn’d me grey?

“ Thou, dear companion of my happier life, “ Now to the grave gone down, my virtuous wife, “ 'T'was here you rear’d with fond maternal pride, “ Five comely Tons: three for their country died! “ Two still remain, sad remnant of the wars, “ Without one mark of honour but their fears; “ T'hey live to see their fire deny’d a grave, “ In lands his much lov’d children died to save: “ Yet still in peace and safety did we live, “ In peace and safety more than wealth can give.