< Page:Scotish Descriptive Poems - Leyden (1803).djvu
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
82
CLYDE;
Where late gay Hamilton's facetious lay,
In rustic numbers hailed returning May;
And bade the brakes of Ardrie long resound
The plaintive dirge, that graced his favourite hound.
Old Rutherglen his designation brings
From Reuther, famed among our earliest kings: 20
Where numerous miners dwell, who fly the day,
Through central darkness urge their downward way;
Where, slumbering in their secret beds, retire
The sable stores which nurse the rage of fire.
To try the vigour of the generous horse,
The level lawn expands the racer's course;
Where, on the days to sestal games assigned,
The sprightly horsemen crowd from every wind;
While gazing crowds admire the courser's speed,
The graceful rider, and the governed steed. 30
More skilful horsemen Græcia ne'er could grace
With wreathing laurel, in Olympia's race;
Nor fleeter coursers swept the Pythian plain,
Renowned in daring Pindar's deathless strain.
See, how they shift, and paw, with trembling heart,
And lose a thousand steps before they start.
When, robed in emerald vest, awakening spring
Invites the flowers to spread, and birds to sing,
In rustic numbers hailed returning May;
And bade the brakes of Ardrie long resound
The plaintive dirge, that graced his favourite hound.
Old Rutherglen his designation brings
From Reuther, famed among our earliest kings: 20
Where numerous miners dwell, who fly the day,
Through central darkness urge their downward way;
Where, slumbering in their secret beds, retire
The sable stores which nurse the rage of fire.
To try the vigour of the generous horse,
The level lawn expands the racer's course;
Where, on the days to sestal games assigned,
The sprightly horsemen crowd from every wind;
While gazing crowds admire the courser's speed,
The graceful rider, and the governed steed. 30
More skilful horsemen Græcia ne'er could grace
With wreathing laurel, in Olympia's race;
Nor fleeter coursers swept the Pythian plain,
Renowned in daring Pindar's deathless strain.
See, how they shift, and paw, with trembling heart,
And lose a thousand steps before they start.
When, robed in emerald vest, awakening spring
Invites the flowers to spread, and birds to sing,
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.