DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0171
ROSLIN CHAPEL AND CASTLE.
159
Edward Bruce, brother to the king, during his refidence here.
In the fucceeding age they are faid to have been ufed for the
fame purpofe by Sir Alexander Ramfay, the knight who flew
man and horfe, and broke the pavement-ftone in Candle-maker
Row,—and by his hardy band of compatriots, who nightly
fallied forth from this hiding-place to annoy their enemies, and
who thus invariably efcaped detedion.”
The poetry of Drummond, though much praifed in his time,
is not of a character to pleafe ours. Much of it confifts of
occafional verfes “On a Parrot,” or “To his Miftrefs’s
Eyebrow,” or, at leaft, verfes of that ftamp. Others are well
worded, but deftitute of living fentiment; while fome are ex-
tremely obfcene. In fact, the bulk of his compofitions refemble
a vaft mafs of others ftored in our libraries, which would be
better in bonfires to make room for better things. His poems
of devotion, the beft part of his writings, do not warm us: they
will not do after Herbert, Cowper, Keble, and Montgomery.
This fonnet is the only thing bearing any reference to Haw-
thornden, where he fpent fo much of his life, and wrote moft of
his verfe :—
SONNET.
“ Dear wood, and you, fweet folitary place,
Where from the vulgar I eftranged live,
Contented more with what your fhades me give,
Than if I had what Thetis doth embrace ;
What fnaky eye, grown jealous of my peace,
Now from your filent horrors would me drive,
When fun, progrefling in his glorious race
Beyond the Twins, doth near our pole arrive ?
What fweet delight a quiet life affords,
And what it is to be of bondage free,
Far from the madding worldling’s hoarfe difcords,
Sweet flowery place, I firfl: did learn of thee :
Ah ! if I were mine own, your dear reforts
I would not change with princes’ ftately courts.”
159
Edward Bruce, brother to the king, during his refidence here.
In the fucceeding age they are faid to have been ufed for the
fame purpofe by Sir Alexander Ramfay, the knight who flew
man and horfe, and broke the pavement-ftone in Candle-maker
Row,—and by his hardy band of compatriots, who nightly
fallied forth from this hiding-place to annoy their enemies, and
who thus invariably efcaped detedion.”
The poetry of Drummond, though much praifed in his time,
is not of a character to pleafe ours. Much of it confifts of
occafional verfes “On a Parrot,” or “To his Miftrefs’s
Eyebrow,” or, at leaft, verfes of that ftamp. Others are well
worded, but deftitute of living fentiment; while fome are ex-
tremely obfcene. In fact, the bulk of his compofitions refemble
a vaft mafs of others ftored in our libraries, which would be
better in bonfires to make room for better things. His poems
of devotion, the beft part of his writings, do not warm us: they
will not do after Herbert, Cowper, Keble, and Montgomery.
This fonnet is the only thing bearing any reference to Haw-
thornden, where he fpent fo much of his life, and wrote moft of
his verfe :—
SONNET.
“ Dear wood, and you, fweet folitary place,
Where from the vulgar I eftranged live,
Contented more with what your fhades me give,
Than if I had what Thetis doth embrace ;
What fnaky eye, grown jealous of my peace,
Now from your filent horrors would me drive,
When fun, progrefling in his glorious race
Beyond the Twins, doth near our pole arrive ?
What fweet delight a quiet life affords,
And what it is to be of bondage free,
Far from the madding worldling’s hoarfe difcords,
Sweet flowery place, I firfl: did learn of thee :
Ah ! if I were mine own, your dear reforts
I would not change with princes’ ftately courts.”