Classic Poem

MERCURY IN QUEST OF PEACE .

The gods coost out, as story gaes,
Some being friends, some being faes,
To men in a besieged city:
Thus some frae spite, and some frae pity,
Stood to their point with canker'd strictness,
And leftna ither in dog's likeness.
Juno ca'd Venus whore and bawd,
Venus ca'd Juno scaulding Jad:
E'en cripple Vulcan blew the low,
Apollo ran to bend his bow,
Dis shook his fork, Pallas her shield,
Neptune his grape began to wield.
" What plague! " cries Jupiter, " hey hoy!
" Man this town prove anither Troy?
" What, will you ever be at odds,
" Till mankind think us foolish gods?
" Hey! mistress Peace, make haste, appear. "
But madam was nae there to hear.
" Come, Hermes, wing thy heels and head,
" And find her out with a' thy speed:
" Trowth, this is bonny wark indeed! "

Hermes obeys, and staptna short,
But flies directly to the court;
For sure (thoughThe) she will be found
On that fair complimenting ground,
Where praises and embraces ran,
Like current coin, 'tween man and man.
But soon, alake! he was beguil'd;
And fand that courtiers only smil'd,
And with a formal flatt'ry treat ye,
That they mair sickerly might cheat ye.
Peace was na there, nor e'er could dwell
Where hidden envy makes a hell.

Niest to the ha', where justice stands
With sword and balance in her hands,
He flew; no thaThe thought to find her
Between the accuser and defender;
But sure he thought to find the wench
Amang the fowk that fill the bench,
Sae muckle gravity and grace
Appear'd in ilka judge's face:
Even here he was deceiv'd again,
For ilka judge stack to his ain
Interpretation of the law,
And vex'd themsells with had and draw.

Frae thence he flew straight to the kirk:
In this he prov'd as daft a stirk,
To look for Peace, where never three
In ev'ry point cou'd e'er agree:
Ane his ain gait explain'd a text
Quite contrair to his neighbour next,
And teughly toolied day and night
To gar believers trow them right.

Then sair he sigh'd: " Where can she be? —
" Well thought — the university:
" Science is ane, these man agree. "
There did he bend his strides right clever,
But is as far mistane as ever;
For here contention and ill-nature
Had runkled ilka learn'd feature:
Ae party stood for ancient rules,
Anither ca'd the ancients fools;
Here ane wad set his shanks aspar,
And reese the man that sang Troy war;
Anither ca's him Robin Kar.

Well, she 's no here. — Away he flies
To seek her amangst families:
Tout! what shou'd she do there, I wonder?
Dwells she with matrimonial thunder,
Where mates, some greedy, some deep drinkers,
Contend with thriftless mates or jinkers?
This says 'tis black; and that, wi' spite,
Stifly maintains and threaps 'tis white.

Weary'd at last, quoth he, " Let 's see
" How branches with their stocks agree. "
BuThere he fand still his mistake;
Some parents cruel were, some weak;
While bairns ungratefu' did behave,
And wish'd their parents in the grave.

" Has Jove then sent me 'mang thir fowk, "
Cry'd Hermes, " here to hunt the gowk?
" Well I have made a waly round,
" To seek what is not to be found. "
Just on the wing — towards a burn,
A wee piece aff, his looks did turn;
There mistress Peace he chanc'd to see
Sitting beneath a willow tree.
" And have I found ye at the last? "
He cry'd aloud, and held her fast.
" Here I reside, " quoth she, and smil'd,
" With an auld hermit in this wild. " —
" Well, Madam, " said he, " I perceive
" That ane may long your presence crave,
" And miss ye still, but this seems plain,
" To have ye, ane man be alane. "