Classic Poem

WHICH PASSED BETWEEN LIEUT. HAMILTON AND THE AUTHOR .

EPISTLE I.

O fam'd and celebrated Allan!
Renown'd Ramsay! canty callan!
There 's nowther Highland-man nor Lawlan,
In poetrie,
But may as soon ding down Tamtallan,
As match wi' thee.

For ten times ten, and that 's a hunder,
I ha'e been made to gaze and wonder,
When frae Parnassus thou didst thunder,
Wi' wit and skill;
Wherefore I 'll soberly knock under,
And quat my quill.

Of poetry the hail quintescence
Thou hast suck'd up, left nae excrescence
To petty poets, or sic messens,
Tho' round thy stool
They may pick crumbs, and lear some lessons
At Ramsay's school.

Tho' Ben and Dryden of renown
Were yet alive in London town,
Like kings contending for a crown,
'Twad be a pingle,
Whilk o' you three wad gar words sound
And best to gingle.

Transform'd may I be to a rat,
Wer't in my pow'r, but I 'd create
Thee upo' sight the laureat
Of this our age,
Since thou may'st fairly claim to that
As thy just wage.

Let modern poets bear the blame,
Gin they respect not Ramsay's name,
Wha soon can gar them greet for shame,
To their great loss,
And send them a' right sneaking hame
Be Weeping-cross.

Wha bourds wi' thee had need be wary,
And lear wi' skill thy thrust to parry,
When thou consults thy dictionary
Of ancient words,
Which come from thy poetic quarry
As sharp as swords.

Now tho' I should baith reel and rottle,
And be as light as Aristotle,
At Ed'nburgh we sall ha'e a bottle
Of reaming claret,
Gin that my half-pay siller shottle
Can safely spare it.

At crambo then we 'll rack our brain,
Drown ilk dull care and aking pain,
Whilk aften does our spirits drain
Of true content;
Woy, woy! but we's be wonder fain,
When thus acquaint.

Wi' wine we 'll gargarize our craig,
Then enter in a lasting league,
Free of ill aspect or intrigue;
And, gin you please it,
Like princes when met at the Hague,
We 'll solemnize it.

Accept of this, and look upon it
With favour, tho' poor I 've done it:
Sae I conclude and end my sonnet,
Who am most fully,
While I do wear a hat or bonnet,

Yours,
WANTON WILLY.

POSTSCRIPT .

By this my postscript I incline
To let you ken my hail design
Of sic a long imperfect line
Lies in this sentence,
To cultivate my dull engine
By your acquaintance.

Your answer therefore I expect;
And to your friend you may direct
At Gilbertfield; do not neglect,
When ye have leisure,
Which I 'll embrace with great respect,
And perfect pleasure.