Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-14
FROM THE rp,NpuacH HERALD.

Speech dehve,eA in tbe Pantheon at Edin-
ba,gb CIR the queqiom, {" is d6fdenee or
the Alluyemenfs Of PleG/ure a greater
Bar to the Prog,s/s IF Km01vledge?
BY ALEXANDER WILSON.
HECE; bur it's aufu like to rife up here,
WHARF lic fight o'learnt fouks pows appear!
Sac mor'y piercin' cen a fxt ON ane!
It'h MATT enough TO freeze me to ftane!
But it 5 ae mercy, mony thanks to Fate,
Pedlars are poor, but uDco ieldom blatc.
This queaion, Sir, has been right weel difput.
And uieis,c, wcea-wats been faid about it:
Chiefs, that precilely TO the point can fPcak,
And Gallop owr lang blads O. kirtlc Greek,
Hae ient, frae ilka iidc, their fharp opinion,
And pec't it as ane wad peel a. ienon.
] ihinna fpcn' lang time WI my poor ipale,
Save JUDI crave your patience TO a Tale,
BY it ye'liken OH what 1dc I'm Ginnin',
Ay, ay, 1 fec your hinmcft minutes rinnin',
There iiv'd in Fife ain auld, Asut war'y Chiel
VII -fe ilnmach kept Lac fare but Milk and Meal !,
a Wife he had, think they cad her Bell
And twa big Sins, annait as hcigh S himler.
Rab was geg, iniart Cock WI poulhers path,
Ringan flow, fear'r, baihfu' fimple hath,
Bath TO the College gaen. A. fra fpruee
Rab
AT Greek and Latin grew a vera dabb,
lie beat a roun' about him, fair an clean,
And ilka ane cnur,ct hirn to be their frien',
Frae houic to houfe they harl-t h.a, to dinner,
But cur2 POOR Ringan for hun,dium Gnner.
Rab tanke. now in fic Z lofty itraiu,
As tho a Edinburgh had been his ain.
rie cad the Kirk the Church, the Yirth the
Globe,
And chang'd his name, forfooth, frae Rab to
Bob.
Whare'er ye met him, fouriihing his rung,
he hale difcourie was ,nurder't wi his tongue,
On iriens and foes wi impudence he fet,
And rant his nole in every thing he met.
The College now to him grew douf and dull,
He icorn'd wi buiks to hupify his lIull;
Whiri't To Balls and Plays, and fic like places,
And roar't ava at Fairs and Kintra Races;
Sent owr for filler frae his mother Bell.
Ana # Horle, and rade race himfcp;
Drank night and day. and tyre, whan mortal flu.
Row'r on the floor, there inor't like ony Sow;
Lott a his filler piayin' at the Carts.
And pawn't, for punch, his Bible and his Sarks :.
And driven at lait to own he had enough,
Gaed han,c as rags, to baud his Fathers glouph
Poor humdrum Rirgan play'd anther part!
wat he wanted neither wit nor art.
OF meny a far aft Place he kent the gate;
Was deep, deep learnt, but nnco, unco bIate,
re kent how mony mile twas to The Moon.
How m ny rake wad lave the Oclan toom
WHARF "a the Swallows gaed in time o. fnaw:
What gars the fhun'er roar, and TempeR blaw ::
WHARF iuInpso siIle- grow below the green;
How "a this Yirth rows rouns about the Sun:
In ihort, on huiks lac ncike time he fpenr.
Ye cou'd ma ipcak o. ough, but Ringan kent.
Sac mcikie Lcarnin', wi fac little Pride,
BOON galn'd The love o "a the kintra fde;
AND Death Al that time, happ ming to MP aft
he pAfitli Mirf'er, poor dull ca'f,
k'ngan was ioughr--hc could ma fay them nay,
And there he's reachin' at this vera dav.
Now, MIR. Prehdent, ! think it's plain,
That Youthtu ID !hidence is certaing gain
initead OF blocking up thc road TO Knowledge,
IL guides alike, in Commerce or at College;
struggles the 5urifs of pafIion TO controul:
reeds all the finer feelings of the foul,
Debes the deep-laid itratagems of Guile,
AND gives ev'n Innocence fweetcr fnilei
fhno6ies all the little worth we have,
And ihields our Virtue, even to the Grave.
How watt the difference then between the
twain!
Since pie fure ever is purfu'd by Pain.
rieaiure IS Syren with inviting arms,
Sweet lie her voice and powerful are her charms:
ihr d by her call we tread the Aowry ground,
Joy wings our fteps, and Muic MARBLES round
Luii IN her arms we lofe the flying hours,
ana lie cmbcfon'd 'midf her blooming bowsrs,
III arm'd with death fhe watches our undoine,
Stans while The tings, and triumphs in our ruin.
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