Henry Erskine

“ Without one mark of honour but their fears;
“ T'hey live to see their fire deny’d a grave,
“ In lands his much lov’d children died to save:
“ Yet still in peace and safety did we live,
“ In peace and safety more than wealth can give. ”

“ Rear’d the scant produce of our niggard lands:
“ Scant as it was, no more our hearts desir'd,
"No more from us our gen’rous lord requir’d,
⁠“ But ah, sad change! those blessed days are o'er,
"And Peace, Content, and Safety charm no more.
"Another lord now rules those wide domains,
"The avaricious tyrant of the plains,
"Far, far from hence he revels life away,
"In guilty pleasures, our poor means must pay. ”

“ No dreams alas! can ever, ever flow,
“ To heal your master’s heart, or soothe his woe.
⁠“ Feed on, my flocks, ye harmless people, feed,
“ The worst that ye can suffer is to bleed.
“ O! that the murderer’s heel were all my fear! ”