( 4 )
Around him, bleating, stray’d a scanty flock.
And a few goats o’erhung the neighb’ring rock.
One faithful dog his sorrows seem’d to share.
And drove, with many a trick to ease his care.
While o’ei his furrow’d cheeks, the salt drops ran,
He tun’d his rultic reed, and thus began:
“ Farewel! farewel! dear Caledonia’s strand,
“ Rough though thou be, yet still my native land,
"Exil’d from thee I seek a foreign Shore,
“ Friends, kindred, country, to behold no more:
“ By hard oppression driv’n. my helpless age,
“ That should ere now have left life’s burstling stage,
"Is forc’d the ocean’s boist’rous breast to brave,
“ In a far foreign land to seek a grave.
“ And must I leave thee then my little lot!
“ Mine and my father’s poor, but happy, lot,
“ Where I have pass'd in innocence away,
“ Year after year, till Age has turn’d me grey?
“ Thou, dear companion of my happier life,
“ Now to the grave gone down, my virtuous wife,
“ 'T'was here you rear’d with fond maternal pride,
“ Five comely Tons: three for their country died!
“ Two still remain, sad remnant of the wars,
“ 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.
