The Thirſts of Honour Generous Minds bewitch,
And Danger tempts the Brave, as Gold the Rich.
'Twas Courage firſt that ventur'd out to Sea,
Young in Experience, as Philoſophy.
Noah himſelf had certainly been drown'd,
Had not his Courage, as his Faith, been ſound.
Hail Caledonia, by vaſt Seas embrac't;
Thoſe Seas for Glory, Wealth and Terror plac't.
Dreadful in Fame, to thee familiar grown,
Suited to no mens Temper like thy own.
The bounteous Ocean [1] fraught with native Gold,
Sav'd it for thee; by its own Curſe, [2] the Cold.
Had not the Storms and Tempeſts govern'd here,
And fenc'd this long hid Treaſure round with Fear,
Paſt Ages had thy rifled Store decreaſt,
And Foreign Nations all thy Wealth poſſeſt.
Wealth that well ſuits a hardy Race like thine,
That dares through Storms and Death purſue the Mine.
Wealth hid from Cowards, and the fainting Hand,
- ↑ Fraught with Native Gold, i. e. the Treasure of the Fish, which is Gold efficiently, because an immense Treasure is drawn from it by all those Nations that apply themselves to that Trade.
- ↑ That Cold which by the Ancients was thought intolerable and kept those Seas for so many Ages impracticable, doubtless prevented the Disco|very of the great Treasure of the Fishery, was, not that their taking of them could have lessened the Quantity; but without doubt Foreign Nations might have been prompted not to have fish'd here only, and in time have been too strong to be displac'd, but perhaps have taken Possession of the Land for the sake of the Vast Trade: And so a more powerful Nation have dispossest the Scots both of their Trade and their Country too.
