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That on the Baſe of Vertue Built their Fame,
And join to that [1] leſſer Praiſe their Name,
The only Juſt and truly great Deſign;
For Vertue helps Nobility to ſhine.
Then who ſhall ſearch the long forgotten Roll,
Examine all the Parts, or Sum the whole,
Who ſhall the Impotence of Art ſupply,
Beyond the reach of Books or Heraldry?
[2] There Gordon, Lindſay, Crawford, Mar and Wems,
With Seaton, Ramſey, Cuninghame and Gra'ams,
Forbes, Roſs, Murray, Bruce, Dunbar and Hume,
And Names for whom no Poet can make Room;
Remote in Birth, in Names and Honours known,
The Caledonian Glory through the World have ſhow'n.
Where ſhall the Galick Trophies now appear?
- ↑ Lesser Praise. I know this word is objected against as ungramma|tical, and therefore by some very carefully avoided in Verse, and by others, perhaps, too critically Censur'd; but as I have very good Authority for the word, I venture the Indignation of the Criticks, and anticipate their Obser|vations, by referring them to the following Examples, (
Greek characters) prior (Greek characters) minor (Greek characters), Which in English cannot be express'd by any other Word than what I here make use of, LESSER, which is form'd from the Comparative Less, exactly after the same manner.
- ↑ 'Tis hop'd the Gentlemen whose Names are included in these Lines, will not sind Fault with the Author for not observing Preceedency either in Dignity or Antiquity, the necessity of Rhime, Measure and Cadence being his just Excuse, and which he desires them to accept in that particular.
