Or crop from Tiviots dale each And mourn on Yarrow's banks Meantime, ye Pow'rs, that on the plains which bore The cordial youth, on LOTHIAN'S plains attend, Where'er he dwell, on hill, or lowly muir, To him I lose, your kind protection lend, And, touch'd with love like mine, preserve my absent friend. VERSES WRITTEN ON A PAPER WHICH CONTAINED A PIECE OF BRIDE-CAKE, GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR BY A LADY. YE curious hands, that hid from vulgar eyes, The Cyprian queen, at Hymen's fond request, Ambiguous looks, that scorn and yet relent, Sleep, wayward God! hath sworn while these remain, And chearful hope, so oft invok'd in vain, With fairy songs shall sooth his pensive ear. If, bound by vows to friendship's gentle side, O much entreated, leave this fatal place. Sweet peace, who long hath shunn'd my plaintive And grief with raven note usurp the night. APPENDIX I LETTER FROM WILLIAM COLLINS [Seward's Supplement to the Anecdotes of Distinguished TO DR. WILLIAM HAYES, PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, OXFORD. SIR, MR. BLACKSTONE, of Winchester, some time since informed me of the honour you had done me at Oxford last summer; for which I return you my sincere thanks. I have another more perfect copy of the Ode; which, had I known your obliging design, I would have communicated to you. Inform me by a line, if you should think one of my better judgement acceptable. In such case I could send you one written on a nobler subject; and which, tho' I have been persuaded to bring it forth in London, I think more calculated for an audience in the University. The subject is 'the Music of the Grecian Theatre'; in which I have, I hope naturally, introduced the various characters with which the chorus was concerned, as Oedipus, Medea, Electra, Orestes, etc. The composition too is probably more correct, as I have chosen the ancient Tragedies for my models, and only copied the most affecting passages in them. In the mean time, you would greatly oblige me by |