N what foundation stands the warrior's pride?
How just his hopes let Swedish Charles decide:
A frame of adamant, a soul of fire,

No dangers fright him, and no labours tire;
O'er love, o'er fear, extends his wide domain,
Unconquered lord of pleasure and of pain;
No joys to him pacific sceptres yield,-
War sounds the trump, he rushes to the field;
Behold surrounding kings their power combine,

And one capitulate, and one resign;

Peace courts his hand, but spreads her charms in vain ; "Think nothing gained," he cries, "till nought remain, On Moscow's walls till Gothic standards fly, And all be mine beneath the Polar sky." The march begins in military state, And nations on his eye suspended wait; Stern famine guards the solitary coast,

And Winter barricades the realms of frost ;

He comes: nor want nor cold his course delay;-
Hide, blushing glory, hide Pultowa's day :

VANITY OF AMBITION.

The vanquished hero leaves his broken bands,
And shows his miseries in distant lands;
Condemned a needy supplicant to wait,
While ladies interpose and slaves debate.
But did not chance at length her error mend?
Did no subverted empire mark his end?
Did rival monarchs give the fatal wound?
Or hostile millions press him to the ground?
His fall was destined to a barren strand,

A petty fortress, and a dubious hand;

He left the name, at which the world grew pale,
To point a moral or adorn a tale.

All times their scenes of pompous woes afford,
From Persia's tyrant to Bavaria's lord.

In gay hostility and barbarous pride,

With half mankind embattled at his side,
Great Xerxes comes to seize the certain prey,
And starves exhausted regions in his way;
Attendant flattery counts his myriads o'er,
Till counted myriads soothe his pride no more;
Fresh praise is tried till madness fires his mind,
The waves he lashes, and enchains the wind;

New powers are claimed, new powers are still bestowed,
Till rude resistance lops the spreading god;

The daring Greeks deride the martial show,

And heap their valleys with the gaudy foe;

The insulted sea with humbler thoughts he gains,

A single skiff to speed his flight remains;

The encumbered oar scarce leaves the dreaded coast
Through purple billows and a floating host.

The bold Bavarian, in a luckless hour,
Tries the dread summits of Cæsarean power,
With unexpected legions bursts away,

And sees defenceless realms receive his sway:

Short sway! fair Austria spreads her mournful charms, The queen, the beauty, sets the world in arms;

From hill to hill the beacon's rousing blaze

Spreads wide the hope of plunder and of praise ;
The fierce Croatian, and the wild Hussar,

With all the sons of ravage, crowd the war;

The baffled prince in honour's flattering bloom

Of hasty greatness finds the fatal doom,

His foes' derision and his subjects' blame,

And steals to death from anguish and from shame.

JOHN LAPRAIK. 1780.
Matrimonial Lappiness.

HEN I upon thy bosom lean,

And fondly clasp thee a' my ain,

I glory in the sacred ties

That made us ane wha ance were twain.

A mutual flame inspires us baith,

The tender look, the meltin' kiss:

Even years shall ne'er destroy our love,
But only gi'e us change o' bliss.

Hae I a wish? it's a' for thee!

I ken thy wish is me to please;
Our moments pass sae smooth away,

That numbers on us look and gaze;
Weel pleased they see our happy
days,

Nor envy's sel' finds aught to blame;
And aye when weary cares arise,

Thy bosom still shall be my hame.

I'll lay me there and tak' my rest;

And if that aught disturb my dear, I'll bid her laugh her cares away,

And beg her not to drop a tear. Hae I a joy? it's a' her ain!

United still her heart and mine; They're like the woodbine round the tree, [disjoin. That's twined till death shall them