Wit & humour > Gentle shepherd

LIFE OF THE AUTHOR
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The author of the following Pastoral proves the
truth of the adage, “poeta nascitur non fit,” for,
though well born, he was reared under rather des¬
titute circumstances, and, at an early age, forced
to maintain himself by a humble profession. Still,
the poetic fire which lay slumbering in his breast
could not he extinguished; and he, like some of
Scotland’s other bards, gave forth, in his own pe¬
culiar dialect, those graphic pictures of Scottish
scenery and manners, as they existed in the be¬
ginning of the eighteenth century, which still
cheer and solace the heart of the peasant and the
artisan, and have become equally acceptable to
those of higher rank and superior taste.
Whilst the language in which it is written
shall continue to be understood, and so long as a