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90 modern Gaelic bards.
Or didst thou, with hard mind,
Thy weak tenantry grind,
And thin their worn hair 'neath thy sway-
With the law's cruel mock,
Distraining their stock,
Though their poverty moaned for delay ?
Letting them stand,
With bonnet in hand,
When they dared in thy presence appear :
And making so light
Of their locks thin and white,
And the wind that blew. aches in their ear.
Now the poor drudge,
Free of rent and of judge,
Unrespecting lies down by thy side :
Great praise be to death,
Who so soon stopt thy breath,
Nor 'neath the sod suffered thy pride.
Or once in this head,
Was godly faith fed —
Didst thou walk in the way of the wise?
Then, though thou liest there,
So naked and bare,
Without nose or tongue or eyes,
Be bold, — do not grieve,
For yet thou shalt leave
At the sound of the trumpet blast,
This baseness behind,
With the earth-worm that 's blind,
When the grave and its power is past.
Or didst thou, with hard mind,
Thy weak tenantry grind,
And thin their worn hair 'neath thy sway-
With the law's cruel mock,
Distraining their stock,
Though their poverty moaned for delay ?
Letting them stand,
With bonnet in hand,
When they dared in thy presence appear :
And making so light
Of their locks thin and white,
And the wind that blew. aches in their ear.
Now the poor drudge,
Free of rent and of judge,
Unrespecting lies down by thy side :
Great praise be to death,
Who so soon stopt thy breath,
Nor 'neath the sod suffered thy pride.
Or once in this head,
Was godly faith fed —
Didst thou walk in the way of the wise?
Then, though thou liest there,
So naked and bare,
Without nose or tongue or eyes,
Be bold, — do not grieve,
For yet thou shalt leave
At the sound of the trumpet blast,
This baseness behind,
With the earth-worm that 's blind,
When the grave and its power is past.
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Early Gaelic Book Collections > Blair Collection > Selections from the Gaelic bards > (114) |
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Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/75751132 |
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Description | A selection of books from a collection of more than 500 titles, mostly on religious and literary topics. Also includes some material dealing with other Celtic languages and societies. Collection created towards the end of the 19th century by Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray. |
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Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
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