Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Gentle shepherd

58 THE GENTLE SHEPHERD.
Since tlill the fecret thou'ft fecurely feal'd.
And ne'er to him his real birth reveal'd.
Syvion. The due obedience to your ftridl command
Was the firll lock — ^-neift my ain judgment fand
Out reafons ])lenty lince, without eitate, (blate:
A youth, though fpriing frae kings, looks baugh and
Sir JV. And aften vain and idly ipend their time,
Till grown unfit for adlion, paft their prime.
Hang on their friends— which gi'es iheir lauls a caft;
That turns them downright beggars at the laft.
Symon. Now, wiel I wat. Sir, you ha'e fpoken true
For there's laird Ky tie's fon, that's loo'd by fe\v :
His father fteght his fortune in his vvaiiie.
And left his heir nought but a gentle name.
He gangs about fornan frae place to jjlace.
As fcrimpt of manners as of ienfe and grace,
Oiip'tfTiiig a' as puniQiment o' their fin
That are within his tenth degree of kin :
Rins in ilk trader's debt, wha's fae unjuft
To his ain family as to gi'e him truft.
Sir TV. Such ufelefs branches of a common- wealth, -j
Sliou'd be lop'd off to gi'e a ftate mair health :
Unworthy bare refiedlion Syaton, run
O'er a' your obfervations on my fon ;
A parent's fondnefs eafily finds excufe,
But do not wi' indulgence truth abufe.
Symon. To fpeak his praife, the langeft Hmmer day
Wad be o'er (hort— cou'd I them right difpiay.
In word and deed he can fae v/iel behave.
That out of fight he runs before the lave :
And when there's e'er a quarrel or contell,
I'atrick's made judge, to tell whafe caufe is beft ;