66

'A MAN'S A MAN FOR A' THAT.”

Is there, for honest poverty,

That hangs his head, and a' that!
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, and a' that,

Our toils obscure, and a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gold for a' that!

What tho' on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin gray and a' that,

Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,

A man's a man for a' that!

For a' that, and a' that,

Their tinsel show and a' that: The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor, Is king of men for a' that!

Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,

Wha struts and stares and a' that; Though hundreds worship at his word, He's but a coof for a' that;

For a' that, and a' that,

His riband, star, and a' that ;
The man of independent mind,
He looks and laughs and a' that!

A king can mak' a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and a' that,
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Guid faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, and a' that,

Their dignities, and a' that,

The pith o' sense, and pride o' worth,
Are higher ranks than a' that.

Then let us pray, that come it may,—
As come it will, for a' that,-

That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, and a' that;
For a' that, and a' that,

It's coming yet for a' that,

That man to man, the warld o'er,

Shall brothers be for a' that!

R. BURNS.

THE CREATION.

GREAT triumph and rejoicing was in Heaven,
When such was heard declar'd the Almighty's will;
Glory they sung to the Most High, good-will
To future men, and in their dwellings peace;'
Glory to him whose just avenging ire
Had driven out the ungodly from his sight

And the habitations of the just; to Him
Glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordain'd
Good out of evil to create; instead

Of spirits malign, a better race to bring
Into their vacant room, and thence diffuse
His good to worlds and ages infinite.

So sang the Hierarchies: Meanwhile the Son
On his great expedition now appear'd,
Girt with Omnipotence, with radiance crown'd
Of Majesty Divine; sapience and love
Immense, and all his Father in him shone.
About his chariot numberless were pour'd
Cherub, and Seraph, Potentates, and Thrones,
And Virtues, winged Spirits, and chariots wing'd
From the armoury of God; where stand of old
Myriads, between two brazen mountains lodg'd
Against a solemn day, harness'd at hand,
Celestial equipage; and now came forth
Spontaneous, for within them Spirit liv'd,
Attendant on their Lord: Heaven open'd wide
Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound
On golden hinges moving, to let forth
The King of Glory, in his powerful Word

And Spirit, coming to create new worlds.

On heavenly ground they stood; and from the shore
They view'd the vast immeasurable abyss

Outrageous as a sea, dark, wasteful, wild,
Up from the bottom turn'd by furious winds
And surging waves, as mountains, to assault
Heaven's height, and with the center mix the pole.

Silence, ye troubled Waves, and thou Deep, peace, Said then the Omnifick Word; your discord end! Nor staid; but, on the wings of Cherubim

Uplifted, in paternal glory rode

Far into Chaos, and the world unborn;

For Chaos heard his voice: Him all his train
Follow'd in bright procession, to behold

Creation, and the wonders of his might.
Then staid the fervid wheels, and in his hand
He took the golden compasses, prepar'd
In God's eternal store, to circumscribe
This universe and all created things:
One foot he center'd, and the other turn'd
Round through the vast profundity obscure;
And said, Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds.
This be thy just circumference, O World!
Thus God the heaven created, thus the Earth,
Matter unform'd and void: Darkness profound
Cover'd the abyss: but on the watery calm
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread,
And Earth self-balanc'd on her center hung.

Let there be light, said God; and forthwith Light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure,

Sprung from the deep; and from her native east

To journey through the aery gloom began,

Spher'd in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun

Was not; she in a cloudy tabernacle

Sojourn'd the while. God saw the light was good; And light from darkness by the hemisphere

Divided light the Day and darkness Night,

He nam'd.

Thus was the first day even and morn :

Nor pass'd uncelebrated, nor unsung

By the celestial choirs, when orient light
Exhaling first from darkness they beheld;

Birth-day of Heaven and Earth; with joy and shout The hollow universal orb they fill'd,

And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning prais'd God and his works; Creator him they sung,

Both when first evening was, and when first morn.

The sixth, and of creation, last, arose

*

With evening harps and matin; when God said,
Let the earth bring forth soul living in her kind,
Cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the Earth,
Each in their kind. The Earth obey'd and straight
Opening her fertile womb teem'd at a birth
Innumerous living creatures, perfect forms;
Among the trees in pairs they rose, they walk'd,
The cattle in the fields and meadows green,
Those rare and solitary, these in flocks

Pasturing at once, and in broad herds upsprung.

*

*

*

*

*

Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roll'd

Her motions as the great first Mover's hand

First wheel'd their course. Earth in her rich attire Consummate, lovely smil'd; air, water, earth,

By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain'd:

There wanted yet the master-work, the end