"FOR A' THAT AND 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 toil's obscure, and a' that;
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The Man's the gowd for a' that.

What though 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, though e'er sae poor,

Is king o' 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 ribbon, star, and a' that; The man o' independent mind, He looks and laughs at a' that.

A prince 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 rank than a' that.

"We are Brethren A'"

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

Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth, ay bear the gree, and a' that. a' that, and a' that,

s coming yet, for a' that,

Man to Man, the warld o'er,

all brothers be for a' that!

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Robert Burns [1759-1796]

"WE ARE BRETHREN A'"

It hame this auld world would be
en they're here, could make shift to agree,
to his neebor, in cottage an' ha',

e me your hand, -we are brethren a'."

hy ane wi' anither should fight,

ree would make a' body cosie an' right,
meets wi' man, 'tis the best way ava,
¡i'e me your hand,-we are brethren a’.”

a coarse ane, an' yours may be fine,

n drink water, while you may drink wine;
th ha'e a leal heart, unspotted to shaw:
› your hand,- -we are brethren a'.

ye would scorn, the unfaithfu' deride;

tand like a rock, wi' the truth on your side:
I, an' naught else would I value a straw:
ne your hand,- -we are brethren a'.

corn to do fausely by woman or man;
the right aye, as well as I can;
in our joys, our affections, an' a':
me your hand,-we are brethren a'.

er has lo'ed you as mithers can lo'e;
as done for me what mithers can do;
high an' laigh, an' we shouldna be twa:
your hand,-we are brethren a’.

We love the same simmer day, sunny an' fair;
Hame! oh, how we love it, an' a' that are there!
Frae the pure air o' heaven the same life we draw:
Come, gi'e me your hand,-we are brethren a'.

Frail shakin' auld age will soon come o'er us baith,
An' creepin' alang at his back will be death;
Syne into the same mither-yird we will fa':
Come, gi'e me your hand,-we are brethren a'.

Robert Nicoll [1814-1837]

FRATERNITY

I KNOW not but in every leaf

That sprang to life along with me,
Were written all the joy and grief
Thenceforth my fate to be.

The wind that whispered to the earth,
The bird that sang its earliest lay,
The flower that blossomed at my birth-
My kinsmen all were they.

Ay, but for fellowship with these

I had not been-nay, might not be;

Nor they but vagrant melodies

Till harmonized by me.

John Banister Tabb (1845-1909]

SONNET

MOST men know love but as a part of life;
They hide it in some corner of the breast,

Even from themselves; and only when they rest
In the brief pauses of that daily strife,
Wherewith the world might else be not so rife,
They draw it forth (as one draws forth a toy
To soothe some ardent, kiss-exacting boy)
And hold it up to sister, child, or wife.

Sic Itur

2889

why may not love and life be one? alk we thus alone, when by our side, ike a visible God, might be our guide? ould the marts grow noble! and the street, ike a dungeon-floor by weary feet,

hen a golden court-way of the Sun!

Henry Timrod [1829-1867]

SIC ITUR

t a railway junction, men came together, taking then the train up, one down, again

It never! Ah, much more as they take one street's two sides, and say parting words, but walk one way:

ugh moving other mates between,
le carts and coaches intervene,
h to theer goes unseen;

seldom, surely, shall there lack wledge they walk not back to back, with an unity of track,

ere common dangers each attend, common hopes their guidance lend ight them to the self-same end.

ether he then shall cross to thee, hou go thither, or it be

he midway point, yet ye shall see

h other, yet again shall meet.
joy! when with the closing street,
givingly at last ye greet!

Arthur Hugh Clough [1819-1861]

VERSES

SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER SELKIRK DURING HIS SOLITARY ABODE ON THE ISLAND OF JUAN FERNANDEZ

I AM monarch of all I survey;

My right there is none to dispute;
From the center all round to the sea
I am lord of the fowl and the brute.
O Solitude! where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face?
Better dwell in the midst of alarms,
Than reign in this horrible place.

I am out of humanity's reach,
I must finish my journey alone,
Never hear the sweet music of speech;
I start at the sound of my own.
The beasts that roam over the plain
My form with indifference see;
They are so unacquainted with man,
Their tameness is shocking to me.

Society, Friendship, and Love,
Divinely bestowed upon man,
O, had I the wings of a dove
How soon would I taste you again!
My sorrows I then might assuage
In the ways of religion and truth,
Might learn from the wisdom of age,
And be cheered by the sallies of youth.

Religion! what treasure untold
Resides in that heavenly word!
More precious than silver and gold,
Or all that this earth can afford.
But the sound of the church-going bell
These valleys and rocks never heard,
Nor sighed at the sound of a knell,
Or smiled when a Sabbath appeared.