18 POETRY. 



street if he should be shabbily dressed, or recognize 

 him only to wither him with a look of mingled scorn 

 and insolence, as is the common practice in a neigh- 

 bouring country. The Scotch, on the contrary, ge- 

 nerally speaking, are too proud to condescend to 

 vanity. They are, we verily beUeve, the least courtly 

 people in the world. Mr. Hazlitt has seen much of 

 them, and has described them with his usual power 

 and discrimination. He says, " Though they argue 

 upon every thing, and dogmatize upon every thing, 

 they will cut you short in an argument, by asking 

 the time of night, and regard your habits and feelings 

 no more than a bundle of old clothes." A Scotchman 

 is not only proud of his country's beauty, but also of 

 its bleak climate and sterile soil. Whatever favoured 

 spot of earth Donald visits, he is always true to his 

 own principles — selfishness and nationality. 

 " His first — best country ever is at home.*' 

 The great difference between pride and vanity may 

 be traced through many varieties — a vain man acts 

 for others — a proud man for himself. Pride is gene- 

 rally founded on actual possession; vanity seeks 

 credit for assumption, and is as satisfied to be admired 

 for trivial as for valuable acquisition. Men become 

 proud in solitude, but vain in society. Pride is self- 

 satisfied and self-existent. Vanity lives in the breath 

 of others, and dies when it is no longer seen; vanity 

 is in better humour, but pride tells fewer lies ; the 

 first is more pleasing — the latter safer. Yet, however, 

 they may generally differ — they agree in this, they 

 are both disgusting and debasing, since every thing 

 man possesses is superinduced and adventitious. 



I. 



ON SEEING THE NAME OF ROBERT EMMET 



WRITTEN IN HIS OWN HAND UPON ONE OF Hi's SCHOOL BOOKS. 



This was written when he was a light gay boy 

 Whose voice was to fire the listening band 



Of the brave who arose, with tearful joy, 

 For the rights of their desolate father-land. 



