The Blacklock Manuscripts at Annan. 161 



extraordinary production. I need not quote it, as you have in 

 your library a print from the " Scottish Historical Review " 

 gi\ing the text in full. But to show how the iron entered into the 

 poet's soul at Kirkcudbright I may read a short piece,, entitled 

 "An Ejaculation "':— - 



1. 



Gk)od God, whose all pervading eye 



Inspects the human breast, 

 Whose ears are open to the cry 



Of innocence opprest, 

 In mercy hear our humble suit, 



Relieve our souls from pain ; 

 Nor be our sufferings more acute 



Than nature can sustain. 



For prepossessions, deaf and blind. 



To wreck our peace appear, 

 While fury kindles in each mind, 



Implacably severe. 

 For us no social bosoms glow, 



No kind affections reign ; 

 But haughty power contracts its brow. 



And meanness smiles disdain. 



Not a few of the " manuscript poems " are odes and songs to 

 ladies. Among the productions of this description I found a 

 fine unpublished version of the famous " Ode to Aurora on 

 Melissa's Birthday." The .songs appear all to have been 

 published, though not in any edition of Blacklock's poetical 

 works. Two of them were included in Johnson's " Scots Musical 

 Museum," and several in "A Collection of Original Poems, by 

 the Rev. Mr Blacklock and other Scotch Gentlemen " (1760). 

 One of the lyrics was set to music by Blacklock and published in 

 the " Edinburgh Magazine and Review." 



Blacklock delighted to compose and dictate to his amanu- 

 enses epistles in verse ; and the volume under notice contains a 

 number of " letters in rhyme," the best of which are printed in 

 Mackenzie's edition of his poems. The following lines from an 



