010 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



HIGHLAND REAPERS RETURNING FROM A LOWLAND 



HARVEST. 



[From the same] 



OFT, at this season, faintly meets the ear 

 The song of harvest bands, that plod their way 

 FVom dark Lochaber, or rhe distant isles, 

 Journeying for weeks to gain a month of toil; 

 Sweet is the falling of the single voice, 

 And sweet the joining of the choral swell, 

 Without a pause ta'en up by old and young, 

 Alternating, in wildly-measured strain: 

 Thus they, 'mid clouds of flying dust, beguile. 

 With songs of ancient times, their tedious way. 



THE TEMPLE OF REASON. 

 [From Principal Brown's Philemon ; or the Progress of Virtue.^ 



PHILEMON trod the metaphysic soil 

 With cautious step, and profit paid his toil. 

 For, he pursued the clear and solid road. 

 And shunn'd the devious path which sceptics trod; 

 Where doubt and fear perplex them as they go. 

 Where knowledge only teaches not to know: 

 Where motley shapes appear; Religion's face 

 Is shown enrag'd, or practising grimace; 

 Folly advances, cloth'd in Wisdom's guise, 

 While Wisdom, in a fool's coat, strikes the eyes; 

 Death, in tremendous armour, stands array'd: 

 No gleam from heav'n illumes the grisly shade; 

 Man without solace of his woes is left; 

 And weeping nature of her sire bereft ; 

 Insidious meteors glimmer to ensnare ; 

 Research and study settle in despair ! 

 These paths could ne'er Philemon tempt to roam 

 From that which led to Reason's lofty dome. 

 Though rough and steep ; he persever'd to climb 

 Till patient progress gain'd the top sublime. 

 Arriv'd, admitted to the sacred bound. 

 With rapture, he survey'd the scene around. 

 The solid structure on four columns rear'd, 

 Half in the clouds, and half on earth appeared,' 

 To show on Reason's energies we soar 

 From earth ; from time, eternity explore. 



On 



