For the Bee.

The New-year's Morning in Edinburgh.

Though, on account of his English readers, the Editor will be cautious of admitting many poems written in the Scottish dialect; yet, as the following little poem poffeffes fome degree of merit, and is defcriptive of manners that are perpetually changing, he hopes his readers in general will approve of its insertion. Notes are added to explain allyfions to customs, which would be otherwise unknown to strangers.

*

THE bard wha fang o' hallow fair,
The daft days an' Leith races
Wha's cantie fangs dis kill our care
In mony funny places,

Forgat to fing the morning air,

Whan laffes fhaw their faces,

Wi guid het pints + maist ilka where,
Ye'll kep them gau'n in braces,
Fu' foon that morn.

Hail hogmenai ‡, hail funny night,
For daffin' an' for drinkin',

For makin' a' thing right an' tight,
For killin' care an' thinkin';

* Fergufon.

t Het-pints. Among the lower claffes of the people in Scotland, it is customary for some perfon in each family to rise very early on new-year's morning, and prepare a kind of caudle, confifting of ale mixed with eggs beat up with fugar, and a little spirits, prepared hot, which is carried through every apartment in a floup, (pot) containing a Scotch pint (two English quarts) and a cup of this is offered to each perfon when in bed. This beverage is technically called het (i. e. hot) pints.

Hogmenai, the last night of the year. A great deal of gofipping and fun goes on that evening. It was formerly the custom in the country for small parties of young people to go about from house to house difguifed, and act a kind of play. Thefe were called guifarts. The cuf tom is now wearing out.

For rinnin' through the street like drift;
For kiffin' an' for clappin';

For clearin' up the mind an' fight,

Wi a weel made het chapin,

Fu' ftrang that morn.

By twal o'clock we tak the street,
There reel about like mad
While aft we get frae some we meet
O' guid fhort bread ‡ a dad.
Then laffes lips like cherries sweet §,
We maun that morning prie,
Though for't we get a braw red cheek
Unlefs we be fu' flee,

To jink that morn.

Hech wafe my heart, a barber lad
Did measure the street fairly,
An' roar'd an' rav'd like one stark mad,
He haud fa'an til't ower early.
A cellar upo' the high street,

'Bout onie ravel bare,

Gart the puir fcraper tyne his feet,
An' tumble down the stair,

The creels that morn.

A wee drap drink is unco good
As lang's we keep frae anger,

It pits ane in a merry mood,

An' keeps them out o' langer.
But troth I'm flied that some daft chiel,
To fome wrang place will stammer,
An' fair against his will atweel

H'ell fee the counfel chammer,

For it next morn.

ADSE.

Short bread, a kind of cake made of flour with butter and sugar baked hard. That and other fweet cakes are then diftributed liberally to all guests in every family.

§ It was the universal custom in Scotland, till of late, for every male, to falute, by kiffing, every female of his acquaintance, the first time he met her in the new year.

For the Bee.

PASTORAL SIMPLICITY.

(By the Rev. Mr. TYSSON.)

WHILST other nymphs make hapless fwains
Their victuals, penfive, hate
My Ella thofe fmall tricks difdains,
For Sylvie's happier fate
Such relish to the rural meals,
For touch and looks impart,
A keeness ev'ry ftomach feels,
A fondness every heart.

Ella, my fweetly-fugar'd cream,
Can fugar sweet a-new,
The fnowy curds from Ella seem
To gain a fnowier hue;

Help'd by her hands the enliv'ning cakes

A double life convey;

And from her breath the butter takes

A

what no tongue can say.

With care, ye gods, when Ella churns,
The gath'ring fweets fecure,

Still be the print* her board adorns
From all errata pure;

Then Ella's praise and Sylvie's bliss
Shall my foft voice employ,

In notes that like her print or kiss
Shall please, yet never cloy.

Figure of an heart.

The following piece has often been printed; but its intrinfic merit is such as to entitle it to a place in every collection of this fort. Could a mifcellany be formed, that confifted entirely of pieces of equal value, one would have little occafion to regret their not being what are usually called original. Perhaps the homeliness of its dress may displease some; but the fame circumftance will recommend it to others. It may furnifh a good subject for a differtation, to afcertain, which of these two parties have the finest taste, or the soundest judgment.

Preliminary Addrefs to the Pennfylvania Almanack, intituled Poor Richard's Almanack, for the year 1758, Printed at Philadelphia.

Said to be written by Doctor Franklin.

I HAVE heard, that nothing gives an author fo great pleafure as to find his works refpectfully quoted by other learned authors. This pleafure I have feldom enjoyed; for though I have been, if I may say it without vanity, an eminent author (of Almanacks) annually now a full quarter of a century, ray brother-authors in the fame way (for what reafon I know not) have ever been very fparing in their ap-. plaufes; and no other author has taken the leaft notice of me; fo that, did not my writings produce me fome folid pudding, the great deficiency of praife would have quite difcouraged me.

I concluded, at length, that the people were the best judges of my merit, for they buy my works; and befides, in my rambles, where I am not perfonally known, I have frequently heard one or other of my adages repeated, with

As poor Richard fays" at the end on't. This gave me fome fatisfaction; as it fhewed not only that my inftructions were regarded, but discovered likewise fome respect for my authority and I own, that, to encourage the practice of re membering and repeating thofe wife fentences, I have fome times quoted myself with great gravity.

:

Judge then how much I have been gratified by an inci dent I am going to relate to you. I ftopped my horse lately where a great number of people were collected at an auction VOL. I.

of merchants goods. The hour of fale not being come, they were converfing on the badnefs of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean, old man, with white locks, "Pray, father Abraham, what think you of the times? Won't these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How fhall we be ever able to pay them? What would you advise us to?" Father Abraham ftood up, and replied,---" If you'd have my advice, I'll give it you in fhort: "For a word to the wife is enough; and many words won't fill a bushel,” as poor Richard fays." They joined in defiring him to speak his mind; and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows:

"Friends, (fays he), and neighbours, the taxes are indeed very heavy; and if thofe laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more eafily difcharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to fome of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from thefe taxes the commiffioners cannot eafe or deliver us, by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and fomething may be done for us; "God helps them that help themselves," as poor Richard fays, in his Almanack.

It would be thought a hard government that fhould tax its people one tenth part of their time, to be employed in its fervice; but idlenefs taxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in abfolute floth or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle employments, or amufements that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on diseases, abfolutely fhortens life."Sloth, like ruft, confumes fafter than labour wears, while the key ufed is always bright,' as poor Richard fays. "But doft thou love life? then do not iquander time, for that's the ftuff life is made of," as poor Richard fays. How much more than is neceffary do we fpend in fleep! forgetting that "the fleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be fleeping enough in the grave," as poor Richard fays. "If time be of all things the most precious, wafting time must be (as poor Richard fays) the greatest prodigality;" fince, as he elsewhere tells, "Loft time is never found again; and what we call time enough, always proves little enough," Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the purpose ; fo by diligence