Vol 17 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

A FoncorrEN
KrnxcuoeRrGHTSHrRe Porr.
45
off the trammels of English almost unconsciously, and then
rve thrill to the music of the Doric undefiled.
Unlike Thomson,
he is not ashamed of his native to,ngue-not
then at all
events-and never is he guilty, as Thomson is, of the charge
of
" "
unredeemed grandiloquence rvhen treating of
common things. Look on this picture and on this. Here is
a passag'e from Davidson's " Spring," lines ++3 to +52 i-
" Now on the plains the lambs at setting sun
l'orsake their mithers and together rneet:
Intent on mirth, to friendship having sworn-
Ane tak's a sten' across the foggy fur'
Wi' rackless force, syne at his heels in troops
The rest rin brattlin' aft€r, kir and crous€,
Like co,uts an' fillies starting frae a post;
lipon the turf-dyhe stiaught they tak' their stan'
An' round a. tummoch rvheel, ant fleggin', t,oss
The mowdy-hillan to the air in stour.".
Iior the simple everyday scene Davidson
. uses the
sinrple homespun speech, and the .truth and tenderness of
the picture charm at a glance.
Now the same subject has been treated by Thomson in
his grandiose style, Iines 832-84r (nine lines in each, you
r.r'ill observe) :-
" The theme now leads us to the mountain brow
Where sits the shepherd on the grassy turf
lnhaling healthful the descending sun.
Around him feed his many-bleating flock
Of various cadenee: and his sportive larnbs
This way and that convolved in friskful glee
Their frolics play. And now the sprightly race
fnvites the,m forth, when swift the signal given
They start'away and Sweep the mossy mound
That mns alongthe hill."
Would the veriest poetaster of the provincial press have
perpetrated such a line as " Inhaling healthful the descending
sun " ? How usefully vague is " cot't7:olaedr" and what
a lurid lack of vision and of ideas to have
" "
sportive,
" friskful
"
r" frolic,
"
and " play " in one short sentence !
Yet these 'lines of the great 'fhomson are quoted at length
and with apparent gusto by Professor Veitch in his masterly
analysis of Scottish nature poetry, while Davidson is not so
much as mentioned.
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