The Minstrel; Or the Progress of Genius with Some Other Poems

The Minstrel; or the Progress of Genius with some other poems By James Beattie I. Ah! who can tell how hard it is to climbThe steep, where Fame's proud temple shines afar!Ah! who can tell how many a soul sublimeHas felt the influence of malignant star, And waged with Fortune an eternal war!Checked by the scoff of Pride, by Envy's frown, And Poverty's unconquerable bar, In life's low vale remote has pined alone, Then dropt into the grave, unpitied and unknown! II. And yet, the languor of inglorious daysNot equally oppressive is to all.Him, who ne'er listened to the voice of praise, The silence of neglect can ne'er appal.There are, who, deaf to mad Ambition's call, Would shrink to hear th' obstreperous trump of Fame;Supremely blest, if to their portion fallHealth, competence, and peace. Nor higher aimHad He, whose simple tale these artless lines proclaim. III. This sapient age disclaims all classic lore;Else I should here, in cunning phrase, display, How forth The Minstrel fared in days of yore, Right glad of heart, though homely in array;His waving locks and beard all hoary grey: And, from his bending shoulder, decent hungHis harp, the sole companion of his way, Which to the whistling wind responsive rung: And ever as he went some merry lay he sung. IV. Fret not yourselves, ye silken sons of pride, That a poor Wanderer should inspire my strain.The Muses fortune's fickle smile deride, Nor ever bow the knee in Mammon's fane;For their delights are with the village-train, Whom Nature's laws engage, and Nature's charms: They hate the sensual, and scorn the vain;The parasite their influence never warms, Nor him whose sordid soul the love of wealth alarms. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching e