Long time, O Ewen, &c.
This old beggar did not yet lose his power of hearing, and feeling insulted by the manner in which his name was introduced into the moralising verses he snatched up a club towards the close of the song, and creeping behind the bard aimed a blow at him with all the strength of his withered arm. Rob barely escaped, and tried to soothe the enraged old man.
Mackay shows great detestation of greed in his poems. One is a dialogue between the world and the greedy man. The wants of the bard in his humble station were few and easily supplied, so he could contemplate with sorrow the growing spirit of selfishness that began to creep in along with advancing civilisation and change of habit. This spirit he rebukes in the following verse from an address to Lord Reay:—
Hadst thou by nature been a man of greed,
How soon had grown the tempting glittering hoard;
If thou to pity’s tears hadst deigned no heed,
And hard-wrung rents with human curses stored!
But no, for when the yearly rents were paid,
It was more joy to thee a thousand-fold
To see a glad face in God’s image made,