Let meaner beauties use their art,
And range both Indies for their dress;
Our fair can captivate the heart,
In native weeds, nor look the less.
More bright unborrow'd beauties shine,
The artless sweetness of each face
Sparkles with lustres more divine,
When freed of every foreign grace.

The tawny nymph, on scorching plains,
May use the aid of gems and paint,
Deck with brocade and Tyrian stains
Features of ruder form and taint:
What Caledonian ladies wear,
Or from the lint or woolen twine,
Adorn'd by all their sweets, appear
Whate'er we can imagine fine.

Apparel neat becomes the fair,
The dirty dress may lovers cool,
But clean, our maids need have no care,
If clad in linen, silk, or wool.
T' adore Myrtilla who can cease?
Her active charms our praise demand,
Clad in a mantua, from the fleece
Spun by her own delightful hand.

Who can behold Calista's eyes,
Her breast, her cheek, and snowy arms,
And mind what artists can devise
To rival more superior charms?
Compar'd with those, the diamond 's dull,
Lawns, satins, and the velvets fade,
The soul with her attractions full
Can never be by these betray'd.

Saphira, all o'er native sweets,
Not the false glare of dress regards,
Her wit her character completes,
Her smile her lover's sighs rewards.
When such first beauties lead the way,
The inferior rank will follow soon;
Then arts no longer shall decay,
But trade encouraged be in tune.

Millions of fleeces shall be wove,
And flax that on the vallies blooms,
Shall make the naked nations love
And bless the labours of our looms.
We have enough, nor want from them
But trifles hardly worth our care;
Yet for these trifles let them claim
What food and cloth we have to spare.

How happy 's Scotland in her fair!
Her amiable daughters shall;
By acting thus with virtuous care,
Again the golden age recal:
Enjoying them, Edina ne'er
Shall miss a court; but soon advance
In wealth, when thus the lov'd appear
Around the scenes, or in the dance.

Barbarity shall yield to sense,
And lazy pride to useful arts,
When such dear angels in defence
Of virtue thus engage their hearts.
Blest guardians of our joys and wealth!
True fountains of delight and love!
Long bloom your charms, fixt be your health,
Till, tir'd with earth, you mount above.