The Poetical Works of Thomas Chatterton with an essay on the Rowley poems by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat and a memoir by Edward Bell |
I. |
II. |
I. |
II. |
The Poetical Works of Thomas Chatterton | ||
TO HORACE WALPOLE.
Walpole, I thought not I should ever seeSo mean a heart as thine has proved to be.
Thou who, in luxury nurst, behold'st with scorn
33
Asks thy high favour—thou mayst call me cheat.
Say, didst thou never practise such deceit?
Who wrote Otranto? but I will not chide:
Scorn I'll repay with scorn, and pride with pride.
Still, Walpole, still thy prosy chapters write,
And twaddling letters to some fair indite;
Laud all above thee, fawn and cringe to those
Who, for thy fame, were better friends than foes;
Still spurn th'incautious fool who dares— [OMITTED]
Had I the gifts of wealth and luxury shared,
Not poor and mean, Walpole! thou hadst not dared
Thus to insult. But I shall live and stand
By Rowley's side, when thou art dead and damned.
T. C.
The Poetical Works of Thomas Chatterton | ||