Madmoments: or First Verseattempts By a Bornnatural. Addressed to the Lightheaded of Society at Large, by Henry Ellison |
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Madmoments: or First Verseattempts | ||
LAWS.
Yes! Ye may fence with sharp and thorny LawsYour o'ergrown wealth, and scare off the poor man
From your Domains, and shut him in the span
Of life's dull, dusty Highway; but some Flaws
Nature finds in your Titledeeds! She was,
And is, impartial, as when she began,
And lets none violate her mighty Plan
Unpunished: and mark how she does it; Laws
May guard your wealth, tho' scarcely: something more,
Yea! Something more is needful to make ye
Real Masters of your own — a higher power
Must give the godlike Privilege to be;
To feel, as well as call it yours! the Flower,
Wherever Sun and Wind are grows — so free,
On all, doth Nature her chief Blessings shower!
And the poor Beggar whom his grudged Path o'er
Your wide Park leads, beneath the old Oaktree,
Throws off his wallet and for half an hour,
Munching his hard Bread, sweetened by the Glee
Of God's bless'd Creatures in fresh Grass and Bower,
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Hath other titledeeds whereby to take
Possession, such as Nature owns, a Breast
To feel and love, of all her Gifts the best,
A Heart by its own beatings kept awake!
Madmoments: or First Verseattempts | ||