The poems and songs of William Hamilton of Bangour collated with the ms. volume of his poems, and containing several pieces hitherto unpublished; with illustrative notes, and an account of the life of the author. By James Paterson |
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KING LEAR'S SPEECH TO EDGAR.
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 | The poems and songs of William Hamilton of Bangour |  |
KING LEAR'S SPEECH TO EDGAR.
TAKING A VIEW OF MAN FROM THE SIDE OF HIS MISERIES.
Is man no more than this? consider him well. Thou owest the worm
no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume.
Ha! here's three of us are sophisticated. Thou art the thing itself;
unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal
as thou art. Off, off, you lendings; come, unbutton here.
Shakespeare.
See where the solitary creature stands,
Such as he issued out of nature's hands;
No hopes he knows, no fears, no joys, no cares,
Nor pleasure's poison, nor ambition's snares;
But shares, from self-forged chains of life released,
The forest kingdom with his fellow beast.
Yes, all we see of thee is nature's part;
Thou art the creature's self—the rest is art.
For thee, the skilful worm of specious hue,
No shining threads of ductile radiance drew;
For thee, no sun the ripening gem refined;
No bleating innocence the fleece resigned:
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O'er thy faint limbs, the oil's refreshing shower:
His bed the flinty rock; his drink, his food,
The running brook, and berries of the wood.
What have we added to this plain account?
What passions? what desires? a huge amount!
Clothed, fed, warmed, cooled, each by his brother's toil,
We live upon the wide creation's spoil.
Quit, monarch, quit thy vain superfluous pride;
Lay all thy foreign ornaments aside:
Bid art no more its spurious gifts supply;
Be man, mere man; thirst, hunger, grieve, and die.
| The poems and songs of William Hamilton of Bangour | |