The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay With Illustrations by John Gilbert |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
DIFFERENCES. |
 | The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay |  |
125
DIFFERENCES.
I
The king can drink the best of wine;So can I:
And has enough when he would dine—
So have I;
He cannot order rain or shine;
Nor can I.
Then, where's the difference—let me see—
Betwixt my lord the king and me?
II
Do trusty friends surround his throneNight and day?
Or make his interest their own?
No—not they:—
Mine love me for myself alone,
Bless'd be they!
And that's one difference which I see,
Betwixt my lord the king and me.
III
Do knaves around me lie in wait,Or fawn and flatter when they hate
And would grieve?
Do cruel pomps oppress my state
By my leave?
No! Heaven be thank'd! and here you see
More difference 'twixt the king and me!
126
IV
He has his fools, with jests and quips,When he'd play;
He has his armies and his ships—
Great are they!
But not a child to kiss his lips,
Well-a-day!
And that's one difference, sad to see,
Betwixt my lord the king and me.
V
I wear the cap and he the crown;—What of that?
I sleep on straw and he on down;—
What of that?
And he's the king and I'm the clown;—
What of that?
If happy I,—and wretched he,—
Perhaps the king would change with me!
| The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay | |