Humanity, or the rights of nature, a poem in two books. By the author of sympathy [i.e. S. J. Pratt] |
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| I. |
| II. |
 | Humanity, or the rights of nature, a poem |  |
And lo! methinks on Fancy's wing convey'd
The Muse already gains the palmy shade,
Herself the messenger, to Afric's plains
Ardent she flies to break the tyrant-chains,
Her voice already hails the list'ning croud,
And thus she speaks her Embassy aloud,
“I come, I come from sweet HUMANITY
“To sooth the Sad, and set the Captive free
“Heirs as ye are to all that Nature gave,
“Congenial Nature, who ne'er made a slave,
“Whose Minds can reason, and whose Hearts can move,
“With all the joys and agonies of Love,
“Sublime on Nature's scale ye Beings rise
“Equals on Earth, as equals in the skies
“All, all are Men, in Life and Death the same,
“And Virtue only can distinction claim,
“Where Freedom bids, now take your blithsome way
“Yours the fair morn, and yours the closing day,
“Yours is the jocund eve, its sports command
“Or on the cooling wave or barren sand,
“If in your breasts the Patriot passions burn
“To your lov'd Country, to your Homes return,
“Free, unconfin'd, where'er your course ye bend,
“Still, still shall Liberty your steps attend!”
They hear with dumb surprize, till raptures rise,
And these blest sounds re-echo to the skies,
“Negroes are Men, and Men are Slaves no more,
“Fair Freedom reigns, and Tyranny is o'er!”
The Muse already gains the palmy shade,
Herself the messenger, to Afric's plains
Ardent she flies to break the tyrant-chains,
Her voice already hails the list'ning croud,
And thus she speaks her Embassy aloud,
“I come, I come from sweet HUMANITY
“To sooth the Sad, and set the Captive free
“Heirs as ye are to all that Nature gave,
“Congenial Nature, who ne'er made a slave,
“Whose Minds can reason, and whose Hearts can move,
“With all the joys and agonies of Love,
“Sublime on Nature's scale ye Beings rise
“Equals on Earth, as equals in the skies
“All, all are Men, in Life and Death the same,
“And Virtue only can distinction claim,
“Where Freedom bids, now take your blithsome way
“Yours the fair morn, and yours the closing day,
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“Or on the cooling wave or barren sand,
“If in your breasts the Patriot passions burn
“To your lov'd Country, to your Homes return,
“Free, unconfin'd, where'er your course ye bend,
“Still, still shall Liberty your steps attend!”
They hear with dumb surprize, till raptures rise,
And these blest sounds re-echo to the skies,
“Negroes are Men, and Men are Slaves no more,
“Fair Freedom reigns, and Tyranny is o'er!”
| Humanity, or the rights of nature, a poem | |