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34
TO ---
An Absentee.
Shame afflict thee, Slave of Riot,
For an ancient House's fall!
Want's remorse, and Fear's disquiet
Sting thee, heartless Prodigal!
For an ancient House's fall!
Want's remorse, and Fear's disquiet
Sting thee, heartless Prodigal!
Through those woods that waved so proudly,
Held so long in pious care,
Now the Axe to Echo loudly
Tells thy havoc, worthless Heir!
Held so long in pious care,
Now the Axe to Echo loudly
Tells thy havoc, worthless Heir!
Now the druid Raven, calling
From his sanctuary of oaks,
While the fane around is falling,
Ruin on thy head invokes.
From his sanctuary of oaks,
While the fane around is falling,
Ruin on thy head invokes.
Where for ages dwelt thy Fathers,
Usury's hirelings now reside;
While Oppression's sickle gathers
Labour's harvest far and wide.
Usury's hirelings now reside;
While Oppression's sickle gathers
Labour's harvest far and wide.
Thou, to gayer shores departed,
Heedest not the peasant's groan;
Soon perchance the callous-hearted
Shall as dully hear thine own.
Heedest not the peasant's groan;
Soon perchance the callous-hearted
Shall as dully hear thine own.
In thy Sires' emblazon'd Oriel
Soon shall be a Stranger's Shield;
And those halls no last memorial
Of their famous Lords shall yield.
Soon shall be a Stranger's Shield;
And those halls no last memorial
Of their famous Lords shall yield.
Then their Son, a homeless Wanderer,
Fortune's treacherous die may rue;
While the World rejects the Squanderer
That a noble House o'erthrew.
Fortune's treacherous die may rue;
While the World rejects the Squanderer
That a noble House o'erthrew.
In a night the' Ephesian Wonder
Felt a wretched Maniac's brand:
So that proud House crumbles under
A mean Gamester's frantic hand.
Felt a wretched Maniac's brand:
So that proud House crumbles under
A mean Gamester's frantic hand.
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