"Fraud, rapine, murder, guilt's long horrid train, "Distracted nature's anarchy maintain. "No more pure Reason earthly minds can move, "No more can Order's charms persuasive prove. "But as the moon reflecting borrow'd day, "Sheds on our shadow'd world a feeble ray ; "Some scatter'd beams of Reason law contains, "While Order's rule must be enforc'd by pains. "Hence death's black scroll, dire tortures hence are giv'n; "Hence kings, the necessary curse of heav'n. "Who spurn'd his sceptre, feel the tyrant's rod. So spoke the Sage, and if not learn'd in vain, Or would imperious reason deign to own, The world not made for sovereign man alone ; Some things there are for human use design'd, And these in common dealt to human kind. To mortal wants is given a power to use, What to th' immortal part just heav'n might well re fuse. This faithful instinct in each breast implants, All know their rights, for all must feel their wants. But soon began the rage of wild desire And ere ambition madly grasp'd the ball, And now some sages high by others deem'd, For virtue honor'd, and for parts esteem'd; Call'd forth to judge where dubious claims are try'd, Convince with reason, and with counsel guide; Fix'd rules devise 'to sway th' assenting throng, And marks distinct impress on right and wrong. The simple precept subtle wiles evade, And statutes as our crimes increas'd were made: These were at first unwritten, plain and few, 'Till swell'd by time the law's vast volume grew; And grown with these, to sway th' unwieldy trust, Thousands we chose to keep the millions just, So at some mountain's foot have children gaz'd, While close to heaven they view the summit rais'd, Eager they mount new regions to explore, But heav'n is now as distant as before. Thus views the crowd a throne, while those who rise Claim not a nearer kindred to the skies; Earth is their parent, thither kings should bend, 'Tis thence they rise, and not from heaven descend. Happy, had all the royal sons of earth Thus sprung, nor guilt had claim'd the monstrous birth. Where from the sire descending through the line, Ye mortal gods, how vainly are ye proud? If just your title, servants to the crowd; If wide your sway, if large your treasur'd store, And nothing all your own, except your cares. Take the starv'd peasant's taste, devouring lord! Ere you deprive him of the genial board. And if you would his liberty control, Assume the various actings of his soul! So shall one man a people's powers enjoy, Thus Indians deem of wretches they destroy. Thus in old tales the fabled monster stands, Proud of a thousand eyes, a thousand hands. Thus dreams the sophist, who with subtle art Would prove the whole included in a part, A people in their king; and from the throng, Transfer to him their rights in nature's wrong; Those sacred rights in nature's charter plain, By wants that claim them, and by powers that gain. Though sophists err, yet stand confess'd thy claim, And be the king and multitude the same, Whose deeds benevolent his title prove, And royal selfishness, in public love: Nor, draining wasted realms for sordid pelf, Where fails this proof, in vain would we unite To him whose wish devours air, sea, and land. For freedom ties unbounded will with laws; For public blessings loose the bond-man's chain. Ill-fated slaves of arbitrary sway! Where trusted power seduces to betray; Far others, ye, O wealthy, wise, and brave! Though subject, free; more freedom would enslave. |