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For milk at morn and ev’ning duly drain’d, 
Nar feek cold bev’rage from the freezing {pring. 
€¢ For then each peafant was the farmer’s 
friend ; 
Unaw’d by diftance, round his blazing hearth, 
They heardi without the wintry ftorm defcend, 
Tho’ fearcely heard amid their fimple mirth. 
“Their mirth is paft; their freeborn fpirit 
i ; fled, , 
Like them depreft their former mafters groan, 
Condemn’d the downward path of life to tread, 
The focial chain is broke-the link is gone. — 
, “* Proud property now lords it o’er the plain ; 
Behold the painted chariot rol! alon~, 
The wealthy mafter of a menial train, 
* Shall he defcend amid the vulgar throng 3 
‘¢ Too far remiov’d to hear pale ficknefs moan, 
Too proud to afk what means the weeping eye, 
The unproteéted erphan pines alone, | 
The wretch that cannot work is left to die. 
*€ Behold his new-fafhed manfion! now no 
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The fimple cottage of the rural fwain, 
Whofe harden’d hand could guide the plough of 
ore 
Or fow with fkilfal caft the golden grain. 
“Behold the well-{tock’d yard, tho’ far 
withdrawn, a 
Left it offerd Refinement’s nicer eye, 
To yield precedence to the turfy lawn ; 
Does it not ev’ry luxury fupply ? 
‘© Ben the fleek horfes fhow their matter’s 
wealth ; 
Here man alone feems deftin’d to repiiie ; 
Broken alike in fpirit, and in health, 
T almoft with Aer ftate for me and mine. 
«* How happy once the carelefs life I led! 
Long pafs’'d—yet itill to weeping mem ry dear, 
When tweet content with ev’ry moment fled, 
That brought—that wing’d—that clos’d. the 
rolling yvar : 
“* My path was humble, but that path I trod 
Without a hope, without a with, to climb; | 
Thankful receiy’d each bieffing Heav’n bettow’d, 
And felt, but mourn’d not at the flight of time, 
“« Happy my {miling family to view, 
Around me labour, and around me play, 
When darknefs from the dewy fields withdrew, 
When grateful twilight brought the clofe of day. 
“ Then liv’d our ancient lord; content at 
* home, 
amid his friends and tenants to refidé, . 
Wo weeping eye in wirtter faw him roam 
Yo diftant fcenes of luxury and pride. 
<¢ Ah little know the gay unthinking great 
How cold it ftrikes upon the poor man’s heart 
To gaze upon the long forfaken feat, d 
While they and charity at once depart. 
“* His fon fucceeding, ftill we hop’d to prove 
The Kind indulgence we fo long had knowny 
Montuty Mag. Ne. XI, 
= 
Original Poctry. 6gI 
To find matur’d by years the former love, 
Which oft’ his artlefs infancy had fhown: 
‘* But abfence had eftrang’d his alter’d roindy 
He felt no pleafure in his native {pot : 
To heartlefs fafhion’s venal crew refign’d, 
Our names remember’d—but all elfe forgot. 
‘* His farms were rais’d, far diftant he with- 
drew, 
In other feats his gather’d wealth to fpend: 
Oh! that e’en yer our wretched flate he knew, 
Tho’ fcorn’d the title of the poor man’s friend. 
‘* Look at thee rags ! and need IJ tell the reft | 
Their ancient lord, their benefaétor gone, 
Our fwains by petty tyrants were opprefs’d 
And {oon oppreffion brought their ruin on. 
** Our rents exacted by a rigid hand, 
Our ilender wealth by adverfe feafons drain’d, 
Monopoly bid high for all our land : 
4nd what for us but pining want remain’d ? 
s¢ My youngerchildren cannot earn their bread, 
Nor aught thefe aged wither’d hands can fave ; 
In vain for us the plain’s with plenty fpread, 
The country blooms a garden and a grave ! 
“¢ Perhaps, "tis true, that he who wealth com- 
mands, 
By the large efforts of expenfive toil, 
May clothe with livelier grain the waving lands, 
And bear a richer harvett from the foil. 
<< But think how many from their'envied ftate 
Of humble eafe and independence thrown, 
Shall curfe wmprovements pregnant with their face, 
And weep their country’s forrows in their own. 
*¢ For not with them the fatal ills fhall reft ; 
Depriv’d of thefe their friends, the meaner poor, 
Untaught, unfed, by hopelefs toil depreit, 
Shail tread the path of hone{t fame no more: 
‘* Bound by no tender tie, their native {pot 
Soon fhall they quit, to them each place the fame, 
In diffipation live, and die forgot, 
Nor leave a child who bears its father’s name ! 
s¢ And fhould the country’s population fail, 
Far diftant be the melancholy day ! 
How little will the hoards of wealth avail 
To prop the bafelefs pile that finks away ! 
*< Ye fons of fortune, hicher turn your eyes, 
Do nor reject the fuppliant’s folemn pray’r, 
Till all too late, by fad experience wife, 
Ye curfe the evils ye are doom’d to (hare. 
*¢ As your’s the pow’r, be your’s the will to 
fave, 
Let proud mohopoly opprefs no more, 
Nor let stem fink negle€ted to the grave, 
Who liv’d your father’s humble friends of yore. , 
* Your {mile fhall foon its wonted pot’r impart, 
Like funbeamso’e: the weeping land{cape throwng 
The emanations of a noble heart 
Wot born, nor beating for itfelf alone. 
<¢ F’en in the humble peafant’s low-roof’d cclh 
Once more fhall plenty then her fcenes expands 
While ev’ry grateful breaft with pride hall fiell 
To hail the faviours of a drooping Jand !’? 
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