And unmolested Kine rechew the Cud; 35 When Curlews cry beneath the Village-walls, 40 And no fierce Light disturb, whilst it reveals; 45 O'er all below a solemn Quiet grown, Joys in th' inferior World, and thinks it like her Own: In such a Night let Me abroad remain, Till Morning breaks, and All's confused again; Our Cares, our Toils, our Clamours are renewed, 50 Or Pleasures, seldom reached, again pursued. DANIEL DEFOE FROM THE TRUE BORN ENGLISHMAN WHEREVER GOD erects a House of Prayer, For ever since he first debauched the mind, No Nonconforming Sects disturb his reign; And he's as certain ne'er to be betrayed. Through all the world, they spread his vast command, 5 ΤΟ 15 20 And Death's eternal empire is maintained. As if there were Lords Justices of Hell! 25 Duly divided, to debauch mankind, And plant infernal dictates in their mind. PRIDE, the first Peer, and President of Hell; With all the silver mountains of Peru; Wealth which, in wise hands, would the World undo! Because he knew their Genius to be such, Too lazy and too haughty to be rich. 35 So proud a people, so above their fate, That if reduced to beg, they'll beg in State! Lavish of money, to be counted brave; 40 So very rich, and yet so very poor. 75 [Defoe goes on (11. 41–74) to ascribe different dominating vices to various countries: Lust to Italy, Drunkenness to Germany, Passion to France; the Pagan World is personally ruled by Satan himself.] The rest, by Deputies, he rules as well, And plants the distant colonies of hell: By them, his secret power, he well maintains, By zeal, the Irish; and the Rush by folly: The Chinese, by a child of hell called Wit. The Turks and Moors, by MAHOMET he subdues; Satyr, be kind! and draw a silent veil! At least be just, and shew her virtues too! England unknown as yet, unpeopled lay. (The merchants' glory these, and those, the swains'), That ruins her, which should be her defence. 80 85 90 95 100 INGRATITUDE, a devil of black renown, He made her first-born race to be so rude, 110 And suffered her to be so oft subdued. By several crowds of wandering thieves o'errun, While every nation, that her powers reduced, Making a Race uncertain and uneven, Derived from all the nations under heaven! The Romans first, with JULIUS CÆSAR came, 120 Including all the nations of that name, Gauls, Greeks, and Lombards, and by computation, Auxiliaries or slaves, of every nation. With HENGIST, Saxons; Danes with SUENO came; In search of plunder, not in search of fame. 125 Scots, Picts, and Irish from the Hibernian shore; And conquering WILLIAM brought the Normans o'er. All these, their barbarous offspring left behind; The dregs of armies, they, of all mankind: |