Classic Poem

Honesty though kings revile thee
Thou art still a heavenly gem
Tyrants by a name defile thee
Thoust no heritage with them
Bowed & bruised & often broken
By the proud & insincere
Still thou ownst the unbought token
That all upright hearts revere

Scoffed & scorned & rudely handled
By the tyrants rude decree
Yet howere thy bodys mangled
Still thy mind is with the free
Yet howere thy name is hated
By the sycophants of slaves
Yet howere thy power is rated
By the tyrant — hearken knaves

Ye may fume & ye may bluster
Boast of steal & try the deed
Ye may cant of God & muster
Powers — ye hypocrites — but heed
Poor honesty — though rags surround her
No bribes could work her overthrow
Nor slaverys chains hath ever bound her
Dare ye to talk of slavery — No

Ye talk of peace — & mean oppression
Ye talk of liberty for slaves
But whisper in your black transgression
That they shall have it in their graves
Ye talk of bible faith & duty
Aye duty is your bait ye knaves
But not to God — it would not suit ye
Unless God taught us to be slaves

Poor honesty makes blank your honour
Yeve threatened till ye dare no more
Ye now set cants smooth dogs upon her
But tyrant knaves your reign is oer
Your steel like to a reed is broken
Your forcefull scorn all weak as dreams
Poor honesty wears its own token
& justice only she esteems

Tyrants & hypocrites are for ye
They glorify your brutish deeds
But truth & humane hearts abhor ye
They shudder at your canting creeds
They pity — but they never fear ye
Your idle threats their hearts contemn
If good your cause they would revere ye
For honestys their diadem

Rouse but the lion from its slumber
Rouse but old charters from their graves
& freedom soon shall disencumber
All shackles from the hands of slaves
The mind is free & stirred to motion
Twill like a flood its channels find
Like waves upon a stormy ocean
Like sands upon a desert wind

Can natures warnings make you see
Can danger teach you right from wrong
Let nature then your teacher be
& only listen to her song
Free but the bird from out the cage
It instant seeks the highest tree
This proves beyond your tyrant rage
That nature at her heart is free