He once suppos'd so, but had then to learn
That public men are private men's concern;
And that the poor have quite as much to lose,
As those who wrong them, and their rights abuse.
'Tis thus the fool, who ventures far to roam,'
Neglects in time to seek his distant home:
And when at last he lifts his grov❜ling eyes,
The gloomy storm obscures the sun and skies,
Pours dashing torrents down the mountain's side,
And, driving forwards, spreads destruction wide,
Sweeps trees and fences down the turbid flood,
And with them rolls the dunce along the mud.
Wealth without labour would be useless trash;
The poor have labour, though the rich have cash.
Though now obtain'd by thraldom's fire and sword,
The poor man's toil outweighs the rich man's hoard.
The rich so often get by wrongs or (131) stealth,
That toil outvalues all their hoards of wealth:
But wealth, if wealth were not a shameful spoil,
Could not exceed the worth of honest toil.
For toil must equal that which toil must bring,
And all your riches from our toil must spring.
Nay, weigh them both, the scales of reason prove
That toil is more than all your wealth can move.
Then pay for toil its fair intrinsic worth,
And those will gain, whose toil improves the earth.
In states where work does not receive its pay,
Thus might the needy to the wealthy say:
If half your lives a competence amass'd,
And we should work as long as life shall last,
Then from our lives the state, at least procures,
Full twice the service which it gains from yours:
Yet you may think our rights are not so great
As yours, whose lives do less to serve the state;
Ánd why, because through fraud, deceit or broil,
You gain'd estates by half the honest toil :
Because we work, and still as poor remain,
While you preserve your surreptitious gain.
Still not content with what our labour made,
You claim our freedom though we toil unpaid :
To guard your hoards, you ask protection too,
Although for ours we ask no aid from you.
You claim our rights without our free accord,
As if your work had not the best reward:
But can you justly take our rights away,
Because our work has not receiv'd its pay?
Can those be paid, who constant toil endure,
And those who toil not greater sums procure?
This could not be if those who work were paid,
Because by work the whole of wealth is made.
Hence we who work, and yet so poor remain
Are left unpaid, while you such fortunes gain.
If two copartners equal hardships bear,
And one receives a more than equal share,
One partner then is surely left unpaid,
And thus by him the other's wealth is made.
The case is clear where two or three combine;
And quite as plain where men in nations join :
Because the reason just alike relates
To those great firms denominated states:
The case is plainer, here some labour not,
And yet receive what others labour got.
If one life's labour does, or should obtain
A sum, just equal to the rich man's gain ;
Our lives of toil are worth your heaps of gold;
We give our toil, but you your wealth withhold:
Our tax thus paid, produc'd what you retain ;
And equal suffrage we at least should gain.
Yet those, who toil not, seem to arrogate
A right to guide the whole affairs of state;
Nay, do in fact, not only claim the right,
But rule the poor, and waste their lives in fight.
But toil receives its just, intrinsic rate,
In ev'ry free, and well conducted state.
For there no duties cheat the honest poor,
Nor make them pay what toil would else insure:
Toil wins its work by contract just and fair,
Where rich and poor an equal freedom share.
Each workman gains by unrestrain'd accord, (132)
For all his work, a full and just reward;
If priests and lords be not combin'd by kings,
To steal the profit which from labour springs.
By toil or labour here is understood,
The work or care which causes human good.
A life of labour why should man despise ?
From that our health, support and riches rise.
All spring from dust; and he, who toils for bread,
Should not be aw'd by him whom crimes have fed;
But know himself, and meet with equal port
The humble peasant, and the pride of court:
If men are equal, let them equal stand,
Obey the laws, but own no king's command.
O noble sight, to see the poor and low,
Still proud of virtue, and unaw'd by show,
Still firmly fix'd to guard their equal right
To curb its foes, or conquer them in fight:
Far nobler these, than those who meanly wait
Around the monarch, who enslaves a state.
The sweetest joy with which our race is blest,
Is faithful love within the virtuous breast;
Or faithful friendship, such as ancient tale (133)
Ascribes to him who gave his life for bail.
Or him who came before the fatal hour,
To save that surety from tyrannic power.
But virtue only, bliss like this secures ;
No other basis, joy so great insures.
Hence, joy so pure, the rich can seldom find;
Recause they leave the proud and selfish mind
To dwell among the middle-wealth and poor,
Where virtue rests, and where these joys endure.
The poor have also freedom, life, content,
And toil's intrinsic worth to represent:
Yet fools will say, the poor have naught to lose,
And hence that rulers they ought not to choose: (134)
Thus placing gold above the poor man's life,
His peace and freedom, wages, babes, and wife.
The free, poor man, because more truly blest,
Has more to lose than men with wealth distress'd.
Hence, politicks is ev'ry man's concern:
And that the science which all men should learn.
Without it rights would not be understood,
Nor laws provided for the public good;
Nor constitutions soon enough improv❜d;
And all defects by proper modes remov'd ;
Nor public servants justly criticiz❜d,
Nor just restraints of all abuse devis'd.
Our acts converge to gain some certain end,
Mankind to injure, or mankind befriend :
And if the public were not well advis❜d,
Official acts could not be scrutiniz'd:
But those who know to what each measure tends,
May thus discover both their foes and friends.
To all elections let all men repair;
Man owes to man most sacred duties there.
But let no man his sacred suffrage use,
Without inquiring whom he ought to choose.
To vote by guess is chance, instead of choice,
And makes the foes of equal rights rejoice.
'Tis most attrocious to presume to vote,
Unless his notions, whom you thus promote,
Are known to you, and also known to be
That kind, which tends to keep your country free.
To sell their votes seems just in dunces' view They sell their votes, but sell their neighbour's (135)
Not neighbour's only, children's too, are sold,
And those who spring from their sepulchr'd mould.
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